Kennedy aide to appear before council

LYNN – The computer consultant who triggered a clash between Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and City Council President Timothy Phelan last week when he took a council computer on Kennedy’s orders is scheduled to answer councilors’ questions next Tuesday night.Kennedy on Tuesday signed the council order directing former campaign manager Kenneth Weeks to “appear before the next council meeting to answer questions regarding the recent actions relative to the City Council computer.”Councilors voted 7-4 on Sept. 24 to use subpoena powers under the City Charter to call Weeks before the council. Assistant City Solicitor James Lamanna said a subpoena bearing Weeks’ name will be prepared this morning.”We’ll call a constable to have him served,” Lamanna said.In other mayoral race news, a Secretary of State’s spokesman on Wednesday said Phelan apologized for using the official “seal of the Commonwealth” on a campaign mailing.”He was told it was not a proper use. He said he was unaware of that and said he would cease,” said Brian McNiff.Phelan, in a statement, said he received a voice message from an employee in the Secretary’s public records division regarding the seal.”They asked me to call back and leave a message confirming it’s not on any website, which it’s not, and we will stay away from using it again,” he stated.)In a letter to councilors, Weeks stated he is “more than willing to appear before the Council with reasonable notification.”Kennedy last week said her concerns about Phelan campaign mailings prompted her to meet on Sept. 17 – preliminary election day – with District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett. Hours after the morning meeting, she went with Weeks to the council office and directed him to take council executive assistant Terry Young’s computer and examine it.Following Weeks’ examination, Kennedy concluded Young’s computer “was not used” in connection with campaign activities that prompted her meeting with the DA, but its temporary absence from the council office prompted Young to complain to Solicitor Michael Barry who asked a part-time city attorney to investigate the matter.David Grunebaum interviewed Kennedy and Young and will submit a “finding of fact” report as early as Thursday, Lamanna said.Phelan criticized Kennedy last week “for sneaking into the City Council office with her former campaign manager,” but said he will step down from his routine role of presiding over council meetings next Tuesday.”I want this to be a fair, open process. I will participate in the meeting but I will not preside,” he said.Weeks, a Lynnfield resident, has provided information technology services to the mayor’s office since 2010, according to city paperwork. Former mayoral chief of staff Claire Cavanagh picked Weeks’ firm, NorthEast Tech Pros, in January, 2010 “to oversee specialized technology functions,” including “specialized IT projects at the request of the Mayor” over two other computer firms.NorthEast Tech offered Cavanagh a $50 hourly flat rate for its services, according to city Purchasing Department paperwork, while consultants Eric Schuler and Warren Yohesvaran offered hourly rates ranging from $115 to $135 and $75 to $125, respectively.Weeks received $20,000 in payments from the mayor’s office in 2010 and $15,250 in 2011 after Cavanagh, through another telephone solicitation process, picked NorthEast Tech over two other firms.In that solicitation memorandum, Cavanagh noted NorthEast Tech Services’ “proven successful service and overall benefit value.”City purchase orders indicate Weeks’ firm was paid $26,000 by the mayor’s office in the spending year that began July 1, 2011. By that time, according to a mayor’s office memorandum, he had almost completed tasks including an upgrade to City Hall’s computer system, establishing a reverse 911 emergency call system and “city-wide personnel tracking systems.”Weeks was paid about $5,000 for his services last year and has earned, according to city records, $6,000 to date this year.”As