WATERVILLE — The City Council on Tuesday will consider taking first votes on two separate proposals to sell land near Robert A. LaFleur Airport.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Chace Community Forum at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons at 150 Main St. and will be preceded by an executive session at 6:45 p.m. to discuss labor negotiations.

Before the start of the regular meeting, the police department will be recognized for the work it does, according to City Manager Michael Roy.

Councilors will consider authorizing Roy to negotiate a contract for the sale of Lot No. 5 in the Airport Business Park off Airport Road to Pondwood Self Storage for $70,000.

The lot is one of seven remaining in the park, an approved city subdivision, according to Roy.

“It has been in the approved subdivision for a long time, so it’s really exciting to get an offer on one of those lots, which has water and sewer available and frontage on Kennedy Memorial Drive,” Roy said Monday. “The sale of that lot represents potential for something new to be built there. They’re looking at constructing a spec building.”

Roy said Pondwood would then rent the building for warehousing or other uses.

“The important thing is, it goes from tax-exempt to taxable property,” he said.

Two votes are required on the order, and the council may take only one vote Tuesday.

The council also will consider taking a first vote to sell undeveloped, city-owned land off Airport Road to Leo St. Peter for $12,000 per acre with the understanding that he would be responsible for surveying the acreage he wants to purchase.

The land is beyond the end of the paved area of Airport Road and is part of a much larger parcel the city bought in 2012, according to the order the council will consider Tuesday. St. Peter is expected to discuss with the council his plans for that property, according to Roy. The order requires two votes, and only one may be taken Tuesday.

In other matters, the council will consider ratifying a three-year collective bargaining agreement between the city and American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 93, which represents 11 city employees, including clerical and administrative workers. They would receive a 3% pay increase as part of the agreement.

The council will consider voting to declare an emergency so as to be able to continue funding city needs such as payroll after the end of June when the city’s fiscal year ends, because the council has not yet approved a proposed budget for 2019-20. The council has been waiting for the state to approve a budget before it votes on the city and school budget, according to Roy. The council would likely take a first vote on the budget July 2 and a final vote possibly July 9, he said.

“It’s just a formality because we’re going to go beyond July 1,” he said. “We have to take that vote so we can continue spending while we don’t have a budget in place.”

The council will consider adopting a policy for use of drug forfeiture assets by police, as “there has been an exponential increase in the total value of cash, vehicles, etc., from drug forfeitures and it is important to have some guidelines for spending,” according to the resolution the council will vote on Tuesday.

The council will consider awarding a $57,976 contract to Darling’s Bangor Ford for two new police vehicles — both 2020 Ford Utility Police Interceptor SUVs. The price includes the trade-in value of two police vehicles.

Councilors also will consider awarding contracts for heating and motor vehicle fuel bids; authorizing Roy to start the process for selling a lot on Sterling Street that is the site of a former playground; and amending public hearing requirements for new on-premise liquor licenses so as to no longer require formal public hearings and associated public hearing notices for such licenses.

The council will consider the amendment in response to questions and concerns raised by Jennifer Bergeron regarding the costs associated with new licensing requirements. She told the council June 4 that she plans to open Lion’s Den Tavern in the former Itali-ah restaurant space at 74 Main St. downtown.

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