City commissioners will discuss two economic development issues at their meeting this evening.

Commissioners will consider approving a new overarching policy to govern economic development incentives, like tax abatements.

The policy will create a new cost-benefit model that commissioners will use to measure whether tax abatements are fiscally feasible. It also will set new guidelines on how large of an abatement should be offered to firms interested in moving or expanding in Lawrence.

In another matter, commissioners will again debate the issue of how much protection prime farm ground should be given from future industrial development.

Douglas County commissioners recently approved new language that gives more protection to prime farm ground than city commissioners had contemplated. City commissioners are being asked to consider those changes.

City commissioners meet at 6:35 p.m. today at City Hall.