Agenda highlights • 6:35 p.m. Tuesday • City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets • Sunflower Broadband Channel 25 • Meeting documents online at www.lawrenceks.org

City seeks ownership of train depot

Bottom line

City commissioners will discuss sending a letter to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway asking it to enter negotiations to transfer ownership of its depot to the city.

Background

The city is asking the railway to transfer ownership of the east Lawrence building to the city for little or no cost, in exchange for the city taking over responsibility of maintaining the building. City commissioners, though, would like BNSF to complete some major repairs to the building before transferring ownership. A citizen’s group has been urging the city to take ownership of the depot so that it can be placed on a historic register and can be made into a more welcoming depot for Amtrak customers.

Other business

Recognition

• Proclaim Tuesday, March 24, as Friends of the Park/Friends of Stretch Day.

• Proclaim Thursday, April 2, as KVC Celebrates 1,000 Adoptions.

• Proclaim the week of April 19-25 as Lawrence Pride Week.

Consent agenda

• Approve City Commission meeting minutes from March 3 and March 10.

• Receive minutes from various boards and commissions:

• Approve all claims.

• Approve licenses as recommended by the Department of Administrative Services.

• Bid and purchase items:

a.) Authorize the issuance of a purchase order to Johnson County for $70,875 for payment of continuing education classes for Lawrence licensed contractors who will attend training during the 2009 program year.

b.) Authorize the purchase of computer laptops for the Fire Medical Department, including the connectivity and maintenance/subscription agreements for ePCR and Firehouse Mobile Fire Inspection Software from various vendors for a total of $60,245.

c.) Waive bidding requirements and authorize the purchase of ESRI software maintenance from ESRI through the state of Kansas purchasing contract for $35,584.38.

d.) Waive bidding requirements and authorize the sole source purchase of Intellution Software maintenance from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms Inc., c/o Industrial Network Systems, for $38,320.55.

e.) Set bid date of April 7 for City Bid No. B09022, Project No. PW0907, 2009 Overlay Program, Phase 1.

• Adopt on first reading Ordinance No. 8381, allowing the temporary possession and consumption of alcoholic liquor at the Lawrence Public Library during the Lawrence Public Library Foundation fundraiser on April 19.

• Adopt on second and final reading Ordinance No. 8379, establishing the quorum of the City Commission at four members.

• Approve one-year extension request for site plan SP-03-25-06 for Carnegie Library at the northwest corner of Ninth and Vermont streets.

• Approve Text Amendment TA-1-2-09, amending Section 20-1301 (t) to specifically identify the director of planning and development services as the administrative official charged with interpreting and enforcing the development code and adopt on first reading Ordinance No. 8376 for text amendment TA-1-2-09 to amend Section 20-1301 (t) of the Development Code.

• Authorize the director of legal services, Toni Ramirez Wheeler, to certify expenses in excess of $1,500 by the Lawrence Firefighters Relief Association.

• Authorize the mayor to sign letters of support for a federal earmark request of $600,000 for a homeless shelter relocation submitted by the Lawrence Community Shelter Inc.

• Authorize payment to Jeanette R. Denton and Norma M. Jantz for acquisition of permanent sanitary sewer easements for $17,759.

• Receive and approve the Administrative Policy Manual for the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission as recommended by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission.

• Approve right-of-way agreement with Freenet for the use of city right-of-way near the intersection of 23rd and Harper Streets.

• Receive city manager’s report.

Regular agenda items

• Consider the renaming of Missouri Street, from Ninth to 11th streets, in honor of Don Fambrough.

• Reconsider Joint Ordinance No. 8283/County Resolution No. ______ approving CPA-2004-02, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Horizon 2020, Chapter 7: Industrial and Employment Related Land Use.

• Receive staff report regarding local purchasing preference policies.

• Consider awarding bid for nine police cars for the Police Department to Shawnee Mission Ford for $196,896. This item was deferred from the March 10 commission meeting.

• Consider authorizing the mayor and vice-mayor to sign a letter to Burlington Northern Santa Fe requesting expeditious ownership transfer of the BNSF Depot to the city of Lawrence.

• Conduct public hearing on proposed budget amendment providing for the 0.05 percent sales tax for transit.

• Consider the adoption of economic development policies and cost benefit model.

• Receive city auditor audit follow-up report.