Meetings

The Douglas County Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Commission Chamber of the historic Courthouse at 1100 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS 66046. Commissioners have work sessions as needed at 4 p.m. before their regular meeting.

A Special Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners.

The Governing Board ensures that proper standards are upheld. The Board directs the Chief Executive Officer in carrying out Center policies and authorizes and approves contracts and agreements. The Board provides adequate financing and control of expenditures, and review and approves the annual budget. 

The Board consists of five members; two appointed by the City, two appointed by the County, and one appointed jointly by the City and the County.

Meetings: Last Tuesday every month, 7:30 a.m., Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.

Website: https://lawrenceks.org/board/mental-health-board/

Hears and decides appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision, or determination made by an administrative official in the zoning and code process, and review and decide special use exceptions to the provisions of the Zoning Regulations.

 

Meetings: This Board meets on the third Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. in the Public Works Training Room, 3755 E 25th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046 (when there is an agenda).  If the meeting date falls on a holiday, the Board will meet on Tuesday.  

 

Board of Zoning Appeals | Douglas County KS (dgcoks.gov)

  

Makes recommendations concerning the adoption of building codes and standards and hears appeals regarding administrative interpretations of the Code. Each board member is a licensed professional engineer or architect, building contractor, or a building superintendent of building construction.

The Douglas County Corrections Advisory Board is responsible for ensuring that the goals and objectives of the Department of Criminal Justice Services (Kansas Department of Corrections -Adult Community Corrections and Juvenile programs) are effectively managed.  The Board acts as both the Community Corrections Advisory Board and the Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board. The duties and membership requirements of the advisory board are enumerated in Kansas Statute.

The purpose of the Council is to provide a working forum to support communications and collaborative coordination between and among key criminal justice system officials, advisory bodies, agencies, departments and community leaders to promote public health, public safety and an effective, fair and efficient criminal justice system in our community.

Manages and controls the business of the fair association and its property, subject to approval by the Board of County Commissioners.

 

Website: http://dgcountyfair.com/

The Board of the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, Inc. (formerly Douglas County Senior Services) governs management and operation of the organization with advisement by the Executive Director, staff, and constituents. Six of the thirteen Board members are appointed by the City of Lawrence, and seven are appointed by Douglas County.

 

Meetings: Monthly on the fourth Tuesday at 4:30 PM

Website: Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, Inc.

The Douglas County Food Policy Council (DCFPC) seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system in Douglas County, Kansas. It serves as a forum for discussion and coordination for community-wide efforts to improve the Douglas County community’s access to local food supply and distribution networks.

 

Meetings: meets regularly every third Monday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at various locations around our Douglas County food system.

Website: Douglas County Food Policy Council

The purpose of the Fire District No. 2 Board is to provide financial oversight and policy direction for the Fire Department that serves the residents of Palmyra Township, beginning in January of 2015.

The purpose of the Fire District No. 3 Board is to provide financial oversight and policy direction for the Fire Department that serves the residents of Willow Springs Township.

The purpose of the Heritage Conservation Council is to make recommendations to the Douglas County Commission on how to best establish a framework to conserve our natural & cultural heritage for future generations and to enhance economic benefits of tourism, local agriculture, and other endeavors based on such conservation efforts.

 

Meetings: The Heritage Conservation Council's Regular Monthly Meeting is always on the first Thursday of each month. There is no meeting in August.

Website: https://www.douglascountyks.org/groups/hcc

The Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority (LDCHA) is authorized to plan, develop, construct, maintain, and operate low-income housing for the City of Lawrence.  It operates public housing and Section 8 assistance for low income, elderly, and disabled families and individuals under a formal agreement with the City of Lawrence.  The LDCHA Board of Commissioners is the policy-making body for the public housing agency responsible for establishment and approval of major programs, policies, contracts, and budgets.

 

Meetings: Board meeting days are set as the fourth Monday of each month at 5:30 pm

Website: https://www.ldcha.org/

The Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Board acts as the governing body for the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. The purpose and function of the Health Department is to provide a public health program to protect and promote the health of local residents.

Website: Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department

The Commission’s primary function is the preparation, adoption, and maintenance of long-term comprehensive land use plans to guide the future development of Lawrence and Douglas County. Another function of the Planning Commission is to study the appropriate zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations and to make recommendations to the City Commission and Board of County Commissioners concerning amendments both to the text and districts. Kansas planning laws also authorize the Planning Commission to recommend development plans for public facilities, capital improvements, urban renewal, environmental sanitation, and area beautification. The Planning Commission also acts as the City’s Metropolitan Planning Organization which allows the City to apply for transportation program monies.

 

Meetings: The fourth Monday and Wednesday of each month, except in November/December. City Commission Room, 6:30 p.m. A schedule of meeting dates and submittal deadlines is published annually. Meetings are generally held the fourth Monday and Wednesday of each month, but the Planning Commission will occasionally change to the third Monday and Wednesday. (www.lawrenceks.org/pds/pc_meetings)

Website: https://lawrenceks.org/mpo/

Judicial nominating Commissioners are made up of lawyers and non-lawyers who live in the district. Lawyer members of the nominating commission are elected by fellow attorneys, non-lawyer members are appointed by the County Commission. When there is a vacancy in a district magistrate judgeship, the district judicial nominating commission selects a slate of three nominees from which the Governor appoints one person to fill the vacancy.

 The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center (Peaslee Tech) was formed in 2015 through a collaborative effort of the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, and the Lawrence-Douglas County Economic Development Corporation to address the need for local workforce training. The Board meets quarterly.

The purpose of the board is to determine restitution (up to $500 for a felony or $250 for a misdemeanor) to victims of property crimes when the victim experiences a hardship to carry on normal routines.

The mission of the Treatment & Recovery Center (TRC) Advisory Group is to create a team of community leaders, subject matter experts, and lived experience advocates with a broad range of experience and expertise in behavioral health and integrated care. The TRC Advisory Group will collaborate with community members seeking urgent mental health and/or substance use services at the TRC and provide strategies and feedback to support this mission.