Lawrence Journal-World 11-07-2016

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KU MEN, WOMEN WIN BIG AT ALLEN FIELDHOUSE. 1C

FBI clears Hillary Clinton on emails — again. 1B

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Monday • November 7 • 2016

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City ponders requiring local tie for incentives

Promising A NEW DAY

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Commissioners interested in exploring community benefit plan for projects By Rochelle Valverde rvalverde@ljworld.com

As developments aided by local tax dollars are built, it could be the pockets of outof-state contractors and workers who benefit as concrete is poured, bricks laid and wiring strung. But as the city works to rewrite its public incentives policy, that could change. Local leaders are interested in requiring that some degree of area or state resources be used for developments relying on economic incentives. “I definitely think it’s something we should explore,” Vice Mayor Leslie Soden Soden said. “We want those incentives to benefit our local community as much as possible, so by having a local preference that would hopefully help achieve that.” Currently, millions of dollars of potential tax revenue — through property tax rebates, sales tax exemptions and oth- Amyx er tax abatements — are being provided annually to developers. Last year, 28 such agreements were in effect, including apartment, hotel and industrial projects. Mayor Mike Amyx also recently pushed the topic. At the commission’s most recent meeting, Amyx pointedly asked a local developer making an incentives request about

Sara Shepherd/Journal-World Photo

SHANE MCCREERY, THE NEW TITLE IX COORDINATOR and director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access at the University of Kansas, is pictured recently in his office.

New director of KU office that investigates discrimination and sexual violence says he’ll bring a big attitude shift By Sara Shepherd

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sshepherd@ljworld.com

rom its name to the federal laws and guidance that necessitate its existence, the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access at the University of Kansas certainly deals heavily in compliance and procedure. However, Michael “Shane” McCreery said he doesn’t want that to get in the way of the

human side of his office’s core mission: “How can we help?” McCreery is in his first semester as director of KU’s Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access (IOA) and, as part of that job, also the university’s official Title IX coordinator. He said he’s bringing a shift in attitude and isn’t intimidated by negative attention the office has gotten in recent years, which includes national media coverage of multiple Title IX

lawsuits against KU and a spot on the list of universities under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for their handling of sexual violence reports. “It’s an entirely new day for this office,” McCreery said. “The whole goal here is to help.” IOA is charged with investigating and adjudicating

> DIRECTOR, 2A

> LOCAL, 2A

Changes to Lawrence’s water billing in the pipeline The discussion comes as a rate increase for water, consultants for the past 18 solid waste and stormwater passed by the commission months to develop the new rate model. At their work session Tues- in 2015 is scheduled to go into effect Nov. 15. The options that will be

By Rochelle Valverde

rvalverde@ljworld.com

day, city commissioners will discuss potential changes to how water is billed to Lawrence residents. At the commission’s request, city staff have been looking into alternatives to the current rate

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structure. Options that will be brought before the commission include a tiered structure that would provide reduced rates for low-income customers, as

well as different rates for certain high consumers of water. The city’s finance and utilities departments have been working with outside

A shower or two CLASSIFIED..............4C-6C COMICS...........................6A

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High: 60

EVENTS...........................6B HOROSCOPE....................5B

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Low: 49

presented to the commission include different rate structures, such as a uniform rate, what’s called a declining block rate and a residential inclining block rate. Some of the rate options are intended to promote

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conservation and/or reallocate costs of high demands to those who “peak the system,” according to a city memo. The model also has the capability to have a separate water rate for irrigation meters. Staff will present the potential changes to the city’s

> BILLING, 2A

Forecast, 8A

OPINION..........................7A PUZZLES..........................5B

SPORTS.....................1C-6C

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