THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008 NEWS LAWRENCE 3A City commission elects Dever as mayor Chestnut elected vice mayor; pair names balancing 2009 budget as key focus Michael Dever, left, will serve as the new mayor of Lawrence, after the city commission unanimously chose him for the position Tuesday. He will serve with Robert Chestnut, right, who was elected as vice mayor. They will hold their positions for a year. BY ANDY GREENHAW agreenhaw@kansan.com Former Lawrence mayor Sue Hack passed the torch on to the new mayor, Michael Dever, at last night's Lawrence City Commission meeting as all five commissioners voted to elect Dever as mayor and Robert Chestnut as the new vice mayor. Chestnut said the three most significant issues he and Dever would focus on during their terms were balancing the 2009 budget, encouraging economic development and improving the planning process by making sure land-use permits are processed more efficiently. Before stepping down as mayor, Hack gave her state of the city address in which she praised Lawrence's relationship with the University of Kansas. "We must not fail to recognize the millions of dollars that flow into this community due to the efforts of the research done at KU," Hack said. "Encouraging individuals who called Lawrence home for their college careers to come back and invest in this community will be an added benefit of our positive relationship with the University." Hack went on to discuss the specific relationships between the city and the University, such as the possible merge between KU on Wheels and the city transit system - something Dever had been working on throughout his one-year term as vice mayor. "I thank Vice Mayor Dever for his efforts in working with our staff and Kansas personnel to move this effort forward," Hack said. She also praised two projects the city and the University partnered in building: the new tennis facility, First Serve, and the new KU Boathouse, which is not yet completed. Hack continued her address with what she thought would be the biggest challenge facing city commissioners in the upcoming year: the 2009 budget. "We know that if we are lucky, our revenues from sales tax and property tax will be equal to what they were last year, but there is a strong possibility that they will be less," Hack said. She said she believed disconnect existed in much of Lawrence between what people in the community expected from city services and what it took to maintain those services. "Lawrence has always prided itself on being a community that enjoys its parks, its bike paths, its arts, its cultural heritage and its downtown ... just to name a few," Hack said. "Maintaining these important pieces of our community takes money and when the bulk of that money comes from residential property taxes, we are putting ourselves in a perilous position." Hack went on to express the need for the city to look at adding additional sites for industrial development to expand the city's economy. Economic development has traditionally been a political issue that has divided Lawrence residents. "None of these decisions are easy and none come without a fair amount of angst on the part of many citizens, but unless Lawrence wants to drop further and further into the bedroom community situation, we simply have to find a way to present to companies additional industrial sites," Hack said. Dever received the most votes in the previous city commission election and Chestnut received the second-most. Traditionally, the two candidates who receive the most votes in a city commission election are nominated as mayor and vice mayor in the following mayoral election, said Lisa Patterson, city communications manager. The Lawrence city commission hasn't broken this tradition since 1989, according to the city's Web site. Dever and Chestnut will hold their positions for a year. Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird OREAD INN Project approved Tax to help finance redevelopment BY ANDY GREENHAW agreenhaw@kansan.com No one from the public spoke out against the project. Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously last night to officially approve the Oread Redevelopment Project. "We've been very cautious about the numbers and I'm excited about moving forward so I strongly suggest we move forward with this project," said Commissioner Sue Hack. The Oread Inn project will have to invest $11 million into the construction of an underground parkinggarage and other improvements in the area around the 12th Street and Oread Avenue. "The developers will pay all the expenses and are hoping to get back what they can from the tax incremental finance." Avenue intersection. The Oread Inn will be reimbursed over a 20-year period through tax incremental financing; new money the Oread Inn brings to the city. In other words, the city will add a 1 percent sales tax to the hotel. The money raised through that tax will go toward reimburting the Oread Inn for the $11 million improvements it's required to provide to the area. If the hotel doesn't earn enough revenue to reimburse itself in 20 