ICYMI: Utility Rate Changes Effective with February 1, 2026 Billing

At its February 17, 2026 meeting, the Baldwin City Council approved a series of utility rate adjustments for residential customers. These changes take effect with all utility usage beginning February 1, 2026.

Sewer Rates

• Debt fee: $16.00 per meter (unchanged)

• Usage charge: $12.31 per 1,000 gallons of water used per meter

  • This reflects a $0.93 increase from the previous rate of $11.38.

Water Rates

• Debt fee: $9.72 per meter

  • Decreased from $14.94

• Usage charge: $19.84 per 1,000 gallons

  • Increased from $17.17

Trash & Recycling Rates

(These changes reflect contractual increases passed through from Green Environmental Services.)

• Trash service: $25.58 per customer (up from $23.71)

• Additional trash carts: $5.55 each (up $0.40)

• Voluntary recycling service: $14.51 per customer (up $0.73)

• Additional recycling bins: $13.39 each (up from $12.78)

Electric Rates

• Debt fee: $27.88 per meter (an increase of $2.88)

• Energy charge: $0.1411 per kilowatt hour

  • This rate remains unchanged.

Each of these ordinances passed by City Council are available to read on the City website, at the article Utility Rate Changes Effective February 1.

Now Hiring: Open positions at Public Works and the Police Department

Baldwin City Police Department is currently hiring a patrol officer. Find out more about the department and this position and apply on the department page. Go directly to the job information from the button below.

Police Officer Job

The Public Works Department is hiring two seasonal maintenance technicians — one for the street crew and one for parks. Job descriptions and applications are available on their department page and on the city job page.

All Open Job Positions

Texting Tool for Utility Customers: what to expect

A new council-approved project is getting ready to launch, to bring updates about utility outages and other information to residents.

Over the next few weeks, you may receive a text notification that asks if you’d like to opt in to receive information related to utility service, public safety, and community well-being. If you do not opt out by texting STOP to 785-594-5168, you will receive updates. You may also choose to send information to 785-594-5168 in the event of an outage, and you will have the ability to ask questions directly.

Each customer will also receive a postcard with information about the software, called Outifi, asking if you’d like to update your contact information with the City. You may also just call City Hall directly at 785-594-6427 to update your phone number.

New Resource Page for Residents: find the kind of help you need

Need help paying a utility bill, rent, or temporary grocery help? Want tips on how to safely conserve energy, reduce your utility bills, and more? There is a new resource portal available on the City Website to help you find the resources you need to live well in Baldwin City.

Resident Resources Page

Upcoming Events

March 17, City Council Meeting

March 13-20

USD 348 Spring Break

March 16-20

Baker U Spring Break

April 25

DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at the Baldwin City Police Department

City Event Calendar

The damage was apparently initiated by a tree that had split in half and fallen, striking the lines but falling clear to the ground. Residents say the tree fell sometime on Friday evening, but did not immediately cause outages.

The line crew began repair work at approximately 10:30 a.m. and successfully restored power to all affected customers by approximately 11:30 a.m. We appreciate the patience of residents in the affected area during the outage.

Photos courtesy of Zack Grabbe.

This is a chance for the community to learn and ask questions. This event will be live streamed to YouTube.

Watch Live

Most areas north of Highway 56 will now have trash pickup on Tuesday; South of the highway will be Wednesday.

The bulk pickup and recycling schedule will remain the same. Please see the maps below for more information, or check the trash and recycling page on the city website.

Trash pickup for Friday, November 28th, will run on Saturday, November 29th due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

BLUE: Areas north of Highway 56/Ames St, including areas north of Highway 56 after the curve to 1st Street, and both sides of Ames.

• Trash: Tuesday

• Bulky Items: 1st Wednesday‍

GREEN: Ames Street south to High Street, including areas north of Highway 56 after 1st Street.

• Trash: Wednesday

• Bulky Items: 2nd Wednesday‍

YELLOW: All areas south of High Street

• Trash: Wednesday

• Bulky Items: 3rd Wednesday

Recycling: 4th Wednesday, all zones

• Place bins at curb by 6:00 AM

• No bagged recycling

More Information

Whether you’ve been in Baldwin City ever since the Maple Leaf Festival began in 1958 or just moved here, we’re so glad you’re here for Maple Leaf Festival 2025! It’s that time of year when small town Americana wraps itself around Baldwin City in a cozy embrace of all things autumnal and traditional, promising us all we’ll survive the winter.

If you have time in between setting up whatever you Maple Leaf busy-ness is, stop down at 8th & High at 4:30pm today for a ribbon cutting celebrating the new Maple Leaf in the intersection. A free ice cream scoop is available from the Ice Cream House during the event, while supplies last (first 50 scoops are free).

A few tips, if you’re coming from out of town, or even if you’re a local:

• Remember that the bus drivers, food booth vendors, Festival committee workers, and more are all volunteers and be patient.

• Be aware that for a town of less than 5,000 year round inhabitants, an influx of tens of thousands in a single weekend is a bit overwhelming.

• Please don’t walk or park in anyone’s yard unless they’re specifically allowing parking with signs.

• Don’t park in front of driveways or alleyways, and please pay attention to the one way street signs. They’re only for the weekend, but they do help prevent snarled traffic and potential accidents. 

• There is no fee to enter the festival, watch the parade, listen to music in the music tent, or visit the Quilt Show. The historic tours and displays are also free.

• Expect food to cost more than you would pay at McDonald’s but less than you would pay at Disney.

We love your pets too, but we’re going to have to paraphrase a Johnny Cash song from 1958, the same year the Maple Leaf Festival began:

No seriously, one more time: Pets are not allowed at the Festival due to City Ordinance. If you have a service animal with documentation, you’re welcome to bring them. To quote one of the Festival Committee leaders,

“Service animals are welcome. The no pets ordinance was put in place for non-service animals due to a child being mauled at the festival many years ago. Sometimes animals that have not been trained to be in crowded areas can become aggressive. It’s not their fault, but happens because they have not been in the situation before. The ordinance is just to prevent another incident such as that. Service animals are trained to be in a crowded environment such as Maple Leaf, and so they are welcome.”

