Lynn Ward 1 candidates tout experience, availability

LYNN – The two candidates for Ward 1 Councilor agree that the city needs to find money to improve its infrastructure, parks and address quality-of-life issues.But they disagree profoundly on how to do it.”We need to take a fresh look at everything with how to pay for projects,” incumbent Wayne Lozzi said. “Gowdy Park: all done at no cost to (the) taxpayer; Magnolia Basketball court: no cost to taxpayer; Flax Pond: all state and federal grants. There is opportunity.”But while Lozzi emphasized grants from outside the city, challenger Bob Walsh said that Lynn already has resources.”We need people to get off their ass – in plain English – and do their job,” said Walsh. “Customer service at City Hall is nil. Anybody who goes to City Hall gets a headache. Department Heads are not should be eating those guys up. They should call them in every Tuesday and say what’s going on here ? I’m going to ask why certain things don’t get done and why they aren’t accountable.”Their approach to solving the problems might be different, but Lozzi and Walsh seem to share some of the same concerns.Walsh said that the snow plowing was “horrible” last winter and criticized Lozzi and the other councilors for not meeting with residents to devise a better plan this year.He also cited constituents’ complaints about potholes on Lynnfield Street and faded signs and crosswalks that impair public safety.”Until you walk around the city, you don’t really realize how fast people are traveling,” Walsh said. “In any part of the city, in any part of the ward, parents are concerned. I still don’t understand why there isn’t a light at the hospital.”Lozzi agreed that constituent services need to improve.”Sidewalks, road repairs, trees, snow removal – services that ward councilors encounter, we need to do a better job there,” Lozzi said.But he also listed his efforts to improve the ward.He said he spearheaded the vote to transfer $300,000 from the city’s free cash account to purchase snow removal equipment for this winter.”We needed more, but this was a start and we’ll have to continue to work to get the DPW the equipment,” Lozzi said.He also cited infrastructure improvements, including a $1.3 million state project to repave several streets, including Lynnfield Street. Another $3.3 million from a state bond will go toward new curbing, drainage and sidewalks on Lynnfield Street, he said, in addition to using city money.He also said that as the council’s Public Works Committee Chair he is constantly in contact with the Department of Public Works on behalf of residents.Watching the moneyWalsh said that grant money does little unless city officials take more responsibility about how it’s used.He said that the city purchased a new fire engine, but he saw that the truck was out of service because nobody had the equipment to fix the transmission.”It was a fantastic truck, the city needs that,” Walsh said. “But they spent $850,000 and can’t man the equipment.”He cited similar problems with plans to develop the waterfront.”They talk about the vision of the waterfront,” Walsh said. “But they’re already in default at Seaport ? and they want to move forward on a commuter dock?”Lozzi said that he wasn’t aware of an engine truck out of service or needing repairs, but it was possible.He said that one of the city’s older ladder trucks was out of service because of overtime pay necessary for manning it.But he believes city officials have worked to finance the waterfront development using a variety of sources.Lozzi cited the $1.6 million project to erect a wind turbine at the wastewater treatment plant as a win-win for the city. He said the project was partially paid for by a $600,000 state grant and debt-relief monies, and the city will pay off their $1 million cost within five to seven years through cost-savings and the sale of energy credits.He urged similar efforts in dealing with one of the top priorities in his ward: improving its public parks, which he called “jewels.””Here we are