Butler has appointed its new part-time parking manager.

City council at its meeting Thursday night named Jim Chiprean to the role.

Chiprean will be paid $30,000 per year.

Council approved the hire unanimously.

Councilman Kathy Kline said on Tuesday that she did not agree with the salary for the part-time job, but she changed her mind after council agreed to review the position at the end of the year.

“At the end of the year council can assess the position and act accordingly,” she said.

Kline said she fully supports Chiprean’s ability to fill the role, but said council is still uncertain about the job description and hours needed to fulfill the duties.

The parking manager is replacing the now defunct city parking authority, which was disbanded at the end of the past year. The authority initially split a vote to disband, but Mayor Tom Donaldson replaced two objecting members with residents who voted in favor of the move. Those against the move said they feared the city would use parking funds for other parts of its budget.

The city created a new parking fund budget that is separate from its general fund. Council said it wanted to replace the authority with a manager to “streamline” management responsibilities.

Donaldson, who made the motion, said the city’s parking will undergo a number of changes in the next few years following the completion of a new tier parking garage near the corner of Cunningham and McKean streets.

Donaldson said the city hopes to automate the lots and add kiosks to street parking.

“We want to bring parking in the city into the 21st century,” he said.

The changes would bring with it added management responsibilities that would best be filled by a paid position and not a volunteer board, the mayor said.

Chiprean had been the chairman of the parking authority for the past 18 years.