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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Eyesore properties in the cross hairs...

Notes from the Butler City Council meeting last night

The Butler City Council will have an extra long session at the next meeting, April 17th beginning at six p.m., rather than at seven, with a public hearing concerning the wastewater system improvements, then at around 6:30, they'll talk about the sewer user fee increase, also a public meeting, and that will follow with talk about the environmental impacts of the projects. The meetings are required for the city to be able to use over 290-thousand dollars in construction funds that were left over from the Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements back in 2003. And even after the regular meeting is over, the council will have more work to do. Just remember that the public meetings begin at six at next meeting, in case you plan to attend.

Meanwhile, a work about Butler's 911 operation - the City Council has approved a Missouri Public Utility Alliance Lease-Purchase program to finance city equipment and other related projects. This will upgrade the city's equipment and although the city and county 911 are separate studies, this is a joint venture between the city and county, to save on overall costs. Our city 911 will see no change...just an upgrade of equipment.

Jim Wheatley, the Code Enforcement Officer, has been busy. More than 20 addresses around town are in need of cleanups of some type, although another six have been taken care of. Five locations have had to be ticketed, and court action is continuing on at least one other problem spot.

Those problems are tied to a proposal by Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission (KBRPC) on block grant applications concerning demolition of unsafe residential and commercial structures. There is a right and wrong way to apply for grants, and KBRPC knows the legalese language that seems to be required.

No charge for their service, unless and until a grant comes through...then they make a charge of a portion of the grant for the work they do. They work with Clinton, and have been a help to Butler in the past. For example, they helped our Food Pantry get funding, and they are now working on fund applications for Butler's Industrial expansion.

And an eyesore on the west side of the railroad tracks, just south of the power plant, will be demolished, now that the city has an ok from the railroad people.

Scott Parrish attended the council meeting with a plan and he suggested a road leading west from Rice Road, over to the newly extended Fran Avenue, which connects the new Wal-Mart to 52 west. The council agreed that it's a good idea, and no doubt will happen, but has to be in the future because of the cost involved.

And we tie that to another wise action by the Council...to buy two new vehicles for the Police Department, paying for them outright, rather than financing them, and to wait until funding is available to get other vehicles.

Another visitor to the council meeting was Andrew Culbertson, who was given a 90 day extension on some remodeling and reconstruction at his residence at 206 North Fulton Street.

Remember...the council will meet at 6 p.m. for their next meeting, April 17th, to get some public meetings taken care of before the regular 7 p.m. time at city hall.


-as reported by FM 92 the Bullet

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