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.

Kudos to Matt Smith for suggesting that the city planning board and council hold a joint meeting to discuss downtown improvement plans.

Councilor David Dempsey, who along with councilor Thomas McNabb supported the $1.86 million revitalization plan in the late September vote, agreed with Smith, adding that business owners are eager to get together with city officials on this matter.

To see Smith and Dempsey find common ground on this issue was refreshing - they've often been at odds - and we urge them to not let this matter rest.

Like many issues that have dragged on too long this year at city hall, the downtown revitalization project is one that can't become a victim of procrastination.

Auburn's downtown area has some momentum - a refurbished State Street Mall and the vibrant Auburn Public Theater are two major examples.

But it's hardly enough to propel a major surge in business that so many merchants desperately need. The city needs to play a bigger role for that kind of change to happen.