The city will begin the hiring process for four part-time firefighters for the Butler City Fire Department.

The decision to move forward was made after discussion at Tuesday's city council meeting. A motion to hire part-time firefighters passed council earlier this year.

Councilwoman Kathy Kline, the director of public safety, said council delayed the process until it drafted a memorandum of understanding with the fire department over wording in the city's collective bargaining agreement with the firefighters union.

Page 5 of the agreement states that “any reductions from the current staffing of 18 full-time firefighters shall be achieved only through attrition.” Through attrition, the department has 16 full-time firefighters.

Page 19 of the agreement states, “the city agrees to at all times maintain an active complement of not less than 18 full-time professional firefighters.”

Kline said at the time the motion was passed that the wording on Page 19 was an oversight during contract negotiations. The memorandum of understanding states that the wording on Page 5 supersedes that on Page 19.

This means that the city can hire part-time firefighters with its current complement of 16 full-time firefighters without the possibility of a grievance from the firefighters union.

Kline said the hiring process will begin in the next week.