A public parking lot located behind Diamond Park in Butler is seen Monday, July 28, 2025. Butler Eagle File Photo

Morgan Phillips

After months of delay, the City of Butler is moving forward with its plan to modernize parking using digital kiosks and a connected smartphone app.

City council voted unanimously at a meeting Thursday evening, July 23, to approve a $70,471 payment to Butts Ticket Systems for parking kiosks and related equipment and software. Council also voted unanimously to approve an agreement with Butts for the use of an integrated app, ParkMobile, at no additional cost.

“This is an additional service to be provided with the parking kiosk installation. We have the kiosks, by the way, and they’re going to be installed very shortly,” Mayor Bob Dandoy said.

City parking officer Jimmy Chiprean said Friday the payment covers seven kiosks to be installed in the city’s parking lots. Three will be placed in the Diamond Street lot, two in the Main Street lot and two in the city building lot.

“The parking had to be updated,” he said. “Our current system is generic and outdated. It was just one of those things that needed done.”

Chiprean said conversations began near a decade ago on how to update the city’s system, but the city did not have enough funds to address the issue. He said that changed after the sale of the Butler Area Sewer Authority.

The city may begin installation of the kiosks as soon as the week of Aug. 3, he said.

“It’s a step forward, I think, especially when paired with the (app),” Dandoy said during Thursday’s meeting.

ParkMobile will allow customers to pay for their parking or extend it through their smartphones rather than worrying about going to the kiosk itself. The app accepts credit and debit cards.

Dandoy added Butts will provide all signage and installation at no additional cost to the city. The agreement is set for an inaugural three-year term before requiring yearly renewal.

Councilwoman Lisa Quebedeaux asked about what will happen to the old meters that currently make up the city’s parking system. Dandoy said there are certain places where they’ll remain for the meantime until they are eventually phased out.

“Now that we’ve got them in the parking lots, and of course we want to get people of Butler used to using these machines. For their comfort, we do have some parking meters, but those are going to be new (coin-operated) parking meters,” he explained.

The next scheduled city council meeting is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 13.