years, it will not be completely reimbursed, said Matthew Gough, an attorney representing the Oread Inn project. MATTHEW GOUGH Oread Inn project attorney "The developers will pay an the expenses and are hoping to get back what they can from the tax incremental financing," Gough said. "The applicant must self-perform and only then will it be reimbursed for its expenses." Commissioner Mike Amyx asked City Manager Dave Corliss what would happen if the developers didn't follow through with their side of the agreement. On April 8, city commissioners will discuss the demolition plans for the structures located at 12th Street and Oread Avenue, which include Yello Sub. The "If the developer defaults on the agreement, we can terminate the agreement and take them to court," Corliss said. "If the developer doesn't perform, they don't get the incremental tax revenue." Crossing and three houses on Indiana Street. Paul Werner, an architect working on the project, said the demotion phase should begin April 9. He said the construction phase should begin in the middle of May. He hopes the hotel will be completed by January 2010,but it will probably take a little longer, he said. Katy Welsh, member of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance, provided the only public comment about the Oread Inn when she said the project was an opportunity for Lawrence to focus on the architectural aspect of the project. "We realize this is a done deal, but we're hoping this project opens up a great discussion about architecture in our community," she said. "In that line of thinking, there is an architecture presentation at KU this Saturday where we will discuss the possible architectural look of the project." Edited by Patrick De Oliveira THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS Start and End at Macell's, 1031 New Hampshire. One mile Walk and 5K Walk/Run. Registration 7-8am. Stretch and run with Red Dog, at 7:50am. Walk steps off at 8am. A full breakfast, sponsored by NetworQ, will be served for returning participants from 8:30-10am. Awards Ceremony 10am. Registration is online at www.douglascountyaidsproject.org Saturday, April 12th Workshops on Fair Trade History, International Trade Organizations, US Farm Policy, Local Cooperative Farming, Alternative Economies, etc. Featured speakers: Featured speakers: Kate Weaver, KU Political Science Department Jim French, Oxfam America Organizer Gerardo Reyes-Chavez, Coalition of Immokalee Workers Marc Rodriguez, Student Farm Worker of Alliance Registration: $10 EVENT: "RAGS TO RICHES" CHARITY BALL Do you have an interest in fair trade? globalization human rights? trade policy? local business and community? conscious consumerism? DATE: Saturday, April 19 TIME: 7pm-9:45pm Join Students for Fair Trade, Lawrence Fair Food and students and community members from Kansas and the surrounding region Friday April 11th and Saturday April 12th for The Second Annual Fair Trade in the Heartland Conference! "Starting a Movement, Building a Community" at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries Building and the Kansas Union INFO: This event is open to ANYONE! NSCS members bring your friends! This is for a good cause. Music, food & swing dance lessons will be provided. It will give students a chance to go to a formal event. LOCATION: Gridiron Room at the Burge Union HOSTED BY: National Society of Collegiate Scholars & KU Honor Society PURPOSE: Fundraiser event for the Lawrence Humane Society. All you have to bring are a donation of old towels & rags! Monetary donations are accepted. dress up, PURPOSE: Fundraiser event for the have fun & dance the night away. Finance Club Meeting This Thursday, April 3rd 7 pm - 427 Summerfield featuring Fred Coulson -Managing Director of Five Elms Capital **food and drinks provided **please dress business casual Be A Part of Center for Community Outreach! CCO is seeking motivated, service-orientated people for the following paid positions: Co-Director • Communications Director • Financial Director • Technology Director 27 Volunteer Coordinating Positions are also open fo our 14 volunteer programs. Applications are available at www.ku.edu/-eco or outside 405 Kansas Union. out 14 volunteer programs. Applications are available at program. Co-director Applications are due April 7th (Recommendations due April 11) All other applications due April 21st DEVIN'S RUN When: Sunday, April 13, 10:00 am Where: Check-in at the north end of Allen Fieldhouse. Race route through campus- begins and ends at Burge Union Why: To benefit Devin McAnderson, Leukemia patient & brother of KU running back Brandon McAnderson Entry Fee: $10 for students & "THIS IS WHAT RUNNING WAS MADE FOR" University of Kansas, April 13th Website: devinsrun.com (registration available online) ning back brandon McAnderson Entry Fee: $10 for students & $15 non-students T-shirts: T-shirts for those registered by April 8. Late registers not guaranteed t-shirts. Notes for Nails Benefit Concert April 3rd 8 pm - 12 am Abe & Jake's Landing All Ages,21 to drink Featuring: Joe Garvey The Sporadic Thought Russian Discussion 人