Butler City Council on Tuesday hired a consultant to appraise and develop a marketing plan for the parking system.

Council members unanimously voted to hire Mirus Consultants of Lancaster for $7,500 to evaluate the system.

“This doesn't mean we're going to sell the system,” Councilman Jeff Smith said.

Mirus will determine the market value of the parking system so council can consider all options including selling or leasing all or part of the system, or doing nothing, Jeff Smith said.

Over the last five years, he said a number of parties have expressed interest to the city about leasing the system.

Mirus is knowledgeable, Smith said, adding that the company president is also president of the Pennsylvania Parking Association.

Mark Vergenes is president of Mirus and the association, according to both organizations' websites.

Jeff Smith said the cost in the contract is $2,500 per month for three months.

Councilman Michael Walter initially objected to making any up-front payment for the evaluation.

He said no money was allocated in the budget for the evaluation, but it could be added to next year's budget and the evaluation could wait until then.

Parking is the city's largest nontax source of revenue, Walter said.

Parking manager James Chiprean said he would find the money for the evaluation in the parking budget.

In another parking matter, council awarded a $28,216 contract to Troy Jay Construction of Slippery Rock to replace uneven and cracked sidewalks at the Tier Garage.

The work will include replacing sidewalks, repairing a wall and restoration, he said. Troy Jay's bid was the lowest of four submitted for the project.

In unrelated business, U.S. Census Bureau official Dwayne Lehman of Cranberry Township said the bureau is looking to hire people at $16/hour to begin address canvasing at the end of the month in preparation for the 2020 census.

He said the census can be completed online, by phone or by filling out the paper form. The federal government allocates money to Pennsylvania based on census data.

Council also reappointed Joe Gray, Chad Michelini and Jim Diamond to five-year terms on the code management appeals board and reappointed Brian McCafferty and Tom Graham to three-year terms on the zoning hearing board.