Lawrence councilors say they will re-read local ordinance after lapse in Water Street RP approvals

Lawrence ' Council members said they will review the local ordinance that requires City Council approval of RP after officials acknowledged the approval step has not been followed for some time and cited Water Street as the most recent example.

The discussion matters because the ordinance governs how the city declares surplus property and allocates or transfers city-owned parcels; councilors said unclear process and limited briefings have caused constituent concern and confusion. Several council members urged more staff meetings to explain how declarations of surplus property work and how new requests relate to district priorities such as parking.

At the meeting, one councilor noted the city has not taken the council-approval step on RP in a long time and said they would "look at the ordinance" and read it together at the next meeting to better understand requirements and next steps. Another councilor described meeting with the housing chair to learn how the surplus declaration process works and to review how state-level measures referenced during discussion, described as the "Home Equity Theft Act" in remarks, might relate to local practice.

Councilors also raised constituent concerns tied to surplus-property reviews: residents have approached council members saying they believe particular properties belong to them, and councilors said those stories increase pressure for transparency. A councilor said they tell constituents the city does not give away property and emphasized a commitment to honesty and transparency when discussing applications for city land.

Members pressed staff to consider district priorities when surplus-property lists are prepared. One councilor said she preferred to see proposed projects include parking for her district and asked whether parking could be included as part of the RSP process. A staff member and other councilors said they would discuss district needs in departmental meetings but did not commit to specific changes to the ordinance or to including parking as a required element.

No formal motion or vote was recorded in the portion of the meeting covered by the transcript. Councilors repeatedly urged more pre-meeting briefings and meetings with department heads so questions about surplus declarations, the RP approval step and related programs could be answered before matters return to the council agenda.

The immediate next step, as stated by a councilor during the discussion, is that the council will review the local ordinance at an upcoming meeting and read the ordinance language together. The council did not adopt, amend or formally direct staff to take a specific action on surplus properties during the discussion in the transcript.