CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Week ending August 1, 2014
Sales Tax Distribution for July
The City of Lawrence has recently received its July sales tax distribution. The distribution is the result of retail sales from mid-May to mid-June. The distribution of $2,845,615.38 is $55,000 less than the prior year distribution for the same month. Sales Tax Report & Attachments
City’s newest video features tips for move-out week
Every summer in Lawrence, people moving between rental properties leave behind unwanted items in the yard or by the curb for the city's Solid Waste Management crews to pick up. Educating citizens on recycling, reuse, and donation of these items helps foster a cleaner environment, requires less use of landfill, assists the community's needs, and puts less burden on city resources. A new video was produced in July to help educate residents about the best practices for disposing of unwanted items when moving this summer. The video has been promoted on YouTube, the city’s website, city social media channels, and e-mail distribution. View the video online at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g_DFVUX5s8&list=UUlFEUC7W54qJRIvLP0b6uFg
or at www.lawrenceks.org/in-focus.
Kansas Golf Association events held at Eagle Bend Golf Course
In June, Eagle Bend hosted two Kansas Golf Association events. The first event was the Kansas Junior Amateur. This was the second time Eagle Bend has hosted the event, the first was in 2005. The second event was the KGA Kansas Amateur qualifier. Report
Yaya’s Butterfly Garden
Yaya’s Butterfly Garden was completed in June 2014 and is located in the 700 block of Vermont Street between the Lawrence Public Library and the Lawrence Senior Center. The garden was designed by City Parks & Recreation staff and includes adaptable and native species of plants. Report
Bookworms and Waterbugs and World’s Largest Swim Lesson
Recently the Lawrence Aquatic Division held an event that was a joint venture with the Lawrence Public Library. There was around 200 children/parents who participated. The Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center was a host site for the World’s Largest Workout, educating children on drowning prevention. It took place all over the world at precisely the same time. There were more than 30 participants and 10 instructors participating in the swim lesson. See attached report for more information.
Lawrence Business Development Survey
The Lawrence Business Development Survey, a joint project of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, the City of Lawrence, and two units of the KU School of Business—the KU Small Business Development Center and the Center for Applied Economics – is being conducted through August to gather expert opinion and unique insights from the large variety of people who conduct business in Lawrence, so as to plan ways to make Lawrence a better place to do business. The Center for Applied Economics is managing the survey and will analyze the results.
Survey Link: https://kubusiness.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_88GHfskWJukzZQ1
YouTube link (Promo Video): http://youtu.be/ZnyRJqISpQU
City crews clean up and collect 1,972 tons of storm debris
Strong storms swept through Lawrence on July 7, causing numerous power outages and downed trees and limbs. A total of 6,310 cubic yards of storm debris, equivalent to 1,972 tons, was collected by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department and Public Works Department (Street Division and Solid Waste Division). This storm debris will be processed into woodchips for use by city departments and to be sold to the public. See attached report for more information.
Update on Recycling Communication Items
The residential recycling collection service will be launching soon. Beginning September 8 through mid-October, the city will deliver a standard 95-gallon blue recycling cart to all Lawrence single-family residences. In addition, recycling dumpsters will be placed at apartment complexes in October. Recycling collection for single-family and multi-family homes will begin on October 21. During the next three months, the Solid Waste Division will continue to focus on education and outreach for the new residential recycling collection service. See attached report for more information.