CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM

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Department:

Planning & Development Services

Commission Meeting Date:  August 21, 2018

Staff Contact:

Amy Miller, Asst. Director- Planning

Recommendations/Options/Action Requested:

 

Authorize City Manager to sign a contract for professional consulting services with Houseal Lavigne Associates to complete the Downtown Master Plan and adopt Resolution No. 7262 to establish a Steering Committee to advise, review, and provide feedback to the consultant, within the framework of the project scope, throughout the process for drafting the Downtown Master Plan.  

 

 

Executive Summary:

Through the City’s strategic planning process, the City Commission identified a priority initiative of creating a Downtown Master Plan that includes identifying needed and desirable assets, identifying existing infrastructure and uses, and discovering potential uses and obstacles in response to the critical success factor of Economic Growth and Security.

 

Staff developed a Request for Proposals (RFP) and through the selection process selected Houseal Lavigne Associates (HLA) as the firm that presented the most comprehensive proposal that fit the City’s needs. At the direction of the City Commission at their May, 1, 2018 meeting (Agenda Memo), staff starting working the Houseal Lavigne Associates on refining the scope and timeline. The refined scope and timeline are attached as Exhibit A as part of the attached professional services agreement.

 

Through the scope refinement process, staff, in conjunction with HLA, identified that a steering committee could help the consultant in an advisory capacity to review and provide feedback at three key points (3 meetings) throughout the process. The consultant will run the steering committee meetings, set the agendas and be responsible for incorporating any feedback received from the steering committee. Therefore, a resolution is also being brought forward for consideration, establishing a 17-member steering committee. The proposed makeup of the steering committee is as follows:

·         East Lawrence Neighborhood Association (ELNA)– (Appointed by Neighborhood Assoc.)

·         Oread Neighborhood Association – (Appointed by Neighborhood Assoc.)

·         Oread Residents Association – (Appointment by Neighborhood Assoc.)

·         Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association (OWL) – (Appointed by Neighborhood Assoc.)

·         Pinckney Neighborhood Association – (Appointed by Neighborhood Assoc.)

·         North Lawrence Neighborhood Association – (Appointed by Neighborhood Assoc.)

·         Explore Lawrence – (Appointed by Explore Lawrence)

·         At-Large – (Appointed by Mayor with consent of City Commission)

·         Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission (LCAC) – (Appointed by LCAC)

·         Historic Resources Commission (HRC) – (Appointed by HRC)

·         Architect – (Appointed by Mayor with consent of City Commission)

·         Developer – (Appointed by Mayor with consent of City Commission)

·         Lawrence – Douglas County Planning Commission (PC) – (Appointed by PC)

·         Downtown Lawrence Inc. (DLI) – (Appointed by DLI)

·         Downtown Business Owner/Tenant – (Appointed by Mayor with consent of City Commission)

·         Downtown Residential Owner/Tenant – (Appointed by Mayor with consent of City Commission)

·         Downtown Property Owner at Large – (Appointed by Mayor with consent of City Commission)

Steering Committee appointments will need to be made in early September and placed on the City Commission agenda September 11th or 18th.  

 

It should also be noted that in addition to the steering committee, there will be an extensive public input phase, included in the scope of the project, that will involve multiple stakeholder meetings, as well as on-line tools that will enable all stakeholders to be engaged throughout the process.

 

This item is included in the 2018 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), with a budget maximum of $110,000.

 

Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor

Economic Growth and Security

Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source):

The fiscal impact to the City is $110,000.  This item is in the 2018 CIP-Project PR1918CIP. 

Attachments:

Professional Services Agreement with Exhibit A (scope and timeline) – updated 08/21/18

Resolution No. 7262

 

 

Reviewed By:

(for CMO use only)

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