LYNN — Mayor Jared Nicholson participated in the “New Mayors Take the Helm” panel Wednesday via Zoom as part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s 2022 Winter Meeting.
The panel — hosted by Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Deputy Executive Director Lizzi Weyant — featured four newly elected mayors, who shared how their agendas have progressed during the first couple of months in their respective corner offices.
The four mayors — Nicholson of Lynn, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Gloucester Mayor Greg Vega — also touched on whether their campaign promises had come to fruition.
Nicholson said one of the big ideas of his mayoral campaign was the theme of inclusivity — to ensure that everyone in Lynn is participating in conversations and projects that have an impact on the city and its community. He highlighted the creation of a new committee — the Lynn Development Team — which is responsible for streamlining the review and discussion process for prospective developers.
This team consists of Nicholson, the ward councilor for where the proposed project would be located; Economic Development & Industrial Corporation of Lynn (EDIC/Lynn) Executive Director James Cowdell; Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND) Executive Director Charles Gaeta; Principal City Planner Aaron Clausen; Inspectional Services Department (ISD) Chief Michael Donovan, and Director of Community Development James Marsh.
“One of our big themes was growth for the big city and growth that was inclusive,” Nicholson said. “I think, so far, that theme has translated well to the government and that goal has been met receptively.”
The four mayors were also asked how their communities have been handling the COVID-19 pandemic. All four entered office when the highly contagious omicron variant became the most common variant in the country.
Nicholson gave credit to his predecessor, Mayor Thomas M. McGee, for how he handled the pandemic, specifically in how he took a regional approach by collaborating and communicating with nearby cities and towns. Nicholson said he has followed McGee’s approach, in terms of looking to and studying other communities and the science when making decisions that affect residents’ physical and mental health.
“My predecessor has dealt with the bulk of this so far, and he’s done a tremendous job,” said Nicholson. “One of the most important things he’s done that I have learned is the regional collaboration. The response has to be regional.”
As for future goals, Nicholson said he is most focused on the electrification of the Commuter Rail, which has been a work in progress since 2019.
The MAPC is a public agency created under Massachusetts General Law. It is governed by representatives from each city and town in the region, as well as gubernatorial appointees and designees of major public agencies.
In January, Nicholson’s office submitted an application for a project related to workforce development, as part of MAPC’s technical-assistance grant program. If accepted, it will allow the city to create a workforce-development strategic plan that would look at regional trends and see where efforts can be focused on training and assistance.
The strategic plan would also explore some of the barriers to training and employment, such as access to child care, transportation and other social services.
