MoDot has dropped the other shoe, so to speak, and after a shuffling of district maps, has left Bates County as it is now...still in the Southwest District. So, as far as we're concerned, it was "Much ado about nothing," as Shakespeare would have said.
And Butler's application for funding of a waste oil heater, to be used in the vehicle/equipment maintenance shop, was not approved. And the reason was that while Butler needed 40 thousand dollars for the equipment, only 100 thousand dollars were available in the fund. However, a 15-thousand dollar grant has been approved by the Osage Valley RC&D for that river bank stabilization work out by the water intake pump station that gets water to Butler.
There's a stipulation, however...an engineering design study will be required and must be completed by Butler before completion of the work that has been proposed. Also, an inspection of the completed work will be required by the engineer to be sure we've complied with the recommendations in the study. And that caused the job to cost more, so Butler has requested another 25-hundred dollars for completing the engineering study and the work.
If you've seen cracks in the ground around your place, then you can understand why Butler is having water main problems. The dryer the earth, the more it shifts, and this can cause a pipe to break. That's happening here and there, so if you find no water coming from your tap, call the water department, to make sure they know about it. The sooner the better. The water plant's number is 679-3581.
Meanwhile, the weather is affecting our Light plant, too, but as we've noted before, Butler is fortunate to have its own electric generating plant. It's been busy during this hot weather, proving electricity when we get near the peak agreement we have with our provider, so you continue to have power, and Butler saves a bundle by being able to provide that power. And we're proud of it, which is one reason you see those signs around town, calling us the "Electric city."
And in case you're new in town, back when electricity was a new thing, Butler sent some men to a world's fair to see what it was all about. They came home impressed, and thus, Butler became the first community west of the Mississippi River, to have its own electric generating plant! That's right...even before Kansas City. And the newspaper there wrote a story about Butler, calling it "A light on the plain."
But we may as well give you the "rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say. Would you believe that as electricity became available, many folks saw no nee for it. They had kerosene lamps, so what's the fuss. Later, companies like our Osage Valley Electric, had a hard time convincing people of how useful electricity was going to be...running equipment that they could hardly operate without today. Or at least it would be much more inconvenient. And their homes and cars would be mighty hot places.
Howard Sherman talked to the Council concerning the "City Pride" project, especially about conditions on North Main Street, where weeds and other things leave a bit to be desired...
And Darrell Cox asked the Council about water being extended outside the city limits, and was told that the location must be annexed in order to be served.
And Butler's fiscal year audit for 2010-2011 was presented to the Council, with no problems found, and was accepted.
And in closing, we remind that you're welcome to any City Council meetings...1st and 3rd Tuesday nights at seven, upstairs at City Hall. But be on time, because the downstairs door is locked at seven, and no one will be there to let you in. As they say in the Navy..."A word to the wise."
-courtesy FM 92.1 the Bullet
