Bottom line

City commissioners will receive a report from the city’s Retail Task Force. Commissioners were scheduled to review the report last week, but their meeting was canceled due to inclement weather.

Background

The city-created task force studied for more than a year how the health of the community’s retail industry could be improved. The report includes a recommendation to create a database that local retailers could access to learn more about the Lawrence market and what type of sales are being lost to other communities. As part of receiving the report, commissioners will consider issuing a request for proposals for consultants to develop such a database.

Recognition

• Proclaim February as National Heart Month.

Consent agenda

• Approve City Commission meeting minutes from Dec. 14, Dec. 21 and Jan. 4.

• Receive minutes from various boards and commissions.

• Approve all claims.

• Approve licenses as recommended by the city clerk’s office.

• Approve appointments as recommended by the mayor.

Bid and purchase items:

a) Set bid date of Feb. 15 for City Bid No. B1108, Project No. PW1103, 2011 Microsurfacing Program.

b) Set a Bid Date of March 8 for Bid Number B1101 Project UT0922CS, Airport Area Sanitary Sewer Improvements.

c) Award the construction contract for Bid No. B1103, Project UT0915KW, North Final Electrical and Kaw Well Field Electrical Improvements, to the low bidder, Shelley Electric Inc., for $114,000 and authorize the city manager to execute the contract.

d) Award concessions contracts for the operations of concessions at Youth Sports Inc., Clinton Lake Adult Softball Complex, Holcom Park Sports Complex, and the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center to Hy-Vee No. 1377.

• Adopt the following ordinances on second and final reading:

a) Ordinance No. 8595 for the rezoning (Z-9-13-10) of approximately 51 acres located at the southwest corner of North 1800 Road (Farmers’ Turnpike) and East 1000 Road

b) Ordinance No. 8606, for Text Amendment (TA-6-17-09) to various sections of the City of Lawrence Land Development Code to review standards related to “boarding house” and expanded to consider parking standards for multi-dwelling structures and nonconforming standards for boarding houses.

• Approve Rezoning, Z-11-15-10, of approximately 0.36 acres from RS5 (Single-Dwelling Residential) to RSO (Single-Dwelling Residential-Office), located at 1701 Mass.

• Approve Rezoning, Z-12-18-10, of approximately 0.6 acres from IG (General Industrial) to RS7 (Single-Dwelling Residential), located at 315 Perry St., 309 Perry St. and 528 N. Third St.

• Authorize mayor to sign Order of Vacation of Perry Street, west of North Seventh Street in Smith’s Subdivision of North Lawrence.

• Approve recommendation from the Traffic Safety Commission to install reduced speed limit with flashing beacons on Oak Tree Drive at Vantuyl Drive.

• Accept transfer of ownership from Kansas University to the city of Lawrence certain sanitary sewer facilities including one manhole and approximately 341 lineal feet of 12-inch PVC sanitary sewer generally located in the right-of-way of 15th Street west of Naismith Drive.

• Authorize the mayor to execute the third addendum to the city manager’s employment contract.

• Authorize the issuance of a request for proposals for the Arts Economy Study as requested by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission.

• Authorize the mayor to sign a letter opposing House Bill 2088, which if passed, would prohibit municipalities’ abilities to determine appropriate residential fire protection systems and is contrary to cities’ constitutional home rule authority.

• Approve $200,000 contract for Carnegie Building Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area exhibit with funding from guest tax funds.

• Approve as signs of community interest a request from the Pilot Club of Lawrence to place a sign at the northwest corner of 23rd and Harper streets advertising the annual Antique Show and Sale.

• Receive city manager’s report.

Regular agenda

• Consider declaring an emergency, and adopt on first and second reading, Ordinance No. 8612, authorizing the issuance of up to $10.5 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds for Lawrence Memorial Hospital for the purpose of financing various improvements at the hospital and repealing Ordinance No. 8600.

• Conduct public hearing to consider the vacation of two pedestrian easements located in Lots 10, 11, 19, and 20, Lake Estates at Alvamar (2105 and 2109 Cove Court and 6208 and 6204 W. 22nd Court), as requested by Garber Enterprises Inc.

• Receive staff memorandum discussing possible annexation of the Miller/Wells acres area. Consider authorizing staff to conduct a public meeting with area residents and property owners.

• Consider approving Traffic Safety Commission recommendation to approve a request to establish No Parking along the north side of 27th Street west of Kensington Road

• Consider authorizing the city manager to execute an engineering services agreement with Bartlett & West Engineers for design services for Iowa Street reconstruction and geometric improvements, Project PW1012, for $394,170.

• Receive final report from the Retail Task Force and consider issuing a request for proposals for the retail database information, as recommended by the Retail Task Force.

• Consider authorizing the city manager to execute a contract with Gould Evans Associates for the design of the library expansion/renovation and parking garage.