LEWISTON — Before a group of six newly elected Lewiston-Auburn residents can begin figuring out how to merge the two cities, they need to settle some basic questions — how often they’ll meet, and where and what they’ll do to keep the public informed.
That was the point Monday night as the Lewiston-Auburn Charter Commission met as a body for the first time.
They’ll meet again at 5:30 p.m. July 24 in Auburn, then again on Aug. and Aug. 28.
On July 28, they’ll also meet for several hours for a more in-depth retreat, getting briefings on open meetings and public-access laws, as well as developing a project time line.
“It’s going to take a long time to get people to understand what we are proposing,” Lewiston representative Eugene Geiger said. “If they don’t understand it, they are going to vote against it. It’s going to take a long time to get the word out.”
Getting the word out was a reoccurring theme Monday.
Commissioners agreed they need to put out a blanket invitation to the public to attend the commission’s meetings, but they also worked to identify specific groups to work with. Those ranged from municipal employees, unions and managers to local businesses, community and social service groups, city, county and state elected officials, school committee members and parents, political groups, immigrant groups and churches.
Commissioners also said they want to meet in various places around both cities, not just in city halls. That includes meeting in local schools and colleges, fire and police stations.
“Obviously, we can meet in the two city halls and libraries,” Morrison said. “But I would love to have one of these meetings in each of the fire departments. I want the people that work for the cities to know that we are going out where they are.”
Twin Cities voters selected the six at the polls last month. The commission is expected to spend the next two years or longer researching and discussing methods to combine Lewiston and Auburn and writing a consolidation plan and new charter.
The group has no deadline, and whatever plans they come up with go the public for debate and eventual vote.
That could be some time. Members agreed Monday that their work will likely take two years.
“I imagine us taking our time to do this, and then going to a vote in November 2016,” Morrison said. “That’ll be a presidential election year, so we’ll have a good turnout.”
All six members of the commission attended Monday’s meeting — virtually.
Lewiston representative Eugene Geiger was in Memphis and on his way to a company meeting in Phoenix and could not be at the meeting in person. Instead, he teleconferenced into the meeting via his iPhone and colleague Chantel Pettengill’s MacBook.
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