BREWER – The Brewer City Council signed a lease Monday to maintain access to one of the city’s water supplies and approved the Public Works union contract.

The city agreed to pay The Mountainy Pond Club, a Maine corporation established in the 1920s that owns land surrounding Hatcase Pond where Brewer runs a pumping station and Mountainy Pond, $501 a year for use and access to the Mountainy Pond Road the corporation owns. The 10-year lease calls for the money to be used to maintain the road.

During Monday’s City Council meeting, the city also agreed to construct a gate, turnaround and barrier for all-terrain vehicles this fall.

“Both parties are in agreement that a construction of a gate across the Mountainy Pond Road … is the only method to insure the security of the drinking water source for Brewer residents and to protect both ponds from invasive plant species and the potential of degradation of the water quality,” the lease states.

The council also came to an agreement with the collective bargaining agent for the Brewer Public Works Department employees, known as Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

“The key element is the wage adjustment,” City Manager Steve Bost said of the new contract. “Employees will receive [a raise of] 2 percent in fiscal year ’04, 3 percent in fiscal year ’05 and 3 percent in fiscal year ’06.”

The union has been working on a contract with the city since July 1. The new contract calls for retroactive pay for workers to that date.

Over the past few years, Brewer Police Department has accumulated numerous items of personal property that have either been abandoned in Brewer, were seized by the department or is equipment that is no longer useful for the department. These items, which include 19 abandoned bicycles, two abandoned mopeds, one abandoned lawn mower and other items, were declared surplus at Monday’s meeting. The items will be sold in a public sale on Nov. 29. Details about when and where the sale will be held will be released at a later date.

During the meeting, the council also:

. Proclaimed November Adoption Awareness Month in Brewer.

. Recognized Donna Thornton and Michael Finnegan for service to the Penobscot Landing Advisory Committee.

. Renewed Randolph Spain’s permit to operate and maintain Green Point Auto Parts, an automobile recycling business at 206 Green Point Road.

. Accepted a $250 donation from Jean Tompkins for upkeep of Oak Hill Cemetery.

. Changed medical and dependent care reimbursement accounts from Machingonne Benefit Administrators to BusinessPlans Inc.