The New Bedford City Council will likely pass a motion Thursday night, calling for the cease and desist of a government auction that looks to sell a New Bedford landmark.

City Councilor at Large Denis Lawrence Jr. says his father, a former City Councilor and State Rep., was key in forging an agreement with the Coast Guard that turned ownership of the Butler Flats lighthouse to New Bedford in 1978.

Lawrence, speaking on WBSM's "Mid-Day Live", says he's contacted most everyone involved in the original deal, and is fairly confident the auction can be stopped before it's July 8 starting date, so the true owner can be determined.

Lawrence says the agreement has been retrieved from the City's archives and is being reviewed.

Some sources indicate the agreement back in the 70's was just a lease to the City, and no longer holds up.

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