Baldwin City reviews bids for 8th and High brick intersection; decision deferred

Baldwin City staff presented bids for a Brick Street replacement at the 8th and High intersection and recommended awarding the contract to Hearthstone Incorporated, the low bidder from Wichita, under one of two bid options: reuse existing pavers or install all new pavers. Jason (city staff) said, “we had a bid opening last Wednesday, received 3 bids, and they were a little higher than we anticipated,” and urged the council to consider the trade-offs between preserving historic material and ensuring long-term pavement performance.

Why it matters: the project mixes historic preservation and roadway durability. Staff estimated that reusing existing bricks preserves the street’s historic feel but risks a high breakage rate during removal; option 2 (all-new pavers) reduces that supply risk but may produce visible color or texture differences. Jason described the intended rebuild as excavation of about 15 inches, placement of a 6-inch aggregate base and 8 inches of concrete, then setting the pavers with polymeric joint sand to stabilize joints: “they’ll dig down about 15 inches or so and come back in with a 6 inch aggregate base and then 8 inches of concrete,” he said.

Council members questioned how many of the existing bricks would be reusable. A council member cited prior public-works committee discussion estimating roughly 30% of existing bricks might be unusable; Jason said the contractor must provide color samples if new pavers are selected to match existing material as closely as possible. Jerry Smith, a resident who spoke during public comment, urged care in removal: “It depends on how you remove the bricks as to whether you’re gonna have any good bricks left over or not.”

Funding and timing: Assistant City Administrator Russ Harding said the city’s sales-tax-funded special highway account holds "just a little over $260,000," money accrued over the last two to three years and subject to variability in local sales. Jason advised that bids remain valid for roughly 45–60 days and estimated the contractor’s schedule would allow a one-month lead time and approximately three to four weeks of on-site work.

Decision and next steps: Council members asked for more community input about preference for new versus reused pavers and noted the incremental cost for new pavers at this intersection was about $20,000. The council agreed to put the award back on the next meeting agenda to gather public feedback and confirm funding priorities.

The council deferred a final award decision to the next regular meeting.