Memorandum
City of Lawrence
City Manager’s Office
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To: |
David L. Corliss, City Manager Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager |
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From: |
Casey Toomay, Budget Manager |
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Date: |
May 16, 2014 |
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Re: |
2015 Budget – Public Input Meetings Summary |
Background
In order to provide the public with an opportunity to give input into the 2015 budget process, two meetings were held to listen to comments and ideas on how the City should allocate resources. About twenty people attended each meeting, including City Commissioners and staff. A summary of both meetings is provided below.
Monday, May 5- Union Pacific Depot
Commissioners Present: Mayor Mike Amyx; Vice Mayor Jeremy Farmer, Commissioner Bob Schumm, and Commissioner Terry Riordan
City Staff Present: David Corliss, City Manager; Casey Toomay, Budget Manager; Megan Gilliland, Communications Manager; Trent McKinley, Police Department
Members of the Public: Steve Robinson, Ellen Paulsen, Marilyn Hull, Mike Myers, Bill Winkler, Kirk McClure, Dan Dannenberg, Kris Adair, Saunny Scott, Loring Henderson, Frank Shopen, Laura Routh, Melinda Henderson, Barbara Kerr, Dana Carleton, Connie Fitzpatrick, Lisa Hallberg, Carol Jean Brune, Eric Kirkendall
The meeting began with introductions by Mayor Amyx.
David Corliss provided a brief overview of the budget process and directed everyone to the City’s webpage for updates. He also highlighted additional opportunities for public input on the budget.
Vice Mayor Farmer thanked everyone for coming and mentioned that his top priority for the budget was going to be a new police facility. He said putting it off would make it more expensive in the future and that we needed the facility to keep up with an expanding community and in order to be efficient and effective at doing the job of public safety.
Commissioner Riordan asked folks to discuss what they wouldn’t do as opposed to what they would do and mention the following items that he was interested in hearing about: Arts Center, Lawrence Community Shelter, Technical Career enter, Reinvent Retirement, and the Humane Society. He mentioned that he also thought the Police facility was a top priority and was interested in hearing from the public on whether or not we have to increase the mill levy to provide resources for it.
Commissioner Schumm discussed his priorities of pedestrian transportation issues, complete streets, and sidewalks.
Amyx agreed that all the items mentioned were important and added repairing infrastructure, investing in City employees, the police facility, streets, sidewalks, and job development.
Amyx opened the floor to public comment.
Barbara Kerr spoke about the request for funding from Lawrence Creates Makerspace. She said it would provide entrepreneurial training as well as a place to make prototypes in order to turn products into businesses. It would provide a social service as well as economic development. She clarified that their request was for $120,000 and discussed how they were interested in collaborating with others in the community, mentioning the Lawrence Community Shelter as an example.
Dana Carleton praised the City’s efforts at tree care and recognized the work of the City Arborist. She thought there was a need for more technical training opportunities. Seniors need better sidewalks, including curb cuts into alleys and that many east Lawrence residents need help to make those costly improvements. She suggested using CDBG funds for replacement of private sewer lines from properties to the City lines. She also expressed support for the community building and parks downtown as well as the Arts Center.
Mike Myers, Livewell Lawrence, discussed shared-use paths and bike lanes. He requested a line item in the budget for connectivity projects.
Connie Fitzpatrick spoke about the Makerspace and told the story of how they helped her make a rolling cart to assist with her grocery shopping that was durable enough to traverse the bad sidewalks in her neighborhood. She also explained how she was able to advertise her graphic design skills though the Makerspace.
Kirk McClure, Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods, suggested the Commission look at how we do economic development in the City. He said the $220,000 the City and county each put it the Chamber is not the best use of tax dollars. He recommended a trained economic development planner be hired by the City and that until then, we would continue to be behind in economic development. This would also be an improvement from the mistakes, illegal actions, and lack of transparency he had observed.
Lisa Hallberg, Bicycle Advisory Board member, advocated for better sidewalks and requested a specific budget from infrastructure money. It would save on road maintenance and be better for our health if more people used bikes and more would if the sidewalks and bike lanes were better. The city should make it safe to choose to ride a bike instead of drive a car. She also complimented the work of the City’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO.)
Dan Dannenberg wanted to second the comments about the Chamber. He noticed there were two former mayors on the staff. He also asked what the description “transfers out” on the City’s budget in brief meant.