City Ordinance

Where to Park

Parking is available with shuttle bus accommodations from the High School, Junior High, and Elementary School parking lots. Donations are requested in most places to support local nonprofit organizations, and some residents do allow parking in their yards for a requested fee. There is handicapped parking available with placards close to the Festival in designated areas. Check the Google map here for more details, or download a printable map here.

Google Map

Getting Around

Here’s a Google map that you can open on your phone and navigate around town, whether you’re driving or walking. The parade route, transit routes for bus shuttles and trams, and amenities like bathrooms, diaper changing station, and ATMs are all labeled. Or grab a print map here or from the information booth located at the corner of 8th and High once you’ve parked and arrived downtown.

Printable Map

Schedule

Vendor booths open at 9am. The parade is at 11am on Saturday, with the Children’s Parade beginning at 10:45am marching from the library to meet the rest of the parade at 6th and High. The old city power plant is open on High Street from 10am-2pm, and the Quilt Show is open from 9am-6pm on Saturday, 10am-5pm on Sunday, up at the Baldwin Intermediate Center, located at 100 Bullpen Drive.

Full printable schedule for both days is available here.

Schedule of Events

Emergency Services and Lost & Found

Should you need to contact the police, there is a walk-in headquarters located at City Hall. The address is 803 8th Street.

For first aid needs, inquire at the Festival headquarters located inside the Chamber of Commerce office at 719 High Street. As always, dial 911 in an emergency. If you lose something or find something, you may turn it in or search for it at either Maple Leaf Committee Headquarters or at the temporary Police Department Headquarters.

Finally

Most of all, we want you to have a blast and spend quality time with friends and family. Post your photos and tag the Maple Leaf Facebook account or City account, and we’ll share in your joy. See you soon, and happy Maple Leaf!

Intersection Renovation Plan

The brick pavers in the intersection will be removed by the company that won the bidding process, Heartstone, Inc., beginning Wednesday, September 3rd. They will replace and reinforce the subbase of the street, and then replace the pavers with a mix of new and old pavers to include a maple leaf pattern, as shown in the diagram below. The crosswalks will remain open on all four sides as much as is feasible, while the intersection itself is closed to traffic.

While parking will still be available downtown through the entire project, please be aware that navigation in the blocks of 8th and High surrounding the intersection will be complicated due to the intersection closure.

More information about this project, updates, and photos are available on the City Project Page.

Brick Street Renovation Project Page

July 15, 2025 (Ordinance 1513): Residential rates were targeted to increase by 10% overall. The monthly meter fee (now called the “debt fee”) rose from $12 to $25. Electricity usage rates were raised from $0.1400 to $0.1540 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

August 19, 2025 (Ordinance 1517): The Council corrected a discrepancy in the earlier rate calculation. The debt fee remains $25 per meter, but the usage rate is adjusted to $0.1411/kWh. This ensures residential rate customers are only charged the intended 10% revenue increase and returns the extra amount collected in July over the remainder of 2025.

We appreciate your understanding as these adjustments are made to keep the electric utility financially stable.

Read the Full Ordinances

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August through October are big event months in Baldwin City, so let’s do this!

City Updates

Chip & Seal Work to Begin August 11
Chip and seal work is set to begin on the streets west of 8th Street and north of High Street on Monday, August 11th. Work is expected to take a few days to complete.

Bettis Asphalt is the contractor in charge, and will be placing door hangers with information regarding street closing in affected neighborhoods.

This year, work will focus on some of the oldest streets in town, to the west of 8th Street and north of High Street. Streets to be resurfaced with double lift chip and seal include:

• 10th Street, from High to Ames

• 9th Street, from Dearborn to Ames (non-brick section)

• 7th Street blocks from Dearborn to Chapel and Baker to Ames

• Baker Street, from 6th to 10th

• Chapel Street, from 6th past 10th to the end of the street

• Dearborn Street, between 9th & 10th only

• Elm Street, from 8th to 10th

• Fremont Street, between 9th & 10th only

• Grove Street, from 8th past 10th to the end of the street

  Project Page

New Electric Utility Rate for July Usage

City Council passed Ordinance 1513 at the July 15 Council Meeting, revising electric rates effective July 1, 2025.

• Meter fees increased from $12/meter to $25/meter

• Residential monthly energy charge of $0.1540/kilowatt hour of metered energy usage, a 10% increase for residential customers

• On-Demand customers will see a 15% increase.

The full ordinance is available on the City website, from the button below.

Read Ordinance 1513

July 26th Power Outage Statement

A full statement regarding the July 26th power outage is available on the City news page.

Read the Statement

Events Coming Up

Third Friday Market

Friday, 6-9pm, August 15 & September 19 | Downtown Baldwin City
Where local food, art, and music strengthens community! This event is coordinated by the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce and hosted by the Chamber, Library, Lumberyard, and Recreation Commission. Only two more Third Fridays this summer! For more information or to register as a vendor, contact the Baldwin City Chamber.

Saturday Morning Farmers Market

8am-11am every Saturday morning all season | near Sullivan Square
Stop downtown every Saturday morning, rain or shine, to peruse homemade and homegrown goods from local vendors! This event takes place on the sidewalk in front of Sullivan Square, located at 710 High Street. Interested in being a vendor? Contact Ashley Hornberger at HornbergerFarms@gmail.com.

Smoke on the Bricks

Friday & Saturday, August 8 & 9 | Downtown Baldwin City
Downtown is closed to parking and traffic Friday and Saturday for Smoke on the Bricks. Check the Rec’s website and social media for more details.

Water Fight with the Fire Department

Bring your own water gun and join the Baldwin City Fire Department in a water fight to celebrate the beginning of school! We'll be downtown between 7th Street and 6th Street, in front of the fire station, throughout the Third Friday Market event. Come cool off with the cool folks =)

No water balloons, please.

Big Hair on the Square

Saturday, September 20 | Sullivan Square
Celebrate Baldwin City’s 155th birthday with music, food, and fun for all ages. More details coming soon — watch the Rec’s website!

