In just a few months, Lawrence residents will be able to go online to pay their water bills or enroll in aerobics classes offered by the city.

City commissioners on Tuesday are expected to approve the first of a series of “e-government” initiatives to offer more services on the Internet.

“I think it’s what the citizens have come to expect  more convenience,” said Ron Hall, the city’s information systems director. “They don’t want to be faced with the barriers of coming down to City Hall between 8 and 5 weekdays to do business.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners will consider Hall’s request for three items:

 $22,540 for software to enroll students in classes offered by the Parks and Recreation Department.

 $33,005 for online utility billing software.

 $12,500 for software and hardware for internal city use to support the e-government effort.

The decision to start with billing and class enrollments came from a survey of Lawrence residents, Hall said.

“The interest seems to be there,” he said. “I can tell you they were the top two applications requested in the survey.”

The online services should be available in early 2003, he said.

City officials hope more Internet services will follow in the next two years, including building-permit tracking, city mapping and Web-based city commission agendas.

The priorities are outlined in a 35-page report completed by an eight-member city committee that started work in fall 2001.

“The city  will provide 24-hour digital accessibility to its information and services by providing its citizens, businesses and employees a secure, convenient technology that is responsive to community need,” the committee said in its report.

Commissioners support those goals, Mayor Sue Hack said.

“I think it’s something the commission has been anxious to pursue,” she said. “The city’s customers are using technology in their own homes, and it’s time we catch up.”

Tuesday’s meeting begins at 6:35 p.m. at City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.