In Butler City Council news, this is not the most important thing that happened, but we'll put it first, so you can put it on your calendar: The Christmas Lights will be turned on December first, rather than Thanksgiving, to coincide with the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade.
In other Council activities...City Administrator Mark Arbuthnot says the City has had several meetings with a developer regarding a proposed commercial development on a tract of land in the area of the highways 52 and 71 interchange. The name of the developer, nor the exact area it's interested in, has not been made public.
The people concerned are interested in economic development incentives that would make it more feasible to come here and Mayor Don Malan and the Council has been studying this, as you know from earlier council reports. The developer has already indicated it would start working on an application to be submitted to the City for a Tax Increment Financing," or "T-I-F" as we'll often call it. It would give aid to a proposed industry, business, or things like warehouses, for example, by eliminating property taxes over a period of time. The Butler City Council is deep into a study concerning this, including how other cities have handled it. The Council will have careful requirements, to make sure the proposed facility has a good track record, would be needed in our area, and other good-sense stipulations, and will have a positive mind in anyone interested in locating here.
With all that in mind, the Council continues to study the proposed new city sales tax for funding equipment projects and other items, which will require voter approval. To begin with, it's interesting to note that of ten communities in our Midwest Missouri area, ALL are higher than Butler's 7.35 percent. The ten include Adrian, Belton, Clinton, Grandview, Harrisonville, Independence, Joplin, Lee's Summit, Nevada, and Raymore. A one-half of one percent raise would make Butler's sales tax 7.85 A public vote would be April 2nd of next year, and if approved, would begin in October of next year. An additional one-half cent sales tax would amount to five cents on a ten-dollar purchase. Of course absentee ballots will be available at the proper time.
In other council news...the Parks and Recreation Commission met and has recommended to the City Council that a banner program fee of one-thousand dollars for banners at all five fields, with an additional fifty dollar fee for a banner at a special event. The Commission also noted that three-hundred-seventy dollars in entry fees have come on concerning the five-K run/walk. And they recommended that the Christmas lighting contest be held as usual, with one-hundred dollars off the first place electric bill...seventy-five dollars off, for the second place winner...fifty dollars for third place...and ten dollars for every qualified entry.
More good news: Solar Link continues to be interested in developing a Solar Farm Project for butler. And City Administrator Ar-but-not has had meetings with two other companies besides Solar Link, who are interested in doing this project if it does not move forward with Solar Link.
Checking some ordinances and resolutions...the Council approved an ordinance to approve a state block grant for airport sub-grade testing and a boundary survey update project....
And an ordinance concerning sizes of political signs. There'll be no limit on the number of signs that can be placed on residential property, so long as they're no larger than 26 by 26 inches, and the sign itself must not be higher than four feet.
In other items...MoDOT says that the plans and specifications have been approved and funds have been allocated for the Butler Downtown Improvement Project. And since weather could cause problems during the winter, the work will be held off until spring. And that means that bids on the work will also be delayed until January, which would put actual work in the spring, also.
Another item that has been approved by all concerned is the work to complete the wastewater treatment plant disinfection and basin mixer improvements. That work is scheduled to begin March 1st, and should be done by July of next year.
Another item: The transportation enhancement application for funding of sidewalks on West Fort Scott Street has been submitted to MoDOT for their consideration.
And some of you may not realize that you may request that the City of Butler put you on a monthly level utility billing, like the gas company does. With this, the city averages the past 12 months of your utility bills, then divides the amount by 12, so your can know what your monthly utility bill will be. Of course, at the end of each year, what you actually used will be compared to the amount you've paid the past 12 months, and will be adjusted accordingly. The good thing is that it doesn't leave you guessing in the normally high months.
This is looking forward a bit, but our Council is good at that...they see that the first Tuesday in 2013 will be on New Year's Day, so they'll be re-scheduling that meeting. We'll advise you at the proper time, in case you're interested.
The lease-purchase plan for the ten-year financing of the nine-one-one Communication Center Equipment was completed a few days ago, and the City will begin making payments this December 1st.
-courtesy FM 92 the Bullet
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