University Daily Kansan, January 17, 1984
Page 3
NEWS BRIEFS From Area Staff and Wire Reports
KCC says Wolf Creek plant may boost rates 80 percent
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Electric rates could increase as much as 80 percent for customers of utilities that are building Wolf Creek nuclear power plant, the Kansas Corporation Commission reported last weekend.
In a letter to State Sen. Paul Hess, R-Wichita, the staff of the Kansas Corporation Commission estimated that the $2.67 billion Burlington plant could boost rates from 50 percent to 80 percent, the Kansas City Times reported.
Although utilities that are building the plant have estimated rate increases of 50 percent and some analysts have said a rate increase of 60 percent was possible, no public estimate has ever matched the 80 percent figure of the KCC staff, the newspaper said.
percent figure of the RCC staff, and not the commission's staff compiled the estimate, but Robert M. Fillmore, an assistant general counsel for the KCCT, told the newspaper that commissioners "had no disagreements with it."
The utilities involved stuck by their projections when contacted by the newspaper.
Bird study may help stroke victims
MANHATTAN — A goose that migrates over the Himalaya Mountains is the subject of one of three scientific studies at Kansas State University that may reveal ways to help victims of stroke and heart problems.
Doctors know that paralysis after a stroke is caused by lack of oxygen to brain cells. They would like to find a "quick fix" that rapidly gets oxygen back to the brain before cells die.
Oxygen back to the brain before cooling.
Scientists are looking at a goose, native to India, for some answers.
"How can the bar-headed goose carry on a vigorous activity like migration at extreme altitudes where the oxygen pressure is so low humans would become comatose?" asked Dr. Roger Fede, professor of anatomy and physiology at the university's Veterinary Medical Center. "Humans can barely move a muscle at the summit of Mt. Everest without the aid of bottled oxygen."
He is investigating how the bird's blood flow to the brain markedly increases at high altitude, thereby supplying more oxygen to brain cells.
The American Heart Association is supporting the three investigations with grants totalling $45,000.
House clears up Open Records Act
TOPEKA - The Kansas House approved bills yesterday that would clear up a technical error in the new Open Records Act and open up state employees' health insurance contracts to competitive bidding.
The modifications to the Open Records Act, approved with a 119-3 vote, corrected a clerical error made in the final version of the bill last year. The new law took effect Jan. 1. It requires all government records to be open to the public and media unless specifically closed by the law.
The health insurance bill, approved 121-1, would establish a three-person board to take bids on health insurance for state employees. The board would be required to take at least three bids, and the contract could be for up to three years. Currently, the contracts are for one year.
Agency sets hearings on city grants
TOPEKA - The Kansas Department of Economic Development has scheduled public hearings statewide to give individuals and city officials a chance to comment on the state's Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program.
"This $17.5 million program is a major source of funds for Kansas communities to use to address their community development, economic development and public facilities problems," Charles Schwartz, KDED secretary, said.
Schwartz urged interested parties to attend the hearings to receive information and make suggestions to the agency. Written comments also will be accepted by KEDD through Jan. 31.
The public hearings are scheduled for 3 p.m. today in Salina, 10:30 a.m. tomorrow in El Dorado, 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Holton and 1 p.m. Thursday in Chanute.
The Douglas County Commission is considering a plan to set an hourly fee to compensate for staff time spent on helping researchers using public records, a commissioner said yesterday.
The final decision on the proposal will come after the commission receives a recommendation from its legal counselor, said commissioner Beverly Bradley.
Bradley said that the commission is planning to consult a lawyer who will check into the legalities surrounding the proposal. The commission's reason for wanting to charge a fee is that people doing extensive research require the aid and time of county staff.
Old and special records have to be looked up by office personnel, she said.
Bradley Smoot, assistant attorney general in Topeka, said that under the new Open Records Act, effective Jan. 1, counties had the power to charge a reasonable fee for access and copying.
Most units do not charge a fee but under some circumstances charging a fee is fair, Smoot said.
In other action the commission accepted a bid on a new car for the public works department.
Jurv selection starts in murder trial
OLATHE — Jury selection began yesterday in the second trial of a 19-year-old Kansas City, Mo., man charged with murder in the shooting death of a volunteer librarian in a Christian Science Reading Room.
death of about 75 potential jurors were questioned before Johnson County District Judge Lewis C. Smith in an attempt to select a panel to hear the case against Michael Peterson, who is charged in the July 14 shooting death of Mae Adele Hilleary at a reading room in the Kansas City suburb of Merriam, Kan.
Hillary was shot in the back of the head, apparently after a man came into the reading room and demanded that she give him money, police said. She was found unconscious in the reading room and later died. It was her first day as a volunteer filling in for a friend.
A jury last month was unable to return a verdict in the case and a new trial was scheduled.
In the first trial, jurors heard tapes of Peterson admitting that he shot the 60-year-old educator with a 22-caliber handgun after she refused to give him gas money, but also heard a tape recording of Peterson denying the killing.
defying In the defense tape, Peterson said he was pressured by a Kansas City, Kan., police detective into making the confession and that he was with friends when the woman was shot.
Butter will be distributed this week
The Council on Community Services of Douglas County will distribute butter this week through the commodities program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the program coordinator said yesterday.
Deputy Mirriam, the coordinator, said the butter would be distributed to people who met USDA income guidelines and to those already registered at the participating agencies.
