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June 11, 2007

Ouster from arena session leaves Lynch a 'little baffled'

A Sun Staff Report

A LITTLE confused.

That's how a surprised, and visibly annoyed, City Manager Bernie Lynch described himself Thursday after John Costello Jr. asked him to stay out of an impending Arena Commission executive-session discussion.

Costello, the commission chairman, said the request was "nothing personal."

"It's unusual," said a perturbed Lynch. "But I'm not going to make a big deal out of it."

"We've always done it this way," Costello said.

"Then you've always done it unusually," replied Lynch.

The city owns the Tsongas Arena. City Solicitor Christine O'Connor is the commission's legal counsel.

The city manager appoints four of the seven commissioners, with City Council approval.

Yet Lynch, O'Connor and Assistant City Manager Matthew Coggins all were asked to stay out of the body's executive-session discussion last week.

The trio did leave, taking a seat in the Tsongas Arena for about 10 minutes as the commissioners talked in a nearby function room. They returned to accept the commission's recommendation for a new deal with the UMass Lowell hockey program, which Lynch will present to city councilors for a vote on Tuesday.

"I was a little baffled," the manager said afterward. "Having me in the room shouldn't have any detrimental impact on their discussions, since the city owns the building. Clearly, the manager's presence is not prohibited in any way. If I thought it would have been detrimental to the city, I would have stayed, but I found it more odd than anything else.

"They seem to be a little confused with what their role is at this point," he added.

A week earlier, at a previous meeting, Lynch had engaged in a heated discussion with Arena Commission member Dana Skinner, UMass Lowell's athletic director, over the same UMass board of trustees' hockey recommendations that the city manager has now come to accept. Maybe that had something to do with Costello's request.

Or maybe it was that fact that under 1994 state legislation that established the Arena Commission, the city manager's role in setting board policy is limited. There is no provision outlining the manager's duties, except for his appointive role. The manager, in fact, isn't supposed to negotiate tenant contracts; that duty rests with the commission. In recent years, however, the commission has obliged that task to city managers.

COSTELLO IS one of the city manager's appointees to the commission, as are Commissioners Deborah Finch, Majorie Miller and Niki Tsongas, who is running for U.S. Congress.

They were silent when Costello asked Lynch to leave.

All but Finch are holdover appointments, meaning their terms have expired. Costello's and Tsongas' terms expired in September 2005. Miller's expired in August 2003.

Lynch could quickly change the Arena Commission's makeup if he so desired. Last week he said he has no plans to make any changes "at this time." But seeing what Lynch has done with other boards, you can bet something will happen.

UNTIL SHE moved back to the Mill City for her congressional run, Tsongas, widow of the arena's namesake, former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas, was actually ineligible to even serve on the Arena Commission.

The body's enabling legislation requires that all seven commission members "shall either be residents of the city or officers or employees of the university."

In recent years, Tsongas met none of the conditions but continued to serve.

An administrator with Middlesex Community College, she was living in Boston's Charlestown section for a relatively lengthy period of time before moving back to Lowell this spring.

LOTS OF chatter lately about the upcoming City Council election, and much of it revolving around Councilors George Ramirez and Eileen Donoghue and the 2005 10th-place finisher, Joe Mendonca.

Ramirez, a lawyer, has announced he will not be a candidate for re-election after serving one term. But will he serve out the term?

If Ramirez resigned early, Mendonca, who finished 1,000 votes behind the councilor, would move up to take Ramirez's seat.

It would be a leg-up for Mendonca. If there's any doubt that running as an incumbent doesn't help, just ask Councilor Kevin Broderick.

He finished 10th in 2003, but then moved up to 6th in 2005, when he ran as an incumbent after filling Rithy Uong's seat that August.

Ramirez said he'll jump early only if he gets a job with Gov. Deval Patrick's administration and if Patrick doesn't want him in elective politics.

The talk of Ramirez moving off the council should cool any notion that Donoghue would step down to devote all her energies to running for Congress.

If she did that, it would pave the way for the 2005 11th-place finisher, Michael Zaim.

Donoghue views Zaim as the handpicked candidate of then-City Manager John Cox.

Another council candidate, Mehmed Ali, said last week that when he was mulling over running, he had a conversation with Donoghue in front of the Mogan Cultural Center.

"She asked if I was running," Ali said. "I said I was unsure and she said 'Well I'm not running so you should.'"

Asked if Ali's recollection was correct, Donoghue said not quite. She did, however, say she encouraged him to run.

As for her council plans, she's declining to comment. But filing papers for the council race are due back on Aug. 7, a month before the Sept. 4 Democratic congressional primary. Will Donoghue really return her council papers at the height of the congressional campaign? And if she does, what message does that send to 5th District voters?

