AUBURN — The Twin Cities airport and Lewiston-Auburn 911 will join city departments Thursday at an informal orientation session in Auburn Hall.
“The schools are coming and all city departments, and we added in a few more,” City Manager Clinton Deschene said. “We limited it to large, standing city departments. There are other organizations we work with and maybe we can include them in the future. But right now, I’m a big believer in walking before you run.”
Rather than host a long meeting filled with staff speeches and presentations, departments will set up tables at 5:30 p.m. Thursday on Auburn Hall’s second floor, letting councilors and School Committee members browse, going from table to table.
“I’ve told staff to prepare themselves,” Deschene said. “Some people may want to come to a table and talk for five minutes or they might want to talk for an hour.”
The meeting is public, but Deschene said it’s really meant for elected officials to get more familiar with the city.
“We’re going to see how it works out this level,” Deschene said. “Staff (members are) very excited; they think it’s a great opportunity to get it out. It’s a great way to introduce ourselves right from the beginning without having to sit in a place for two hours.”
The city will also publish an orientation book with photographs, organizational charts, budgets and department information. A public copy will be available at City Hall.
The new council — six incumbents and Adam Lee, Ward 4 councilor-elect — will be sworn in at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at a ceremony at Edward Little High School, along with Mayor Jonathan LaBonte and the School Committee.
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