LEWISTON – One of the best ways for the city to encourage better community relations might be for it to get out of the way.

That’s one finding from a report on Lewiston Leads, a series of discussions led by the U.S. Department of Justice. Residents expect city leaders to step in and solve every problem, including social ills, the report noted.

“The city isn’t afraid of getting involved,” said Phil Nadeau, assistant city administrator. “But I think what is being pointed out is that every idea, every solution, does not need to include city staff. Citizens need to take the lead.”

The report urges average residents and community groups to act on their own. It also suggests building more affordable housing, providing cultural sensitivity training for city employees and looking for creative ways to help people work together.

Nadeau said the most important suggestion could be to create a committee to advise the City Council about community relations. The report calls that group a Bridges Committee, and Nadeau said it could be in charge of all of the other recommendations.

The public will have an opportunity to discuss the report at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in Lewiston City Hall.

The report was culled from a series of discussions between Lewiston residents and city staff in May. It offers tips on how to make the city more open to everyone, regardless of their differences.

The effort began last fall, after Mayor Larry Raymond wrote a letter asking Somalis to slow their migration to the city. Local Somalis responded angrily, charging the mayor with bigotry. The uproar drew national headlines and caught the attention of white supremacists, who staged a rally in Lewiston in January 2003.

After the rally, a group of Somalis, city officials and members of the community began meeting regularly. They settled on the Lewiston Leads process as a way of improving community relations.

staylor@sunjournal.com

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