Butler City Council discussed what improvements it is looking to make using this and next year’s community development block grant funds from the state.

For this year’s funds, roughly $240,000, Councilman Dan Herr said at the council forum meeting Thursday evening, July 9, that it would go toward improvements at Memorial Park.

The project includes “dealing with the basketball court, the tennis courts, roofs on some of the shelters, bathrooms and so on,” he said.

Herr added the project is in the hands of the engineers and hopes to get started either this fall or next spring.

As for 2027’s CDBG funding, Dandoy said he thinks the best use of the money would be as a supplement to the city’s paving fund.

“It’s the lowest amount of bureaucracy and confusion when it comes to administering the money. And it would be high impact because that would be used in economically challenged neighborhoods,” he said.

Douthett added the focus should be on streets the city normally would overlook, while focusing on its priority list of streets that need paved.

“We should just go way out and start coming in because they’re tough to decide to do,” he said.

Dandoy said he agrees with the idea, hoping the funds will help “show (people) we haven’t forgotten about those neighborhoods.”

He said the city will still use its budgeted paving funds, but the estimated $225,000 to $235,000 will be used to further expand it.

“We’re still playing catch-up with paving,” he said.

The next city council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 23.