WATERVILLE -- City councilors tonight may take final votes to extend a lease with the Waterville Opera House.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at The Center.

The council on Dec. 16 voted 7-0 to approve a 25-year lease with the Waterville Opera House Association, at a cost of $1 per year.

The Opera House plans a $4 million renovation and expansion of the 106-year-old, city-owned facility.

The major change in the new and revised lease is that the Opera House will pay for heat, electricity and other utilities, starting three years after the renovation work is complete. The work is expected to start in about 18 months and be completed less than a year after that.

Opera House officials presented plans for the project to councilors prior to the Dec. 16 vote.

The privately funded work will include making the balcony safer by replacing or refurbishing seats; replacing the floor and projection booth; and eliminating lights on poles and building curved walls in the rear of the balcony to improve acoustics.

The stage and dressing rooms will be renovated to include electrical and mechanical upgrades and lighting and sound-system improvements.

The council must take two votes to finalize the lease extension.

In a separate order, councilors will consider authorizing the city to contract for design services with TFH Architects, for up to $5,000. The work would be the result of changes to City Hall required by the Opera House renovation project. TFH is designing the Opera House changes as well.

In other matters, councilors will elect a council chairman; the current chairman is Dana W. Sennett, D-Ward 4.

Renewal of contracts with the towns of Albion, Rome, Belgrade and Sidney for police dispatch services for 2009 also is on the agenda. Waterville has dispatched for those towns for the last year.

Albion would pay $4,865 for the services; Rome, $2,450; Belgrade, $7,445; and Sidney, $8,785.

Waterville dispatches for China, but that contract expires in May. The city also dispatches police, fire and emergency medical services for Winslow, Oakland and Clinton, as well as emergency calls for Delta Ambulance.

Councilors also will consider accepting cash donations for the Quarry Road Recreational Area.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com