Butler City Council on Thursday approved modifications to three years of city grant money and an application for a 2004 Community Development Block Grant.

The city had been ordered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development to make all modifications to the 2001, 2002 and 2003 grants at one time, along with the application for the 2004 money.

The department must receive both the changes and the current application by June 1.

The changes to the block grants allow for new programs to begin and for the paving of 12 city streets, something the city is financially unable to do.

In addition, the city's fire department will be able to buy a new pumper truck with this grant money making up a $58,625 match to a Federal Emergency Management Administration grant of $252,000. The new truck is expected in October.

Another $30,000 is being set aside for the development of a comprehensive master plan for city revitalization that would include a marketing assessment of the downtown corridor, finance planning, design guidelines and a construction plan.

The Commercial Façade Program, at $40,000, is another new program to help businesses preserve, rehabilitate and adapt downtown buildings to new uses.

The city has reallocated $40,000 to the acquisition and resale of multi-family homes that would be renovated into single-family homes for owner-occupied resale, funding for which would become a revolving loan program.

In the 2004 CDBG application, which totals $519,236:

$155,236 would go to housing rehabilitation programs, the rehab/resale program and to rental property improvement.

$120,000 goes to street and road improvement with $60,000 earmarked for the connection of Bell Drive and Bantam Avenue in the West End, and $60,000 for improvement of Negley and Virginia avenues.

$50,000 for the code enforcement officer's salary and benefits.

$70,000 for economic development, to help small businesses with 30 or fewer employees stabilize and increase jobs.

$40,000 to acquire and relocate existing businesses and industries in the West End to help retain jobs and for expansion.

$84,000 for administration of the 2004 CDBG grant during the next five years.