Butler City Council on Thursday approved a one-year extension of its contract with the union representing nonuniform employees.

Council members voted unanimously in favor of the contract, which includes a 2.5% wage increase with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 757.

The union represents 19 employees in the streets and parks departments and administrative employees at the City Building, who approved the contract last week, Councilman Jeff Smith said.

Beginning retroactively on Jan. 1, the contract runs through Dec. 31 and is an extension of a three-year contract that expired at the end of 2020.

The contract also marks a new approach to negotiating contracts with city employee unions that involves both sides looking for ways to reduce operating costs, Smith said.

“We'll spend 2021 exploring the new approach and working on an agreement that benefits both sides,” Smith said.

In unrelated business, council approved a recommendation to amend a section of the zoning ordinance to add duplexes as a permitted use in areas of the central business district (C-2) that do not abut Main Street.

Mayor Ben Smith said a property owner wants to develop something similar to a duplex, and the amendment would allow duplexes.

The city planning and zoning commission didn't bring the recommendation to council, but the commission will have to act on the recommendation and return it to council, officials said.

Currently, the C-2 district permits a wide variety of developments, including retail stores, restaurants, banks, funeral homes, gas stations, auto shops, bed and breakfasts, apartments above street level commercial stores and multiple family dwellings that do not abut Main Street.

In other business, council approved an agreement allowing the YMCA to use the Rotary, Miller and Firehouse shelters in Memorial Park from June 7 through Aug. 20 for summer camp.

In addition, council appointed Mavrik Goepfert to a five-year term on the Butler Area Sewer Authority board.