Love where you live.

All dogs must have tags and leashed within city limits. Tags are available at City Hall, and are renewed every year in January.

Dog tags cost $10.

Tag fees are reduced to $5 if the dog is spayed or neutered.

Dog tags must be purchased within 30 days of moving to Baldwin City, either at City Hall or Companion Animal Hospital, located at 504 Ames Street. Their number is 785-594-2413.

Proof of rabies vaccination and expiration date must accompany all tag requests, as well as $5 if spayed or neutered; $10 if not.

Tags expire in December yearly and must be renewed before January 31st.

Call the main Public Works phone number to report any issues for any city-owned utilities (electric, water, sewer): 785-594-6907. After hours, listen to the menu options and press * for the answering service.

If you have already called, or if the problem is not urgent, you may fill out this form. This option will send your information via email.

The City is not responsible for any information you share into local Facebook groups, nor is messaging us on Facebook an efficient way to get service. Please use the phone number as a first line of contact.

Call the main Public Works phone number to report any issues for any city-owned utilities (electric, water, sewer): 785-594-6907. After hours, listen to the menu options and press * for the answering service.

The City is not responsible for any information you share into local Facebook groups, nor is messaging us on Facebook an efficient way to get service. Please use the phone number as a first line of contact.

You may contact the utility billing clerk at 785-594-6427, or email [email protected].

Bills are posted online and mailed on or near the 10th of each month. They are due by the 25th.

Water rates are set by city ordinance 15-121. Click here to read.

Sewer rates are set by city ordinance 15-338. Click here to read.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Was extra water used to water a lawn, garden washing automobiles, filling a pool?

2. Was there a leaking faucet, toilet or water line that was repaired?

If the answer to these questions is “No”, check the water meter to see if it is running when no water is being used. If it is running, you need to find out from what source. Often times the source is the toilet. Either the flapper doesn’t shut tight after it is flushed or the level in the tank is too high. The level in the tank should be one inch below the top of the fill pipe. Usually there is a “Fill Line” marked on the fill pipe. If water is too high, it can constantly drain down the fill pipe, causing the water to constantly run to refill the tank. Often this is difficult to hear.

You can also put food coloring in the tank, wait 30 minutes, and check if the coloring appears in the bowl. If so, there is a leak within the toilet. Efficient new toilets often use one-third the amount of water that older toilets use so you can often recoup the cost of a new toilet in a short period of time through reduced water and sewer costs.

Typically we’ll wait until the snow is done to plow. Plowing while the snow is still falling is inefficient and expensive. We do monitor road conditions closely and stay in contact with Baldwin City Police Officers. If the roads are getting slick and causing dangerous conditions, we head out, even if the snow is still falling. 

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. 

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. It doesn’t necessarily keep the roads from being slick, but it can make cleanup quicker and easier.

Weather-awareness and preparedness is a fact of Public Works life. 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. 

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.

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.

Visibility can be low from inside a plow truck, so please don’t assume the snow plow driver always sees you. The drivers 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 piles. It can be exceedingly dangerous. On a related note, please give the drivers space. These trucks are large and heavy and don’t stop or turn quickly.

Last, please be patient with us. We are out working for our town in the worst of conditions. This is our home too, and we want to ensure the streets are safe as possible and get everyone home safely.

We cannot give you an estimate of when your street will be cleared due to ever-changing weather conditions and because the individuals who could estimate the closest are busy plowing.