In this issue:
- Carnegie Building reopening for public use
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 2011 budget year begins
- Brrrr…..It’s cold outside.
Carnegie Building reopening for public use
Historic building renovated; now available for receptions, events
The City of Lawrence recently completed the renovation of the historic Carnegie Library building at 9th and Vermont Streets. This renovation was funded by an increase in the Transient Guest Tax, which is a tax collected when a hotel room is booked in Lawrence. The city secured a federal grant from the National Park Service to assist in renovations and also utilized property-tax supported funds.
The Carnegie Facility is now available for rent and can be used for receptions and other events in the community. Rental rates are available online at lawrenceks.org/lprd/facilityrental or by calling (785) 832-7906.
“I foresee many people looking to rent meeting rooms in the Carnegie because of its location to downtown,” said Tim Laurent, facilities operations supervisor.
The lower level will house the Lawrence Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Destination Management Inc., which manages the CVB and historic society funding for Douglas County. This spring, a new historical exhibit, which is part of the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, will open in the Carnegie.
The renovations were completed over the course of approximately 11 months in 2010. The renovation modernized and improved accessibility for the building but the city was also mindful about keeping the historic character and relevance of the building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who do I call if I have a water emergency on a holiday or after hours?
A: Contact the Department of Utilities at (785) 832-7800 during working hours or to report a water or sewer emergency after business hours or during weekends and holidays.
Q: What should I do if I think my water usage is too high?
A: Each person in a household typically uses 2,000 gallons of water per month. Therefore, an average four-person household uses approximately 8,000 gallons of water per month. This excludes any outside watering that you may do to your flowers or lawn. If you have been at your current address for at least one year, you can look at the past history on your bill to determine what the usage was for the same period during the previous year. If your bill is higher than normal, then you should check for leaks.
2011 budget year begins
City keeps mill levy stable five years in a row, continues to maintain quality services
The City of Lawrence begins a new fiscal calendar in January. The city continues to prioritize how public dollars are spent using City Commission goals and public input. Despite relatively flat sales tax collections and slight decreases in property tax values, the city continues to focus on the maintenance of city infrastructure, expansion and strengthening of economic development opportunities in Lawrence, continued prioritization of public safety goals, and continued improvements to the quality of life for the citizens of Lawrence.
How does the city spend tax dollars? In 2011, the city will use your taxes, rate dollars, service charges, fines and fees to do the following and more.
- Maintain over 319 miles of streets
- Produce and distribute 3.4 billion gallons of water
- Treat an average of 10.8 million gallons of wastewater per day
- Maintain 53 parks, 70 miles of hiking and biking trails, and 2 off-leash dog parks
- Operate 3 recreation centers, 4 aquatic facilities, 11 tennis courts, and 3 outdoor sport complexes
- Provide 974,125 one-way trips on the Public Transit System
- Respond to more than 9,600 calls for fire and medical service
- Respond to over 107,000 calls for police service
- Process 35,543 Municipal Court citations
- Provide almost $900,000 in aid to social service agencies in the community
- Provide $648,929 in direct support for the operation of the Health Department
- Provide maintenance of the levee and flood control gates on the Kansas River
- Support operations of the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Provide $3.07 million to support the operation of the Lawrence Public Library
- Provide solid waste services to approximately 31,000 residential and multi-family accounts as well as 1,400 commercial and industrial accounts every week
- Recycle over 14,000 tons of material through city programs
Brrrr…..It’s cold outside.
Save money this winter by using some simple energy saving tips.
This winter you can save energy, save money, and be comfortable too! County/City Sustainability Coordinator Jasmin Moore recommends these simple steps to keep your house cozy this winter.
Stay cozy by plugging air leaks and insulating. Sealing up air leaks with caulking and weather stripping and installing adequate insulation will not only increase comfort, but will reduce home heating costs by up to 20-percent. Focus your efforts on cracks near windows and doors.
Let a programmable thermostat “remember” for you. Programmable thermostats can be set to lower the heat when you leave the house for a day of gift shopping (or overnight when you’re cozy in bed). You can program it to warm up again shortly before you return.
Adjust your humidity. A well-humidified house at 68 degrees Fahrenheit is as comfortable as a dry house at 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking some warm comfort foods? Don’t sneak a peek! Opening the oven door lowers the temperature inside – by as much as 25 degrees – which increases cooking time and wastes energy.
Close that furnace damper. When you’re not using the fireplace, closing the damper could save 8-percent of your home’s heat.
Start a sweater trend. Wearing sweaters or other warm clothes at home will help hold in your body heat naturally.
Check your door seals on refrigerators and freezers. Place a piece of paper in the door as you close – if it does not hold firmly, the seal is worn and needs to be replaced. A refrigerator door that does not close tightly will increase heat gain and cause the refrigerator to run more.
For more tips, visit blackhillsenergy.com/customers/savings/ or westarenergy./w.nsf/content/winter.