Butler City Council agreed to apply for a $40,000 state grant for a playground rehabilitation project at Memorial Park.

Council members unanimously voted Thursday to apply to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the money for new playground equipment and other improvements to the park.

Councilman Jeff Smith commended the Butler AM Rotary for proposing the project.

The Rotary is planning to install one playground at the park this year using money raised at the recent Carved In Ice festival.

The grant is for a second playground at the park and the Rotary has agreed to provide a $40,000 match for the grant if it is approved.

In unrelated business, council approved an agreement with Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32 and Sgt. William Mayhugh in accordance with a Jan. 30 arbitration award.

The agreement is for $67,244 in back pay from Feb. 24 through the end of 2017, city officials said.

Mayhugh, who was fired for allegedly punching a prisoner in the Butler County Prison in February 2017, was awarded reinstated with back pay through arbitration.

He has been reinstated, but is using vacation time and hasn’t returned to duty. He is working as deputy county sheriff.

Council approved resolutions for loan applications for the Sullivan Run flood control project and Main Street lighting project.

The resolutions authorized filing a $470,000 loan application with the Butler County Infrastructure Bank for the flood control project and a $1 million loan application with the infrastructure bank for the street lighting project.

Mayor Ben Smith said both loan applications have been filed, but the infrastructure bank required resolutions to ensure repayment of the loans.

Two other resolutions declared council’s intent to reimburse general funds or short-term borrowed funds used for both projects with the loans.

Council also approved an agreement to let Butler Downtown use an office on the third floor of the City Building.

Jared Sullivan, Butler Downtown’s president, said the goal is to complete the move from the Butler County Chamber of Commerce offices to the City Building by April 16.

Sullivan said he appreciates everything the chamber has done for Butler Downtown and looks forward to working with the chamber in the future, but said the organization is leaving the chamber to be fiscally independent.

“It’s more important for us to run as a fully independent agency,” Sullivan said.

John Pro of the Butler Old Stone House Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America, said he and other club members logged about 90 hours over six weekends to get the city’s 1941 Bantam Jeep running again.

He took Ben Smith and several other city officials for rides through town in the Jeep two weeks ago.

The vehicle still needs some lights and an oil leak was discovered, but it is running well and is already registered for this year’s Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, he said.

“It’s running fairly decent right at this minute,” Pro said.

Council agreed to let Neighborhood Drug Watch hold meetings in the fire station on March 28, May 30, July 25, Sept. 26 and Nov. 28. Each meeting begins at 7 p.m.

Councilman Kenny Bonus said council will begin accepting nominations of residents and businesses who improve their properties for Neighborhood Pride Awards. Nominations forms are on the city website.