LEWISTON — City officials will move to terminate the Public Health Committee it shares with Auburn, creating a new Lewiston-only group to consider community health issues.

According to a news release from Lewiston Deputy City Administrator Phil Nadeau, Auburn officials have not ratified a new set of bylaws for the group. Lewiston councilors approved the new bylaws in February.

In his release, Nadeau said he had tried to get Auburn councilors to review the proposals. The matter was referred to the City Council’s Economic and Community Development subcommittee but it was never discussed.

“To date, I have received no email or other communications on this request,” Nadeau wrote in his release. “Given the absence of any response and the length of time the city of Lewiston has been awaiting any response from the city on what appeared to be a fairly simple and routine request, I discussed what next steps should be taken with (Lewiston-Auburn Public Health Committee) member(s) (and) council President Kristen Cloutier.”

Cloutier is expected to introduce to the City Council on June 7 a resolution to terminate the agreement with Auburn that created the group. She will also introduce a resolution creating a Lewiston-only group, Nadeau said in his release.

The cities created the committee in 2008 to discuss responses to public health concerns, including lead, bedbugs and drug addiction.

staylor@sunjournal.com

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