Butler Supervisor Tommy Mettler announced this week that the Town is the moving forward on a grant received a few months ago, which will enhance many parts of the Town for the benefit of residents. 

The grant, obtained through the Atlantic States Legal Foundation (ASLF). was suggested by an acquaintance Mettler made during the sludge debate in town.

The Supervisor was told about the grant opportunity earlier this year and informed that if the Town wanted to be a part of the application, they needed to sign and get on board by the end of the week. Mettler called together his board members and got the OK to apply.

ASLF  recently received a New York Sea Grant for $49,690. With this grant ASLF facilitated its project “Community Driven Restoration for Butler Mill Pond’’ in partnership with the Town of Butler. 

This project will assist the Town of Butler to enhance the Mill Pond through a community-driven planning process, to develop needed improvements and to facilitate the initiation of a community-based effort for continued management. 

ASLF worked directly with community members and leaders to reassess Butler Mill Pond and Wolcott Creek based on Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) principals, recognizing their key values for the Butler community and the watershed, identifying factors of impediment for both community uses and ecosystem health, prioritizing conservation and improvement needs, and developing a plan with both implementable project(s) and management action items to help restore and protect these natural resources. 

They will now be able to maintain Butler Mill Pond as an important recreational and environmental asset, as well as a grant-funded public space improvement on Town property near the pond. 

Plans are underway for some great renovations and new preservation projects, 

Besides work on the Town Hall which will include renovating the bathrooms to ADA compliance, adding an office for Code Enforcement, and more storage space, a grand gazebo (20’ x 12’) will be constructed back by the pond behind the Town Hall on Butler Center Road.

A boat launch is being considered, landscape with wildlife sustain ability is in the plans with a perennial garden and fruit trees, plus picnic tables and benches, down to the Mill Pond. 

As part of the community input, some of the ideas for the grant money came from resident Chad Mandenhall, who presented his plans/ideas to the Town Board.

Together with COVID money and a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for $300,000 which the Town is preparing, Butler will be in line for $460,000 in renovations, updates and development of downtown. 

Mettler stated that the design firm Clark Patterson-Lee is working on the plans.

Mettler  also announced that Butler now has an official municipal website for information and contacts. The new site, launched this week is: www.townofbutlerny.com

 Residents will find board minutes, agendas, contact information (via email),  as well as Departmental information and news/info. You will find information and forms for vital statistics, dog,   marriage and DEC licenses. You can download applications for Building permits, and land usage info.

The Supervisor and town board members hope that residents will use the site often.