LynnCAM president resigns

LYNN – City lawyers have asked the state attorney general?s office to take over a local cable television studio after they said former and current Lynn Community Access and Media Inc. employees raised concerns “regarding financial irregularities.”The fast-moving story includes several developments, including LynnCAM President Karen Chapman?s resignation and a city push to name new members to the studio?s five-member oversight board.?We?re working through the attorney general?s public charity division. They have the statutory authority over nonprofit corporations. They can dissolve rogue corporations and freeze their accounts and assets if there is financial malfeasance by a corporation officer,” city attorney James Lamanna said.No charges have been filed to date, and Lamanna did not specify allegations and complaints made by LynnCAM workers and former employees. He said city officials are taking steps to cut off the studio?s primary financing sources.?Mayor (Judith) Kennedy will ask Verizon to send all future payments to the city. We?ve begun similar negotiations with Comcast,” Lamanna said.Kennedy, by text message Tuesday, declined to comment on Chapman?s resignation and LynnCAM finances.Located in the former St. Jean?s Credit Union building at Western Avenue and Franklin Street, LynnCAM, according to city officials and current studio employees, receives under a city licensing agreement with Comcast and Verizon about $500,000 annually to produce regularly shown programs as well as programs created by some of the studio?s 50 community members.Its online mission statement describes LynnCAM as “…a non-profit station with the goal of protecting and helping our community members practice their (F)irst (A)mendment rights.”Programs are broadcast on Comcast channels 3 and 22 and Verizon channels 37 and 38.Chapman, who works as a Lynn Public Schools confidential secretary, resigned Sept. 18 from the LynnCAM presidency and the board of directors, according to a city Law Department document.She declined comment Tuesday on her resignation on the advice of her attorney, Murat Erkan of Andover.?Because the matter is under investigation, we cannot comment,” Erkan said.City Solicitor Michael Barry said there is “no city liability and exposure” related to LynnCAM?s finances and described the studio as “a separate nonprofit corporation.”But its bylaws give the mayor the opportunity to review LynnCAM?s budget “…for advisory purposes only.” LynnCAM and the city are also linked through the board of directors. The mayor and superintendent each appoint a director. City records list Superintendent Catherine Latham?s appointment as “open,” but Lamanna said Latham asked retired Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Santoro last Friday to fill the position.Kennedy appointed Tracy Avenue resident Lawrence McCully to the board in June 2013. On Tuesday, McCully said he has not attended a LynnCAM board meeting since his appointment and said, to his knowledge, a meeting has not been called.?I?ve never even met Karen,” he said, adding the two spoke by telephone in August.The other board members are Rob Sewall and Cynthia Demakes. McCully said the board needs to fill the vacancy created by Chapman?s resignation and organize a meeting while familiarizing Santoro with the studio?s operations.?We?re trying to get a meeting of directors set up in the near future,” McCully said.Barry said bringing new board appointments “up to speed” will put the city “on parallel paths” with potential AG involvement in LynnCAM.?We want them to move in and take operation of the corporation,” he said.AG spokeswoman Emalie Gainey on Tuesday declined to comment on city concerns or requests concerning the studio.LynnCAM employees Donna Currier and Dave Riley Jr. acknowledged Chapman?s resignation but declined to discuss it Tuesday.?We?re excited about LynnCAM moving forward,” Currier said.Riley said the studio recently won first and third place awards in an Alliance for Community Media New