Council approves four‑year lead inspection contract to support grant-backed abatement work

The Lawrence City Council voted Aug. 19 to approve a four-year contract with a local lead-inspection firm to support the city’s lead-hazard remediation grant. City planning staff told the council the contract covers inspections, risk assessments, dust wipes, visual soil assessments and post‑abatement clearances for up to 200 housing units over four years. Kate King from the Office of Planning and Development said the cost is $231,000 and that the work will be financed in part with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds as the city match to the federal/state grant. King told councilors that Lawrence’s housing stock is older than average: about 76% of units were built before 1978 and roughly 52% before 1940, which creates a high probability of lead hazards in thousands of units. She said a previous grant cleared about 160 units and that the new four‑year grant will clear 200 units. The council also waived the 30-day waiting period so the contractor can begin work during the grant timeline. Councilors noted one member would abstain from the vote because of a disclosed conflict of interest; the meeting record shows that disclosure and the item passed with the waiver in place. Councilors asked why the city was contracting for the full four-year grant period; staff explained the city preferred not to conduct a new procurement mid‑grant and that the contract will serve as the city’s documented match for the grant timeline. The contract was described as with a Lawrence‑based business (identified in the staff presentation as XYZ Lead Inspections / Rafael Vasquez). The contract award and funding source will be managed through Community Development Block Grant allocations and the city’s procurement processes.