February 22, 2018

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MINUTES
City Council Meeting
City of Butler, Pennsylvania
February 22, 2018

Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Mayor Smith and Council members Walter, Smith, Bonus and Roche were present. The pledge of allegiance to the flag followed an invocation given Pastor Dan Ledford, Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The following took place at the City’s Forum Meeting held on February 20, 2018:

Motion by CM Smith to approve City Resolution No. 2018-02-20; the City of Butler agrees to comply with the requirements of the Butler County Parks Renovation Program for the purpose of obtaining grant funds for the renovation of Ritts Park. Second by CM Bonus. All voted aye.

Motion by Mayor Smith with a second from CM Walter to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 25, 2018, and Special meeting of February 12, 2018. All voted aye.

MONTHLY & ANNUAL DEPARTMENT REPORTS

(Note: Department Reports Distributed to Council at Tuesday’s Forum Meeting for Review)

Motion by Mayor Smith with a second from CM Walter to acknowledge receipt of the monthly minutes from RACB, including the CDBG/HOME Program activities. All voted aye.

Department reports for the month of January were approved by individual, unanimous votes.

Motion by Mayor Smith with a second from CM Walter to approve the Butler Downtown report. All voted aye.

COUNCIL REPORTS/ACTIONS

Councilman Walter

  1. Motion to approve a payment in the amount of $210,000.94 to Wells Fargo Bank for debt service for the City’s 2005 general obligation bonds.   (Note: This payment includes principal of $184,994.69 ($185,000.00 less credit from funds on deposit of $5.31) and interest of $25,006.25; due March 1st.) Second CM Bonus. All voted aye.
  2. Motion to accept the bid from NexTier Bank for a general obligation loan of $200,000.00 for vehicles in the police, streets and code enforcement departments and equipment in the parks department with an interest rate of 3.29% per annum. Second by CM Roche. All voted aye.
  3. Motion to approve the recommended actuarial assumptions for the City’s pension funds as outlined in Mockenhaupt Benefits Group’s letter of November 10, 2017 and presented to all three pension plan boards and council on January 23, 2018, to: (1) reduce the interest rate assumption from 7.5 percent to 7.25 percent; (2) to adopt a new mortality rate assumption (the RP-2014 Combined Mortality Table with updated mortality improvement projection); (3)  to adopt updating the assumption for rates of disability incidence (60% of the rates of disablement from Advanced Pension Tables) to rates derived from the 2010 Social Security Administration’s projection of disability incidence (police and firefighter pension plans); and,  (4)  to adopt lowering the inflation/CPI assumption from 3.0% to 2.75% per year.   Second by CM Bonus.  All voted aye.
  4. Motion to ratify and keep current Investment Policy Statements for the City’s three pension funds that were initially adopted on May 23, 2002. (Note: Asset allocation targets for the plans are:   equities – 50 to 70%; fixed income – 30 to 45%; and cash equivalents – 0 to 15%.) Second by Mayor Smith. All voted aye.
  5. Motion to direct the City Clerk to prepare and release a request for proposals (RFP) for traffic signal maintenance and/or repairs for the years 2018 and 2019. Second by Mayor Smith. All voted aye.

Councilman Smith

  1. Motion to enter into an agreement with the Butler Fastpitch Association to lease the T-Ball Field in Memorial Park commencing April 1, 2018 through October 31, 2018. Second by Mayor Smith. All voted aye.

Councilman Bonus

  1. Motion to approve payment to A.P. Wise Excavating in the amount of $8,040.00 for the demolition of 718 W. Penn Street contingent upon final inspection and approval by the Code Enforcement Officer. LIN 18 427 221. Second by CM Roche. All voted aye.
  2. Motion to award the demolition of 415 W. Diamond Street to Young & Sons Excavation in the amount of $6,450.00 based upon the general specifications of the contract and the release by the City Solicitor. Second by Mayor Smith. All voted aye.

Councilman Roche

  1. Motion to approve Use Agreement Request by Neighborhood Drug Watch to hold a meeting at the Public Safety Building on March 28, 2018 at 7:00 pm and to waive the $100 fee. Second by Mayor Smith.

CM Roche made a motion to amend the motion.  Second by Mayor Smith.  All voted aye.

Motion to approve Use Agreement Request by Neighborhood Drug Watch to hold a meeting at the Public Safety Building on March 28, 2018 at 7:00 pm and to waive the $100 fee and to waive the insurance certificate requirement.  Second by Mayor Smith.  All voted aye.

Mayor Smith

  1. Motion to approve the retirement of James P. Coulter as the City Solicitor following 31 years of service, effective March 4, 2018. Second by CM Walter.  All voted aye.
  2. In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 116 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes; Title 11; Cities, motion to appoint Mr. Thomas E. Breth to the position of City Solicitor with an effective date of March 4, 2018. Second by CM Bonus. All voted aye.
  3. Motion to approve City Resolution 2018–02–22 revising the City’s administrative fee schedule as of March 1, 2018. Second by CM Roche.  All voted aye.
  4. Motion to direct the municipal engineer to make application on behalf of the City of Butler to the Butler County Infrastructure Bank (BCIB) Program 2018-2019 to be used for Main Street lighting and the Sullivan Run Flood Control Project. Second by CM Bonus.  All voted aye.
  5. Motion to allow Butler Downtown to reserve the North Main Parking lot every Friday from May 31st through August 31st for the purposes of a Downtown Concert Series in conjunction with bike nights, car nights, Foodie Fridays, and other themed evenings. Second by CM Bonus. CM Walter, CM Smith, CM Bonus and CM Roche voted aye. Mayor Smith abstained.

The City Treasurer presented a Monthly Intake Report for January, 2018.

The City Controller presented bills for payment as follows: from the general fund – $495,908.41; from the parking fund – $37,196.33; from the capital projects fund – $0.00; and from the liquid fuels tax fund – $98,049.34; for a grand total of $631,154.08. Motion by Mayor Smith with second from CM Bonus to approve payment of bills as presented.  All voted aye.

  • ANNOUNCEMENTS:
  • WISR City Hall – Mayor Smith & Councilman Walter
  • First Responder Light-Up Night – Saturday, February 24th
  • 2018 Burning Permits available at the Fire Department

Mayor Smith recessed the meeting at 7:25 PM for an Executive Session. Mayor Smith reconvened the meeting at 7:53 PM.

Mayor Smith adjourned the meeting at 7:53 PM.

 

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Butler Downtown is a grassroots revitalization initiative involving local citizens and people from business, education, government and community organizations throughout the region.

Butler, PA was named one of the Best 20 Small Towns in America by Smithsonian Magazine.

Did you know the jeep was born here? Butler also hosts the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, which in 2011 broke the Guinness World Record for most jeeps in a parade.