Butler City Council is once again considering selling the city's parking assets.

Council voted unanimously Tuesday to advertise for base bids for the tier garage and added several optional alternatives.

The alternatives are for bids for buying additional parts of the city parking system, the entire parking system, paying the city to provide parking enforcement to the successful bidder and for a bidder to provide parking enforcement for the city.

Sealed bids are due by 2 p.m. Jan. 5.

The motion was added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting before an executive session was held. The motion passed with little discussion.

In December 2019, council voted 3-2 against selling all parking assets to PFS VII for $10 million and a 12% share of gross parking revenue.

Council tabled a motion to accept a loan proposal from NexTier Bank to finance the purchase of a new ladder truck for the fire department.The proposal for the $1,329,763 purchase is a 10-year loan with a 2.85% interest rate.Councilman Bob Dandoy said NexTier also offered a 15-year loan, but the 10-year loan would save the city $125,000 over the term of the loan.However, Councilman Jeff Smith said Huntington Bank submitted the lowest bid and its proposal included a lower interest rate of 2.14% that would save the city $76,433 over the term of the loan.He said NexTier's proposal allows the city to make an interest-only payment in 2021 and then make interest and principal for 10 years.Solicitor Tom Breth said the city is required to accept the lowest bid unless the bid didn't meet the bid specifications.He also said NexTier's proposal didn't seem to meet the definition of a 10-year loan. He said he would review the bid specifications and the bids to determine which bid was lower and which meets the city's specifications, and make a report to council at an upcoming budget meeting.Council agreed earlier to schedule a budget meeting before the Dec. 17 meeting, when a vote on the budget will be on the agenda.Fire Chief Chris Switala said Huntington's proposal will require a full payment of interest and principal next year and a tax increase would be needed to make the payment.City Clerk Mindy Gall said the city received a total of five bids. One bid was for a lease and the other two had interest rates of 2.99% and 2.98%.The budget meeting was called after Smith said he believes a few revenue projections in the budget are overstated.