CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending November 28, 2014

 

Use of roll-out trash carts greatly enhances worker safety

In response to Solid Waste Task Force recommendations, mandatory roll-out trash carts were implemented for all residential customers in fall 2012.   The primary purpose of the trash cart program was worker safety.  Below is a snapshot of workers’ compensation expenditures for the Solid Waste Division since 2006.  On-the-job injuries have been less severe during the two years of the cart program, and collection efficiencies have improved through increased automation.  The division now has two fully-automated trucks for trash collection and three fully-automated trucks for residential recycling collection.  Staff believes there is a strong relationship between improvements in safety/automation through the use of roll-out carts and worker safety and reduced injuries.  We will continue to monitor trends in future years. 

 

 

City of Lawrence receives outstanding solid waste management program award

 The City of Lawrence Solid Waste Division received the outstanding solid waste management program award at the 2014 Kansas Solid Waste Management Conference in Manhattan, Kansas on November 19.  The conference was hosted by the Kansas Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). This is the first year the solid waste awards program was established to recognize outstanding solid waste management programs in Kansas. See attached report for more information.

 

Solid Waste Holiday Toy and Food Drive

 ‘Tis the season of giving! On Monday, December 1st and Monday, December 8th (weather permitting), the City of Lawrence Solid Waste Division crews will be picking up new unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items for donation along the regularly scheduled yard waste collection routes.  Residents may set out any donation items next to their yard waste on either Monday for collection.  All toys collected will be donated to the Blue Santa Program and all food collected will be donated to Just Food. Residents may also drop off the donation items directly at Just Food (1000 E. 11th Street) or any Toys for Tots collection bin (http://lawrence-ks.toysfortots.org). This is the second year the Solid Waste Toy and Food Drive will be held. Last year a total of 381 toys and 2,230 pounds of food were collected.

 

9th Street  Corridor Meeting Scheduled for December 1, 2014

On Monday, December 1, 7:00 p.m., at New York Elementary School, 936 New York Street, please join the City of Lawrence to provide input related to a possible scope of work for the design team for the 9th Street Corridor project.  This input will be provided to the City Commission and used to create a scope of work should the City approve negotiations with the recommended design team for the project.  The scope of work typically details project timeframes, expected meetings, and required deliverables. Following the December 1 meeting, staff will present this input to the City Commission for a determination about the recommended design team. Should the City Commission authorize negotiations with the recommended design team, staff will negotiate project scope and fees, and will return to the City Commission for final contract authorization.  Once a design firm has been formally engaged and a contract with the design firm has been approved, the firm will coordinate meetings with stakeholders for input on the project and prepare a final design for ultimate approval by the City Commission.

 

In July, the Lawrence Arts Center received a prestigious ArtPlace America grant award for creative placemaking efforts as part of the reconstruction of east 9th Street in Lawrence, Kansas. In late August, a public meeting was held to collect public input on the draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a design team for the project.  This RFQ was to identify a creative team with experience in urban design, complete streets, civil engineering, creative placemaking, and public art to work with the City of Lawrence, the neighborhood, the Lawrence Arts Center, and other community stakeholders to create a design for the six blocks of east 9th Street, from Delaware Street to Massachusetts Street. The 9th Street Corridor project is envisioned to create a multi-modal connection utilizing accessible complete streets concepts and the incorporation of public art into the infrastructure within the corridor.  The final RFQ was released in early September. Proposals were received from six interested design teams and the review committee selected three teams to interview after an initial review of all of the proposals. Of the three teams, the committee reached a consensus in favor of the design team led by el dorado inc of Kansas City as the possible design team.  The City Commission is expected to take up the committee’s recommendation to proceed with negotiations with el dorado sometime in December. 

 

The City’s webpage for the 9th Street Corridor Project is www.lawrenceks.org/9th-street-corridor-project.

 

Prairie Park Nature Center’s Scarlet Macaw makes his acting debut and turkeys visit the Nature Center

Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, Prairie Park Nature Center’s resident Scarlet Macaw, Tino was recently featured in a Blue Cross/Blue Shield commercial. He was featured with, Dara Wilson, a naturalist at the nature center.  See attached for more information.

 

Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department’s Prairie Park Nature Center preschool program had some special guests Thanksgiving week. Dara Wilson, a naturalist at Prairie Park, brought in her pet turkeys to show the children for a seasonal program of the weekly Wild Adventures for Preschoolers and Parents class.   See attached for photos.