LEWISTON – The recipe for being a good city councilor is simple, according to resident Robert Lambert.

Think about what’s best for the entire city, not just your ward, he urged councilors Thursday night. Pay attention to your constituents, and actually listen to what they have to say.

“If you have some papers in front of you or some memos to ready, do that on your own time,” Lambert, of 94 Summit St. said. “There’s nothing more insulting than when someone comes down to talk to you and your fooling around with papers.”

And when it comes time to vote, don’t look to the people sitting in front of you for direction – think about your constituents, sitting out in front of you.

“Say, ‘I’m about to vote, but is this the best thing for the majority of the people Lewiston?'” he said.

It was one of the many tips councilors heard from nine people Thursday at a public workshop. The meeting was specifically scheduled with an open microphone for residents to talk directly to councilors about their suggestions or their pet peeves.

It’s part of the new council’s effort to connect to voters and provide a more open, accessible government.

“I think you’ll find this council is going to be very conservative, financially,” said Ward 4 Councilor Denis Theriault. “We plan on handling money the way you handle your household’s money. We’re going to be very careful.”

Suggestions Thursday ranged from creating an off-leash park for dogs somewhere in Lewiston to finding a place for downtown residents to park.

“I’m not talking about 9-5 parking for businesses, but April to December, overnight parking for residents,” said Brian Banton of 27 Spruce St.

Public transportation deserves some scrutiny, according to a couple of residents. Claire LePage, speaking for activist group the Visible Community, said downtown residents want more bus service. But Bob Foss, who owns the Country Lane Estates mobile home park, said he regularly sees empty buses.

“This is probably one of the hugest wastes that we’ve got going right now,” Foss said. He suggested replacing the city’s current bus system and providing vouchers for taxi rides instead.

“How much does one of those buses cost, anyway?” he asked. “And then we’ve got the cost of a gallon of diesel to run up and down the street empty.”

Councilor Robert Reed agreed city bus service deserves some attention. He said he knows of bus systems from Bangor and Seattle, Wash., that regularly bring in riders.

“The question is, why do the people in Bangor ride the bus but ours don’t?” Reed said. “That’s what we need to answer before we can get to any solutions.”