The City of Butler is updating technology in its offices, and council plans to get new phone equipment from Armstrong after accepting a quote for services at a meeting Thursday evening, Dec. 7.

Butler city clerk Mindy Gall said the quote accounted for services to the city’s main office, as well as for its departments, including police and fire, but the amount Armstrong provided is less than what the city is paying now. Gall said the city’s phone system will switch from Norstar to Armstrong in the coming months.

“If you call my building, I’ll be able to transfer you to the fire, to the police — you won’t have to hang up and call another number,” Gall said.

Councilman Don Shearer said the city has been updating its technology for several months. Mayor Bob Dandoy said it took Armstrong some time to prepare to switch over equipment, but he and staff members in the office are looking forward to switching.

“I can’t access my own voicemail; I have to use my cellphone to get my voicemail in my office,” he said.

Council opened a discussion Thursday about the financial advisers the city heard from this year to help manage money the city expects to receive from the sale of the Butler Area Sewer Authority to Pennsylvania American Water. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission board approved the $230 million sale in November, and proceeds from the sale will be split between Butler and Butler Township, following the payment of debts and liabilities.

Council heard from four financial firms — Edward Jones, PNC, NexTier Bank and Baird — as well as a third-party adviser who helped compile information, but didn’t nudge city officials toward a particular firm, according to Dandoy.

“What he did was, for lack of a better word, translate it,” Dandoy said. “We asked him a couple additional questions like, ‘If we did not give you all the money, would that change what’s here?’”

All five members of council said they saw value in potentially choosing NexTier Bank, since its office is in downtown Butler, where more than a hundred employees work. Additionally, they each said PNC would be a good choice because it has a trust department.

Councilman Fred Reese said he would like to work with PNC and NexTier Bank.

“They do so much for the city of Butler,” Reese said of NexTier Bank. “Their presence here is, I think, better for the city that we have that.”

Dandoy said the city could end up putting money into accounts at more than one financial firm.

“We could pick all four, if we want,” Dandoy said. “That was one of the things we talked about pretty early … Would there be any advantage to doing that, and we find in this case that there is because PNC does have the trust department.”

Dandoy said the choice of a financial adviser will likely be on the agenda for City Council’s next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 21.