Lawrence local news summary

Financial advisors give Lawrence high marks for creditworthiness

City to review its short-term debt financing practices

City streets face $85 million maintenance backlog

Data-driven sewer cleaning saves city an estimated $400,000 annually

Wastewater modeling saves millions on southwest Lawrence projects

Commission Punts on Tenant 'Right to Counsel' Code, Directs Staff to Research Program Options

Frontline Workers Highlight Gaps in Homelessness and Housing Services

Financial advisors give Lawrence high marks for creditworthiness

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The City of Lawrence maintains a strong financial position and credit rating, according to a presentation by the city’s municipal advisors, Baker Tilly. The city holds an Aa1 rating from Moody's Investors Service, a credit rating agency, for its general obligation bonds, placing it above the national median for municipalities. David Erdman of Baker Tilly told commissioners that the city’s bonds are attractive to investors, regularly drawing eight to 11 competitive bids per sale, a sign of high demand and a strong credit reputation. He noted that rating agencies are aware of the city’s extensive Capital Improvement Plan and view its financial policies and continued economic expansion favorably.

City to review its short-term debt financing practices

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The city’s financial advisors have recommended a review of Lawrence’s long-standing practice of using one-year temporary notes to finance capital projects. During a presentation Tuesday, David Erdman of Baker Tilly noted that while the practice offers flexibility, it also introduces market risks and requires the city to go through two separate transactions for each project. He suggested exploring alternatives such as multi-year interim financing or issuing fixed-rate bonds directly, which could offer more stability and potentially lower costs. City staff will work with the advisors to evaluate options.

City streets face $85 million maintenance backlog

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Lawrence’s streets have a maintenance backlog estimated at between $85 million and $105 million, City Engineer Dave Cronin reported during a work session Tuesday. The city’s overall Pavement Condition Index, a measure of road quality on a 100-point scale, is currently 62.3, below the target of 70. Cronin said that while major arterial streets are in good condition with a Pavement Condition Index of 74, local residential streets are lagging. To reach the citywide target of 70, the report projected a required annual investment of $19.2 million for the next 20 years. The current five-year Capital Improvement Plan includes significant funding for 2026 but shows a gap in funding in later years to keep pace with inflation and degradation.

Data-driven sewer cleaning saves city an estimated $400,000 annually

LAWRENCE, Kan. – A new asset management strategy for cleaning sanitary sewers is saving the city an estimated $400,000 a year in staff and equipment time, according to a report presented to the commission Tuesday. Nick Hoyt, an engineering program manager, explained that by using video inspections to determine the actual cleaning needs of 112 "high-maintenance" sewer lines, the city reduced the cleaning frequency for many from monthly to a less frequent, data-informed schedule. The shift has allowed Municipal Services and Operations crews to redirect their efforts to other priorities, such as inspecting major interceptor lines and addressing a backlog of manhole adjustments.

Wastewater modeling saves millions on southwest Lawrence projects

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Advanced computer modeling of the wastewater system in southwest Lawrence has saved the city millions and allowed for a more strategic approach to infrastructure upgrades, the city commission learned Tuesday. By running thousands of simulations, city engineers determined that a planned $6 million force main project was not immediately necessary. Instead, the model identified adding storage capacity at Pump Station 9 and upgrading other upstream pipes as more critical and cost-effective solutions for managing future growth through 2040. The data has allowed the city to better coordinate its projects with the Kansas Department of Transportation's K-10 expansion.

Commission Punts on Tenant 'Right to Counsel' Code, Directs Staff to Research Program Options

DOUGLAS COUNTY - After extensive debate and more than an hour of passionate public comment, the Douglas County Commission on Wednesday stopped short of codifying a "tenant right to counsel" into county law. Instead, a majority of commissioners directed county staff to research and develop options for a program that would provide legal representation to tenants facing eviction. Dozens of residents urged the commission to immediately pass a code amendment creating a legal right to counsel for all tenants, arguing it is a critical tool for homelessness prevention. While several commissioners expressed strong support for the concept, questions around funding, implementation, and whether the policy belongs at the county, city, or state level led them to request more information on program design, potential costs, and examples from other communities before making a final policy decision.

Frontline Workers Highlight Gaps in Homelessness and Housing Services

DOUGLAS COUNTY - Several frontline social workers and residents with experience in the supportive housing system addressed the commission to highlight ongoing challenges in the community's effort to end homelessness. Speakers from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and other organizations emphasized the need for better data collection on specific homeless populations and the resources they require. They also noted a critical shortage in prevention resources and the "extreme poverty" of qualitative data from frontline staff, which they argued is essential for effective policymaking.

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