We’re rolling into another Baldwin Summer with Beach Boys good, good, good, good vibes in our heads! The pool is full and ready to open up Memorial Day weekend, the fountain is running, splashpad is on, and the flowers are blooming as the trees finally leaf out. Grab your sunscreen and pencil in some of the community fun scheduled for this summer.
Coming Up
Citywide Yard Sales
Get your sale on the list when you sign up by May 27th, and we’ll distribute digital and printed maps to yard salers! Questions? Check the list here, or email Wendy or Lynn.
Citywide Cleanup
Citywide Cleanup is the second Saturday in June. Full information here. Email Mattie with questions, or call 785-594-6907.
City Concert
Baldwin City presents a night of fun and festivity, with a previous contestant from The Voice, Casi Joy. Opening for Casi on the 18th will be Jarrod Turner. Full information about this event is available here.
Preservation Conference, June 24 & 25
Spend June 24th & 25th in Baldwin City learning about preservation of natural and cultural landmarks, and attending how-to sessions about everything from grant writing to DIY restoration techniques. Get more information from Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council, or register here.
Farmers & Makers Market
Something new for Baldwin: The 3rd Fridays of June, July, August, and September, Baldwin City Main Street Organization will host a downtown Farmers & Makers Market, in conjunction with the Lumberyard Art Center’s Live on High events. Save the dates to come enjoy a nice summer evening, or sign up as a vendor here.
Projects
Public Works has replaced a number of the bricks in the downtown sidewalks over the last few weeks, where they’ve deteriorated over the years. They’ll be replacing a few more spots throughout the summer to make the sidewalks safe and pristine. The north water tower is getting a face lift, with new paint and a city logo to match the west tower.
The fountain was leaking last year, and has been repaired and repainted. With the fountain and splashpad running, and the pool full and almost ready to open on Memorial Day weekend, summer is full steam ahead. City crews also worked with library staff to pour concrete and install fixtures for the new parklet planned outside the library.
Street repairs are a constant throughout the summer months. Please use caution and slow down as you pass workers in the street.
New utility bill payment system
If you use online bill pay, you may have noticed some changes. We have a new and fully updated web portal. Even if you have already been using bill pay online, you will need to create an account the first time you access the portal. Get all the information you need when you click the button below.
In the news
Big projects are afoot for Baldwin City Trails. The first phase of the Maple Leaf Trail will be breaking ground in the near future, connecting the existing multi-use trail on Elm Street to the Santa Fe Depot at High Street. The construction timeline is not yet finalized.
The Lawrence Journal-World ran an article by Elvyn Jones on May 7th covering the trail project and expected next steps. More information and project documents are available on the city website here.
Brick Streets
At the May 5th Council Meeting, City Council unanimously approved Phase I of a brick street restoration plan presented by Public Works Director Rob Culley, with input from Jason Hoskins of BG Consultants. The plan designates fourteen blocks of brick streets that are most important to preserve the character of the downtown area and Baker campus. A funding source has not yet been identified, and there is no project timeline. Initial information about the project is available on this page, and we’ll keep you informed as we move forward.
Calendar
Tuesday, May 17, 7pm — City Council Meeting at the Library
Saturday, June 4th — Citywide Yard Sales
Tuesday, June 7th, 7pm — City Council Meeting at the Library
Saturday, June 11th, 8am-2pm — Citywide Cleanup Event
Saturday, June 18th, Casi Joy Concert & Community Center Fundraiser
Tuesday, June 21st, 7pm — City Council Meeting at the Library
Friday & Saturday, June 24th & 25th — Douglas County Preservation Conference
Tuesday, June 28th, 7pm — Council Worksession at the Law Enforcement Center
City Council meetings are always open to the public, and are live-streamed on all our social media channels and YouTube. Worksessions are usually the 2nd Tuesday of each month, and are currently held at the Law Enforcement Center, located at 203 1st Street. Committee meetings are also open to the public, and the schedule is available online here.
Happy Summer!