WRITER: Rochelle Valverde

Lawrence City Commission approves ordinance to make violating pandemic health orders a municipal offense

City leaders have voted to approve an ordinance that gives Lawrence police more power to enforce local health orders put in place to deter the spread of COVID-19. As part of a special meeting Thursday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 4-1, with Mayor Jennifer Ananda opposing, to approve an ordinance that makes endangering the public health, safety, or welfare against municipal code. The ordinance uses ...

City leaders express interest in creating ordinance that would make disregarding health orders a municipal offense

In the wake of multiple large house parties over the weekend, Lawrence city leaders say they are interested in considering an ordinance that would make it a municipal offense to violate local health orders put in place to deter the spread of COVID-19. After a debate during the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, a majority of the commissioners said they were interested in at least considering such an ...

City leaders considering ordinance to make violating pandemic health orders a municipal offense

In the wake of multiple large house parties over the weekend, Lawrence city leaders say they are interested in considering an ordinance that would make it a municipal offense to violate local health orders put in place to deter the spread of COVID-19. After a debate during the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, a majority of the commissioners said they were interested in at least considering such an ...

Lawrence City Commission finalizes ordinance that provides protections for undocumented immigrants, requires notification of certain ICE activity

City leaders have finalized a nondiscrimination ordinance regarding undocumented immigrants, including the addition of two provisions meant to create transparency regarding how police interact with those populations. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance on second reading with two additions. The additions require public notification when the ...

City leaders ask for more details on how proposed $29 million field operations headquarters would save city money

City leaders would like to know more specifics about how a proposal to build a $29 million field operations headquarters in eastern Lawrence would create operational efficiencies, thereby saving the city money. As part of the Lawrence City Commission's meeting on Tuesday, city staff and the design team for the project presented the master plan for the field operations campus, which the city plans to build on ...

Lawrence City Commission to consider additions to ordinance that provides protections for undocumented immigrants

City leaders will soon discuss additional provisions of a nondiscrimination ordinance meant to create transparency regarding how the police interact with undocumented immigrants. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting the ordinance on second reading following some changes the commission directed city staff to make in July. At that time, the commission approved the ...