AKWESASNE — St. Regis Mohawk tribal members will decide next month if they want to create a municipal-power system with limited help from National Grid.

The Tribal Council has pending agreements with the power corporation to buy about $4 million of existing National Grid poles, lines and equipment on the American Indian territory.

The tribe is now paid about $71,000 in franchise fees for rights-of-way to reach those sites on tribal lands.

The company would also agree to assist the tribe for two years in creating a power station of its own before severing ties, leaving the Mohawks with a tribe-owned utility company to power reservation homes, businesses and its ever-growing gaming operations.

Three public-information sessions are planned before a referendum is held on Saturday, Dec. 13, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Tribal Community Building on State Route 37.

The first session will be at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, in the Tribal Community Building lobby; the second is a live, call-in show on CKON radio at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2; and the third is another public meeting at the Tribal Building at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10.

The public is being encouraged to attend.