Now Hiring

Crossing Guard – 4th & Ames

Part-time position to help students cross safely before and after school, working with the Baldwin City Police Department. Training and safety gear are provided.
🔗 Apply Here

Maintenance Technician I – Public Works

Full-time role supporting street maintenance and city infrastructure. Perks of the job include excellent benefits and a great team of coworkers.
🔗 Apply Here

Share

City Council & Committee Meetings

Next City Council Meeting: August 19, 2025, 7:00pm, at the Baldwin City Community Center

Council Page →

City Lake Advisory Committee: Meets August 19, 6:00pm, at the Baldwin City Community Center

Committee Page →

Public Works & Utilities Committee: Next meeting September 11, 9:00am, Public Works Conference Room, 1015 Orange Street

Committee Page →

Public Safety Committee: Meets August 12, 4:00pm, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall

Committee Page →

Community Development Committee: Meets August 25, 4:00pm, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall

Committee Page →

Budget & Finance Committee: Meets August 8, 7:30am, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall

Committee Page →

Strategic Planning Committee: TBD

Committee Page →

Thanks for reading! See you next time, and in the mean time, why not share this newsletter with your neighbors?

Share The Baldwin Beacon

A lot happened in June, and plenty more is coming up. Here are a few highlights, in the photos below: The Library hosted a phenomenal Touch a Truck event to kick off the Summer Reading Program, and City workers jumped right in. Vanessa Garza of the Baldwin City Police Department earned a promotion to Detective — congrats Detective Garza! Speaking of the Police Department, their newest officer, Liam Murphy, was sworn in at the July 1st City Council meeting. And BHS girls brought home a huge win from the state track meet, which the Mayor acknowledged with a proclamation at the July 1st meeting as well.

Read on for what’s coming up, and what you need to know. Happy Summer!

Road Work & Infrastructure Updates

Douglas County Chip and Seal Program Begins Mid-July
Douglas County will begin chip and seal work on 26.5 miles of county roads in mid-July, including the lake road near Baldwin City and 1055 north of Baldwin City. Expect temporary lane closures and minor delays. Work will be done in two-mile stretches.
🔗 Read More

City Road Resurfacing Program
Baldwin City’s annual resurfacing program is underway, targeting streets on the southeast side of town for mill and overlay work. City crews are currently working to fill and patch pot holes, and Bettis Asphalt is expected to be in town mid-to-late August. More information is available on the project page.
🔗 Project Details

Brick Street Restoration Project
A project page is now available for the Brick Street Restoration Project, with an overview of the project, documents, photos, and updates as they become available.
🔗 Check Out the Page

Brick Street Leaf Insert Survey
Residents are invited to provide input on a proposed leaf insert design for the intersection of 8th and High. This survey closes on Monday, July 14th, at 12pm.
🔗 Take the Survey

City Property for Sale by Closed Bid
A parcel of city-owned property on Highway 56 is available for purchase through a closed bid process.
🔗 Property Info & Bid Instructions

Subscribe now

Events Coming Up

Third Friday Market

Friday, 6-9pm, July 18, August 15, & September 19 | Downtown Baldwin City
Where local food, art, and music strengthens community! This event is coordinated by the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce and hosted by the Chamber, Library, Lumberyard, and Recreation Commission. It takes place the third Fridays of June, July, August, and September. For more information or to register as a vendor, contact the Baldwin City Chamber.

Saturday Morning Farmers Market

8am-11am every Saturday morning all season | near Sullivan Square
Stop downtown every Saturday morning, rain or shine, to peruse homemade and homegrown goods from local vendors! This event takes place on the sidewalk in front of Sullivan Square, located at 710 High Street. Interested in being a vendor? Contact Ashley Hornberger at HornbergerFarms@gmail.com.

Smoke on the Bricks

Friday & Saturday, August 8 & 9 | Downtown Baldwin City
This Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned competition is a qualifying event for the American Royal World Series of Barbecue and the Jack Daniels 2025 World Championship. Check the Rec’s website and social media for more details.

Big Hair on the Square

Saturday, September 20 | Sullivan Square
Celebrate Baldwin City’s 155th birthday with music, food, and fun for all ages. More details coming soon — watch the Rec’s website!

Now Hiring

Crossing Guard – 4th & Ames

Part-time position to help students cross safely before and after school, working with the Baldwin City Police Department. Training and safety gear are provided.
🔗 Apply Here

Maintenance Technician I – Public Works

Full-time role supporting street maintenance and city infrastructure. Perks of the job include excellent benefits and a great team of coworkers.
🔗 Apply Here

Share

City Council & Committee Meetings

Next City Council Meeting: July 15, 2025, 7:00pm, at the Baldwin City Community Center

Council Page →

City Lake Advisory Committee: Meets July 22, 6:30pm, at the Baldwin City Community Center

Committee Page →

Strategic Planning Committee: TBD

Committee Page →

Public Works & Utilities Committee: Meets August 14, 9:00am, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall

Committee Page →

Public Safety Committee: Meets August 12, 4:00pm, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall

Committee Page →

Community Development Committee: Meets July 21, 4:00pm, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall

Committee Page →

Budget & Finance Committee: Met July 11, 7:30am, 2nd Floor Conference Room at City Hall. Next meeting TBD.

Committee Page →

Thanks for reading! See you next time, and in the mean time, why not share this newsletter with your neighbors?

Share The Baldwin Beacon

Fireworks season is about to begin again! Here is a round up of questions we hear every year.

Can I set off fireworks inside city limits?

• Generally speaking, fireworks are allowed between the hours of 10am and 10pm from June 28th through July 2nd.

• On July 3rd and 4th, the hours allowed are 10:00 a.m. to midnight, as well as any Friday or Saturday that falls between June 28th and July 4th in any year. For 2025, this means fireworks are allowed from 10am until midnight June 28th, as well as July 3rd and 4th. June 29th through July 2nd, allowed hours are 10am until 10pm.

• Bottle rockets and similar are not allowed.

• Read what city code has to say about fireworks here.

Is there an Independence Day celebration?

• The Independence Day Celebration planned by the Baldwin City Recreation Commission and supported by the City is Saturday, July 5th, at the Golf Course. Details on the event are available here.

