A public hearing was held prior to approval of the '25-'26 budget which drew no questions or comments from those present as the final numbers were presented- the budget as approved is $16,302,001.00 with projected expenses of $15,598,865.00 leaving a 'cushion' of $703,136.00 for the city of Butler over the next year.
A tight budget appears to be the consensus for other towns in our area and putting money where it needs to go first remains a priority. Things mostly unseen such as the wastewater treatment plant on the south edge of town may not a top concern with most residents but keeping the plant in compliance with DNR is a high priority as violations can be costly. As pointed out in the meeting power outages for long periods will keep the plant from running (but the incoming waste does not stop running) and having a reliable generator a must.
With that, approval was given to replace the generator with a newer, more reliable unit which may leave some to ask about needs that are visible such as streets and sidewalks. Generally, the busiest thoroughfares with the most damage get priority with plans to make major street improvements every 2 to 3 years and budgeted accordingly. It's all about finding balance, as there is only a fixed amount of money and some things such as street improvements must be scheduled well in advance.
Last week the council sent a request to the Safety Board to review a request to raise the number of chickens allowed per residence in Butler from 6 to 12. The board approved the change which then came back to the council for a vote, which was approved with only one no vote coming from Councilwoman Liggins.
However, after the vote a discussion was held regarding proper housing for chickens and was discovered the current ordinance should be amended and likely will require a fenced yard along with a coop with a fenced run inside the yard. More on this will be discussed in the upcoming April 1 council meeting.
A report was given by Butler police officer Todd Hecox regarding plans to add a K9 for the purpose of drug searches. Currently, Butler has to sequester a dog and handler from the Bates County Sheriff's Office and during conflicting times, the dog is not always available.
Hecox outlined a plan that includes a special cage to be placed in one of the police vehicles, living arrangements and other basic needs as well as purchasing the dog with necessary training. The total bill will be a little over $20,000 to which he noted that various grants are available that will help immensely. He also noted that Family Center has graciously offered to donate two bags of dog food per month; additional donations from others are pending.
It was noted that the Butler Police Association has been rekindled and public response has been good when it comes to donations and support for the K9 program in particular. With that, Hecox said he plans to have the public help name the new dog and more about how this will done to be revealed soon.
Revising/updating city codes remains a priority and this topic will be discussed more in the April 1 session. That said, anyone with concerns should attend meetings to be sure they understand why codes are changed/added as well as it is an opportunity to provide your input. If nothing else, chat with your ward councilperson.
Regarding tiny homes, the debate continues as the city is getting closer to establishing codes for such. There will be a planning meeting to discuss the matter at length next Tuesday, March 25th at 5:30 and the public is highly encouraged to attend as noted above.
The Butler city wide cleanup will be held May 5th through 9th so plan on getting unwanted items to the curb. More information regarding items that can be picked up will be provided soon.
The Butler city council meets on the first and third Tuesdays, 7 pm, upstairs at city hall. An elevator is available for those with special needs.
