CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending September 14, 2012

The LPRD Indoor Aquatic Center Leisure Pool closing September 20 for repairs

The Indoor Aquatic Center Leisure Pool will close Thursday, September 20 and reopen Saturday, September 22 to complete repair work on corroding support brackets.  The competition pool will remain open for public swimming, instructional classes, and swim team practices.  See attached information sheet.

KDOT & city to host open house regarding K-10/BBPW interchange

The Kansas Department of Transportation and the City of Lawrence will host a public open house to discuss the proposed K-10 and Bob Billings Parkway/15th Street Interchange Project on Monday, September 24, 2012, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 p.m. in the Langston Hughes Elementary School Multipurpose Room, 1101 George Williams Way, Lawrence, KS 66049. Anyone interested in the proposed interchange project can stop by the open house anytime between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to learn about the project and view displays, including an overview map of the proposed interchange. KDOT, City of Lawrence and Douglas County staff will be on hand to answer questions. No formal presentations will be given.

Watson Park playground surface upgraded

The playground surface areas in Watson Park have been changed from woodchips to a rubber material created from recycled tires.  The project was funded through a matching grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Waste Management in an effort to conserve landfilll space and reduce the need for new solid waste facilities. The conversion to the rubber material helps ward off weed invasion, as well as cushions falls softer than woodchips. The change to the rubber material also saves money because they have to be replaced less often than woodchips. Please see attached report for more information and photos.

Parks and Recreation Department offers historical experiences

The Parks and Recreation Department recently teamed up with local historian Katie Armitage for two historical education activities. Armitage completed her 14th Mud Fort workshop, teaching the history of mud forts used to protect early Lawrence, and hosted an evening Graveyard Walk tour of grave sites of victims of Quantrill’s Raid. Please see attached report for more information and photos.