All Butler city council members present except Liggins and Hall for the February 4 session
A discussion was held regarding a recent spike in utility bills as residents have expressed discontent regarding the uptick in prices. City Administrator Corey Snead explained to the those present that power is purchased based on a monthly estimate of usage and the January cold snap increased demand, and now it's time to 'catch up' so to speak.
He went on to say the cold snap happened at the same time as the monthly wholesale bill was paid, which likely will result in a higher/slightly higher bill again this month as it will be split between the two billing periods. He added that a spike in billing typically happens a couple times a year, during extremely cold and hot snaps as well.
Representatives of the Student Advisory Committee spoke before the council, recapping their efforts of community involvement which has included the comprehensive plan, pickleball tournament, Brick Street Bash with more on the calendar for this year.
The SAC is a group of local students who are sponsored by select council members working together to better our community by sharing ideas while combining some 'elder wisdom with young energetic minds' to which everyone benefits.
One member of the group said their goal is to help find more for everyone to do in Butler, to which the council wholeheartedly agreed and based on goals set for this year, it's highly likely to happen as some plans include a scavenger hunt, plants for the green space and more.
Parker Byron, owner of apartments at 113 S. Orange street was issued a conditional use permit last year that included four quarterly updates to the council to insure that all guidelines/codes were being followed. During this meeting he gave his final update on the project to which the council found satisfactory.
Future plans for Byron include the conversion of four regular apartments into two ADA compliant apartments which will certainly help with those needs locally and he also said their implementation of better vetting practices for new tenants is beneficial as well.
A leak at the water plant will be repaired soon as a considerable amount of water is leaking into the ground. A valve on the clearwell tank will be repaired to the tune of about $10,000 but it was noted that once the repair is done it should permanently fix the issue.
An individual inquired about haying 44 acres of land owned by the city along Elks Drive and the decision was made to put it out for bid. Those interested should contact city hall or look for upcoming notices in the News-Shopper.
Also discussed was the 1/2 cent sales tax which will be on the April ballot. The money would greatly help to offset ever growing expenses related to operation of the Butler fire department as well as help insure our future safety needs are met; more on this will be coming in an upcoming article.
Department heads have turned in necessary paperwork as the '24-'25 budget gets closer to being finalized, more on this in the upcoming February 18 council session.
The Butler city council meets on the first and third Tuesdays, 7 pm at city hall and the public is highly encouraged to attend.
