Town Talk
Read news and notes about Lawrence in Chad Lawhorn's Town Talk blog.City Officials
City Commission
- Mayor Bob Schumm
(785) 842-7337 - Vice-Mayor Michael Dever
(785) 550-4909 - Commissioner Mike Amyx
(785) 842-9425 - Commissioner Hugh Carter
(785) 764-3362 - Commissioner Aron Cromwell
(785) 749-6020
City Hall and other offices
- City Manager Dave Corliss
(785) 832-3400 - City Clerk Jonathan Douglass
(785) 832-3466 - Assistant City Manager Cynthia M. Wagner
(785) 832-3400 - Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard
(785) 832-3400 - Communications Manager Megan Gilliland
(785) 832-3406 - Finance Director Ed Mullins
(785) 832-3214 - Planning and Development Services Director Scott McCullough
(785) 832-3154 - Public Works Director Charles Soules
(785) 832-3124 - Fire and Medical, Lawrence-Douglas County Administrative Offices
(785) 830-7000
1911 Stewart Ave., Lawrence, KS 66046
Mark Bradford, Chief - Lawrence Transit System
(785) 832-3464
933 New Hampshire, Lawrence, KS 66044
Robert Nugent, Public Transit Administrator - Parks and Recreation
(785) 832-3450
1141 New Hampshire Street, Suite 200B, Lawrence, KS 66044
Ernie Shaw, Interim Director - Police Law Enforcement Center
(785) 832-7501
111 E. 11th, Lawrence, KS 66044
Tarik Khatib, Chief - Waste Reduction and Recycling
(785) 832-3030
320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence, KS 66044
Kathy Richardson, Operations Supervisor
City of Lawrence
Editor's note: The links above are to the City of Lawrence Web site.
- City commissioner wants review of city’s storm shelter policies in wake of Oklahoma tornado
- May 22, 2013
- At least one Lawrence city commissioner wants an examination of what would happen if Lawrence was hit by a tornado similar in scale — almost 1.5 miles wide — to the one that ripped through Moore, Okla. By Chad Lawhorn
- City commissioner wants state to revoke nightclub’s liquor license
- May 21, 2013
- At least one Lawrence city commissioner is calling on the city to look at ways of revoking the license of a nightclub that might have played a role in a Sunday morning shooting that left two men in critical condition.
- City accepts recreation center bids, but won’ t proceed with building until Fritzel provides infrastructure costs
- May 21, 2013
- On a 4-1 vote, commissioners approved accepting the $10.5 million low bid from Fritzel’s Gene Fritzel Construction Company to construct the actual recreation center building. But the approval came with a caveat: The city would not sign the construction contract with the Fritzel firm until the city has received a firm quote on the infrastructure costs for the recreation center and the adjacent Rock Chalk Park development. By Chad Lawhorn
- Planning Commission recommends approval of Menards store for south Lawrence
- May 20, 2013
- The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission on a 6-3 vote recommended approval of the plan that calls for a nearly 190,000-square-foot Menards store just east of the Home Depot at 31st and Iowa streets. The Planning Commission decision clears the way for the Lawrence City Commission to give final consideration to the project in the coming weeks. By Chad Lawhorn
- City expecting 5 percent reduction in Community Development Block Grant funding
- May 20, 2013
- Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday are set to approve a new budget for its Community Development Block Grant program — which funds everything from home rehabilitation to neighborhood newsletters — that is 5 percent less than a year ago. By Chad Lawhorn
- Lawrence City Commission agenda for May 21 meeting
- May 18, 2013
- 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, Lawrence City Hall
- Bid for recreation center comes in about $10 million lower than expected; questions grow over other cost estimates
- 03:26 p.m., May 15, 2013 Updated 06:38 p.m.
- Lawrence officials on Wednesday received a batch of surprisingly low bids to build the city’s proposed recreation center in northwest Lawrence, with Lawrence-based Gene Fritzel Construction submitting the lowest bid, at $10.5 million. The bids raise questions about city estimates about the cost of the project and its associated infrastructure. By Chad Lawhorn
- Downtown hotel project now slated to begin in June, following city’s latest approval
- May 14, 2013
- Construction work on a multi-story hotel at Ninth and New Hampshire is now expected to begin in June, ending a months-long process where the lot for the project has sat vacant. By Chad Lawhorn
- As city prepares to bid recreation center, officials still waiting to receive cost numbers from Fritzel on infrastructure
- May 13, 2013
- The companies that make a living building roads, burying sewers and paving parking lots have been hungry for work in recent weeks, in some cases bidding infrastructure projects for less than half what city officials had expected. But when it comes to Lawrence’s new $25 million recreation center, city officials won’t find out how hungry. By Chad Lawhorn
- Master development agreement for Rock Chalk Park still not signed by KU officials
- May 13, 2013
- Lawrence city officials have confirmed a pair of key documents governing the public private partnership to build the $25 million recreation center and adjacent Rock Chalk Park still haven’t been finalized. By Chad Lawhorn
- Lawrence City Commission agenda for May 14 meeting
- May 11, 2013
- 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, Lawrence City Hall
- City makes adjustments to downtown parking for the summer
- May 7, 2013
- A summer shuffle is on tap for parking in Downtown Lawrence.
- City agrees to create resident-only parking zone on street near KU campus
- May 7, 2013
- The street is still public, but at least a couple of the parking spaces on it essentially will be private.
- Lawrence falls short in bid for national ArtPlace grant
- May 7, 2013
- Lawrence fell short in its bid to win a competitive national grant that would have been a major springboard for the city’s creative placemaking efforts, the Lawrence Arts Center learned Monday. By Sara Shepherd
- Banned books trading card project earns prestigious national award for Lawrence Public Library
- April 24, 2013
- Banned books, original art and collectible trading cards came together last fall and hooked book lovers around the world. The Lawrence Public Library’s banned books trading card project also hooked the nation’s most prestigious award for library public relations and marketing. By Sara Shepherd
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- Sound Off: Water fountains May 22, 2013 · 3 comments
- ‘Killer B’s’ fit in at FSHS May 22, 2013 · 1 comment
- Editorial: Guns, speech May 23, 2013 · 7 comments
- House Republican leaders propose 1.5 percent cut to higher education for each of next two fiscal years May 21, 2013
- Hillcrest teacher honored with annual 'Bobs' Award' May 22, 2013
- Opinion: Wayne Selden sizes up recruits May 21, 2013
- They said it ... about Tarik Black May 20, 2013
- No consensus on McLemore's draft position after lottery May 23, 2013
- City commissioner wants review of city's storm shelter policies in wake of Oklahoma tornado May 22, 2013


