Memorandum
City of Lawrence
City Manager’s Office
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TO: |
Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager Brandon McGuire, Assistant to the City Manager |
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FROM: |
Kevyn Gero, Management Assistant |
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DATE: |
June 8, 2015 |
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RE: |
2016 Budget Requests from Outside Agencies |
Background
Outside requests for 2016 are outlined below. Outside requests for City funds include social service agencies, organizations considered vendors that provide services that would otherwise be provided by the City, and economic development agencies. Also included are requests from other government agencies, city advisory boards, commissions, or task forces.
The Social Service Funding Advisory Board (SSFAB) has provided their list of recommendations for funding from the general operating fund and special alcohol fund. The total amount of funding recommended is the same as it was in the 2015 budget. Agency application materials, including those received after the application deadline, are online at www.lawrenceks.org/budget.
Most of the agencies have requested the same amount of funding for 2016 as they requested for 2015. Downtown Lawrence, Inc. is requesting $49,000, which is an increase of $6,500 from their 2015 budget. These applications are online at www.lawrenceks.org/budget.
· Vendor Services
The following requests were received from vendors that provide services that the City would otherwise provide.
o Lawrence Arts Center. The Lawrence Arts Center receives support from the general fund and special recreation fund. This year, they are requesting an increase of $15,000 to provide additional scholarship opportunities. The Arts Center also submitted a request for capital improvements for a new security system ($28,000) new carpet ($12,000) and wireless internet connection improvements ($4,000.)
o Lawrence Community Shelter. LCS is requesting $150,000 which is an increase of $50,000 for operations in 2016. The Lawrence Community Shelter also submitted a request for $18,500, which is an increase of $100,500 in alcohol funds. The request for bus passes is the same from 2015.
o Lawrence Humane Society. The Humane Society is requesting $360,000, which is an increase of $10,000 from the 2015 budget, in order to recover the cost of providing service to the City.
· Other Government Agencies
The City partners with several other government agencies to provide services. Their 2016 requests are summarized below.
o Health Department. The City pays for 40% of the operations of the Lawrence Douglas County Health Department. The Department is requesting an increase of $5,299 in 2016 to offset increased health insurance expenses. An additional $48,297 is being requested by the Health Department to support insurance billing and coordination of care for seniors.
o Lawrence Public Library. The Lawrence Public Library receives approximately 92% of its operating budget from City property taxes. The Library is requesting $3,749,330, which is an increase of $199,330 in funding for 2016, for staffing adjustments and employer contributions to benefits.
o Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission. The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission is requesting a $102,500 increase for 2016 for a total of $125,500 request amount. The LCAC is requesting to continue current programs, such as the Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibition and the Phoenix Awards, and an increase for Community Arts Grants, festivals, events and Two percent for Art Program. (See request for more information).
o Douglas County Senior Services. Douglas County Senior Services Board is requesting the same level of funding for 2016 to implement the recommendations from the Retiree Attraction and Retention Task Force Final Report. Funds will be used to support ReINVENT Retirement, an economic development initiative and marketing campaign to attract and retain retirees to Lawrence and Douglas County.
o Destination Management, Inc./CVB. Destination Management is requesting the same amount of funding from 2015. They also are requesting the City to consider program improvements such as a Transients Guest Tax Grant ($100,000) and additional program support (estimated $80,000) for convention and tourism activities.
· Other Requests
o Douglas County Historical Society. Douglas County Historical Society is requesting continued support to revitalization of the Watkins Museum of History. The City allocated $30,000 to the project from Guest Tax Fund in 2015.
o KU Student Involvement and Leadership Center. KU Student Involvement and Leadership Center is requesting ($25,000) alcohol funds to support Hawk Nights. This request was submitted outside of the application deadline to be reviewed by the Social Service funding Advisory Board.
o Amur Honeysuckle, Sustainability Action Network. The Sustainability Action Network submitted a new request ($390,000 in year one) for a five year program to support for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to provide Amur Honeysuckle Control services. The Parks and Recreation Department provided a staff response to this request with a proposed 5 year budget of $1,000,000.
o Non-Motorized Transportation, Sustainability Action Network. The Sustainability Action Network is submitted a new request ($500,000) for funding to be added to the Non-Motorized Transportation Line Item to implement anticipated recommendations from the Pedestrian-Bicycle Task force.
o K-10 Connector Service. Johnson County Government is requesting $200,000, which is an increase of $80,000 from the 2015 budget for the K-10 Connector Service.