The City of Butler is slated to approve a new way to combat blight and direct development in its neighborhoods next month.

Butler City Council voted unanimously at a meeting Thursday, April 23, to approve the introduction and first reading of a city ordinance that would establish the City of Butler Land Bank as an official entity.

The ordinance will require a second and final reading at the next voting city council meeting, currently set for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 28, before it is adopted.

“What this document does, in essence, is create the entity. We’re not doing anything yet until they have established a plan. And of course, we’re going to have to get some resources. That’s something that’s going to be separate,” Mayor Bob Dandoy said.

According to the ordinance draft, five members have been selected to serve on the inaugural board: Dandoy, Butler Area School District superintendent Brian White, attorney Gerri Paulisick, financial adviser Jeff Geibel and former Center for Community Resources executive director Beth Gillan.

The inaugural board members were all approached by Dandoy prior to the ordinance being drafted and agreed to serve.

“I was trying to find a good cross section of people who represent various aspects of the community and I think I found it with these five people,” he said.

One inaugural board member’s term will expire each May 1, with Dandoy set to end his term on May 1, 2027. White’s term will end in 2028, Paulisick’s in 2029, Geibel’s in 2030 and Gillan’s in 2031.

Future members will be nominated by the mayor and voted on by city council before they begin to serve. Up to seven total members can serve at one time.

After the land bank is formalized, the city will submit for a certificate of incorporation from the state. After receiving it, the land bank board will have 60 calendar days to schedule its first meeting, which will be public.

The board will also be responsible for an annual report and a balanced budget each year.

“I have no concerns,” Councilwoman Lisa Quebedeaux said before Thursday’s vote. “I mean, this is an absolutely fantastic step in the right direction.”

Conversations around establishing a city land bank came to council in February, when Dandoy said he wanted to present the idea at a public meeting.

“In essence, when we have a situation where there is a piece of property that becomes available, instead of letting the property just sit there and blight itself or just sit there unproductive forever and ever, the city could — not the city will, the city could — move in and obtain the property for the land bank,” he said in February.

Dandoy said once the land bank obtained a property, prospective developers could pitch their ideas to the bank board. The board would then decide whether that idea would benefit the city or not.

He also said it would be the responsibility of the land bank board to decide what areas of the city or properties it would target. He said he would encourage the bank to look citywide.

“I see this, certainly, impacting the downtown area, but I also see it impacting neighborhoods because we know there are properties within the city that are trouble,” he said at the February meeting.

For immediate startup, the land bank would require a cash injection from the city, but solicitor Tom Breth said the longer-term goal would be financial independence. The land bank would maintain any funds generated from the properties or their sales.