Kennedy, Phelan talk diversity

LYNN – Incumbent Judith Flanagan Kennedy and challenger Timothy Phelan fielded questions from a slightly different direction Thursday during a mayoral forum sponsored by the African American Leadership Council.”Lynn is a very diverse city,” said Darrell Murkison, who emceed much of the event. “That is a challenge in front of either of these candidates.”The pair were asked, in three separate questions, whether they believe the School Department, Public Safety or City Hall reflects the true diversity of the city and what they might do to change it.”There is a short term answer and a long term answer,” said Kennedy regarding the School Department. “I think we need to cast the recruiting net wider and we’ve been doing that.”Kennedy said she hopes a mentor program between Salem State University and the public schools that nurtures future teachers might turn out more minority teachers.Phelan noted that 98.8 percent of the faculty in the Lynn Public Schools are white.”Point one percent is Hispanic and .03 percent is African American,” he added. “We need to focus on more specific minority recruiting.”When it comes to hiring municipal employees who reflect the city’s diversity, Kennedy said she is leading by example.”Of the seven I’ve hired in my office, four are of color so I put my money where my mouth is,” she said.Phelan said he hasn’t had the chance to hire anyone since the council doesn’t have that authority but he has appointed minorities to various boards.Both she and Phelan also agreed that instituting a Civil Service day at the high schools to teach students how to study for and take the Civil Service exam would be a great idea.In terms of Public Safety Kennedy noted that she is bound in some ways by the Civil Service process, which requires her to hire from a Civil Service list, however, she did call for a minority list when she was first elected.Candidates were also put on the spot regarding disparity and what Murkison called a classic case of the haves versus the have nots.”Ward 1 has swans and ducks in their pond,” he said. “Wards 5 and 6 have pigeons and rats on The Commons.”Phelan pointed to the $4 million bond that he along with Ward 6 Councilor Peter Capano spearheaded that has money earmarked for infrastructure repairs including $400,000 for The Commons, as well as money for McManus Field, Frey Park and Cook Street Park.Kennedy noted that she also applied and won a $400,000 grant to match the bond money for McManus Field.”So not only are we regrading the fields but we’re putting in a splash pad at McManus so the kids in West Lynn will have the same opportunity to cool off on a summer day as the kids at Flax Pond,” she said.A question about how a possible casino might impact the community turned into a discussion on funding small businesses.”The biggest problem businesses have is no access to capital,” Phelan said. “There is no money to help them get started.”Phelan said if elected he would put the city’s budget out to bid and require any bank who wants to hold the city’s money to give back in lower business rates particularly for minority- or women-backed businesses.”We already do have the EDIC (Economic Development Industrial Corporation) small business assistance program,” Kennedy said. “It gave out 54 loans equaling $3.25 million.”Old ground was covered regarding the foreclosure ordinance that Phelan championed and Kennedy vetoed, and Phelan’s desire to move My Brother’s Table and the shelter out of the downtown area.”I don’t think it’s the right location,” Phelan said.Kennedy said due to a legal twist regarding the building that houses both programs the city has no choice but to use the property for homeless services until 2020.It is the sixth time the pair has faced off in a forum setting and they will have one more go at it today during the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at the Porthole.Then it will be up to the voters on Nov. 5 to decide who is the ultimate winner.Video courtesy Lynn Happens.
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