The city of Redmond might be close to a deal with Butler Aircraft that would end the Redmond Airport’s legal dispute with its longtime aviation-service provider and keep Butler as the airport’s fixed-base operator.

The Redmond City Council is scheduled to convene for a special meeting Wednesday at the airport. The agenda is brief, with a tour of Butler’s facility the lone item listed before the councilors go into executive session. The tour, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., is open to the public.

“It sounds like we’re coming up on an agreement,” said Kurt Newton, Butler’s general manager. “We’ve resubmitted a full application (to be the airport’s service provider) … and got a lot of misconceptions cleared up.”

The city and Butler have been at odds for the past year over the airport’s updated minimum standards. The two parties came close to an agreement last July but have hit various missteps ever since.

A January mediation session brought the two sides no closer, and in February, Butler and KC Aero, whom it leases facilities from at the airport, filed separate multimillion lawsuits against the city.

The Redmond City Council responded by giving Butler 90 days to cease providing aviation services at the airport, a deadline of May 26. A deal between the two longtime partners — Butler has operated at Roberts Field since 1946 — seemed all but dead as recently as last month. The city spent almost $350,000 on aviation- and jet-fuel storage tanks in preparation for life after Butler, and councilors increased the city’s contract with SmithAmundsen, an aviation law specialist out of Chicago, from $100,000 to $350,000.

“It’s been a long road,” Councilor Camden King said. “But we’re still hoping to reach an agreement with Butler and KC Aero.”

“Is it nice or not?” Redmond Mayor George Endicott asked about Butler’s facilities at the airport. “We want to see for ourselves.”

According to Newton, Butler and the city sat down for another mediation session last week without any attorneys present.

“The lease (with KC Aero), that was the biggest issue,” Newton said. “We went through a lot of items and got some things ironed out.”

City officials declined to comment on whether the airport was close to a deal with Butler.

“(Councilors) want to see the facility,” Redmond City Manager Keith Witcosky said. “They’ve heard a lot about the facility, and now’s a chance to see it firsthand. It makes perfect sense and is the responsible thing to do.”

Newton was optimistic Wednesday’s site visit would lead to a timely agreement with the city.

“We’re getting on the same page,” Newton said, “and headed in the right direction.”

“Everything seems like it’s good to go,” he added. “After Wednesday, hopefully it’ll all be resolved.”

—Reporter: 541-617-7829; beastes@bendbulletin.com.