Butler City Council agreed at a meeting Thursday, March 7, to enter into a contract with Beazley Group for cyber insurance for the remainder of the year, at a rate of $3,810 broken up into monthly payments of $317, pending review by the city’s solicitor.

Councilman Don Shearer said the insurance would cover any damages caused by ransomware or cyberattacks from outside sources. When asked if the city has had cyber insurance in the past, he offered “no comment.”

Council will have to vote to renew a contract with Beazley Group in January, Shearer said.

Also at the meeting, Shearer and council discussed a rental property ordinance that deals with relations between landlords, their tenants and the city.

What started as a “rental inspection ordinance” has become more of a landlord-tenant relations ordinance, which would allow the city to possibly get involved if a tenant reports issues with a rental unit.

Shearer previously said if a tenant reports issues with a unit they are renting, they can file a grievance through the city.

“Before this ordinance, that was a civil (court) concern … we’re making it a concern from the city,” Shearer said. “The ordinance does ask that the landlord provide info from the Landlord-Tenant Act to their tenants, and it addresses concerns with self-help evictions, where the landlord intentionally alters the habitability of a property to get a tenant to move out.”

At Thursday’s meeting, Shearer said more recent updates to the ordinance involve responsibilities of tenants, who also could be reported to the city by landlords if they break rules laid out in the ordinance.

After months of discussions with landlords, city staff members and real estate professionals, the council will vote on the ordinance at its next meeting, according to Shearer.

“This will come before council at the end of the month,” he said.

If approved by council, the ordinance would take effect Jan. 1.