Lawrence city commissioners took a half-million dollar bite out of the city’s affordable housing problem on Tuesday.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to use $570,800 from the city’s Housing Trust Fund to kickstart six projects aimed at increasing the availability of housing for low income residents. Topping the list of approved projects was $200,000 to help fund new elderly apartment units that will be run by the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority.

“The elderly population is becoming bigger and bigger and bigger, and many of them are struggling to find affordable housing,” Barbara Huppee, executive director of the housing authority said.

The $200,000 should allow the authority to move forward with an $887,000 project to expand the city-owned Peterson Acres development, 2930 Peterson Road, from 25 elderly apartment units to 34 units. Huppee said the money should allow the project to break ground in spring 2006.

Other projects that the commission agreed to fund included:

¢ a $10,800 rental assistance program by the Emergency Services Council.

¢ $36,225 to purchase a homeless management information computer system to better track the number of homeless individuals and the services they receive. The money will be used by 17 local agencies that provide services to the homeless.

• 6News video: Commissioners settle housing fund

¢ $100,000 for development of future property by Lawrence Habitat for Humanity.

¢ $48,775 to the Salvation Army to provide incentives for landlords to rent to individuals with previous rental problems.

¢ $175,000 to Tenants to Homeowners for land acquisition as part of the Community Land Trust program.

But commissioners were told that they weren’t doing enough to tackle the city’s affordable housing problems. Hilda Enoch told commissioners that she was concerned because the $570,800 worth of grants would deplete the Housing Trust Fund, and there had been no provisions made to replenish it.

“I have no problems with the projects that the Housing Trust Fund board is recommending, but what they haven’t been given is a lifeline so that they know the fund will exist next year and the year after that,” Enoch said. “We need something to give some hope that good projects will be funded in the future.”

City commissioners did not commit to provide future funding to restart the fund on Tuesday. But City Commissioner Mike Amyx said that didn’t mean that the community wasn’t doing anything to address the problem. He said the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority currently oversaw about 1,200 rental units in the city that received some sort of public assistance.

Several commissioners, though, said they were interested in looking for ways to provide annual funding to the trust fund. Mayor Boog Highberger said he planned to appoint an affordable housing task force that likely would look at funding options.

Commissioners split on reducing mill levy

City commissioners Tuesday were split on whether they ought to reduce the property tax mill levy in City Manager Mike Wildgen’s recommended budget by one mill.

City Commissioner David Schauner said he thought the city should reduce the budget by one mill to make a statement to residents that the city was serious about being “fiscally prudent.” He said the city could reduce its fund balances, a type of savings account the city keeps, by about $770,000 to reduce the property tax levy by one mill. City Commissioner Mike Rundle was supportive of the request. Mayor Boog Highberger and commissioners Sue Hack and Mike Amyx said the proposal had come too late in the budget process for it to be adequately reviewed.

Commissioners ultimately directed Wildgen to prepare a report on the fiscal feasibility of reducing the mill levy. Commissioners on Tuesday did agree to cut a proposed Webmaster position from Wildgen’s recommended budget. The position, which had a proposed salary of $35,000 plus benefits, was cut on a 3-2 vote. Hack and Highberger voted to keep the position in the budget.

Sunday sales to continue

With very little comment, commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance that would allow the sale of packaged liquor to continue on Sundays.

Due to a new state law, all communities that allow Sunday sales must pass an new ordinance by mid-November to allow the practice to continue. The state law, though, requires any city that allows Sunday liquor sales to also allow the Sunday sales of cereal malt beverages at grocery and convenience stores.

Sunday sales at those locations would be allowed after Nov. 15 if the ordinance is not forced to a vote by a protest petition.

Site plan approved

A site plan for a new two-story office building at 4101 W. Sixth St. was unanimously approved by commissioners. Commissioners previously had delayed on the site plan because they were concerned about affects the project would have on drainage in the area. Commissioners approved the project after the city’s stormwater engineer said the project’s drainage plan was solid.

Purchase pondered

Commissioners unanimously agreed to further investigate the possible purchase of the former Lawrence Livestock Sale Barn near 11th and Delaware Streets.

But several commissioners said before they made an offer on the property, they wanted more concrete plans about how the vacant ground would be used. A city planning committee has said the site could be used to expand adjacent Hobbs Park.