In Council news, the Butler City Council approved the city budget for the coming fiscal year, which beings April 1st The budget will run 16-and-a-quarter million dollars. It includes a five-year capital improvement plan and details of every other expected expense, with dollar figures on the costs. A full list of all those details is available at City Hall for public inspection, although a public meeting was held, inviting citizens to attend and comment. And if you wonder where your city taxes go, they cover every convenience you enjoy, from 24/7 fire and police protection, to street and sidewalk repairs. It includes big expenses in the water and electric departments, not only for your convenience, but to keep up with a host of state and federal requirements. For example, your police department made 104 arrests in January and 101 more in February. And would you believe that those arrests run from assault to battery, to stealing to lack of insurance, seat belts, speeding, and vehicle registration. Consider the consequences if your police department was NOT keeping an eye out for your driving and walking safety! But it costs. For example, that five-year plan for street improvements runs over a million dollars. Another big cost is to replace a membrane at the water treatment plant.That will run 63-thousand dollars. All to keep your water safe for drinking and other uses. The list goes on and on…the council will consider bids for installing catalytic converters on the caterpillar generators at the light plant, to meet the EPA air quality regulations that become effective this May 4th. Bids should be available by now, at City Hall.
The Butler Airport Commission’s monthly meeting included discussions about available funding to improve runway drainage. This is among expenses in which federal funds take care of 95 percent of the costs. Also, the commission talked with Amy Muller, President of the Butler Rotary Club, concerning funding for restroom fixtures at the airport terminal, and the Rotary will include this expense in among the many helpful projects it handles each year. The Butler City Council has made a move to solve the problem of people dropping their city utility payments in the post office drop box without postage. The post office had asked if the city could locate its drop box elsewhere, and George Vowels has agreed to let the city put its utility payment drop box on his property, across the street just north of City Hall. It will be a drive-by, so will still be a convenience And of course, no postage is required when you use the City’s drop box. You’ll be advised when the move has been made. And here’s a problem that we hope will not come up again until at least next winter.
The kids have been sledding on the small hill area, east of the city maintenance shop , and since this is city property, it puts the city in an awkward position of being liable for any personal injuries that might happen there, if it was determined that the city was at fault for any reason. No action taken.
On the subject of snow, the two huge snows we had, so close together, caused removal problems, especially in front of businesses. Moving snow from parking areas just made more snow on sidewalks, and vice-versa, even though the city hauled away much of the snow. One business owner noted that in Harrisonville, the city cleaned the curb and sidewalk areas around the square. The Butler Council will give more study to the problem, all the while hoping that we don’t have any more this season.
On another subject, the City of Butler and KBRPC is working on an application for funding concerning demolishing and cleanup of unsafe structures with the city limits. The proposal will include a minimum of one-thousand dollars for residential properties, and 25 percent for commercial properties. When a final list of unsafe structures has been completed, a public hearing will be scheduled. Property owners will be notified to attend the hearing to discuss the application. The fire chief and the code enforcement officer will be contacting property owners to explain the application, and how the demolition of the unsafe structures would be funded, and to request approval of the form to take part in the program.
Courtesy of FM. 92 ( Bill Thornton)
