The Lawrence Times

Lawrence city commissioners approved one change to city government Tuesday night and set the stage for another potential big change, though that one will be up to voters to decide. Beginning with the 2023 general election, all Lawrence city commissioners will serve four-year terms. But how many commissioners the city will have, and whether we’ll have a directly elected mayor, will be up to voters to decide in November 2024. Commissioners also decided to ask city voters to weigh in on the city’s form of government in the 2024 general election. They passed a resolution that will put several decisions on [...]

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on source of income, as well as status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking. The change also disallows discrimination based on prospective tenants’ immigration status. It means that landlords will not be able to discriminatorily deny someone housing just because their rent money will come from a housing voucher, settlement, benefit, subsidy, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing voucher and more. ... Many large, out-of-state landlords have stopped accepting vouchers in Lawrence, Commissioner Brad Finkeldei said — but he said in speaking [...]

Lawrence city commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on proposed changes to city ordinances that advocates say could help people secure housing. Commissioners — for the third time in recent months — will discuss the proposed change, which creates a protected class based on source of income. That means that landlords could not discriminatorily deny someone housing just because their rent money will come from a housing voucher, settlement, benefit, subsidy, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing voucher and more. The ordinance also provides protection for tenants regardless of their status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking. [...]

The Douglas County Housing Stabilization Collaborative is moving away from a first-come, first-served model to distribute funding for residents in need of rent and utility assistance. That change is happening now — sooner than planned, according to an update from the HSC. The HSC’s website was having server troubles because of the large number of people applying for rent and utility assistance on Wednesday, according to the update. Now, people will be able to complete the application at this link anytime before 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6. Qualified applicants will be randomly selected on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Source: The Lawrence Times

A committee has assessed the document that regulates how land is used and what can be built where in Lawrence. Now, members want feedback from the public to know how well that assessment reflects needed changes. The city’s current land development code is based on a nearly quarter-century-old vision for the city, and it’s due for an update, local leaders decided last year. The city’s strategic plan, published in 2021, and an updated comprehensive plan, Plan 2040, are serving as guiding documents for the update to the code. Source: The Lawrence Times

Stabbings, 16-year-olds with guns and violent attacks: Officials working with young offenders in Kansas say they need lawmakers to step up and fix flaws within the state’s juvenile justice system. The debate centered around Senate Bill 367, which was implemented in 2016. The bill was passed with the intention of reducing youth incarceration rates and reforming the juvenile justice system in the state. The legislation shifted practices away from holding youths in group homes or state custody, instead funneling money into community programs and treatment. The legislation included limits on probation and case lengths, making it less common for youths to be detained [...]

City leaders are set to revisit a proposed ordinance Tuesday that advocates say could significantly help people in need of housing. Proposed city ordinance changes would prevent landlords from denying someone housing just because a prospective tenant’s rent money comes from assistance such as vouchers, settlements, benefits, subsidies, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers and more. The Lawrence City Commission on Dec. 13 voiced general approval for the ordinance, which would also create a protected class based on source of income. Mayor Lisa Larsen said she was concerned about passing it without further engagement with landlords who own Lawrence properties, and commissioners [...]

The Lawrence school district’s Futures Planning Committee on Wednesday in a preliminary vote advanced a budget scenario suggesting a four-day school week, closing two elementary schools and a middle school, and cutting a district administration position. The committee members, divided into small groups, reevaluated items in the current budget scenario, offering their own suggested changes to budget cuts in preparation for upcoming public input sessions. Each committee member was allowed to vote for two out of the seven groups’ scenarios. The scenario that won, receiving 20 votes, also includes utilizing renewable solar power — which would not save costs but would [...]

Lawrence and Douglas County community members are invited to a meeting Thursday and an open house on Jan. 30 to discuss a new draft of wind energy regulations. The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission directed city staff members to review Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) regulations “in order to better align the wind regulations with recently adopted solar regulations,” according to a news release from the city. The draft regulations are now available for public comment... According to the release, “A WECS is a system of wind-driven generators that convert wind energy into electrical power. An individual machine is also referred to [...]

Lawrence schools are expected to steadily decrease in enrollment over the next five years, causing district budget concerns as well as questions about the future of the Lawrence community as a whole. According to future enrollment projections made by RSP & Associates, the outside consulting firm hired by the district, Lawrence Public Schools will lose just more than 300 students by the 2027-28 school year. School board President Shannon Kimball said during the board’s meeting on Monday that the district and community together must recognize the severity of this and commit to a solid plan, especially if the Kansas Legislature does [...]