City Commissioner Board and Commission assignments & designations

City Commissioners serve the City on several City boards or related boards.  In some cases Commissioner service is by virtue of the office held, in other cases it is by separate appointment or direction of the Commission.

Horizon 2020 Steering Committee:

Established by Joint City Resolution No. 7045/County Resolution No. 13-28, the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee will have the primary focus to guide the process for amending Horizon 2020, the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Lawrence and unincorporated Douglas County. The Committee will be charged with overseeing and guiding the process, including public education and issue identification, prioritization of issues to submit to the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Governing Bodies of the City and County for review, and for reviewing the draft and final plan product. The Committee shall remain intact until the plan update is complete and shall work to complete its charge by April 1, 2015. Commissioner Amyx is the Co–Chair of the Committee along with County Commissioner Thellman.

Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center

The City has an appointment to the Board of Directors of the Peaslee Center.   Commissioner Amyx is the City’s appointee.

9^th St. Corridor Committee

Commissioner Amyx serves on this committee.

Commissioner Representation with City Management on Negotiations with the Lawrence Police Officers Association (LPOA) and the International Association of Firefigthers (IAFF) Local 1596

The existing Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with both the LPOA and the IAFF expire at the end of 2015.  A Commissioner representative with city management is desired for both the LPOA and the IAFF negotiations.

Joint Economic Development Committee (JEDC):

Established by Joint City Ordinance No. 8719 and County Resolution No. 12-34 on August 28, 2012 by the City Commission and August 22, 2012 by the County Commission.  Pursuant to City Code Section 1-2001, “a Lawrence City Commissioner designated by the Lawrence City Commission”, shall serve on the JEDC.  The purpose of the JEDC is to provide general oversight and vision of the economic development efforts to attract and to retain jobs in Lawrence and Douglas County, Kansas. The duties of the JEDC shall include the approval of budget requests to the Chamber Board, the City Commission, and the County Commission. The JEDC shall also recommend economic development policies and initiatives to the Chamber Board, the City Commission, and the County Commission, as the JEDC determines appropriate. 

Public Incentives Review Committee (PIRC):

Established by Resolution No. 8384 and was adopted on 03/24/09 by the City Commission.  This eight member committee is composed of elected and appointed officials that meet as needed, on the call of the mayor, to review economic development incentive requests and make recommendations to the City Commissioners.  The Committee is authorized to issue administrative letters of finding which shall not be binding on the City Commission, and may be superseded by any action by the City Commission.  Chapter 1, Article 21, Section 1-2108 of the City Code states that the Mayor or Mayor’s designee who shall serve as chair, and another member of the City Commission appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Commission.

The EDC of Lawrence – Douglas County  (Economic Development Corporation):

Is the successor entity to DCDI (Douglas County Development Inc.)   DCDI was the board, with a number of local business owners and business representatives, involved in some aspects of East Hills Business Park development, including purchase of some of the developed lots and the construction and sale of a speculative building.    DCDI recently was re-named as the EDC to better align its mission with common economic development usage. The Chamber of Commerce CEO serves the head of the EDC.  The City Manager and one City Commissioner serves as ex-officio members to the EDC.   The EDC meets on an as- needed-basis.   Mayor Amyx has served as the Commissioner designee for the EDC.

Bioscience and Technology Business Center (BTBC):

Per the By-laws, the Commission adopts a resolution to designate a City Commissioner to serve on the Board of Directors.  Resolution No. 6767 designates Mike Dever as the City Commission representative.

Destination Management Inc. (DMI):

Is the separate not-for-profit entity established as the governing board for certain operations:  Convention and Visitors Bureau and for funding coordination of county historical societies.  Additionally, DMI has the contract to serve as executive director for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area.  The incorporation articles designate the City Manager and one City Commissioner as City of Lawrence board of directors members.  Mike Dever was the City Commissioner representative, and replaced by Jeremy Farmer.

Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO):

The MPO is the official Governor-designated entity to provide regional transportation planning and programming services for the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Area (i.e., all of Douglas County). The MPO is charged under federal law and regulation with developing a regional multimodal (transit, bicycling, walking, automobile, carpool, etc.) transportation plan that provides for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods.

The MPO discusses transportation planning and related planning issues (e.g., land use, environmental, economic development, etc.) on a regional scale and makes transportation planning decisions and sets transportation planning policies for the entirety of Douglas County. The MPO performs its mission through the development of four related documents—the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program, the Unified Planning Work Program, and the Public Participation Plan.

The MPO planning process is called the 3 C (Continuing, Comprehensive, Cooperative) process. It is a continuing process that does not end when a new transportation plan is approved. The MPO produces a new transportation plan at least once every five years, a new Transportation Improvement Program every four years, a new Unified Planning Work Program annually, and a new Public Participation Plan as needed. The MPO process is comprehensive in that it views transportation system planning as one part of a larger planning process where various types of planning (transportation, land use, environmental, economic, etc.) work together to improve the quality of life for all people in the region.  MPO activities are also part of a cooperative process involving several different government agencies and an ample amount of public review.

The MPO designation agreement and by-laws dictate that two city commissioners serve on the seven-member MPO Policy Board.  The City Commission MPO representatives are selected at a regular city commission meeting.   Mike Dever and Bob Schumm were the appointments to the MPO.