WATERVILLE — City councilors on Tuesday will consider approving a lease with Black Bear Aviation, a company that wants to repair and maintain aircraft at Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the council chambers at The Center downtown.

Black Bear, based at Dexter Regional Airport, would operate within the main hangar at the city’s municipal airport on Airport Road. It also would rent office space in the terminal building, according to City Manager Michael Roy.

“It’s really an exciting development at the airport because we don’t have anything like it now,” Roy said Monday. “Having an operation like that would certainly help increase our air traffic.”

The proposed five-year lease says Black Bear would lease three rooms in the terminal building totaling 517 square feet, at $7.54 per square foot. That amounts to $3,898 for the initial lease year, with the rate increasing 2 percent in each successive year, according to the proposal.

The rent charge for the hangar space and two aircraft tie-downs would be 5 percent of Black Bear’s monthly gross sales, it says.

Advertisement

In other matters, councilors will consider sending a draft of the city’s amended comprehensive plan to the state Department of Conservation for review.

The goals of the comprehensive plan are to plan for orderly growth and development throughout the community and respond to changes in population, according to the amended plan. It also seeks to attract more people to the city with middle and upper incomes, as well as those interested in creating new businesses opportunities; attract and retain younger residents; and create a city that is a great place to live, raise a family and grow a business, it says.

Councilors on Tuesday also will consider appointing councilors to the capital improvement, finance and recreation committees; and will consider voting on a resolution defining the responsibilities of the council chairman.

Roy said the city charter does not define the chairman’s responsibilities other than to say he or she performs the duties of the mayor in the mayor’s absence.

The council also will consider approving a resolution stating its support for raising the minimum wage from $8.94 to $10.10 per hour and convey notice of that support to elected state and federal representatives and senators.

Amy Calder — 861-9247 acalder@centralmaine.com Twitter: @AmyCalder17


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.