LYNN — Mayor Jared Nicholson has finalized his appointments for three boards and commissions and sent them to the City Council, which will vote on the recommendations on Tuesday night.
Nicholson announced his 20 recommended appointments to the Conservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and Citizens Advisory Board on Friday. He said he was making these appointments to ensure full capacity for the three boards.
These selections include four reappointments; two members moving from associate to regular members of their current board, and 14 new faces to City Hall. Ten of these recommended members identify as Latino, Asian, or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), and nine identify as women. All of these citizens bring relevant experience, skills and qualifications to their respective appointments, according to Nicholson’s office.
The mayor’s decision to make these appointments comes on the heels of a recent meeting by the Conservation Commission, which could not proceed because it was unable to reach a quorum due to several unfilled member positions, Nicholson said.
Without these appointments bringing it to full capacity, the ZBA was also in danger of not being able to reach a quorum at future meetings. A quorum is the minimum number of members that must be present during a meeting to ensure valid proceedings, Nicholson said.
Nicholson said he also prioritized his appointments for the Citizens Advisory Board because that board was due to hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
“We truly believe this is a highly qualified group of appointments, as well as a diverse group that reflects the population of the city they have so graciously stepped forward to serve,” said Nicholson. “We are very appreciative of the interest from all of the applicants and the service of prior members. These appointments are a great step forward toward our administration’s goals of bringing effectiveness and inclusivity to our local government.”
Nicholson has appointed new members Brenda Escobar, Paul Gouthro, Alexa Marquis and Joselyn Yrata-Mart, and reappointed current members Mary Lester and Michael Toomey to the Conservation Commission.
The Conservation Commission is responsible for protecting wetlands, water resources and adjoining land areas in the city. These six appointments were selected from 28 applicants and all of them have backgrounds in environmental science and engineering, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation and personal knowledge of key areas such as Lynn Woods, King’s Beach and the Saugus River.
Nicholson has appointed Ibrahim Lopez-Hernandez, Flory Makuwa and Son Wooten to serve as regular members, and Bret Bennet, Brendan Duffy, Brianna Maggio and Victor Olson to serve as associate members on the ZBA. Wooten and Makuwa are currently associate members on the city’s zoning board.
The ZBA is responsible for hearing and voting on requests for variances from the city’s zoning requirements. These seven appointments were chosen from 33 applications. Nicholson said he felt the board required members with technical knowledge and understanding; all of these appointments include citizens with backgrounds in civil engineering, architecture, construction and real estate, he said.
Nicholson has reappointed William Maciak and appointed Alysha Bingham, Cecilia Lujan, Tish Mukala, Tanvir Murad and Latoya Ogunbona to the Citizens Advisory Board.
The Citizens Advisory Board is responsible for holding public meetings and hearings about the Community Development Program, community needs, and proposals to meet those needs. Its members also interact with the public regarding grants and funding for local projects.
To that end, Nicholson said he was looking for people with a deep understanding of the city’s residents and neighborhoods, and the needs that both have. He said his appointments — which were chosen from 52 applications — include people with backgrounds in social work, activism, cultural organizations, and grant review.
While the residency requirement in the city charter does not extend to the city’s boards and commissions, the majority of these appointments are residents of Lynn. Mary Lester, who currently chairs the Conservation Commission, lives in South Hamilton.
The selection process for these three boards started on Jan. 20, when Nicholson published a notice asking residents to apply for open positions. His office utilized email distribution lists, social media and word of mouth to solicit applications prior to the Jan. 31 deadline.
Nicholson said the residents who were not recommended for appointments should feel free to apply when future board and commission openings are available.
“If you’ve felt excluded before, for any reason, now is the time to try again,” said Nicholson. “We are opening the doors to this process to everyone who has a desire to participate in and help the city.”
These appointments have to be approved by the City Council.
