AUBURN - Auburn city councilors will decide whether to put a downtown revitalization project out to bid a second time Thursday despite questions raised about the possibility of the mayor having a conflict of interest.

Councilor David Dempsey asked corporation counsel about upholding the previously lowest bid for the renovation plan the Planning Department drafted after talking to business owners and the Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District.

After Mayor Timothy Lattimore goaded Dempsey into exposing his concern, he said Lattimore had a possible conflict of interest because his boss's family member owns Auburn's Bouley Construction, the highest bidder.

Corporation Counsel Thomas Leone said he would review the two designs to ensure they contrasted enough to be allowed for a rebidding.

In September, the council voted 2-2 for the project, which failed after the mayor abstained, saying he wanted the planning board to approve it first.

The board reviewed the amended design last week and gave it a thumbs up.

The planning department changed the format so the city could pick and choose items and additions in an attempt to get figures councilors would be more comfortable with.

Villager Construction of Fairport bid the lowest amount earlier, beating out Bouley. Dempsey said it wouldn't be fair to award the plan to another firm without giving Villager a chance to reconfigure their estimates.

In other business:

€ The council will review changing the prices for the dump. The landfill staff recommended the council approve bumping up decal prices from $4 to $20 for city residents and limit them to two trips a week. The landfill will charge a property owner $35 for a decal and non-residents $50 - up from $20. Coupon books would go up $10 to $25 per book.

The council has to vote on this before the new year, when the landfill's accounting starts.

€ Connector Road will again go up for a review. Superintendent of Engineering Services William Lupien is asking council to amend the bid amount it approved for Rizzo Construction Inc. The council will vote on whether to increase the amount by nearly $270,000 to cover state-mandated traffic signal improvements, additional paving materials used in the intersection of Brookside Drive and Grant Avenue and adjustment of actual costs rather than the estimates. The contract would total $1.4 million.

€ The council may decide to change its Thursday, Dec. 21, meeting time from 6 p.m. to 4 p.m. to avoid absences from the comptroller and interim city manager.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be contacted at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net