Suit calls for City of Lynn to be cable-TV guide

LYNN – Local cable television overseers are ignoring city requests for improved financial controls and should be placed under court oversight, according to a city complaint filed in Superior Court.The complaint claims the directors of Lynn Community Access and Media, Inc. (LynnCAM) do not have a firm grasp on the cable studio?s operations, and have not cooperated with city requests to provide detailed financial information.The complaint asks the court to order LynnCAM to “cease all financial activities” until an auditor can examine the finances of the Western Avenue cable studio.William Hewig III, the Boston attorney retained by the city, will also ask a court justice as early as this week to have studio operations placed under court supervision “…until such time as LynnCAM adopts strict financial controls as proposed by the city of Lynn.?The LCAM board and its attorney have repeatedly refused to entertain any request for financial controls to ensure the integrity and solvency of LCAM?s fiscal operations,” the complaint stated.Board member Rob Sewell on Monday challenged the city?s claim, saying studio financial records are under fellow board member Cynthia Demakis? supervision and adding that the board is planning to hire a new bookkeeper.?We?re meeting our bills. We feel we deserve a little confidence,” Sewell said.LynnCAM produces programming with Lynn residents? participation and broadcast on Comcast channels 3 and 22 and Verizon channels 37 and 38.The city?s court challenge to LynnCAM comes three months after John F. Chapman, a Lynn resident identified in a court filing as a former studio employee, pleaded not guilty in connection to charges detailing $34,000 stolen from LynnCAM.In November, Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy signed off on a city plan to have local cable providers Verizon and Comcast pay money designated for use by LynnCAM under contracts with the city paid directly to the city and not the studio.The two cable providers paid $507,000 to LynnCAM in 2013, according to studio financial filings. After those financial controls were put in place, city attorneys last year sought to round off the board with two city appointments, but the city complaint points out Sewell, with Demakis? agreement, appointed his brother-in-law to the board.Sewell defended that decision Monday, pointing out Almanzo Rodriguez has private-sector management experience. He said board members have not violated bylaws governing their decisions and that he and Demakis have sought to cooperate with the city concerning studio financial operations.Sewell said that the studio has previous payments from Verizon and Comcast to cover payroll for three employees but warned the money “is dwindling fast.”