Corliss explained how most of the amount was sales tax. State law requires sales tax to be deposited in the City’s general fund before being transferred to other funds. Other transfers out include transfers to reserve funds for future equipment and other capital improvements.
Carol Jean Brune agreed that the economic development dollars were not being well spent. She also described how she thinks the Police Department is viewed by some as a sacred cow. She doesn’t feel any safer despite additional officers and increased resources. She would feel safer if we had a safer, more walkable community. We can’t afford a Cadillac facility.
Marilyn Hull discussed the importance of bike and pedestrian improvements, especially sidewalks. IF the MPO estimates the percentage of trips not by car, the city should consider using that same percentage of transportation funding toward infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians.
Frank Shopen reiterated the comments about Makerspace. As a frustrated teacher, there was no place to teach sculpting. Now there is and he would like to see it expanded.
Melinda Henderson expressed support for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements and the Burroughs Creek trail expansion. She thought that now was a good time to look at funding to the Chamber while the organization was transitioning to a new Executive. She requested more transparency from the JEDC and would like an accounting of the past three years to see if we could get any money back that wasn’t spent on economic development activity. She also reminded the Commissioners of her previous comments about lack of enforcement of the fireworks ban and how there are more veterans than ever before with PTSD that are alarmed by them. She asked if there was a lack of resources or political will to enforce the ban which she views are a public safety but also public health issue.
Kris Adair, Wicked Broadband, spoke on behalf of a number of small businesses encouraging a change in the way the City does economic development. She also encouraged the City to view fiber as infrastructure.
Laura Routh expressed support for dedicated funds for pedestrian improvements and implementation of complete streets and the Transportation 2040 plans. She thinks using a percentage of the total transportation funding would be great. What she would fund would be the police department. She has seen improved transparency but continues to wish there was more as well as a long-range plan for the department, similar to what the Fire Department has prepared. The department also needs a feedback mechanism. She thinks the issue of the new facility to should put to a public vote and hopes the plans include more accountability and more transparency. She suggested improving the budget process by including a full accounting of how much tax incentives (TIFs, TDDs, IRBs, etc.) are on a per taxpayer basis. She echoed previous comments regarding the Chamber of Commerce and pointed out they are not subject to KORA or KOMA and they can pick and choose what is included in their packets.
Eric Kirkendall spoke about economic development and how small business can play an important role and how the Makerspace would help small businesses with business planning and prototyping. The City of Topeka is going to do something like this and we should too.
Dan Dannenberg agreed that we probably do need a police facility but that we should build on land we already own and that the new facility should come with more transparency. He also commented that businesses that sell alcohol and require that many police calls should be out of business.
Henderson agreed the police facility issue should be put to a public vote. She also asked whether the existing countywide sales tax could be used to fund it. Corliss explained that the ballot language included general government purposes so yes it could, however, it also could be used for parks and recreation facility and will be used to support construction of the recreation facility at Rock Chalk Park.
Saunny Scott expressed support for assistance for low income families and for a bike path over the Kansas River Bridge.
Amyx thanked everyone for coming and adjourned the meeting.
Thursday, May 8- Fire Station #5
Commissioners Present: Mayor Mike Amyx; Vice Mayor Jeremy Farmer, Commissioner Terry Riordan
Staff Present: David Corliss, City Manager; Casey Toomay, Budget Manager; Chuck Soules, Public Works Director, Tarik Khatib, Police Chief; Paul Fellers, Police
Members of the Public Present: Stuart Boley, Brandon Young, Alan Black, Erin Paden, Robert Lewis, Bonnie Uffman, Charlie Bryan, Bill Anderson, Sherry Catt, George Catt, Susan Tate, Natalya Lowther, Chris Tilden, Patrick Kelly, Tim Herndon, Tess Banion, Jerry Harper, Melinda Toumi
Mayor Amyx welcomed everyone and provided an overview.
Vice Mayor Farmer thanks everyone for coming and highlighted his priorities – a new police facility and walkable streets and sidewalks.
David Corliss highlighted the opportunity for public comment on the City Commission agenda for the meeting on May 20, 2014 and directed everyone to the City’s webpage for updates and more information on the budget process.
Tim Herndon discussed the need for more multi-use paths and suggested a line item for bike paths funded from the transportation budget.
Jerry Harper discussed the impact that the new SLT will have on Bob Billings Parkway. He doesn’t think enough is spent on bike/pedestrian paths or neighborhood access. He thinks four or five traffic signals are going to be necessary to provide neighborhood access. He is especially interested in access to DeVictor Park. He said it seems very little thought and no money has going into it.