The butter will be distributed Tuesday through Thursday. The locations and distribution times are:
*Bahrain Cricket Club*
*Salvation Army, 946 New Hampshire St.*, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday
:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesda
- Council on Aging, 745 Vermont St., from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
* Brook Creek Neighborhood Association, East Lawrence Center, 15th and Brook streets, after 5 p.m. Thursday.
Group to continue redevelopment advice
The Downtown Improvement Committee decided yesterday 16 again work with the Lawrence City Commission as an advisory committee on the downtown redevelopment project.
By SHARON BODIN
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
The Town Center plan calls for blocking off the 600 block of Massachusetts Street downtown to the east and the alley west of Massachusetts Street.
The DIC has not worked with the downtown plan since Town Center Venture Corp. was chosen as the official developer Nov. 8.
At a DIC meeting with the City Commission, Commissioner Ernest Angino said that it was a good idea for the DIC to be involved with the downtown redevelopment plan because
the commission was too busy to deal with the development alone.
Mayor David Longhurst said, "I can see the DIC playing an instrumental role in implementing the downtown project."
THE DICS JOB should be to meet the developer and give the example.
Longhurst said, however, that he thought the signals a developer received should come from the City Commission itself not the DIC.
Pete Whitenight, DIC chairman, said that the DIC should stay in existence with regard to the downtown redevelopment project at least until the financial package for the project was put together.
Commissioner Howard Hill said he thought the DIC could provide valuable insight for the commissioners, but that the City Commission should be involved
ONE ASPECT OF THE downtown redevelopment project that came under discussion at the meeting was the renovation of the Lawrence Opera House building at Seventh and Massa streets for use as a city auditorium.
with the project fully until its implementation.
Longhurst said he wanted some details about the Opera House project for the city and that if the City Commission expressed interest in renovating the Opera House, the DIC could look into it.
DIC member John Naughtin said a standard procedure for the DIC should be developed so that DIC members can be trained on the downstream redevelopment issue.
WHEN THE CITY COMMISSION chose the Town Center plan in November, it had to discontinue work with
the Sizer Realty Co. Inc. Kenner, the official developer for the downtown area.
Hank Booth, DIC member, said, "One of the real problems that Sizeer Realty Co. had was created by the DIC, and that is that we picked it to death."
Whitenight said he thought a letter from the commission was needed, reiterating the current plan or footprint, so that the DIC could move forward to fulfill the change the city was committed to.
Hill and Longhurst emphasized that although the 600 block of Massachusetts plan had not been formally accepted by the commission, it had been tentatively accepted.
DIC member Nancy Hambleton recommended that subcommittees of the Downtown Improvement Committee provide information in certain details of the downtown plan.
Plan irks residents
By SHARON BODIN Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
Lawrence citizens at a public forum last night objected to proposed changes in the city's comprehensive downtown redevelopment plan.
Dean Palos, city planner for downtown, said the changes he presented last night were designed to make the plan more flexible.
Former Mayor Marcel Francisco said, "I'm concerned that we're not left with any plan at all. With these proposed changes, all we have is just an intention that we need to do something to the downtown area."
Richard M. Kershenbaum, 1112 New Jersey St., said he thought the comprehensive plan had changed so much that it had lost much of its original intention.
THE PROPOSED CHANGES will be presented to the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission at its meeting, which will be open to the public.
The planning commission delayed making a decision on the proposed changes during its November meeting. If the planning commission approves
the changes, they would then come before the City Commission for approval.
Proposed policy changes include deleting the specific definition of what convenient walking distance is in the downtown area and deleting the men's sidewalk. The neighborhood sets Street and Eighth Street as being the primary focal point of downtown.
Another policy change is deleting the specific mention of a water and sewage main beneath Eighth Street and replacing the specific location with a separate facility. The efforts should be made to avoid the relocation of main underground utilities.
PALOS SAID THAT several changes were not included in the proposed changes distributed to citizens at the city hall. These include the addition of the comprehensive downtown plan.
Francisco complained that citizens would not be able to see the changes before the planning commission had approved the plans. The Lawrence City Commission agenda.
Another proposed change included the word retail in the description of the Bowersock Plaza area between Sixth and Seventh streets.
Commission says city needs bond policy
By the Kansan Staff
The Lawrence City Commission decided yesterday at a study session that the city needs to revise its procedure for issuing industrial revenue bonds to businesses but does not regard issuance of the bonds.
Industrial revenue bonds let businesses borrow money at lower interest rates because lenders are more confident in the bond's tax on the interest the bonds earn.
"I think we are in danger of sending mixed signals to people if we continue to decide the granting of the nomination," Commissioner Howard Hill said.
MAYOR DAVID LONGHURST said he thought the commission should consider the percentage of a project that were financed by them when writing it.
Commissioners also discussed ways to determine whether the
business would use the money appropriately.
Commissioner Nancy Shontz said that if the business intended to use the bonds to buy a building, the price would have to be reasonable.
Commissioner Ernest Angino said he thought the city should get at least three property appraisals before agreeing to issue the bonds.
City Manager Buford Watson said that sometimes a piece of property seemed overpriced to the City Commission but that the appraised price might be very similar to the market price.
Shontz said, "I do not think we want to use IRBs to inflate the price of land around the city."
LEASE
Longhurst said he liked the IRB policy as it was, but he said the bonds should not be used in ways that would harm other businesses.
LEASE A LEMON WE HAVE MOVED
She said that when the city granted IRBs to a business, it granted that business an advantage over other businesses.
to
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