CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Week ending November 27, 2015
Emerald Ash Borer Update
The Kansas Department of Agriculture along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in Douglas County, Kansas.
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) (EAB) is a small, invasive, exotic, Asian wood boring beetle that feeds on and kills all species of native North American Ash trees. There is little resistance to the half-inch long, metallic green adult beetles that feeds on tree leaves, with larvae that feeds under the bark branches and eventually kills the entire tree. EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in at least twenty five states.
Over the next six to eight years, thousands of local Ash trees will also die as the insect moves through native areas, parks, streets and back yards in Douglas County Kansas. Dead Ash trees on city and private property will need strategic management to maximize public safety, while minimizing cost and liability. The following memo details a recommended management plan, prepared by our City’s Parks & Recreation Department.
Internship with KU/Haskell Universities
The City has been working with University of Kansas and Haskell University student leadership to develop a paid internship program that would create a student liaison position between both Universities and the City and work on special projects assigned by the City Manager’s Office. The position would work for the City Manager and would be selected through a committee with student leadership input and the final decision resting with the City Manager. We hope to have the internship position established in early 2016.
America Recycles Day Celebration in Lawrence
The city’s Solid Waste Division hosted a public celebration on Friday, November 13th, for the one year anniversary of the city’s residential single-stream recycling program and America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day (November 15th), a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. The celebration was hosted at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, in partnership with KU Center for Sustainability and Rock Chalk Recycling. The event offered a photo booth with Big Jay, as well as recycling themed games and activities, which were facilitated by KU Center for Community Outreach volunteers.
Surfacing of two playgrounds get makeover
Playground surfaces at Watson and Edgewood parks recently were upgraded to meet further standards of the ADA and playground safety requirements.
Planning and Developments Services
The attached report provides an update on several city of Lawrence projects in process in the Planning and Development Services Department.
Important dates from the Solid Waste Division
The city’s Solid Waste Division announces the following dates for service changes and activities in December and January. Additional information is available here.
· Mondays, December 7th and December 14th – Solid Waste Holiday Toy Drive.
· Saturday, December 12th (weather permitting) – Last Saturday open hours at the Compost Facility; facility re-opens to the public in March 2016.
· Monday, December 21st (weather permitting) – Collection of yard waste ends for the season; collection resumes in March 2016.
· Friday, December 25th – No trash or recycling collections on Christmas Day; collection routes for Friday will be delayed by one day to Saturday.
· Friday, January 1st – No trash or recycling collections on New Year’s Day; collection routes for Friday will be delayed by one day to Saturday.
· Mondays, January 4th and January 11th – Christmas “tree-cycling” collection.