Butler is spending money to improve its code enforcement.

City council Thursday night agreed to buy Freedom Systems’ permit and code enforcement computer software for $22,480.

The software will store property information on all parcels in the city, track any complaints or violations on a property, monitor the planning process of permits, and can be used to collect fees associated with permits and service requests.

“This will streamline the department and make everything quicker and more efficient,” said Councilwoman Kathy Kline, who added that the software the department has been using is outdated.

The software will feature a variety of templates and databases the city can use to quickly file complaints.

It also will connect all the information into one database.

The city redevelopment authority will be paying for the software through the state’s Community Development Block Grant program.

The city will be reallocating the money from the authority’s Rehab: Single Unit Residential fund. The remaining funds in that fund will be reallocated into the HOME Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation program.

The money comes from unused grants from the CDBG program stemming back to 2010.

Mayor Tom Donaldson said the redevelopment authority assured him it can transfer the funds in compliance with the state’s standards for the grant program, which is intended to help low-to-moderate income families.

“That was the first question I asked,” he said.

The authority had issues earlier in the year attempting to use $25,000 in CDBG money to pay its mortgage on the Penn Theater and its East Cunningham Street office building, as well as $50,000 for street improvements for the Centre City project.

The state withheld the authority’s $300,000 grant due to the concerns before ultimately denying the money for the mortgage. The state only recently began allocating the remaining money to the authority.

Kline said the city is mindful of the issues with the authority.

“In lieu of those challenges, I think any movement of money is done cautiously at this point,” she said.

Art Cordwell, the executive director of the authority, did not return calls Thursday.

Freedom Systems is a software company based in Norristown, Montgomery County. A representative from the company met with council at its meeting in June.