Alan Black discussed the Pedestrian Coalition. He would like to see increased funding for pedestrians but also the disabled (those using walkers, wheelchairs, etc.) Sidewalks are not the only concern. Intersections are important too. Most accidents occur at the intersection of 9th and Massachusetts,
Stuart Boley, Traffic Safety Commission, supported increased funding for traffic calming improvements. The City has a policy to implement the approved traffic calming improvements with other improvements or with private money. This policy leads to improvements happening in order based not on priority need but on condition of the street. This is the most common issue at traffic safety meetings.
Tess Banion spoke about the pedestrian coalition and expressed thanks for progress on the sidewalk inventory to date. She sees momentum building and wanted to suggest finding a stable funding stream. Possibly an initiative presented to the voters or perhaps an advisory committee.
Bonnie Uffman discussed the need for better sidewalks and trails. She encouraged implementation of complete streets and said the City needs to take on responsibility for maintenance and repair of sidewalks. The way it is now doesn’t work.
Corliss mentioned that the City doesn’t currently have the staff resources to take on the labor intensive process.
Uffman wouldn’t encourage the City to put the financial burden of the homeowners and suggested the City take it on. She said the City is responsible in part because we haven’t enforced the rules requiring property owners to do it. She said Manhattan has very nice sidewalks, even brick ones.
Erin Paden, Bicycle Advisory Committee, mentioned the Transportation 2040 plan and suggested dedicating funding to bike and pedestrian infrastructure. She thinks more people would do it if it felt safer. She told a story of a near accident she had with her son on Clinton Parkway near Hy-Vee. She wished her kids to bike or walk to school but she thinks it is too dangerous now.
Bill Anderson, Bicycle Advisory Committee, has been struck four times while riding. He continues to ride in order to be visible and because that is his mode of transportation. He would like to see implementation of the bike plan and more traffic calming improvements.
Patrick Kelly, Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission, thanked the commissioners for listening and discussed his three priorities – new Police facility, a different way of doing economic development, allowing the Cultural Arts Commission to assist with festivals and incorporating that into the new Director of Arts and Culture position.
Melinda Toumi, Pinckney Neighborhood Association, wants the playground in Burcham Park replaced. She also finds the off gasses from the recycled tires used as playground surface to be unpleasant and questions the safety of using this material around kids.
Corliss explained that there are plans to replace the playground. He also mentioned that the recycled tire program is funded through a grant by KDHE and that they are satisfied with the safety of the material. However, he would talk to her about pursing the issue further if she was interested.
Chris Tilden, Lawrence Douglas County Health Department, talked about issues surrounding health and wellness. He acknowledged progress toward the five areas identified in the Community Health Plan. He wanted to echo comments on enhancing economic development and encouraged the commission to make health and social services a part of that conversation. He expressed support for and encouraged resources toward Mental Health First Aid training for first responders and while he didn’t have a specific proposal, he just wants to express support for giving health and wellness attentions and resources.
Susan Tate, Lawrence Arts Center, thanks the commission for their recent work and encouraged them to continue connecting cultural and historical places in the community.
Natalya Lowther spoke about her frustration with the city pursing purchasing easements on her land for a project that isn’t scheduled to occur until 2030. She also encouraged the commission to consider a policy that local agriculture should be protected not destroyed when planning projects. She also hoped the city would consider spending the money to bore under her land and suggested she might be willing to donate the easements if they would do so.
Corliss offered to follow up with her on the current plans for the project.
Tilden commented that there seemed to be a theme of connectivity being expressed. He suggested a place based approach to planning and asked if the City could help in directing processes to identify places people want to connect.
Someone asked about the transfers out of the general fund identified on the City’s Budget in Brief document.
Corliss explained the breakdown of the transfers out of the general fund are largely sales tax but also include the transfer for the City’s contribution to employee healthcare as well as to reserve funds for the future purchase of equipment and other capital improvements.
Sherry Catt encouraged more people to come and listen like she did because she learned a lot.
Toumi asked if the food program recently approved by the City Commission would continue for 2015.
Corliss said they have applied for continued funding for 2015 and that the Commission would be deciding as part of the budget process.
Amyx thanks everyone and encouraged them to take advantage of future opportunities to talk budget. He adjourned the meeting.