Week ending July 14, 2018
Complaint Concerning Board of Zoning Appeals
On June 12, 2018, the City Commission requested staff review a concern raised by a citizen who attended a Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting on June 7, 2018. Candice Davis reported that she felt the Chair of the BZA, John Gascon, showed hostility toward her at the June 7th and past BZA meetings. Staff from the City Attorney’s Office interviewed Ms. Davis, members of the Planning and Development Services staff, and members of the BZA in attendance at the June 7th BZA meeting. Staff also listened to the audio recordings of the February 1, and June 7, 2018, BZA meetings. After this review, it appears to staff that Ms. Davis and Mr. Gascon each have strongly held beliefs about land use and planning matters that are at odds with each other. Further, it is believed this personal dispute between the two individuals spilled over into the public arena (at the BZA meetings). Staff did not identify violations of law or city policy by either party in the encounters reviewed by staff. Staff notes that, pursuant to City of Lawrence Resolution No. 7224, advisory board members, including BZA members, serve at the will and pleasure of the Governing body. Any member of any City advisory board may be removed by a majority vote of the Governing Body at any time, with or without cause, so long as such removal is not otherwise prohibited by law.
June 2018 Utility Billing Report
Attached is the June 2018 Utility Billing Report.
City of Lawrence hosted ADA Curb Ramp and Sidewalk Training
The City of Lawrence hosted ADA Curb Ramp and Sidewalk Training with Melissa Anderson, P.E. Melissa Anderson has over 20 years’ experience working with communities and state departments of transportation, much of the time focused on pedestrian safety and accessibility. She worked with the US Access Board as lead engineer in the development of the most recent proposed Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines. On June 26th, 2018, Melissa Anderson joined the management-level staff and engineers (Public Works, Utilities, Parks and Recreation, Transit, and the City Manager’s Office) for open discussion on creating and sustaining a culture of accessibility in the organization, as well as providing technical information. On June 27th and June 28th, we offered technical training on accessibility in the public rights-of-way. During the two one-day training sessions, Melissa Anderson covered technical specifications and problem-solving on accessibility issues in the built environment. The training included lecture style teaching, field measurements and review, and Q & A with participants on specific challenges they faced. Training was open to City of Lawrence staff (focused on field construction crews, engineers, project inspectors), as well as private sector engineering firms, architecture firms, and contractors. Approximately 80 different people participated in the training over the three-day period.
Taste & Odor Event at Clinton Reservoir Water Treatment Plant
On June 15, 2018, a Utilities Department taste and odor event started at the Clinton Reservoir Water Treatment Plant due to elevated geosmin concentrations in the raw water from Clinton Lake. This event lasted from June 15, 2018 to July 9, 2018, a total of 24 calendar days. Utilities water quality staff performed additional testing and data analysis during the taste and odor event. Concentrations of geosmin, during this timeframe, were in the range from approximately 21.7 nanograms/liter (ng/L) to 364 (ng/L) in the raw water. The highest concentration of 364 ng/L was a record high for the Clinton Water Treatment Plant. The last record high was measured to be 219 ng/L in June 2012.
During this recent event, geosmin concentrations in the distributed tap water ranged from <2.0 ng/L to 23.83 ng/L. Geosmin in the tap typically begins to be noticeable by sensitive individuals in the 5.0 – 10.0 ng/L range. Utilities staff received a total of two taste and odor calls from the public. Clinton Plant treatment processes removed roughly 93% of the geosmin, on average. This removal was accomplished using powdered activated carbon (PAC) and plant flow management to optimize the PAC geosmin removal.
Utilities water quality staff analyzed samples through the taste and odor event. Using this data, Utilities staff made informed data driven decisions about treatment strategies. Taste and odor compounds are a continual issue at both water treatment plants. Plant process upgrades as part of the taste and odor project that were completed in 2017 were key in the ability to control taste and odor.
Lawrence's Green Bonds featured in Governing Magazine
It has been a year since the City of Lawrence issued the first Green Bonds in Kansas, and Governing Magazine has taken notice. Lawrence is featured in the July 2018 Governing Magazine cover story, “The New Gold Rush for Green Bonds- Investors are lining up to buy them to fund environmental projects.” The purpose of the Green Bond designation is to allow holders of the bonds to invest directly in projects that are beneficial to the environment, like reducing climate change, natural resource conservation, and pollution reduction. Lawrence’s Green Bonds financed the Facility Conservation Improvement Program (FCIP), which included heating and cooling improvements; building weatherization; lighting efficiency; and renewable energy. These improvements directly reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and save tax dollars. The full article can be found here.
Future Agenda Items
Attached, please find a summary of future agenda items.
Future Work Session Items
Attached, please find a summary of future work session items.