WHILE SOME people figure that Mendonca would cozy up to councilors who support Lynch, the candidate himself says his candidacy has little to do with the city manager and everything to do with improving Lowell's economy and school system. In a talk with Sun Editor Jim Campanini this week, Mendonca said the city must do better in attracting jobs and pushing student achievement. He was chagrined that the manager's budget reduced funding for schools even though Lowell's Statehouse delegation had worked hard to win extra money for education. Mendonca is a former Lowell School Committee member.

While Mendonca said the city is making progress in some areas, he questioned the present strategy for the Hamilton Canal district. "We should be putting commercial properties in there to create jobs and pay taxes to the city, not non-taxable properties (like the judicial center). That was never the plan," he said.

Mendonca said he and his wife will be taking a long overdue wedding anniversary trip to Alaska in July and then he'll start going door-to-door campaigning. "I'm going to work hard whether I get moved up (by Ramirez's departure) or not," he said.

SPEAKING OF trips, Councilor Edward "Bud" Caulfield and his wife, Diane, have been enjoying the lovely landscapes of bella Italia for the past 10 days. Caulfield called The Sun's newsroom from Florence earlier this week to marvel about Italy's food, museums and wine. "I can't believe how beautiful everything is. And the food," he gushed. "I must have put on five pounds." The councilor said he was especially impressed with Rome, the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel.

The Caulfields' trip was an anniversary present from their children. The couple is due back in Lowell sometime today.
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IN OTHER council developments, challenger Bob McMahon was pleased that he packed the Lowell Elks last Thursday in his campaign kickoff. The crowd, estimated at 700, was said to be the largest in years for a campaign fundraiser.

Speakers included state Sen. Steve Panagiotakos, Rep. Tom Golden and McMahon's campaign treasurer, Brendan Sousa.

Panagiotakos surely had a busy night, as his candidate in the School Committee race, Dave Conway, kicked off his campaign at the Blue Shamrock.

As expected, Conway drew a large, enthusiastic crowd, just like McMahon.

Also, Highlands resident Patricia Stratton said she's running for council, as is Curtis Freeman of South Lowell.

Stratton, who is currently unemployed, said she's concerned about the city budget. Freeman, a constable, said there should be more city programs for young people.

IS 5TH Congressional District candidate Tsongas taking a page from the playbook of 7th District U.S. Rep. Edward Markey? Markey has faced criticism for not being district-minded in terms of living arrangements, fundraising, etc.

Now comes Tsongas, who is now renting a condominium in Lowell. Last week, she had a fundraiser at a private home in Washington, D.C., that raised $25,000. A lot of old Beltway pals showed up for the event.

Tomorrow night, Tsongas and hundreds of female supporters from both in and outside the 5th District are holding a rally at the Hotel Commonwealth in Boston.

The question remains: Why isn't the event being held somewhere in the 5th District?
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A LITTLE creative name-dropping.

Donoghue sent out a slick and attractive mailer this past week, urging people to vote in the September primary.

In it, she outlined some of her many accomplishments and took steps to point out her support for a couple of key city development projects.

She was able to correctly point to her support of the LeLacheur Ball Park, but when it came time to name the city's other important sports venue, it was relegated to simply "the Arena."

Think it was an accident she forgot to include the name of the person the arena was dedicated to?

Doubtful. Betcha she balked at the thought of seeing the last name of one of her challengers capture ink in her mailer.
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OOPS! LYNCH visited his old stomping grounds Wednesday, attending the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce's legislative breakfast at the Radisson Inn in Chelmsford.

The visit -- Lynch was town manager in Chelmsford for 20 years before being hired in Lowell last summer -- apparently created some confusion.

Chamber President Jeanne Osborn introduced Lynch as "the town manager for the city of Lowell."

Moments later, Chamber board co-chairman Steve Mallette referred to Chelmsford's current town manager, Paul Cohen, as the "city manager of Chelmsford."

THE BREAKFAST featured an interesting spat between state Reps. Cory Atkins, of Concord, and Colleen Garry, of Dracut.

Atkins followed Garry, who had expressed her "concerns" about Gov. Patrick's proposed municipal relief package by polling members of the audience about whether they'd like to see higher hotel and meals taxes or bigger phone bills. (There were very few hands that went up.)

When it was her turn, the Concord resident, who represents a piece of Chelmsford, asked "how many of you are happy with the political paralysis we have that's causing our bridges to fall down and our roads to go unattended?"

She said because of the Legislature's "no new taxes pledge" dating back more than 15 years, "The public really has been robbed of an honest dialogue about what things cost and what we're going to need to contribute to have a vibrant Commonwealth."

Garry's rejoinder was to solicit another poll: How many in the room favored casino gambling?

(More hands went up than for taxes).

