LEWISTON – Start small, councilors said Tuesday.

The future of cooperative agreements between the Twin Cities may depend on solving small problems first, before moving on to bigger issues.

“Once there’s a pilot project in place, and we’re on the road and it’s working and success is seen, I think it’s going to be easier to move to the more difficult ones,” Ward 1 Councilor Tom Peters said Tuesday.

Councilors directed City Administrator Jim Bennett to meet with acting Auburn City Manager Laurie Smith and members of the Citizen’s Commission on Lewiston Auburn Cooperation over the next two months.

They should identify a handful of easily combined services. And Peters said Lewiston doesn’t mind if Auburn leads the effort.

“I’m happy to have Auburn bring their ideas to us,” Peters said. “I’d rather be on the receiving end, so it does not seem that we’re trying to push a hidden agenda. That’s something I’ve heard in the community.”

Members of the commission presented a progress report to a joint meeting of the Lewiston and Auburn city councils last week. Their study so far predicts the cities could save $1.86 million over the next five years by combining government services, including sharing a city manager.

Councilors from both cities agreed to continue discussions at their individual workshops over the next few weeks. Auburn’s council discussed it Monday, saying they were not sure if any city council was willing to spend money on combining services.

Peters echoed his Auburn counterparts Tuesday, saying he didn’t know if there was the political will to continue.

“At some point, if we cannot find some common ground with our brothers and sisters in Auburn, we have to move on,” Peters said. “We have other things to do. I do not want to see that happen, but this has been going on for a number of years and it’s time to make some policy decisions.”