Recommended:

• Attend the Rec’s Independence Day celebration at the golf course, listen to great music — including Sawyer Brown this year! — and watch the professional fireworks show

• Use glow sticks and colored lights for kids in place of sparklers due to burn risk

• Spend time with friends and family

• Celebrate safely

• Be mindful of neighbors, seniors, pets, and individuals with PTSD or similar trauma

• Have a bucket of water on hand to extinguish fireworks and in case of fire

Not recommended:

• Never disrupt traffic flow while setting off fireworks

• Don’t set fireworks off in your hands

• Monitor sparkler use carefully — they can cause third degree burns

• Bottle rockets and similar flying fireworks are against city code

• Definitely don’t aim fireworks at your neighbors’ house

• Never, ever dispose of fireworks in the trash without soaking them first

We want you to have fun, get through the holiday safely, and still be friends with your neighbors on July 5th and beyond.

Your Opinion Needed: Brick Street Survey

At the June 17th City Council meeting, three bids were presented to renovate the first section of brick streets in Baldwin City. This project will be completed using the .25% sales tax designated by a public ballot initiative on November 8th, 2022.

City staff noted there is just over $260,000 collected so far from the designated sales tax. This initial renovation section is for the intersection of 8th and High only, and is expected to take 3-4 weeks to complete. Contractors who placed bids have been informed this project must be completed before October in order to keep the intersection clear during Maple Leaf Festival.

Some discussion took place among Council members regarding whether or not to use new or used bricks for the project. Lacking a clear consensus, they requested staff put out a citizen survey to get a feel for which type of bricks community members would like to use.

A project page is available with more information on the overall Brick Street Renovation Project and general timeline, as well as news articles, documents, and photos.

Links:

• Project page

• Survey (external link) -- closes June 30th, 2025

• Council meeting livestream (YouTube)

Take the Survey Now

Ottawa Sanitation is still working diligently to complete Baldwin City's Monday trash routes on Tuesday this week, after a delay caused by a medical emergency.

May is a month of transition — spring turning into summer, buds turning into leaves and flowers, outdoor projects changing from planning to reality, and school finishing up the last busy weeks. This sort of looming change is the very definition of liminality: a place between two spaces, such as a threshold, a curtain, a breath between songs.

Here’s your look at what’s happening in Baldwin City this month and beyond, and some information tools that might make your life a bit easier.

Thunder only happens when it’s… Car Show Time!

Next weekend, the Recreation Commission’s classic car show is revving back into downtown for the third year. Plan for very limited downtown parking on Saturday the 10th, and definitely plan not to drive through the area. You might also do a quick little rain ceremony to keep the drops away!

From Matt McClure, Baldwin City Recreation Commission Director:

Baldwin City Recreation Commission will be hosting the 3rd Annual Thunder on the Bricks car show on Saturday, May 10th on the streets of downtown Baldwin City.

Due to the show, High Street from 9th to 6th will be closed beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 10th. 8th Street from The Bullpen to Grove St. will be closed. 7th Street from the alley behind the Library to Grove St. will be closed. This means no parking and no through traffic will be allowed after 6:00 a.m. on Saturday on these streets. The blocked streets will open back up at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 10th.

Thunder on the Bricks Info

NOTE: The Tree Board’s annual Tree Giveaway will take place in front of the Library from 8am-11am, during Thunder on the Bricks. Parking will be very limited for this event, so please plan to attend early if possible.

News & Notes

Power & Light Update: Tree on Main Line Into Town

Baldwin City power crews were notified of a large tree on the main feed into town the morning of April 29th. Removing the tree required disconnecting from the external grid and utilizing internal generation from the City power plant while the tree was cut off of the line.

Read the story

City Lake Maintenance Work

Culverts under the road allowing access to the east side of the City Lake collapsed in March, necessitating culvert replacement. The road was reopened to traffic on April 10th.

Read More

Lake Advisory Committee

Speaking of the City Lake, the Mayor plans to appoint an advisory committee at the May 6th City Council meeting. This committee will be tasked with looking at long term plans for the lake, and was chosen from individuals who applied to serve as volunteers.

Updated City Website

More City news is available on the City website, which recently received a thorough spring cleaning and a number of updates. There are still a few bugs we’re working out, and new features coming soon. Feel free to email us with any suggestions or if something doesn’t work for you.

Some new features we hope you’ll find helpful include:

• A trash and recycling info page

• An updated and improved City Council portal

• Better organization of documents, for improved access and transparency

• All new events and news pages

Speaking of trash and recycling, grab your easy reference guide below, or print one here!

Growing like a weed

There are all kinds of construction projects taking place all over town, and more starting very soon. Of course there are the three new housing developments, and there are a number of road construction projects in the works. We don’t have official start dates for any of the road works yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

Text and email notifications when new events, news articles, or public alerts are posted to the City website will be available very soon. If you’d like to sign up now, you can do that from the button below.

Subscribe to City Alerts

The USD 348 Site Plan for the new parking and CTE building is in its final stage, and is on the Council agenda for May 6th. You may access the Council agenda and all other Council documents on the new Council webpage. Work is set to begin very soon after school is out. Follow the School District on Facebook, or keep an eye on their Bond Page for updates and more information.

Citywide Yardsale, June 7

Hosted by The Maple this year, there’s some new excitement around the Citywide Yard Sale! Get your free listing in the guide here, and check out all the activity on The Maple’s page.

Citywide Cleanup, June 14

Citywide Cleanup returns Saturday, June 14th, from 8am until 2pm at 1015 Orange Street. Get all the information on what’s allowed and what’s not here.

Everything everywhere all at once

Here’s your semi-official list of what’s coming up this year.

Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market — 8-11am every Saturday all summer (contact Ashley Hornberger for info)

Third Friday Markets — June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19 (Chamber)

Sundays at 6 Summer Concert Series — June 8, July 13, August 3 (BCRC)

May 17, BHS Graduation

May 18, Baker Graduation

May 21, Sundae Funday: Ice Cream Social (The Maple)

May 30, Chamber Golf Tournament

June 7, Citywide Yardsale — register your sale! (The Maple)

June 6-8, Friends of the Library Book Sale (Library)

June 7, Touch a Truck (Library)

June 14, Citywide Cleanup (City)

June 20, Third Friday Market (Chamber)

July 5, Independence Day Celebration (BCRC + City)

July 18, Third Friday Market (Chamber)

August 8-9, Smoke on the Bricks

September 20, Big Hair on the Square (City + BCRC)

October 18-19, Maple Leaf Festival

October 25, Maple Leaf Gravel Grind (BCRC)

October 25, Maple Leaf Beer, Wine & Spirit (BCRC)

October 31, Hometown Halloween

The snow is lovely, but it sure has created a tangled mess of logistics and dangerous conditions for Kansans to manage. Please continue to stay as safe and warm as possible as we navigate the rest of this week.

