LEWISTON – Twin Cities officials have already starting sorting through resumes for a joint services coordinator, councilors learned Tuesday.

Auburn City Manager Pat Finnigan, Lewiston City Administrator Jim Bennett and Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council met last week to begin looking at applicants for the job.

“We’re starting from the ground floor with this position,” Finnigan told councilors from both cities in a joint meeting Tuesday at Lewiston City Hall. “Nobody’s ever done this before, so we’ve gotten a wide range of resumes. I’d say it’s a very well-rounded group.”

Next, the three will meet with members of a new Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation to select and hire the employee.

Lewiston appointed its members to that group last month. They are Anthony Ferguson, Ron Farris, Bette Swett-Thibeault, Mark Carrier and Ron Bissonnette.

Auburn’s appointees, named just before Tuesday night’s joint session, are Roger Blais, Lee Jay Feldman, Peter Garcia, Eric Howes and Curtis Webber.

The new group is being tasked to continue a joint-services effort that began late in 2004.

Mayors from both cities appointed the first group to find savings by combining municipal services. That group released a report one year ago calling for consolidation of the city’s bread-and-butter services over the next five years. It also suggested appointing a joint city services coordinator to lead the effort and a committee to help that person.