Board: Auburn City Council

Met: Monday night

Truck parking

Issue: The freight division of Bisson Transportation, a national over-the-road hauling company, opened a 103,000-square-foot warehouse last year in the Auburn Industrial Park, near the Auburn Lewiston Municipal Airport. The current area does not include space for parking the company’s truck tractors and trailers.

The scoop Councilors agreed to step in to help, approving acting City Manager Laurie Smith to negotiate two leases Monday night to provide truck parking to the company.

First councilors voted 6-1 to lease up to three acres from the airport. The land is west of Hotel Road between Tambrands and the railroad tracks. The city agrees pay between $8,000 and $9,000 per year for 10 years to the airport as a part of that lease.

Next, councilors agreed to lease the land to Bisson for $25,000 per year plus 3 percent inflation for 10 years. The company will pay that rent either in cash or by registering its trucks in Auburn and pay excise taxes to the city. Councilor Dan Herrick voted against both agreements.

Up next: Smith will present the leases to the airport’s board of directors Thursday and continue negotiations with Bisson. Councilors will get a final vote on the leases.

Boards and commissions

Issue: City government relies on a host of support and advisory committees. In most cases, these groups have limited authority to make or interpret city rules and decide policy. In some cases, the groups simply advise the city council. Each new council and mayor gets to put people on those committees, shaping the way city government operates for the next few years.

The scoop: Councilors appointed Curtis Webber to the Citizens Commission on Joint Lewiston Auburn Cooperation through February 2011; Arnold Leavitt to the Board of Assessment Review through August 2012; Joseph Maloney to the Planning Board through November 2010; Stephen Lunt to the Airport Board through Jan. 2011; Gilda Berube and Carlene Hildebrandt to the Auburn Housing Authority through October 2012; and Normand Morin, Ed Desgrosseilliers, Elizabeth Pettis and Charles Morrison to the Cable TV Advisory Committee. Morrison will serve through January 2009 and Morin and Desgrosseilliers will serve through January 2010. Pettis will serve through June 2010.

February Schedule

Issue: Presidents Day, on Feb. 18 this year, will throw the council off of its first and third Monday schedule.

The scoop: Councilors moved their second meeting of the month to Feb. 19, the Tuesday after Presidents Day.

Pawn licenses

Issue: State law requires municipal officers review and approve licenses for pawn shops.

The scoop: Councilors renewed the pawn license and secondhand seller permit for Republic Jewelry and Coin, 212 Center St. – pending the approval of the Auburn Police and Fire departments and the city treasurer.

Contact government reporter Scott Taylor via phone at 689-2846 or via E-mail at [email protected].