At Monday’s Baldwin City Council meeting, members of the Baldwin City Economic Development Corporation praised the city’s effort to develop a “buy local” purchasing policy but questioned its definition of “local.”

City finance director Brad Smith introduced discussion of a draft purchasing policy that would emphasize making purchases within a 20-mile radius of the city. Under the policy, the city would make every effort to purchase locally when an item cost $500 or less and would do the same for a $500 to $5,000 purchase unless savings of at least 5 percent could be achieved by buying elsewhere. The policy wouldn’t apply to items of more than $5,000.

EDC President Dave Hill applauded the city’s efforts to develop a policy that would benefit the community, but had problems with the 20-mile area and the $5,000 proposed cap. The EDC uses the Baldwin school district’s boundaries to determine which businesses count as local, Hill said, noting that the proposed 20-mile radius would include Lawrence, Ottawa and Gardner.

Gary Lamoreux, owner of Arrowhead Hardware, agreed, saying he and other businesses within the city couldn’t survive without the support of the city and school district.

Councilman Dave Simmons agreed that a tighter definition of “local” was needed. The city should purchase from those who pay taxes in the community, hire Baldwin City residents and support the city’s schools and community service organizations, he said.

Smith said he would take the comments into account and bring a new version of the purchasing policy back to the council at a coming meeting.

Also on the council’s agenda for discussion only was a zoning text amendment that would allow car lots to locate in commercial lots along the city’s U.S. Highway 56 corridor.

Ed Courton, Baldwin City economic development director, said city staff opposed the text amendment. In a report to the council, Courton wrote the change would have “adverse impacts of this land use and the undesirable appearance of typical used car lots” on the city’s prime retail and commercial district.

Courton said the lots in the corridors were small and would be “slammed with cars.” Opening the lots to car dealers might bring businesses to the community, but it could also deter the use of the lots for commercial and office development for which the location is better suited, he said.

Courton further argued that the Kansas Department of Transportation’s plans to restrict lots along US-56 to one driveway and limit product displays would make the feasibility of car lots in the corridor questionable.

The EDC recently had shown locations in the corridor to a used car dealership and an equipment rental business, EDC director Hank Booth said, adding that the council should take more time to study the language in the amendment to ensure it doesn’t miss out on economic development opportunities.

Simmons also voiced support of that view, saying its seemed elitist for the city to say it didn’t want certain kinds of businesses.

The text amendment will be considered at the council’s Jan. 17 meeting.