IF ANYONE doubted Nangle's ascending role in the Massachusetts House leadership ranks, they had better think again. On Tuesday, June 19, DiMasi has committed to being the main attraction at a daylong fundraising event for Nangle at Longmeadow Golf Club. DiMasi, who keeps a busy legislative schedule, rarely signs on to such events except for trusted allies. He'll play golf with major Nangle patrons during the day and then deliver remarks at night to all the Lowell rep's supporters who can attend. Longmeadow's beautiful veranda overlooking the closing hole is expected to be packed when Sweet Swingin' Sal -- he's a scratch player -- finishes up the round.
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THEY MAY not quite be the best of friends, but the Tewksbury Finance Committee, School Committee and Board of Selectmen appear to have buried the hatchet after several budget snafus recently left them at odds.

Representatives from the three boards reconvened after a significant lull this week as part of the Townwide Budget Subcommittee.

School Committee Chairman Keith Rauseo, who had the biggest beef with the other boards, called the meeting "gratifying."

"I think that we can start fresh ... and keep things moving in a positive way," he told fellow School Committee members last Wednesday.

But Rauseo then promptly moved to "unappoint" himself from the subcommittee, saying that he still has a problem with the "school side, town side" approach that the subcommittee is taking.

"I think that the committee will work better without me," he said, before asking longtime School Committee member and proven diplomat Scott Consaul to replace him.

Don't expect Rauseo's bluntness to vanish though. Later that night, he went on the record as saying that layoffs should be on the forefront of Tewksbury's budget cuts in the face of a $3.1 million deficit.

"It's the only way that people are going to learn that they don't get something each year just because they have been there another year," Rauseo said. "Nobody should ever get raises if there is no money for raises."

WILLIAM DOWNING could be setting the Tyngsboro School Committee up for political suicide.

This week, the School Committee member recommended overspending the school budget to hire two more teachers at the elementary school.

Downing's push is likely to be viewed by selectmen -- and even fellow School Committee members -- as sabotaging the compromise the two boards worked out this year.

The School Department was able to roll forward its budget with no layoffs, plus hire a technology director, in exchange for removing some pricey items from this spring's warrant.

Downing argues he's only doing his job -- making sure Tyngsboro children get the best education available.

But if the schools do overspend their budget, it could create tension with other departments -- especially Police and Fire -- who'll wonder why they aren't doing the same.

DRACUT'S CONTROVERSY over the likely departure of Superintendent of Schools Elaine Espindle won't go away, even though School Committee members Dennis "D.J." Deeb and Mary Gail Martin are trying hard to put it all behind.

Martin said this week she has made up her mind that Espindle's departure, in June 2008, will be in the "best interest" of Dracut's schoolchildren. "At this point, we've got to move on. We cannot continue to let the divisions being created by this issue distract us from what's most important -- a better public school system."

Martin said Espindle's letter to the committee in which the superintendent said she didn't want a contract extension was the final straw. "I was willing to keep an open mind but that letter, and her application a year ago for another job (in Peabody, which Espindle later withdrew), was enough for me."

Deeb said he credits Espindle for her accomplishments but said all is not well with the school system. He said it is time to select a new superintendent who can raise faculty morale, student test scores, and improve other deficiencies. "I've made up my mind and that's it," he said. "I'm doing my job as an elected official to protect Dracut's interest in public education. We have to look to the future."

Both made their comments in separate interviews with Campanini this past week.

AVOIDING A potential conflict of interest, Chelmsford Town Manager Cohen decided not to join Littleton's Town Administrator Search Committee.

Cohen wouldn't disclose what the conflict of interest was, but said he was simply being respectful of Litteton's search process. Littleton bylaws call for someone to be on the committee who has municipal experience, but who is not involved in local government. Cohen lives in Harvard.

"This is their second search and when I realized there could be a potential conflict of interest, I didn't want anything to disrupt their important effort of finding a town administrator," Cohen said.

Littleton Selectmen Chairman Ken Eldridge is hopeful the committee will find the right candidate, after selectman previously rejected three finalists for the job including former Westford Town Manager Glenn Fratto.

The board will vote tomorrow night on whether to appoint Paul Blazar, town administrator or "executive assistant" for Hudson, Mass. to the search committee.

This week's Column was written by Sun Editor Jim Campanini, City Editor Christopher Scott, City Hall reporter Michael Lafleur, Business Editor Dan O'Brien, Tewksbury reporter Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl, Tyngsboro reporter Chris Camire and Littleton reporter Bridget Scrimenti.

Posted by Admin at June 11, 2007 6:25 PM

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Posted by: Bill Deignan at July 29, 2007 5:07 PM

Posted by: Bill Deignan at October 17, 2007 5:56 PM