Full-time firefighters hired by Butler with federal grant money can become part-time if the city can't afford to maintain those positions after the grant money runs out.

City Council on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 114, which represents city firefighters, that allows the city to change those positions to part-time.

“If the city can't sustain them, those positions can revert to part-time,” Fire Chief Chris Switala said.

In September, council accepted a $622,500 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to hire up to four firefighters to bolster the 16-man fire department. The city must pay $238,623 in matching funds with $51,875 due in years one and two, and $134,875 in the third year of the grant.

Council promoted part-time fireman Zach Pfeifer, who was hired about a year and a half ago, to full-time, making him the first firefighter hired under the grant, Switala said.

That hiring pushes the number of full-timers to 17 including the chief.

He said three more firefighters will be hired in a month or two after background screenings and medical and psychological testing is completed.

Part-time firefighters are trained to drive the rescue truck. Pfeifer will have to be trained to drive the larger trucks and operate the on-board water pumps, Switala said.

The city has one part-time firefighter left in the department, but more will eventually be hired to help reduce overtime costs, he said.

In police business, council granted permanent employment status to patrol Officer Ryan Doctor and agreed to apply for a grant from Firehouse Subs to buy five automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Police Chief Bob O'Neill said AEDs cost about $2,000 each and the application will seek $10,000.

The air in the holding cell area in the police station should improve with the installation of a vent with a fan, which council hired Jason Lauer to install for $3,500.

“It smells,” City Councilman Mike Walter said of the holding cell.

Mayor Ben Smith said he was told it has been an issue for a long time, but O'Neill brought it to his attention when he was hired last year.

Council allocated $3,000 in the budget for the vent, Walter said.

Smith said the money will come from the parks department budget because that department is responsible for the city's public buildings.

Council accepted the resignation of parking violation monitor Susan Dowdy and approved advertising to hire her replacement.

In addition, the Shade Tree Commission is looking for volunteers to help with the annual downtown spring cleanup from 8 a.m. to noon on April 27.

Volunteers should bring gloves, garden tools, buckets, brooms and dustpans, and meet in the City Building parking lot. The rain date is April 28. People wishing to volunteer should contact Donna Smith at 724-602-0691 or donnasmith7@gmail.com.