AMSTERDAM — The city lost one of its bargaining chips in negotiations with Montgomery County over water for a proposed extension to the Florida Business Park — or at least that’s the view of one alderman.

Alderman William Wills, D-4th Ward, moved to table a resolution seeking the city’s support in a preapplication for a federal Economic Development Administration grant at the last Common Council meeting because he said he wanted to use the issue as a negotiating tool with the county.

Wills said that he felt like the city was not receiving enough benefits for providing water and sewer services to outlying areas for development purposes.

Wills was the only alderman to vote against the resolution on Tuesday because he said the city had not formalized its negotiating stance with the county.

The city aldermen met with the five city representatives on the county Board of Supervisors last week to discuss the issue.

The group discussed various ways for the city to receive more benefits from its services, including a system of revenue sharing, and even asking for land, but nothing was officially decided.

The county has acquired land and has an option for more between the Target Distribution Center and Fort Hunter Road, according to county Economic Development and Planning Director Ken Rose.

Rose said he has a few companies which are interested in moving into the area. He said the city would probably need to provide about 40,000 gallons of water per day for the park’s extension.

The resolution passed by the Common Council on Tuesday would allow the city to be co-applicant in a preapplication process, along with Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency and the town of Florida.

Rose said the EDA would look at the project to determine if it was worthy of grant funding and the parties would be invited to formally apply. Rose said if the application goes that far, the county would come back to the Common Council for approval again.

The county would also have to seek the city’s approval for an extension to the existing water district if the grant is awarded.

“All this is saying is that you would support the project if the grant were assigned,” Rose said Tuesday.

Rose said the city would have no financial liability with the project.

Alderman Daniel Roth, R-2nd Ward, who was not present for the vote, said in committee that he supported any effort Rose made to retain and create jobs in the county.

“Whatever we can do as a city to keep jobs in the county we’ll do,” Roth said.

In other business, Common Council members authorized a study by National Grid into the feasibility of burying the power lines that run along Bridge Street on the South Side.

The $25,000 study was paid for in part by the Amsterdam Industrial Development Agency, the organization Industries for Amsterdam.

Fifth Ward Alderman Richard Leggiero said that if the study finds that it is possible to bury the lines, the cost would be paid for by the remainder of a $150,000 AIDA grant for the redevelopment of the South Side.

Leggiero said that the reconstruction of Bridge Street, which was supposed to have started this spring, has been held up because of the potential redevelopment of the old Chalmers Building. Long Island developer Uri Kaufman has an option to purchase the old knitting mill and turn it into luxury apartments.

“I think this is very important to the residents because they want to see this area look nice,” Leggiero said about the power lines.