Week ending June 2, 2018
Storm Debris Drop Off/Pick Up Information – Added 06/05/18
On Saturday, June 2nd, the City’s Compost Facility opened from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and the drop-off fee was waived due to the large amount of storm tree damage. This brush site had a total of 163 pickup truckload drop-offs on Saturday. The City also opened the Compost Facility on Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. A total of 96 pickup truckload drop-offs came in on Sunday as residents continued to clear out their fallen tree branches.
Monday through Friday this week, the Solid Waste Division crews will pick up tree branches and other storm debris with regularly scheduled residential collection services. Tree branches and other yard waste material should be set out in city brown yard waste carts or compostable paper yard waste bags, sticking out no more than 12″ above the container opening. Bundles of tree and brush trimmings are also accepted. Each bundle must not exceed 5-feet in length or 18-inches in diameter and must not weigh more than 65 pounds. Bundles must be tied with string or twine (please no wire, duct tape, etc.).
On Saturday, June 9th, the City’s Compost Facility will open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and the drop-off fee will be waived again.
2019 Recommended Budget Information Now Available – 06/01/18
Staff has posted the 2019 recommended budget information that will be discussed at the June 12, 2018 Work Session. The recommended budget is being posted earlier than our typical deadline in order for the City Commission and the public to review prior to the work session. Staff Memo & Attachments
Bipartisan, Bicameral Group Of Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Amtrak Withholding Funding For Southwest Chief Route – Added 06/01/18
A few weeks ago, the City Commission authorized Mayor Boley to send a letter to the Congressional Delegation regarding possible threats to Amtrak’s Southwest Chief Route. A number of communities in Kansas and the surrounding states sent similar letters. A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Roberts and Moran and Representative Jenkins signed onto a letter to Amtrak relaying concerns about the route. The linked article provides additional information and a copy of the letter. We appreciate the responsiveness of the Kansas delegation to the concerns raised by our City and others along the route.
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Update
Please see the attached memo regarding an update on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board consideration of expanding the number of board members and exploring a change in the meeting time.
Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department Announced as Finalist for National Gold Medal Award
The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association, has named Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department as a finalist for the 2018 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Applications are separated into seven classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces and one class for state park systems awarded on odd numbered years.
Lawrence Parks and Recreation is a finalist in the Class III category. This is the fourth time Lawrence Parks and Recreation has been a finalist. The other three years were 1997, 1998 and 2015.
Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials. Lawrence joins three other agencies in its class that will compete for grand honors this year. Those agencies are: Bloomington (Ind.) Parks and Recreation Department, City of Evanston (Ill.), Parks and Recreation and Community Services and Greeley (Colo.) Culture, Parks and Recreation.
A panel of five park and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation on both the local and national levels.
This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Plaque Award honors this summer, and the seven Grand Plaque recipients will be announced live during the Opening General Session at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Ind., Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 25-27. See attached press release for more information. Attached is the link to the video submission – added 06/04/18.
CDBG Funding of Low/Moderate Income Neighborhood Associations
Please see attached report for more information regarding CDBG funding of Neighborhood Associations.
19th Street – Iowa Street to Naismith Drive Project Update
The 19th Street Reconstruction project that was originally anticipated to begin this summer has been delayed until 2019. The KDOT pedestrian/bicycle tunnel project the city received funding for last fall is tied to the road project and has required additional plan coordination. Delaying the project will allow utility companies adequate time to relocate their facilities this summer and enable the contractor more lead time to mobilize for the project, leading to better bid prices. The predominant work affecting traffic flow and access is now anticipated to occur in the spring/summer of 2019. The construction easements that have been executed for the project included an expiration date of December 31, 2019; the delay is not anticipated to require changing the expiration date.
Lawrence Affordable Housing efforts highlighted in documentary about affordable housing in Kansas City
A recent documentary airing on Kansas City Public Television about affordable housing discusses the efforts that the City of Lawrence has undertaken with the Affordable Housing Advisory Board and the affordable housing sales tax. The portion highlighting Lawrence is around the 12-minute mark in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u20aHKed2OQ&t=599s
April 2018 Sales Tax Report
The April 2018 Sales Tax Report has been posted on the Finance Department’s site, https://lawrenceks.org/finance/accounting/sales-tax/. The attached April report show year-to-date sales tax revenues saw a 0.7% increase over the same period in 2017. April 2018 also saw a 5.80% decrease over the same month in 2017.
Pilot program to test backup technologies for City meeting taping and broadcast
The Communications and Creative Resources office is initiating a pilot project to develop a secondary method of taping and broadcasting public city meetings using smartphones connected with the City Commission chamber tech system. As part of this effort, staff may set up equipment to conduct tests during meetings to test equipment
Future Agenda Items
Attached (updated 06/05/18), please find a summary of future agenda items.
Future Work Session Items
Attached (Updated 06/05/18), please find a summary of future work session items.