LEWISTON — City councilors will take discussions about the downtown housing stock and code enforcement into the streets Wednesday afternoon.

Councilors have scheduled a special meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday to tour some neighborhoods around the city, looking at housing quality and needs.

Mayor Larry Gilbert said he suggested the meeting because housing quality has been a topic of discussion lately.

“We’ve heard from tenant groups and from landlords in the past few weeks, telling us we need to do something,” Gilbert said. The council agreed to create a new code enforcement position devoted entirely to rental housing and multiple-unit apartments.

“But when you have both tenants and landlords talking about similar issues, I feel it’s important to get out and have a tour,” Gilbert said. “I’m a firm believer in management by walking around.”

City Administrator Ed Barrett said the stops on the council’s tour were suggested by the city’s code enforcement staff.

“We’re trying to show a range of conditions, all over the city,” Barrett said.

The tour will begin at City Hall. Councilors and staff will climb into a van and visit locations along Lisbon Street first.

From there, the tour will visit the neighborhood around Potvin Park, Knox and Spruce streets, Walnut and Pierce streets, Howe and Ash streets, Spring and Ash streets, and Oak and Sabattus streets.

At each stop, councilors will get out of the van and walk around, visiting specific buildings.

“I don’t know if we’ll get to all the buildings we want, in one afternoon,” Barrett said. “We’ll do as much as we can.”

Gilbert said he wants councilors to consider other image-related issues in the downtown, as well.

“I want us to consider: Are our litter regulations enough?” Gilbert said. “Are they being enforced well enough? And what can we do about blight and grass-cutting and buildings that need to be painted? Basically, I want us to just get out and see the conditions.”

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