Butler City Council News

The Solar Farm is now up and running and making electricity depending, of course, on how much sunlight peeps through, but they're in business. Butler will be getting all the power the Solar Farm produces.   Public Works Director Trent Diehl noted that the amount of solar energy produced will depend on the amount of sunlight and the length of days throughout the year, but Butler now has one of the largest Solar Farms in Missouri.

The Butler Fire Department will be getting a thermal imaging camera that can take pictures through areas of heat for example, through smoke and darkness to let firemen know what they're going to face, even before they go into a burning building.  This is also important because it can pick up body heat, so a fireman is aware of what is going on inside of a burning structure. The Fire Department expects to have this important piece of equipment in use sometime this month.

Elizabeth Ogg, Bates County's Economic Developer, told the Council that for the past six months, she's been re-writing the comprehensive plan for Butler, including new sub-division regulations.

The Finance Committee is still working on the coming fiscal year's city budget...a lengthy chore, and it will continue in the Council's next meeting the 18th.

The deadline for the Airport bids for the runway project is Friday the 14th, with bids opened on Tuesday the 18th.  The Airport Committee will meet on March 20th to discuss the bids and make their recommendation to the Council.

Nelson Systems out of St. Louis won the bid for the Police Departments 9-1-1 and radio recorder equipment. Those equipment problems will be taken care of within a few days.

Butler’s Street Department reported several streets will be done this season. Pine, Nursery, Fulton and High streets are the biggest projects.  They'll get asphalt overlays. Several other streets will get micro-seals.

City Clerk Casey Koehn reported to the Council on the job of demolition of commercial and homes to be taken down.  There are a total of 37 on the list.
Butler has a grant for the job, but the red tape is unbelievable.  For example, Butler has gotten permission from the Fish and Wildlife people, from the Missouri Department of Conservation, from Indian Tribes and from the State Historical Preservation Office. Once complete clearance is gotten, Butler will submit that information to the Department of Economic Development in Jefferson City, along with environmental assessment, which includes asbestos inspections.  Only then can the actual bidding for demolition of properties begin.