Bottomline

Lawrence city commissioners will consider approving an ordinance that will increase their pay.

Background

The ordinance would raise the annual salary of a commissioner to $20,000, up from $9,000 currently. The annual salary for the mayor would be $25,000, up from $10,000 currently. The increase would be the first raise for the commission since 1999. A city survey found the new salaries would place Lawrence in the upper tier of what area communities pay their commissioners. The pay raise would take affect after the April 2015 city commission elections. The commission gave preliminary approval to the pay raise in December, although only three of the five commissioners voted for the pay increase. Commissioners Mike Amyx and Jeremy Farmer both abstained from the vote because their terms won’t be up until April 2017, and they said they did not want to vote to give themselves a pay increase. The other three commissioners all have terms expiring in April 2015, and won’t receive the pay increase unless they win re-election.

Consent agenda

• Approve all claims.  The list of approved claims will be posted to the agenda the day after the City Commission meeting.

• Approve licenses as recommended by the City Clerk’s Office. 

• Bid and purchase items:

a)  Award the construction contract for Bid No. B1363 to Westland Construction in the amount of $450,565.00 and authorize the City Manager to execute the construction contract for project UT1308DS, North Iowa Street Waterline Replacement.  

 b)  Award the bid for Bid No. B1371 for nine (9) Ford Police Utility Interceptors and Bid No. B1372 for three (3) interceptor sedans to Laird Noller for a total of $315,955.    

 c) Set bid date of February 4, 2014 for the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program Projects at 1926 Vermont St. and 2112 Ohio Street. 

• Approve rezoning, Z-13-00440, approximately 19.3 acres from RS10 (Single-Dwelling Residential) District to RM12-PD (Multi-Dwelling Residential with PD Overlay) District, located at 3901 Peterson Rd. Submitted by Americare, for Jeffrey E. Smith Homes LC, property owner of record.  

• Preliminary Development Plan, PDP-13-00441, for Assisted Living by Americare, located at 3901 Peterson Rd with a variance request from right-of-way requirements in Section 20-810(e)(5)(i) of the Subdivision Regulations and a modification request from the off-street parking requirements in Section 20-902 of the Development Code.

• Approve rezoning, Z-13-00445, approximately 8.68 acres from County A (Agricultural) District to OS-FP (Open Space-Floodplain Overlay) District, located on the northwest corner of 31st St & Louisiana Street. Submitted by the City of Lawrence, property owner of record.  

• Approve annexing, A-13-00437, approximately 14.53 acres, located at the NW corner of N 1300 Rd/W 31st St and Louisiana St. Submitted by Landplan Engineering PA on behalf of Savannah Holdings LC, property owner of record.

• Approve rezoning, Z-13-00438, approximately 14.53 acres from County A (Agricultural) District to RM12D (Multi-Dwelling Residential) District and portions to RM12D-FP (Multi-Dwelling Residential-Floodplain Overlay District) District, located at the NW corner of N 1300 Rd/W 31st St and Louisiana St. Submitted by Landplan Engineering PA on behalf of Savannah Holdings LC, property owner of record.

• Approve annexing, A-13-00443, approximately 21.17 acres located directly north of 1352 N 1300 Rd for an extension of Naismith Valley Park. Submitted by the City of Lawrence, property owner of record.  

• Approve rezoning, Z-13-00449, approximately 21.17 acres from A (Agricultural) District to OS-FP (Open Space-Floodplain Overlay) District, located directly north of 1352 N 1300 Rd for an extension of Naismith Valley Park. Submitted by the City of Lawrence, property owner of record.

• Approve Special Event Permits, SE-13-00515, requested for seasonal garden sales at 2300 Louisiana Street from March 20th through June 30th, 2014. (Four administrative permits have been approved for this property for March 20 through May 15.)

• Accept dedications of easements associated with Final Plat, PF-13-00494, for Burrough’s Creek Addition, a 1 lot subdivision of approximately 1.8 acres, located at 1146 Haskell Avenue. Submitted by Landplan Engineering, PA for BK Rental, LLC property owner of record.  

• Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Nathan and Sarah Clark, the property owners of record of 872 Oak St., to extend the sanitary sewer per current City Code requirements.

• Approve the following items regarding the construction of a right turn lane on Bob Billings Parkway, west of George Williams Way, Project Number PW1122:

a) Authorize Mayor to sign a supplemental agreement with KDOT for the construction of a right turn lane on Bob Billings Parkway for an amount of $50,000. 

b) Authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Langston Heights Development, LLC for the construction of the right turn lane and water main relocation.  All costs to be paid for by Langston Heights Development, LLC.   

c) Authorize the City Manager to execute an engineering services agreement in an amount of $3,790.00 for design of the water main relocation with Land Plan Engineering.  

d) Accept easement from USD 497 for the construction of the improvements.

• Authorize payment to Lawrence Lynx, LC (property owner of 2300 Iowa) in the amount of $18,153 for property interests needed for the 23rd Street and Iowa project and authorize the mayor to execute required easements.   

• Receive request from Bethel Estates of Lawrence for Industrial Revenue Bond Financing and a property tax abatement for a proposed affordable senior housing project in southeast Lawrence and refer to staff for a report.

• Receive city manager’s report.

 Regular agenda

• Consider adopting on first reading, Ordinance No. 8925, defining precious metal dealers, requiring pawnbrokers and precious metal dealers to routinely submit to the Chief of Police descriptions of received property to a website designated by the police department, and establishing a penalty for violation of any Section under Chapter 6, Article 5 (Pawnbrokers).

• Consider approving the purchase of two (2) heavy-duty, 30-foot, low-floor diesel powered buses ($350,000/bus) and one (1) heavy-duty 30-foot, low-floor hybrid powered bus ($575,000/bus) off of the existing Brownsville, Texas Contract with Gillig Corporation for a total cost of $1,275,000.  Federal Grants will pay for $1,058,205 and the local match of $216,750 will be paid for by the City.

• Receive the recommendations from the joint HRC/PC discussions regarding the issues outlined in the 11/29/12 Downtown Redevelopment Issues & Opportunities Memo.  

• Consider the following water/wastewater utility items:

a)  Consider authorizing staff to advertise a Request for Proposals, RFP R1401, for Preliminary Engineering Services for Project UT1403 Evaluation of Rehabilitation and Replacement Options for the Stratford Elevated Tank.    

b)  Consider authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Engineering Services Agreement in the amount of $78,265.00 with HDR Engineering Inc. for Engineering Services for Project UT1307 Oread Water Storage Tanks and Booster Pump Station Replacement.  

 c)  Consider authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Engineering Services Agreement in the amount of $54,185.00 with HDR Engineering Inc. for Engineering Services for Project UT1310 Booster Pumping Improvements.   

d)  Consider awarding the Bid for Bid No. B1367 Project UT0701DS Kaw Water Treatment Plant Transmission Main Phase I to the low bidder Garney Companies, Inc. in the amount of $5,669,409.00 and authorizing the City Manager to execute the construction contract.  Also, authorizing the City Manager to execute Supplemental Agreement No.2 to the existing Engineering Services Agreement with Burns & McDonnell in the amount of $265,740.00 for construction phase engineering services in conjunction with project UT0701DS Kaw Water Treatment Plant Transmission Main Phase I.  Bid Memo & Attachments

 e)  Consider authorizing staff to negotiate a City – State Agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation for the Construction of Department of Utilities Projects UT1205CS Contract 1 Sanitary Sewer Relocation and UT1205 Contract 2 Sanitary Sewer Relocation and Waterline Extension as required by the construction of the South Lawrence Trafficway.  

f) Authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Baker University for easements related to Project UT1304 Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor Facilities in the amount of $101,000 and including the construction of improvements as outlined in the agreement.   

ACTION: Authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Baker University for easements related to Project UT1304 Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor Facilities in the amount of $101,000 and including the construction of improvements as outlined in the agreement

• Consider adopting on first reading, Ordinance No. 8951, pertaining to the salary of City Commissioners and the Mayor of the City of Lawrence.