An election polling place change in Zelienople and the consolidation of two Butler precincts into one were discussed at a Butler County commissioners meeting Wednesday, Feb. 11.

Election bureau director Chantell McCurdy announced the adjustments and said commissioners will vote at their next meeting on Feb. 25 on relocating the Zelienople 2 poll from American Legion Post 474 on West New Castle Street to the Zelienople Area Public Library, 227 S. High St.

The Legion did not want to sign the paperwork the county’s insurance company requested, McCurdy said.

She said Zelienople is planning to build a community center and would like the polling place to be located there when it is completed.

The commissioners, acting as the election board, voted to petition Butler County Common Pleas Court to consolidate precinct 4.

With court approval, precincts 4-1 and 4-2, which are the smallest city precincts, will be consolidated into one precinct to be known as precinct 4, McCurdy said.

Currently, Butler has precincts 1, 2, 3, 4-1, 4-2 and 5. Precinct 4-1 and 4-2 have low voter turnout and no one ran for poll worker positions for precinct 4-1 in last year’s election, she said.

Precinct 4-2 has an elected panel of a judge and inspectors and is willing to absorb precinct 4-1. The precinct 4-2 polling place at Hill United Presbyterian Church has adequate space and parking to accommodate the additional voters. Precincts 4-1 and 4-2 currently have a combined 1,624 voters, which is on the low to average size of precincts in the county, McCurdy said.

If the court approves the consolidation, notices will be posted in five places in each precinct, including the 4-2 polling place, she said.

The court will schedule a hearing on the consolidation, she added.

Lance Welliver, parks and recreation director, said commissioners are accepting applications from municipalities for park renovations until 4 p.m. Feb. 20. The grants cover 75% of the cost of a renovation project up to $10,000. Municipalities provide a 25% match.

The grant awards will be announced in late March or early April, he said.

Board of commissioners Chairwoman Leslie Osche invited residents to attend the county’s America250 kickoff celebration, which will be held before the next commissioners and salary board meetings on Feb. 25.

The celebration will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the salary board at 10 a.m., which will be followed by the commissioners meeting.

Osche said America250 shirts, pens and other items will be given away at the event.

The commissioners also awarded a $389,578 contract for the Butler Township stormwater project to Holbein Inc. of Freeport, which submitted the lowest of 10 bids for the project.