Bottomline

City commissioners will be asked to submit a grant application to the National Endowment for the Arts that could garner up to $200,000 to help expand Lawrence’s Free State Festival.

Background

The city is being asked to make the grant application in cooperation with the Lawrence Arts Center. If approved, the grant money would be used to expand the Free State Festival from a largely regional film and music festival into a national or international scale event in 2016 and 2017. The grant application is due to the NEA on Jan. 15.

Recognition

• Proclaim the week of January 14 – 21 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. week.

Consent agenda

• Approve City Commission meeting minutes from 12/09/14.

• 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.    

• Approve appointments as recommended by the Mayor.

• Bid and purchase items:

a) Set bid date of February 10, 2015, for Phase 1 of the Lawrence Solid Waste Facility at 2201 Kresge Road.  

 b) Approve an increase in the scope of services for a Historic/Archeological survey for the Environmental Assessment project at the Lawrence Municipal Airport with Airport Development Group for $7,428.14.  

• Accept dedication of easements and rights-of-way associated with Final Plat, PF-14-00373, for Americare Addition No. 1, a 2 lot subdivision of approximately 20.7 acres, located at 3901 Peterson. Submitted by CFS Engineers, for Lawrence I, LLC, property owner of record.     

• Approve submittal of the Five-Year Airport Capital Improvement Plan for the Lawrence Municipal Airport.  

• Concur with the following recommendations of the Traffic Safety Commission:

a) To install Traffic Calming on Lyon Street between 7th Street and 9th Street (TSC item #2; approved 6-0 on 11/3/14).  Funding is not currently available for construction of traffic calming devices.  

b) To deny the request to change the Yield Sign to a Stop Sign on southbound Haskell Avenue at 11th Street (TSC item #3; denied 6-0 on 11/3/14).     

c) To deny the request to establish a Multi-Way Stop at the intersection of 4th Street and Illinois Street (TSC item #4; denied 6-0 on 11/3/14).   Staff Memo    11/03/14 TSC Meeting Materials – Item #4

d) To construct a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon on 19th Street at Alabama Street (TSC item #4; approved 7-0 on 12/1/14). Funding is not currently available.    

e) To install Traffic Calming on Elm Street, between 3rd Street and 4th Street (TSC item #5; approved 7-0 on 12/1/14).    Funding is not currently available for construction of traffic calming devices.    

• Authorize the Mayor to sign a Mortgage Subordination Agreement for 908 West 3rd Street.   

• Receive city manager’s report.

Regular agenda

• Consider setting a bid date of February 17, 2015 for Bid No. B1467, Project UT1304, Contract No. 4 Wakarusa Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance Corridor.  

• Consider authorizing submittal of Lawrence Arts Center Our Town Grant Proposal to the National Endowment for the Arts to meet the January 15 deadline.    

• Consider authorizing the Mayor to execute a contract with McDonald & Associates for audit services, in an amount not to exceed $20,000, plus certain travel and out of pocket expenses.

• Consider approving payment to RCP, LLC, in the amount of $1,055,588.52, for loan origination and loan interest costs per the Rock Chalk Park Development.