CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending October 15, 2013

State releases Clinton Lake resort development proposal which was rejected

The State of Kansas released the sole development proposal (see attached technical response and cost response) which was submitted for the possible development of a resort at Clinton Lake.  Recently, the State indicated that it rejected the proposal because of the request for State financial backing in the proposal. This is provided for informational purposes at this point, although staff plans to review the document as it may relate to future development proposals in this area and the community. 

September building permits

The Building Safety Division issued 148 building permits in September, with total construction for the month valued at $5,463,587. Total permit fees assessed for the month were $41,806.45. Permits were issued for 8 new residential projects, all of which were new single-family dwellings. Please see the attached memo, report, and summary report for more information.

September sales tax distribution

The City of Lawrence has recently received its September sales tax distribution. The distribution is the result of retail sales from mid-July to mid-August. The distribution of $2,727,341.94 is about $300,000 more than the prior year distribution for the same month. Please see the attached memo for more information.   

October “Lawrence In Focus” available

The latest edition of “Lawrence In Focus” is now online. In this month's video, we focus on the new outdoor furniture ordinance, fire safety in the kitchen, Safe Winter Walkways program, the Prairie Park Nature Center, and the city's latest energy conservation efforts. The City of Lawrence produces “Lawrence In Focus” — a monthly video news piece highlighting different aspects of city government and projects, programs and events that impact our residents. Watch the video online at our YouTube channel or see all editions online at www.lawrenceks.org/in-focus.

Parks and Recreation Department honored as a “Health Champion”

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department recently received the 2013 Kansas Organizational Health Champion Award from Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. The Health Champion Award was developed by the Governor’s Council on Fitness to recognize and promote exemplary contributions to fitness in Kansas.

The Parks and Recreation Department holds many events to model, encourage and promote fitness, such as the recent National Gymnastics Day, and a KU Rowing Clinic, which introduce people to new activities. Please see the attached report for more information and photos.