photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Lawrence City Hall is pictured on Oct. 11, 2024.

The Lawrence Police Department will soon brief city commissioners on the findings from community conversations held last summer about how to improve the relationship between the community and the police.

At their meeting Tuesday, commissioners will receive a presentation from LPD Chief Rich Lockhart about the workshops facilitated by the Department of Justice through the Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships Program and the actions the department will look to take in response.

As the Journal-World reported, a cross-section of community members — neighborhood associations, youth service agencies, advocacy groups and more – were joined by members of the LPD as they identified barriers between the police department and community members and brainstormed solutions on how the community can be better served.

According to a city memo, the six biggest issues identified were a “them vs. us” mentality, the need for greater transparency and accountability, the need to better address mental health concerns and calls, how the authority of police can potentially worsen situations, a potential lack of cultural understanding and the community sending the police mixed messages.

In the presentation included with the city memo, the department lists multiple solutions for each area identified as a potential barrier. As an example, for the need for greater transparency and accountability, the solutions listed include formally involving the community while discussing policy changes, respecting victims’ desire for privacy and transparency while sharing information, and holding regular information sessions with nonprofit and advocacy organizations in Lawrence.

The department also will introduce an updated monthly performance report. The agenda packet includes reports from January through March that include “key performance indicators from the (city’s) Strategic Plan” and other aspects of the department’s work, according to a city memo. Going forward, the report will be included as part of the city manager’s report each month.

In other business, commissioners will:

• Consider an agreement between the city and the Kansas Department of Transportation to disburse around $3.4 million in funds for a road redesign of Massachusetts Street.

The Kansas DOT awarded $2,376,000 in federal funds in October 2024 and a further $1 million in Carbon Reduction Program Funds in November 2024 for improving multimodal transportation, such as bike transportation, along Massachusetts Street.

In December 2024, the commissioners unanimously approved a plan to redesign Massachusetts Street from 14th Street to 23rd Street that would shrink space for cars from four to three lanes and add protected bike lanes, as the Journal-World reported.

The city memo said the construction for the project, which is expected to begin in 2026, would cost about $6.1 million. The city has set aside the approximately $2.7 million for the project in its budget for this year and plans to for next year.

A final design of the plan is expected to be considered by the commissioners later this year.

• Consider using eminent domain to get temporary construction easements on certain properties needed for the Jayhawk Reach Watershed project.

In February, the City Commission approved a $17.3 million construction bid for this stormwater project that will replace a stormwater tunnel from just north of Eighth and Tennessee streets to the intersection of Ninth and Indiana streets, as the Journal-World reported.

Construction work on the project started in April, and as part of the work of replacing the stormwater tunnel, the city will seek to get the temporary easements for portions of a dozen properties so it can finish the work.

The full list of properties includes 835 Louisiana St., 602 W. Ninth St., 832 Indiana St., 836 Indiana St., 611 W. Ninth St., 615 W. Ninth St., 908 Indiana St., 912 Indiana St., 847 Indiana St. and 828 Indiana St.