BUTLER TWP — Township commissioners are considering buying 18 acres of land at the Pullman Center Business Park at a cost of $360,000 for an outdoor sports complex.

The commission at Monday's meeting agreed to enter into a sales agreement with the Community Development Corporation of Butler County that gives the township until May 31 to perform a title investigation and other research into the property at the intersection of Hollywood and Armco drives.

The CDC is asking $20,000 an acre for the property where the township wants to make a soccer field and possibly another dek hockey rink and pickleball courts, said Tom Knights, township manager.

In conceptual drawings, the field, rink and courts are placed in areas away from railroad, street and utility rights of way, Knights said.

The former industrial property was owned by Pullman-Standard and has been remediated. Reviewing the environmental reports filed after the remediation is part of the township's review, he said.

Money for the purchase would come from the recreation and general funds.

Knights said the township and CDC have been discussing the property for about nine months.

In another recreational matter, the commissioners agreed to build three pickleball courts adjacent to the dek hockey rink in Butler Township Park for $50,476.

Township crews will perform site preparation work and a contractor will be hired to pour the asphalt courts. The work is expected to start in April and be completed in June.

In unrelated business, the commissioners entered into a free pilot program for glass recycling with Dlubak Glass Company of Natrona Heights.

Beginning April 18, residents can bring jars and bottles of any color to a hopper at the rear of the municipal building where Dlubak will pick it up, Knight said.

It will be the township's responsibility to make sure nothing other than glass jars and bottles are placed in the hopper, he said. A cart for residents to dispose of the bags they use to hold the glass will be placed at the hopper.

The program could expand to other municipalities, said Dave Zarnick, president of the commissioners.

The commissioners agreed to write and send a letter to federal legislators, Gov. Tom Wolf and other officials requesting they ask President Donald Trump to close a loophole in federal tariffs that is allowing imports of grain-oriented steel products that are endangering AK Steel's plants and employees in the township and Zanesville, Ohio.

Zarnick said he recently spoke with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman by phone requesting that he ask Wolf to contact Trump about closing the loophole. He said Fetterman is the state contact person for the issue.

The commissioners awarded a $363,046 contract to upgrade traffic signals to Bronder Technical Services of Prospect.

Bronder submitted the lowest of three bids the commissioners opened earlier this month. The work is expected to start in April.

A hearing into the proposed transfer of a liquor license from Winfield Township to the Speedway on Hansen Avenue was scheduled for 7 p.m. during the commissioners' April 20 meeting.

If the township and Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board approve the transfer, Speedway would be allowed to sell beer and wine that could be consumed on site or carried out.

The commissioners approved a resolution that opposed House Bill 349, which would require municipalities to hire multiple third-party building code officials for code enforcement and building plan reviews because it could lead to nonuniform enforcement and reviews.

Commissioners reappointed John Paul to a six-year term on the civil service commission and appointed Richard Gigliotti to a two-year term.

Commissioners also announced that yard waste burning is permitted in March and April from sunup until 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.