In February, the Sun Journal announced we would issue quarterly report cards on the progress of consolidation efforts by Lewiston and Auburn, in the wake of recommendations by the cities’ Joint Services Commission.

At the end of the first quarter in June, the cities received a resounding F.

Now, as the second quarter draws to a close, L-A has earned a reluctant D.

So far, the primary consolidation work has amounted to the city of Auburn filing a $200,000 grant request with the state – at the very last minute – to fund a position of “cooperation coordinator.” And, on Aug. 1, the cities received $10,000 from the state as further incentive for regionalizing.

The funds passed into the hands of the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council, whose president, Lucien Gosselin, said he would wait for instructions on how to disburse the funds.

Gosselin, on Friday, said some of the $10,000 retained lawyers to draft an ordinance making the Joint Services Commission a permanent governmental entity. A job description and advertisement for the cooperation coordinator is also pending municipal approval.

Technically, this is progress. Realistically, it is not.

It doesn’t have to be this way, of course, as state government, other municipalities and school districts have shown over the past few weeks.

For instance, on Sept. 12, selectmen in Mexico and Dixfield agreed to share the cost of gasoline on a 30-day trial basis. Dixfield has a 7,000-gallon tank, and Mexico agreed to pay the difference if the fuel price changes. The two communities also started sharing public water services in March.

In SAD 36, school board Chairman Ashley O’Brien has reached out to school officials in Jay to talk about furthering collaborative efforts. SAD 36 already shares some services with Winthrop schools, which O’Brien said has been successful in improving services and cost efficiency.

Talks with Jay aren’t meant to stir consolidation, O’Brien told the Sun Journal, but, rather, partnership. “You don’t start with a giant step and create baby steps afterward,” he said. It sure seems like sound advice, and a sentiment L/A may want to consider.

The road to tax relief is paved with collaboration and consolidation. The joint commission’s report recommended baby steps first, like consolidating building codes and computer systems, followed by harder decisions on major services like police and fire.

Filing the grant application is laudable, but it’s not enough. Smaller efforts can, and should, be found in the interim. A permanent Twin Cities animal control officer, for example.

In February, we said working together, consolidating common services, saves money. Nothing about that statement is different today.

And, unfortunately, neither is lack of measured progress by the Twin Cities.