Public invited to Lawrence City Commission candidate forum March 30

The public is invited to a Lawrence City Commission candidate forum 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. March 30 at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt. The forum will focus on the community health plan, “Roadmap to a Healthier Douglas County,” that has been adopted by the City of Lawrence as a guiding document for policy, system and environmental changes.

In 2012, Douglas County residents and community health leaders identified five health priorities:

  • Access to healthy food
  • Access to health services
  • Mental Health
  • Physical Activity
  • Poverty and lack of jobs

The community health plan was released in April 2013 and since then, 48 policy, system and environmental changes have been implemented in Douglas County, contributing to progress toward the goals. These changes include: new sidewalks and trails, expansion of the city’s Rental Registration Ordinance to ensure safe housing for all, implementation of Complete Streets, a new Market Match program for food stamp recipients, and the adoption of nutrition standards for food and beverage vending and concessions at Lawrence Parks and Recreation venues.

“All of us are healthier when our community works together to create good housing, good jobs and good neighborhoods. This forum will provide candidates with the opportunity to let voters know how they plan to improve health outcomes for Lawrence,” Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department Director Dan Partridge said.

The Health Department, LiveWell Lawrence and the Lawrence Journal-World’s WellCommons are sponsoring the forum.