Bottom line

City commissioners are expected to hire a consultant to study the feasibility of building a conference center in Lawrence.

Background

Commissioners earlier this year expressed interest in determining whether the community could support a conference center. Staff members are recommending a $29,000 project with Convention Sports and Leisure to study whether there is sufficient market demand for a conference center. Future phases of the study would look at possible sites for a conference center. Officials with The World Co., the publisher of the Journal-World and LJWorld.com, have announced they are working on plans to redevelop the former printing plant property at 609 New Hampshire St. into a mixed-use development that would include a conference center. If the consultant is asked to review possible site locations, that site and others throughout the community are expected to evaluated. As proposed, Kansas University would pay for half of the study.

Consent agenda

• Receive minutes from various boards and commissions.

• 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 bid for Bid No. B1444, Blower #1 Rehabilitation at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, to JCI Industries, Inc., in the amount of $17,333.  

b) Authorize the City Manager to execute Change Order No. 6 to the construction contract with Emery Sapp & Sons for project UT1205, South Lawrence Trafficway Sanitary Sewer and Watermain Relocations, increasing the contract amount by $29,225.30.  

c) Award the construction contract for Bid No. B1424, Lawrence Avenue Waterline Replacement, to Schuetz Construction, LLC, in the amount of $581,785, and authorize the City Manager to execute the construction contract.  

d) Authorize the Parks and Recreation Department to apply for a Sunflower Foundation Community Trails Grant to fund the Burcham Park River Trail, with the City cost to be approximately $53,460.  

e) Authorize payment to Gene Fritzel Construction Co., Inc., in the amount of $26,847.70, to provide a wall to create a future multi-purpose room and a header in the concessions area in the Sports Pavilion Lawrence facility.    

f) Award bid for Bid No. B1442, battery-powered riding floor scrubber for Sports Pavilion Lawrence, to Pur-O-Zone, Inc., for $22,771.20.    

g) Approve Change Order to Gene Fritzel Construction Co., in an amount not to exceed $12,350, for dehumidification of Sports Pavilion Lawrence, in anticipation of wood floor installation.  

• Adopt on second and final reading, the following ordinances:

a) Ordinance No. 9005, allowing the sale, possession and consumption alcohol on the 700 block of Vermont Street adjacent to the Lawrence Public Library on Thursday, August 7, 2014, from 1:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., for the Downtown Film Festival. 

b) Ordinance No. 9014, prohibiting the criminal carrying of a weapon.

• Authorize the City Manager to sign the Solid Waste Management Household Hazardous Waste Grant Contract for state fiscal year 2015.   

• Authorize staff to negotiate for professional services for the Solid Waste Facility on Kresge Road, with Bartlett & West, to include all professional services necessary to re-plat, site plan, provide design and construction documents for infrastructure, facility construction documents, and optional services for bidding assistance.  

• Authorize the Mayor to sign an application for the Lawrence Safe Routes to Schools Phase I and adopt Resolution No. 7076, a resolution of support and administration, declaring the City of Lawrence eligible to submit the application.  

• Approve a street event permit allowing the closure of the 100 block of East 8th Street from 12:00 p.m. on Friday, August 8, to 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 10 2014, for the Sandbar Birthday Party and adopt on first reading, Ordinance No. 9015, allowing the sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol in the 100 block of East 8th Street during the event.    

• Approve a street event permit for the KU Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally event to close the 100 block of East 8th Street on Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, from 1:30-11 p.m. and adopt on first reading, Ordinance No. 9009, allowing the sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic liquor on public property in the 100 block of East 8th Street on Friday, Sept. 26, 2014 from 1:30-11 p.m., for the KU Homecoming Pep Rally event.   

• Approve a street event permit allowing the closure of the 700 block of Mississippi Street from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, for the Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association Block Party and adopt on first reading, Ordinance No. 9017, allowing the sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol in the 700 block of Mississippi Street during the event.

• Authorize the Mayor to sign a Subordination Agreement for Jerod Ryan Gregg and Stacy L. Wall, 1243 Prospect Ave.  

• Receive city manager’s report.

Regular agenda

• Consider adopting Resolution No. 7077, accepting the Multimodal Studies Project final reports and receive the Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning, Existing and Proposed Plans memo.    

• Consider the following utility department items related to the Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant, emergency reconstruction of 12th Street (public works), and the 2015 water and wastewater rates: 

a) Consider awarding bid for Bid No. B1435, UT1304 Contract 3, Wakarusa WWTP Site Fill and E1600/N1175 Road Improvements to the low bidder, King’s Construction, in the amount of $5,086,413.65 and consider authorizing the City Manager to execute the contract.  Consider authorizing payment to Clay and April Phillips, in the amount of $21,707.60, for acquisition of easements and rights-of-way for East 1600 Road.    

b) Consider authorizing an emergency reconstruction of 12th Street, between Louisiana Street and Ohio Street, and related improvements in the amount of $350,000.    

c) Consider adopting on first reading, Ordinance No. 9008, establishing the 2015 water and wastewater service rates, effective November 15, 2014.

• Conduct an appeal of the Planning Director’s Determination for approval of Site Plan, SP-13-00423, for Menards, located at 1900 W. 31st Street.   

• Consider authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement for Phase 1 (market feasibility) in the amount of $29,000 (Kansas University to pay 50 percent) for a conference center feasibility study.