CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Week ending September 7, 2012
Response to Commissioner questions regarding building permits
Development Services staff has prepared the attached memo responding to several questions asked regarding the building permits reports presented during the August 21 City Manager’s Report. The memo provides information regarding the relationship between total valuation and permit fees, and the unit counts for multi-family permits.
August sales tax distribution
The City of Lawrence recently received its August sales tax distribution. The distribution is the result of retail sales from mid-June to mid-July. The distribution of $2,954,539.67 is nearly $325,000 more than the prior year distribution for the same month. The 2012 budget for the total sales and use tax distribution is $30,555,461. The total sales/use taxes for 2012 are now projected to be $31,675,000. Please see the attached memo for more information.
Trash cart public outreach campaign underway
The City of Lawrence staff has begun their initial implementation of public outreach and information to residents regarding the upcoming delivery of trash carts to all single-family households in Lawrence. The attached document shows the various methods planned and approximate timelines for completion of each task. A website has been developed for information about the carts, www.lawrenceks.org/carts, and an online form for is available for residents who wish to receive a 35-gallon or 95-gallon cart instead of the standard 65-gallon cart. Citizens can also contact (785) 832-3032 to ask questions about the trash carts or an email account is available for direct contact with staff at carts@lawrenceks.org. The outreach campaign will be ongoing through the planned delivery of the carts, starting in mid-October and continuing through November 9.
Stormwater improvements completed
The Public Works Stormwater Division has recently finished improvements to the existing storm sewer in the area of 10th & Mississippi. This project was coordinated with the reconstruction of the alley between Indiana & Mississippi and 10th & 11th Streets. The Stormwater Division also recently made major repairs to the bridge box under Bob Billings Parkway just west of the Orchards Golf Course. The work involved the rebuilding of a wingwall and improvements to the upstream apron. Please see the attached memo for more information and photos of both of these projects.
Trees and landscaping to benefit from reclaimed water
The use of reclaimed water or treated effluent from wastewater treatment plants has long been a source of irrigation water for many cities, especially in the southwest and other arid areas of the country. In an effort to conserve water, the Utilities Department and Parks and Recreation Department will soon collaborate to begin using treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant for parks and cemetery trees, for trees in the right-of-way on parkway and traffic islands, and trees in older residential neighborhoods. Currently, potable water is used in those circumstances.
Several other Kansas cities or wastewater treatment plants use reclaimed non-potable water from wastewater treatment plants to irrigate golf courses or parks, including Hiawatha, Blue Township in Kansas City, Topeka (Western Hills golf course), Miami County Sewer District #2, Sabetha, and Wichita. Lawrence has used the reclaimed water to irrigate the lawn and landscaping at the wastewater treatment plant for many years, as well as for cooling pumps, wash down, and other in-plant uses.
Lawrence Utilities Department receives awards at state conference
During their annual conference in Topeka last week, the Kansas Water Environment Association honored the City of Lawrence Department of Utilities in two awards categories. The Utilities Department received the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations Award for excellent plant performance and operation and the Wastewater Plant Safety Award for an outstanding safety record and the implementation of progressive safety practices. The Kansas Water Environment Association is the state-wide technical and educational organization, which represents the professional engineers, scientists, and operators that work in the wastewater treatment field.