In 2005, two scientists with the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute discovered glaciers were moving faster than was thought. They found an ice sheet in Greenland moved nine miles in one year, a threefold increase over measurements from the 1990s.

“We almost fell off our chairs we were so shocked,” said scientist Leigh Stearns at the time. “I thought I had made a mistake.”

We know how you feel, Leigh.

Our reaction was similar to Lewiston-Auburn’s current progress into consolidating services. The Twin Cities’ pace remains glacial – no surprise there – but it’s faster than before.

This week, cities engaged the joint services of an animal control officer. A shared dogcatcher won’t take a big bite out of L-A’s tax bills, however.

Another noteworthy progression came Thursday, with the first meeting about consolidating L-A’s and Androscoggin County’s emergency dispatch centers, which costs taxpayers about $400,000 annually. Successes statewide in streamlining dispatch give this effort a strong chance of delivering cost savings.

Progress is inert from here. The vehicle for major gains – the cities’ citizen commission on cooperation – is dormant. Lewiston named its slate of members in late January, a process ironically stymied by protests by perhaps the city’s loudest proponent of consolidation: mayoral candidate Larry Gilbert.

Auburn has yet to name its members, although Mayor John Jenkins said Wednesday they would be named this month; we urge the mayor to make haste, as the panel has an important duty: helping hire a joint services coordinator.

Nope, that hasn’t been done either. Jim Bennett, Lewiston’s city administrator, said once the commission is set, the coordinator’s supervisors – he, Auburn City Manager Pat Finnigan and Lucien Gosselin of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council – can start interviewing candidates.

Some $150,000 was awarded to the cities in October to fund the coordinator. Officials cannot blame anyone but themselves for the delays.

Here’s a suggestion for the interim. The repair problems of Auburn’s new ladder truck raise the opportunity to explore consolidating L-A’s fire departments. They already work well together, exemplified by the fierce fire on Lisbon Street.

That night, the lack of Auburn’s Tower 1 was barely felt, given the strong response of many local fire brigades. Such regional solutions for fire coverage are better than costly capital projects, such as the Auburn Fire Department’s request for $110,000 to refurbish its dated ladder truck as a backup, for when Tower 1 goes down.

Could apparatus from another community – like Lewiston – be used instead? These are the questions city officials – and the joint services coordinator – need to answer.

(As do education officials. L-A’s school system is also ripe for consolidation, regardless of state plans.)

Our last consolidation report card gave L-A a “reluctant D.” The cities have now earned a begrudging C-minus for downright speedy, by comparison, progress.

We expect more than a dogcatcher and discussions three months from now, though.