City services resume on Tuesday

All City offices are reopen after closing Monday due to the area road conditions causing safety concerns. As everyone continues to work through cleanup and recovery from the snow, ice, and extreme cold, City services should continue as normal throughout the rest of this week.

Trash pickup delayed

Due to the extreme winter weather over the weekend and the condition of the roads across North East Kansas, Green Environmental Services/Ottawa Sanitation has made adjustments to the trash pickup schedule for Baldwin City residents.

Monday and Wednesday trash will both be picked up on Wednesday, January 8th, as well as bulk pickup for anyone with bulk pickup scheduled for this week. They request that bins be at the curb by 7:00am. Whatever they are not able to get to on Wednesday they will pick up Thursday and Friday.

Thank you for your patience as we all work through cleanup and logistics after this storm.

Road crews continue to work

All in town roadways have been opened and the Public Works crew continues to widen and sand the streets. Please give them plenty of room to work and stay out of blind spots. Also move vehicles from the roadways as soon as possible in order to allow the plows to clean more efficiently.

Crews will continue to work throughout the week as needed, depending on snow melt and slush build up.

Plows will continue to add to snow piles over the next few days. NOTE: This can cause a dangerous scenario for any children playing in snow piles. Please, please keep in mind that the plow drivers may be back at any time and may not see children playing, no matter how much caution they use.

We want to extend our thanks to each public employee and first responder out in the nasty weather this weekend, those who work for the City and those who work for area agencies. We see you and appreciate you!

For more information on general winter road maintenance policy, use the button below.

Winter Road Practices

USD 348 Closed Wednesday

From the School District:

Continued adverse road conditions and complications related to subfreezing temperatures have forced the district to cancel school tomorrow, Wednesday, January 8, 2025. The BHS home basketball games versus Tonganoxie has been postponed. Decisions regarding practices will be made by noon and communicated by coaches.

Stay safe and warm.

#BaldwinBuilt

Moving into the winter season, some questions crop up every year. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions, and some insight into the planning and process of being prepared for a severe weather event.

• All city staff members with weather-event duties stay tuned into Douglas County Emergency Management Alerts, and we work closely with our outside partner agencies as needed.

• Sand and salt stock piles are ordered early and refilled as necessary. Trucks are readied, filled, and kept pointed outward, making roll out as efficient as possible. If there’s time before predicted weather comes in, we’ll get out and pre-treat with salt and sand.

• For the sake of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, we’ll wait until the snow is done to plow, unless road conditions get dangerous. We stay in close contact with Baldwin City Police Officers during winter weather events.

• Snow routes are: High Street, Lawrence Street to Highway 56, and 6th Street. If there is more than 2 inches of snow fall, you must move your vehicle off the snow routes in order to avoid being ticketed or towed. We do recommend moving vehicles off all city streets if possible when more than an inch of snow is expected, in order to allow the plows access.

• We focus on the snow routes, the roads near the schools, and downtown first. These are the heaviest traffic areas within city limits. The brick streets get slick very quickly, so we try to get to them early. They also take extra time because we need to navigate around vehicles.

• Douglas County is responsible for 6th Street (1055) and KDOT maintains Highway 56. The city does not maintain these two main roads, including weather maintenance.

• Plow drivers may have low visibility, and are concentrating on several things — the position of the plow, curb lines, ditches, parked cars, mailboxes, watching their mirrors for traffic and pedestrians… all at the same time. Please try to make their job a bit easier and keep everyone a little safer.

• If there’s enough snowfall to allow for sizable snow plow piles, please do NOT allow children to play in the snow plow piles. It can be exceedingly dangerous.

• Last, but maybe most important, please be patient with us. We are out working for our town in the worst of conditions. We want to ensure the streets are as safe as possible so everyone can get home safely.

Maple Leaf Trail Phase I Nears Completion

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has nearly completed the section of the Maple Leaf Trail that connects the Elm Street multi-use trail to the Santa Fe Depot at High Street. Lights, benches, and fencing have now been installed, and crews are finishing up reseeding along the sidewalk.

ADA access to the trail is available from High Street and Elm Street, as well as from the sidewalk coming from the Intermediate Center and ball courts on Bullpup Drive.

Full information about all three phases of the Maple Leaf Trail Project is available on the City website.

Read More

Annual Residential Decorating Contest Launches, Deadline December 13

Light up your house for the holidays and enter to win cash prizes plus utility bill credit, in the City's 2024 Residential Decorating Contest!

• 1st place: $250 cash + $100 utility credit

• 2nd place: $150 cash + $75 utility credit

• 3rd place: $100 cash + $50 utility credit

Judging will be the weekend of December 14th, with winners announced at the December 17th Council Meeting. Cash prizes are sponsored by Christmas Decor by The Grounds Guys of Olathe. Utility credits will be automatically applied to the December bill.

To enter, submit a form by December 13th to City Hall (803 8th Street) or online from the button below. Print forms are available at City Hall.

Find out More and Enter

Women’s Bridge Park Gets New Benches

Thanks to an Eagle Scout Project managed by Jeremy Pahcoddy, the park commonly known as Yogi Bear Park has new custom-made benches near the basketball court and the play area.

Read the Full Story

Upcoming Events

• December 10 City Council Utility Worksession

• December 17 City Council Meeting

• December 24 & 25 All City Offices Closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

• January 1 All City Offices Closed for New Years’ Day

• January 20 All City Offices Closed for Martin Luther King Junior Day

See All City Events

If you’ve been in Baldwin City the whole 67 years or just moved here, we’re so glad you’re here for Maple Leaf Festival 2024! It’s that time of year when small town Americana wraps itself around Baldwin City in a cozy embrace of all things autumnal and traditional, promising us all we’ll survive the winter.

A few tips, if you’re coming from out of town, or even if you’re a local:

• Remember that the bus drivers, food booth vendors, Festival committee workers, and more are all volunteers and be patient.

• Be aware that for a town of less than 5,000 year round inhabitants, an influx of tens of thousands in a single weekend is a bit overwhelming.

• Please don’t walk or park in anyone’s yard unless they’re specifically allowing parking with signs.

