CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending February 21, 2014

2013 Fire Medical Response Summary

A review of 2013 Fire and EMS responses is attached. The report reveals a continuation of the increase in services provided by the Fire Medical Department. Other items of note include:

• Fire calls increased 1% while EMS calls increased 10% from last year.
• For the first time in 6 years, there was a reduction in the number of structure fires.
• Most service calls are for fire alarms, which increase around 10% each year.
• There was a 3% increase in the demand for basic life support and advanced life support (BLS/ ALS) care.
• Structure fire response time baseline performance was steady but continued to slightly exceed benchmark goals.
• Response time for medical calls inside the City of Lawrence remains steady and has matched the benchmark targets at times.
• Rural response time for medical calls continues to exceed the benchmark goals by approximately two minutes.

Schedule of Meetings to Discuss Expansion of Rental Licensing Program Proposed

A schedule of meetings has been proposed in response to Commissioner Farmer’s proposal to consider a Draft 4 to Ordinance 8840, which would expand the rental licensing and inspection program to all rented units in the city.

2013 Residential Lot Inventory

This report is an update on the status of available lots for new residential construction

as of December 31, 2013. Information is provided on supply, market demand, and

inventory of residential lots. Analysis shows that demand for all type of residential housing rose substantially in 2013 from the previous year.

Information on Horizon 2020 Update Steering Committee

The Horizon 2020 Update Steering Committee will be meeting on the 2^nd Monday of every month, starting on March 10^th, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The Steering Committee’s website is online at http://lawrenceks.org/boards/horizon-2020-steering-committee.  The process timeline the committee will follow is attached. A webpage has also been created to track the update process: http://lawrenceks.org/pds/horizon-2020-update-process. 

Wood Recovery and Compost Facility changes in 2014

As discussed in the attached report, changes have been implemented to the City’s Wood Recovery and Compost Facility operated by the Solid Waste Division. These changes will continue to improve and maintain a sustainable program. They include:

For residential customers:

• Saturday public drop-off at the facility will open earlier in the year with expanded hours.
• Compost and woodchips will be available for purchase on Saturdays (self-load) and during a Sale Event.

For commercial customers:

• Facility access will be limited to lawn care companies, garden stores, and property management companies.
• Facility usage fees will increase in 2014 to cover material processing costs (labor, equipment, and fuel as well as facility and equipment maintenance.)