From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 4, 1989:

Increased street maintenance, a full-time recycling coordinator, and an additional city planner were among the items in a $37 million budget proposed for 1900 by Lawrence City Manager Buford Watson. “Overall, it’s not a huge expansion of city services,” said Mike Wildgen, assistant city manager and a chief architect of the budget. “We’ve been given the opportunity to add a few people and expand the street maintenance program because of additional gas tax money, and we’ve added a few positions where the commissioners indicated they’d like to see some additions…. I wouldn’t classify it as having a huge surge in city services, because we’re only recommending adding six employees.” Highlights of the budget included a 4 percent salary adjustment for all city employees; addition of a planner position to work on the 1990 census, historic preservation matters, and updating the city’s comprehensive plan; adding a full-time recycling coordinator; and funding up to $50,000 in operational expenses for a motorized trolley transportation system to run between downtown and the new Riverfront Plaza.