photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., is pictured on Jan. 31, 2023.

A pair of public hearings are on the agenda for Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission agenda, both of them to consider right-of-way and utility easement changes on properties owned by the Kansas University Endowment Association and Tenants to Homeowners.

City leaders will first consider a request from the Endowment Association to vacate the right-of-way and dedicate a utility easement along an abandoned portion of Fambrough Drive on the University of Kansas campus, under which runs existing water and sanitary sewer lines. The right-of-way — specifically located at 1031 Mississippi St. and 800 Fambrough Drive — is approximately 57 feet in width and located between Illinois and Mississippi streets.

That vacated right-of-way is to be dedicated as a “public utility easement” — a designated parcel of land that gives utility companies the right to access private property for the good of the community. Public right-of-way, meanwhile, is property dedicated to the city for public infrastructure like roadways, storm sewers, sidewalks and street lights.

The Tenants to Homeowners request asks to vacate an approximately 10-foot-wide section of the existing right-of-way at 1208 E. 13th St., between Brook Street and Laura Avenue in East Lawrence. According to a report from city staff, the request is intended to help Tenants to Homeowners combine parts of two platted lots and the vacated right-of-way into a single lot. Like the other request, this one also asks for a utility easement — in this case, a 7.5-foot easement is being requested to accommodate existing utility lines.

In other business, commissioners will:

• Consider setting a public hearing for Tuesday, Nov. 21 to hear about what issues are causing an “impasse” in contract negotiations between the City of Lawrence and unionized maintenance and Parks and Recreation employees.

As the Journal-World has reported, the city announced last week that a bargaining unit including central maintenance, engineering, technician, building maintenance and parks field employees, unionized under Teamsters Local 696, had reached the end of their contract negotiation period without agreeing on a resolution.

The next step, according to city staff, is for the City Commission to make a final decision resolving the impasse. Ahead of the tentative hearing date, the city and the unionized employee group will submit final proposals in writing to the City Commission.

• Consider authorizing City Manager Craig Owens to enter into a lease agreement with the Lawrence Public Library Board of Trustees for the library plaza located adjacent to the library building at 707 Vermont St.

As the Journal-World has reported, the library’s board approved a draft lease agreement at its October meeting that would allow the library to lease the property for $1 a year for five years starting Dec. 1.

The lease agreement would allow the library to extend its behavior policy to outside the building so it can address fights, outbursts and other disruptive conduct that led to safety concerns from the community earlier this summer.

• Consider approving an agreement with the members of the Lawrence Police Officers Association for the term of Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2026.

According to Tuesday’s agenda, the current memorandum of understanding between the city and LPOA — the city’s police union — expired Dec. 31, 2022, and earlier this year the parties entered into discussions to resolve issues concerning wages, fringe benefits and working conditions. They reached a tentative agreement in October, and it was ratified by LPOA members in early October.

• During a work session, hear a presentation on planned work to update the city’s economic development policy in 2024 and 2025.

The Lawrence City Commission will convene at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.