• Don’t park in front of driveways or alleyways, and please pay attention to the one way street signs. They’re only for the weekend, but they do help prevent snarled traffic and potential accidents. 

• There is no fee to enter the festival, watch the parade, listen to music in the music tent, or visit the Quilt Show. The historic tours and displays are also free.

• Expect food to cost more than you would pay at McDonald’s but less than you would pay at Disney.

We love your pets too, but we’re going to have to paraphrase a Johnny Cash song from 1958, of all years:

No seriously, one more time: Pets are not allowed at the Festival due to City Ordinance. If you have a service animal with documentation, you’re welcome to bring them. To quote one of the Festival Committee leaders, “Service animals are welcome. The no pets ordinance was put in place for non-service animals due to a child being mauled at the festival many years ago. Sometimes animals that have not been trained to be in crowded areas can become aggressive. It’s not their fault, but happens because they have not been in the situation before. The ordinance is just to prevent another incident such as that. Service animals are trained to be in a crowded environment such as Maple Leaf, and so they are welcome.”

City Ordinance

Where to Park

Parking is available with shuttle bus accommodations from the High School, Junior High, and Elementary School parking lots. Donations are requested in most places to support local nonprofit organizations, and some residents do allow parking in their yards for a requested fee. There is handicapped parking available with placards close to the Festival in designated areas. Check the Google map here for more details, or download a printable map here.

Google Map

Getting Around

Here’s a Google map that you can open on your phone and navigate around town, whether you’re driving or walking. The parade route, transit routes for bus shuttles and trams, and amenities like bathrooms, diaper changing station, and ATMs are all labeled. Or grab a print map here or from the information booth located at the corner of 8th and High once you’ve parked and arrived downtown.

Printable Map

Schedule

Vendor booths open at 9am. The parade is at 11am on Saturday, with the Children’s Parade beginning at 10:45am marching from the library to meet the rest of the parade at 6th and High. The old city power plant is open on High Street from 10am-2pm, and the Quilt Show is open from 9am-6pm on Saturday, 10am-5pm on Sunday, up at the Baldwin Intermediate Center, located at 100 Bullpen Drive.

Full printable schedule for both days is available here.

Schedule of Events

Emergency Services and Lost & Found

Should you need to contact the police, there is a walk-in headquarters located at City Hall. The address is 803 8th Street. For first aid needs, inquire at the Festival headquarters located inside the Chamber of Commerce office at 719 High Street. As always, dial 911 in an emergency. If you lose something or find something, you may turn it in or search for it at either Maple Leaf Committee Headquarters or at the temporary Police Department Headquarters.

Finally

Most of all, we want you to have a blast and spend quality time with friends and family. Post your photos and tag the Maple Leaf Facebook account or City account, and we’ll share in your joy. See you soon, and happy Maple Leaf!

Council Meetings and Municipal Court Move to New Permanent Location

With the new Community Center opening at 712 Chapel Street, Council Meetings will now be held in a room specially designed for board meetings and forums, beginning with the October 1st Council Meeting.

A raised dais, smart mics and cameras, and large screens for the audience to view Council agendas and documents are a few of the amenities the Community will enjoy in the new location. The space is equipped with sound dampening panels to control echoes and will allow a more professional livestream for virtual audiences.

City Council has met in the Library’s Activity Room for many years, and the City is grateful to the Library for the years of gracious hosting, and also grateful to be able to return the room to the Library’s control for event programming and rental scheduling.

The Recreation Commission offices have relocated to the Community Center beginning October 1 as well, from their former office at 705 High Street. Programming, scheduling, and rentals for the building will all be handled by the Recreation Commission. For more information or to schedule, you may visit baldwinrec.org.

Municipal Court will be held at the Community Center, beginning November 7th. If you have a court date coming up and have any questions regarding where to appear, please direct your questions to the Court Clerk at 785-594-6427.

October 19 & 20: Maple Leaf Festival!

October is Maple Leaf Festival month in Baldwin City. It's right around the corner, October 19 & 20 to be precise. It's a good time, a busy time, sometimes a stressful time. We need to take this opportunity to remind you that pets are not allowed at the Maple Leaf Festival, per city ordinance.

Come down and get your Christmas shopping done, grab a soup mix or 5, take the kids to the bouncy houses and kids' zone, and get your turkey drumsticks and cider donuts. But only you and your human companions, not Fido. We love our pets too, but they are not allowed at the Maple Leaf Festival. Please don't bring them. Thank you very much and happy Festival month.

Maple Leaf Website

Celebrating Public Power Week

Baldwin City Electric Utility celebrated Public Power Week October 6-12, along with 2,000 other public power companies that collectively provide electricity to 54 million Americans across 49 states and five territories.

Baldwin City employees take a tremendous amount of pride in the service they provide to their resident customers. They go to work each day with a sharp focus on their customers. Since they operate right here in Baldwin and serve friends and neighbors, they care a great deal about things like customer service, helping folks save energy and money, and providing the most reliable service possible.

Today, Baldwin City Electric has eight employees, two power plants, a solar field, and a substation -- with a second substation coming in 2025 -- that serve our community.

One community-minded aspect of public power is the mutual aid shared among public power utilities across America. In the event of an emergency, public power employees may be deployed wherever they are needed to help restore power to communities suffering damage and power loss.

Two Baldwin City Electric employees were deployed to join twenty-four other public power employees from Kansas in Orlando, Florida to help restore power as quickly as possible from damage expected from Hurricane Milton. As the damage was less than expected, Zach Grabbe and Tyler Mitchell returned to Kansas, but we still thank them for their willingness to work in difficult conditions to help those affected by this storm.

Baldwin City Police Department Now Hiring

Want to make a difference? Baldwin City Police Department is now hiring!

Interested in working in the best small town in Kansas? Check out what the Baldwin City Police Department can offer you, in addition to a hometown family atmosphere and the best colleagues in the world:

• Police Officer Pay range $24.00 to $29.55 DOQ

• Signing Bonus of $3000 ($1500 upon start and $1500 upon academy graduation)

• Skill Incentive program – Up to $6250 additional annual compensation for special skills (i.e. language, education, military etc.)

• Paid Military Leave

• 50% College tuition reimbursement for classes pertaining to profession

For more details and to apply, click on the button below.

