CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending July 4, 2014 – Updated 07/07/14

June Sales Tax Distribution:

The City of Lawrence has recently received its June sales tax distribution.  The distribution is the result of retail sales from mid-April to mid-May.  The distribution of $2,917,925.29 is $290,000 more than the prior year distribution for the same month.  Please see the attached memo for more information.

Parks and Recreation “Goes Green” with vehicles and using reclaimed water:

The City of Lawrence has recently purchased new trucks for use by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, Horticulture and Forestry Division that are state-of-the-art and environmentally responsible.  See attached.

Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission Grant:

The City has received notification from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission that its joint application partnering with the Lawrence Arts Center and Callahan Creek has been funded in the full amount of $75,000.  The grant will fund $25,000 toward the first year’s salary of the new Director of Arts & Culture position, $25,000 toward consulting services to create a city-wide cultural plan for Lawrence, and $25,000 toward marketing materials and/or media placement relating to strategies identified in the cultural planning effort.  Callahan Creek has agreed to provide $100,000 worth of free design development services to the project for the creation of the marketing materials.  The City of Lawrence and the Lawrence Arts Center will also provide some in-kind support for the project.  The timeline for the grant will require a consultant to be hired in the late summer/early fall to begin the cultural planning activity.  The cultural planning will engage numerous stakeholders in the community, as well as the City Commission.

Open House Meetings on Transit Center:

On July 15-17 transit staff will be holding open house meetings to provide information and obtain feedback for issues associated with the possible development of a transit center. These meetings will be held at the following locations and times:

July 15:  Carnegie, Heritage Room

July 16:  Indoor Aquatic Center, Tom Wilkerson Room

July 17:  Holcom Recreation Center, Bly Room

On each of those dates, we will hold two meetings a day: 10 a.m. to noon and  6 to 8 p.m.