Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks & Recreation Department

DATE:           June 4, 2012

TO:              Dave Corliss, City Manager,

Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager

                   Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager

                   Ernie Shaw, Interim Director Parks & Recreation

FROM:          Mark Hecker, Assistant Director Parks & Recreation

RE:               Free State High School Tennis Facility

Please include the following item on the City Commission agenda for consideration at the June 12^th, 2012, meeting:

Project Description

For more than 30 years, the City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department and The Lawrence School District have teamed together to provide lighted-tennis facilities for school activities and community use. Until recently, the community’s primary tennis facility was located on the Lawrence High School campus. With the recent upgrades of sports facilities at Lawrence High, the old tennis courts were removed and relocated a block south. Attempts to light these new courts have proven difficult due to the proximity of residential housing and the need to maintain an acceptable light level at the property line. (see materials from 03/27/12 City Commission Meeting.)

To continue the thought process of providing a high-quality, lighted-tennis facility for the community, suitable for league play and tournament play, school district and city staff are proposing an alternate project on the campus of Free State High School. This project would refurbish the five existing school-district-owned courts, install three additional courts and light all eight courts (see attached map).

Under this proposal the school district, as the owner of the property, would submit all necessary site planning documents, bid the project, and oversee the construction of the project. The City would participate by making a payment of $547,000 to the school district. The School District shall invoice the City upon the acceptance of the completed project, and the City shall pay such invoice within thirty (30) days of receipt thereof.

As part of this facility development, the two governing bodies shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the long-term maintenance and scheduling of the facility.

Project Funding

The City’s portion of the project will be funded by the Sales Tax Reserve Fund at a total cost of $547,000

Action Request

Authorize the City Manager to negotiate an agreement that would commit payment of $547,000 to the Lawrence Unified School District for the successful construction of a community tennis facility on the Lawrence Free State High School campus.