Apply Now

City Calendar

Next weekend, August 16th, is the 3rd Friday Market for August. If you haven’t attended a 3rd Friday Market yet this year, this is your chance! The weather is looking to be surprisingly cool for August and it’s a great time with a few dozen vendors, live music, art, and a movie. Oh, and the City will have an information booth at the Market, so stop by and ask a question or say hi!

2024 Road Maintenance Project to begin the end of August

Harbour Construction has submitted a tentative project start of the end of August for the west side chip and seal project. This work will cover the west side of town including Orchard Lane, Indiana and Jersey Streets, side roads on the west side of 11th Street, 10th Street, a portion of Elm Street, Main, College, a portion of Lawrence Street, South Street, Elk Horn Drive, Bison Court, and Mustang Drive. The highlighted portions of the map below will be chip and sealed this year.

Project Details

Big Hair on the Square

Coming up September 21, join the Recreation Commission and the City downtown in for some 80’s Rock and Roll, featuring a hair band tribute group! Save the date now!

August 16th, 3rd Friday Market

Headed downtown for the Third Friday Market in August? Stop by the City information booth for some free lemonade or water and say hi.

Third Friday Information

Utility bill rate increase on July 2024 usage

Electric rates on kilowatt hour usage for residential customers are going from $0.1154 per kilowatt hour to .1212 beginning July 1st, and increasing to $0.1273 on October 1, 2024. The formula has also changed in how the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) is determined.

More information is available on the City Website. The full ordinances are available in the Maple Weekly newspaper as well.

Full Details

City Calendar

West Side Chip & Seal Work Scheduled

The 2024 City-Wide Pavement Maintenance program was put out for bid by BG Consultants, and the bid tabulation was presented to City Council on May 7th. Harbour Construction was granted the bid to perform chip and seal work in 2024, in the amount of $126,541.10 for the base bid plus “add alternate” portions 3 and 4.

This work is expected to begin in August of 2024, and will cover the west side of town including Orchard Lane, Indiana and Jersey Streets, side roads on the west side of 11th Street and a portion of Elm Street, Main, College, and a portion of Lawrence Street, South Street, Elk Horn Drive, Bison Court, and Mustang Drive.

Project Page

3rd Friday Market Information Booth

Got a burning question this summer? Stop downtown 3rd Friday evenings from June through September and ask City Staff or an Elected Official at the City’s information stand! We’ll be with the vendor booths on High Street between 7th and 8th Street for the Third Friday Markets, hosted by the Chamber, Lumberyard, and Recreation Commission.

Third Friday Information

Now Hiring a Crossing Guard

Baldwin City Police Department is now hiring a crossing guard for the 24-25 school year. Very few jobs are more important than keeping our children safe at crosswalks, and we take it seriously. Contact Mike Pattrick with questions at mpattrick@baldwincity.gov.

Hours required are 7am - 8am & 3p.m. – 4pm. 2 hours per day, 185 school days per school year.

Safety equipment provided.

Cross walk location is near 5th and Ames in Baldwin City, KS. $20.00 per hour.

Full Information and Application

Powering Baldwin City

A step by step overview of Baldwin City’s power supply, where it comes from, and what happens when disruptions occur.

This article was originally published in The Maple Magazine in January, 2024. You may read it now on the City Website.

If you have an outage, please always call Public Works at 785.594.6907 to notify the Electric Department. The public works answering service or administrative assistant will get your information to the correct place quickly. If it’s a highly localized outage, they will not know if you don’t tell them. Please don’t post on Facebook and expect someone to see it, or email or direct message the City, especially after hours.

Looking for Council Recaps? 

They’ve moved! Council Recaps are now available the week after each Council Meeting (the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month) on the City Website and in The Maple Weekly. You can subscribe to The Maple Weekly and have it delivered every week in your mailbox, or get a digital subscription emailed to you for a fee. The City Website is free as always.

City Council Releases Strategic Plan, with Community Satisfaction Survey Results and Reliability Data

Vision: The safe, affordable, connected hometown for all.

Council chose three primary Focus Areas:

• Municipal Services

• Economic Development

• Quality of Life

Read the Full Report

City Calendar

Sidewalk Projects in the Works

The 11th Street and Gap sidewalk project has proceeded well, with concrete poured down 11th and most of the drainage infrastructure work completed between Baker and Ames. Some driveways and intersections are not complete due to the time needed for the concrete to cure. Once the first half is cured, the second half will be poured. If the weather cooperates, 11th Street should be finished and open to through traffic in about a month.

Quayle Street concrete work is also mostly completed. High Street from 4th to 2nd is currently in progress, now that the waterline installation is mostly finished. 2nd Street from Fremont Street to the Highway is also in progress. Check for updates on this project and the Maple Leaf Trail, Phases I and II, at the project hub page on the City website.

Community Center Renovation

Work on the new Community Center continues to move along. Concrete parking space has been poured along 8th Street, and the second floor is taking shape. Construction is expected to be complete by early June. New photos of the building are available on the City website, at the button below.

Community Center Hub

2024 Consumer Confidence Report Now Available

Baldwin City Public Works Department submits an annual report to the state of Kansas regarding the quality of our drinking water. The 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, covering the calendar year 2023, is now available here. There were no violations of state requirements during this time period.

Consumer Confidence Reports from the last five (5) years are available on this page.

New Waterline Installation Project

City crews have been working on the installation of a new waterline along High Street on the east side of town. More water line installation is planned for later this year, and the timeline for this section was bumped up in order to get it completed before the sidewalk construction in progress for the same area.

Citywide Cleanup is June 8, from 8am-2pm. As always, proof of residency is required. You do not have to live within City limits, but must have a Baldwin City address. Call Mattie if you have questions about what is and isn’t accepted: 785-594-6907.

More Information

Police Department Now Hiring

Interested in working in the best small town in Kansas? Check out what the Baldwin City Police Department can offer you, in addition to a hometown family atmosphere and the best colleagues in the world:

• Police Officer Pay range $24.00 to $29.55 DOQ

• Signing Bonus of $3000 ($1500 upon start and $1500 upon academy graduation)

• Skill Incentive program – Up to $6250 additional annual compensation for special skills (i.e. language, education, military etc.)

