A monumental move was made this week to advance shared service delivery in Lewiston and Auburn. The decision to put city planning, zoning, and permitting systems on the same information technology backbone sets the stage for significant efficiencies.

Planning and permitting has, for years, supported each other and covered tasks on either riverbank as workloads have demanded. The working relationships among the staff have advanced collaborations that have often gone unnoticed.

The new program, costing each city about $177,000, will reportedly automate scheduling and tracking of jobs and eliminate the need for individuals to do those tasks. City staff are now beginning to meet to consider how zoning, code enforcement processes, and fees might be further aligned.

This is where the rubber will meet the road.

Staff efficiencies and sharing costs will make for better services for a comparable cost, or at times, even less money. This goes with the regular rhetoric of candidates for municipal office or sitting councilors; saving taxpayer money and controlling growth in budgets.

Those are admirable goals but don’t always overcome a critical challenge; making the cities business and development friendly.

Let’s say a developer recognizes the potential of downtown and begins searching for a viable site for a multi-story residential building with first-floor retail options. Which zoning districts allow for this type of development and what are the requirements for any site?

Rather than having one set of zoning for the downtown, the developer would need become familiar with the requirements of both cities as part of their search.

Before this new system is rolled out, city staff have committed to reviewing the ordinances of both cities and proposing changes to harmonize them. There appeared to be little resistance from elected officials at the notion of aligning zoning ordinances, in addition to the fee structures for permits.

When the zoning changes are complete, a map of Lewiston-Auburn should show comparable language throughout both cities. This sets the stage for much more exciting discussion than software.

The next step, which those that champion L-A revitalization should welcome, is maximizing the potential for economic and community growth in Lewiston and Auburn.

Should downtown enterprise zones connect to each other downtown and across the river? Should industrial zones be linked along the Maine Turnpike through both cities?

In the 21st century, Lewiston and Auburn have limited infrastructure to leverage to grow the regional economy, create and sustain jobs and provide public services.

Creating the back office operations to support a unified zoning plan for both cities is step one.

Jonathan LaBonte, of New Auburn, is a columnist for the Sun Journal and an Androscoggin County Commissioner. E-mail: [email protected].