Generous donation helps bring ladder truck to Butler FD

Summary of the Butler city council meeting last night:

If the Butler City Departments were sending their wish lists to Santa, he'd have some problems. Every department has a long list, and they're legitimate needs., but they have to be pared down to what can be afforded.

And that's the big job of Mayor Don Malan and the City Council. This year's city budget has been almost 13 million dollars, and it's the council's tremendous job to go through the requests of each department of the city, and to decide what can be allowed. It makes it so clear, that those on the council have much more to do, than meeting twice a month.

A couple of decisions have to do with the need of minor sales tax increased...for example, probably the most important public need found by that Drury University study, was for a community center, and it could be paid for with a one-half center tax increase. And Mayor Don Malan and the council have been discussing a proposed one-half cent tax increase, just to cover the increased costs of operating the city. And it's estimated that sewer rates need to be 25 percent higher to fund costs at the wastewater treatment plant and sewer collection improvements.

And you may have forgotten the one-eighth of a cent tax for a Fire Department pumper truck. That will expire in 2013, and it's been proposed that it be continued, to pay for replacement of the tanker truck and the rescue truck. This tax would require voter approval, to be continued. Of course, if it's continued, it would be the means of replacement of other needs that are always on hand. Our present city tax is 7.35 cents on the dollar.

A couple of bright spots...the Council has recognized Jim Roberts for donating ten-thousand, seven-hundred, and fifty dollars for the purchase of a 1985 Pierce ladder truck for the Butler Fire Department, and to recognize Ash Grove Aggregates for picking up the truck in Ohio and bringing it to Butler.
And the Fire Department also has received a check for one-thousand dollars from Walmart Foundation, and Fire chief Jim Henry says this could be used for buying equipment for the ladder truck. A timely tie-in.

In other news, the Kencove Farm Fence company that was considering purchase of Butler's spec building in the Industrial Park, has decided not to buy...And a meeting is being scheduled for next month, for a meeting with Solar Link and MoPEP, regarding the proposed Solar Farm project for the Industrial Park.

The words "mold" and "moisture" may soon disappear from the Council news, because the improvements at the Butler Police Department are about complete.

The city continues to wrestle with elimination of ground and storm water running into the city sewer system. An amount is budgeted, but it's not enough, so may be paid out over a few year's time.

And when it rains, it pours...had you noticed that the downtown murals on buildings that were painted by Daniel Brewer, need to be repainted. That will cost about five-thousand dollars, but are good ties to our historical past.

The upcoming budget took up most of the council's time, but there was an approval of the Inmate Housing Contract for Butler to use the County Jail...the new agreement is for an hourly fee contract at a dollar-seventy-five per hour, with a minimum charge of ten dollars.

And the discussions on expanding nine-one-one continues. Vernon County was considering taking part, but has advised that they no longer with to be included.

A survey of the cemetery shows that expansion is needed. With about 115 additional plots needed each year, the area needs to expand to the west, and the estimated cost will be around five thousand dollars. And drainage improvements and new roads in that expansion come to 12-thousand, 500 dollars. Not a thing we like to talk about, but which is totally necessary.

That's the picture up to now...the Butler City Council meets each first and third Tuesdays, at seven p.m., at City Hall. You're welcome to attend.

-courtesy FM 92 the Bullet