Butler's City Building is in need of repairs.

Butler's City Building needs repairs.

City's code enforcement personnel inspected the building Aug. 9 and notified the city that the building is in violation of the city's own code. The violations must be fixed. No deadline for repairs was given.

John Evans, building and code enforcement officer, said Butler officials responded to the notice and informed him of their intent to remedy the problems.

The issues fall under violations of the International Property Maintenance Code, a national code adopted by the city that requires buildings and residences meet a set of safety standards.

A reinspection of a fire extinguisher and fixing an electrical issue were already handled.

“Those were the only things that had to be done immediately,” Evans said.

Other issues include, but are not limited to, flooring components and stairs that can't support nominal loads, unsafe and leaky roof conditions, a need for carpet replacement, exterior deficiencies, peeling paint and decorative features in need of repair.

Mayor Tom Donaldson spoke of the importance of fixing the building, stating that it is essential that the city hold itself to the same standards it requires of others.

Councilman Kenny Bonus said the building will need to be repaired “piece by piece, project by project.” He said the money would come from the capital projects fund.

Councilwoman Kathy Kline shared his sentiment, calling all the repairs “capital projects,” and said council needs to be prepared.

“We need to come up with a game plan, with what needs to be done in the City Building, and it needs to be budgeted for the capital projects,” Kline said. “There is no money sitting around to pay for repairs.”

Councilman Corey Roche stressed the importance of repairs in the face of financial struggles.

“Money isn't always available, so we have to pass on some things to put money other places,” he said. “The time has come to put the focus back on the building and fix it.”