• Paid Military Leave

• 50% College tuition reimbursement for classes pertaining to profession

Apply on the City website or stop by the Law Enforcement Center to pick up an application.

Apply Now

Citywide Yard Sale sign up is now available through May 28. Sign up online from the City website, or stop in at City Hall or the Library to get a paper form. Digital & print maps will be available at the Library, City Hall, and in the Maple Weekly.

Sign Up Now

Take Back Day

Dispose of your expired, unused, unwanted prescription drugs, no questions asked! #TakeBackDay is Saturday, April 27th, 10am-2pm. Stop by the Law Enforcement Center at 203 1st Street, or find another collection site near you.

City Calendar

Due to increases received from our water supplier, beginning with January 1, 2024 usage, the cost per 1,000 gallons of consumption has changed for all retail water consumers from $14.07/1,000 gallons to $16.18/1,000 gallons, up $2.11. Per the ordinance passed January 16th, water rates will be adjusted again according to the annual Municipal Cost Index on January 1, 2025.

New Billing Lines Added to Provide More Transparency

This format change does not change the overall amount paid for the utility.   That change is set out in a separate ordinance.  Through January of 2024, your utility bill showed a “Water” line, a water franchise fee, and a water fee.

Beginning with the February 2024 bills, the Water line is broken into two parts for increased transparency: A Water line that is only based on your usage (now $16.18/1,000 gallons), and a “Water Meter Debt Payment” line that was formerly included in the “Water” line. This is a cost per meter calculated based on the monthly finance payments for capital improvement projects specifically for the water utility department.

In 2024, the Water Meter Debt Payment fee is $14.68/meter. Similar billing format changes will be forthcoming for Waste Water and Electric.

Read the Ordinance

11th Street Project

A rough timeline of the 11th Street and Gap Sidewalk Project is as follows:

• 11th street sidewalk, including the drainage infrastructure work between Baker and Ames, will continue through late March. The road will remain closed to through traffic during that time.

• The High Street segment from 4th to 2nd from approximately late March into early April.

• 2nd Street sidewalk from Fremont to Highway 56 in April.

• Quayle Street sidewalk from 6th to the Junior High in late April.

All of timing is approximate and weather dependent.

Project information will be updated as it becomes available on the Baldwin City Website at this link.

December & January Council Recap

Council meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 7pm at the Library. Work sessions are usually the 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm, at the Law Enforcement Center. All Council documents are posted at baldwincity.gov/council-documents.

December 5, 2023, City Council met in regular session at the Library. The consent agenda contained only minutes from the last council meeting. On old business, a Request for Proposal (RFP) had gone out to local banks for a 1.85 million dollar lease-purchase agreement, as authorized by Council at the November 11th meeting. Mid America Bank won the bid with a 4.9% interest rate.

In new business, there was a discussion about water rates. The water fund had a negative balance at the end of 2023. Baldwin City purchases water from the City of Lawrence, and rate increases happen annually. Baldwin City has not passed the increase on to consumers in 5 years. A plan was presented to bring the water fund back above zero and in compliance with the funding policy of a 15% reserve within 3 years.

After committee reports, Council adjourned.

December 19, 2023, Council met again. There were two hearings before the regular session started, one for an amended 2023 budget, and one for an Industrial Revenue Bond issue for Heritage Tractor’s new construction project.

Two special reports were presented. Jamie Hofling, Douglas County’s Sustainability Impact Analyst presented the County’s Climate Action and Adaptability Plan. Darren Prince from Kansas Municipal Energy Association (KMEA) then presented an electric rate study showing current revenues and reserves. Three options were presented for Council to bring the funds back up to reserve policy levels. No action was taken on the electric rate issue at this time.

An ordinance was approved to finalize the generator and truck lease-purchase bid from December 5th. A water ordinance was presented to raise water rates in 2024 in response to the discussion from December 5th, but the numbers in the ordinance were not what the Budget & Finance Committee expected to see. The ordinance was sent back to committee for review.

A 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was approved for city employees. The amended 2023 budget was approved, allowing almost $175,000 in additional expenditure for solid waste and Capital Improvement sales tax. The Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) Resolution in response to Heritage Tractor’s application would allow the business to finance their project at a lower interest rate, as well as buy materials tax free for their construction project. IRBs are not city debt. It is a tool to help businesses grow and expand while spending less in taxes. This resolution was passed unanimously.

Committee Reports were given, and then Mayor Simoneau announced the winners of the Residential Lights Contest.

January 2nd, 2024, Council met for the first time in a new year. Mayor Simoneau started out the meeting with recognition for the Highway 56 crosswalk guards, Amber Verbeke and Steven Crable.

Mayor Simoneau recused himself for the following items of business.

Approval was given by Council for a Conditional Use Permit to allow the old Three Sisters Inn to be used as a counseling center. A plat was presented for the proposed Trail View Estates subdivision, recommended for approval by the planning commission. It was approved unanimously by Council, and then a Subdivision Development Agreement was also approved for the Trail View project. Council adjourned after Committee Reports.

January 16, 2024, the second meeting of 2024 commenced with a number of presentations. Mayor Simoneau recognized January as Human Trafficking and Sexual Assault Awareness month in Baldwin City. Stan Hernly with Hernly Associates presented the work being done to nominate downtown Baldwin City as an Historic District on the National Registry. The draft nomination should be submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office by early March 2024.

Ryan Murray of the ETC Institute presented findings from the 2023 Community Survey. Overall, the response rate was excellent and people rated the community very high in most areas. Results are available now on the City website.

A management agreement was approved for the Recreation Commission to manage the new Community Center when it is complete.

First of year housekeeping was finalized, including reappointing the City Treasurer (Glenn Rodden), Judge (Shaye Downing), Attorney (Dakota Loomis), City Clerk (Amara Packard), Police Chief (Mike Pattrick), and Fire Chief (Terry Baker).

The City must designate City Depositories each year, so all three local banks were designated.

A resolution for the sale of bonds to provide permanent financing for the Community Center was authorized 4-1. Council Members voted for Scott Lauridsen to remain Council President in 2024.

Committee reports finished up, and Council adjourned.

Upcoming City Events

• February 6, City Council Meeting

• February 20, City Council Meeting

• February 27, Council Worksession

• March 5, City Council Meeting

• March 19, City Council Meeting