Downtown plans demand city progress

When the Auburn City Council in late September essentially rejected five years of planning for a major downtown revitalization project by failing to approve the project moving forward, no one on the council suggested that efforts to improve downtown are a bad idea. They just didn't like the financial aspects of the proposal in front of them.

But until the council takes some proactive steps to come up with a suitable alternative to the plan that failed, be skeptical of any public statements they make about their commitment to a better downtown, especially the three councilors who either voted against the measure or abstained from voting - Matt Smith, William Graney and Mayor Tim Lattimore (the man who abstained).

Fortunately, last week's council meeting finally offered a glimmer of hope that this vital initiative will once again become a priority.