In This Issue:
- Lawrence Looks to Utilize More Renewable Energy
- FAQ’s
- Lawrence More Satisfied with Quality of Life than other Cities
Lawrence Looks to Utilize More Renewable Energy
In April, Lawrence began a drive to become a charter member of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Community Program. The City’s goal is to offset 2% of the City’s total energy consumption with renewable energy.
To achieve this goal, Lawrence is looking to residents and businesses to offset their home and business energy needs through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs) better known as Green Tags.
In 2006, Lawrence purchased Green Tags through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. One supplier of renewable energy for Bonneville is Lawrence’s Zephyr Energy, which supplies renewable Hydro-electric power generated from the Kansas River.
Each Bonneville Green Tag costs $20 (with a minimum purchase of two Green Tags), and represents enough renewable energy to offset the electricity use of a typical home for approximately 1 month. “Green Power” helps replace electricity produced from the burning of fossil fuels with electricity produced from clean, domestic, renewable sources of energy including solar, wind and hydro-electric.
To date, the City of Lawrence, Lawrence businesses and residents have purchased over 1,700 Green Tags (approximately 8% of our goal).
To learn more about how you can support renewable energy visit: www.greentagsusa.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I purchase renewable (green) energy for my home and business?
A: One of the easiest ways to support renewable energy is by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) or Green Tags. For as little as $20 each, a Lawrence resident or business can offset their energy consumption with renewable energy resources. In 2006, the City government of Lawrence offset 3% of its total energy purchases with Zephyr Energy Green Tags purchased from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Zephyr Energy supplies renewable Hydro-electric power generated in Lawrence by the Bowersock Mill & Power Company. To learn more about how you can support renewable energy visit: www.greentagsusa.org/greentags/zephyrenergy.cfm
Q: What is there to do at the Prairie Park Nature Center?
A: Prairie Park Nature Center offers a wide range of activities from nature workshops and classes to viewing our collection of live Kansas animals and birds of prey. Prairie Park’s 72 acre woodland and wetland preserve features a five-acre lake. Mary’s Lake sits only a ¼ mile from the Nature Center, and the mile of hard surface walking trails are excellent for bird watching and wildlife viewing.
Q: Spring rains created a pot hole in front of my house. How do I report it to be fixed?
A: Potholes are caused by a combination of weather and traffic. To report a pot hole, visit www.lawrenceks.org to fill out an online report, or call the Pothole Hotline at (785) 832-3456.
Lawrence More Satisfied with Quality of Life than other Cities
Lawrence residents are significantly more satisfied with their quality of life than residents of other U.S. cities according to a recently completed citizens’ survey. “What Lawrence citizens think about the work we do is very important. The 2007 Citizens Survey is another component in our ongoing efforts to continuously improve the services the City provides its citizens,” David Corliss, City Manager, said.
The first comprehensive survey of Lawrence public services provides a snapshot of satisfaction with a broad range of City services. The City scored better than the national average in several areas: quality of life (84%), major city services (72%), fire medical (90%), solid waste and yard waste (91% and 86%), and Lawrence Parks and Recreation (85%).
The survey results highlighted areas where public opinion saw a need for improvement. Most notably, maintenance of city streets and infrastructure earned a 26% satisfaction rating, and ease of East/West traffic flow achieved a 30% satisfaction rating.
The survey consisted of 27 areas and dozens of detailed follow-up questions about issues like: Basic Services, Public Safety, Amenities and Responsiveness. Of the 2,500 randomly selected Lawrence residents mailed surveys, 1,168 (47%) responded. “The level of participation with the Lawrence citizen survey was higher than we’ve seen in other communities,” said Chris Tatham with ETC Institute which conducted the survey. If you would like to view the report, visit: https://lawrenceks.org/survey/
our mission :
We are committed to providing excellent city services that enhance the quality of life for the Lawrence community.