Butler City Council on Thursday agreed to apply for a $100,000 state grant that the city will match to improve Father Marinaro Park.

Councilman Jeff Smith said the match will include volunteer labor valued at $25 an hour, money from last year's sale of the South Side Playground and, possibly, $30,000 in Community Development Block Grant money.

If the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awards the grant to the city, work would begin next year and take a year or two to complete, Smith said.

Councilman Mike Walter suggested depositing the matching funds into a capitol project account. Smith said he liked the idea. He said the account could be used for capitol improvements at any park.

The project includes repaving the parking lot off Kaufman Drive, raising the softball field's outfield fence to 10 feet, constructing a new walkway, creating a 40-by-40-foot playground area with playground equipment, constructing a 16-by-24-foot pavilion, creating a new softball field, paving the basketball courts and erecting a fence between the courts and playground.

Smith said the new softball field should be in demand due to the recent closure and sale of Highfield Park in Butler Township.

Estimated project costs are $42,498 for the new playground, $48,847 for the new softball field and fence, $26,000 for paving the basketball courts, $8,000 to upgrade the existing softball field, $5,350 for the pavilion, about $27,000 for repaving the lot, about $15,000 for new sidewalks, about $15,000 for new stormwater drainage and about $3,000 for new trees. A $10,000 contingency for unanticipated costs is included. The total cost is $200,466.

The match would include $50,000 from the sale of the South Side Playground to the Berean Bible Chapel, a $2,500 payment made in lieu of taxes from the church and a $10,000 grant the city would seek from the county's park renovation grant program in 2022. The application is due by Wednesday.

In park-related business, Smith said the Butler County Conservation District and Penn State Extension are planting 90 native species along the creek in Ritts Park on April 30, as a buffer to help prevent erosion of the stream bank.

The county commissioners approved the city's application for a $7,500 grant to replace wooden backboards at the park with metal composite backboards, Smith said. The city will provide a $2,500 match, he said.

Also, council awarded a $51,975 contract to Wiest Asphalt Products and Paving to resurface Monroe Street from Jefferson Street to the bridge over the Connoquenessing Creek. Work is expected to begin by the end of June.

Council approved an agreement with Butler Downtown to operate the Butler Farmer's Market from May 8 to Oct. 31.

Lastly, council agreed to write a letter of support for neighboring Butler Township's application to the DCNR for a $1.8-million grant to develop a recreation facility on property near the Pullman Center Business Park. The township would match the grant to create a $3.75 million project.