To the editor:
In the three years since Katie has been elected to the Swampscott Select Board, I have been an observer of the conduct and progress of the Select Board not only as a resident (and by the way, Katie defeated me in that same 2022 election!), but also as a member of the Swampscott Affordable Housing Trust (AHT). Over these past three years, I have come to know her as a hardworking and earnest representative of Swampscott.
She is someone who can analyze and evaluate the needs of the town, the realities of governance, and necessity for public process, and then come to workable solutions.
Thus, it is with great pleasure that I offer my support for Katie Phelan’s re-election for another term on the Swampscott Select Board.
Most recently, I was able to work with Katie in my capacity as a housing advocate and on behalf of the AHT to keep the excellent Pine Street supportive affordable housing project for veterans moving in the right direction. I am impressed and thankful that Katie was able to help negotiate the land disposition agreement with the Pine Street project developer using her intellectual skills as an attorney who understands real estate, environmental matters, and contractual obligations, in combination with her social intellect. The result is an agreement with a fantastic developer and a commitment to a valuable development that will benefit Swampscott greatly for years and years to come.
Outside of the specifics of the LDA, discussions about this development have created strain on relationships in the Town, but Katie has proven to be someone who can rise above toxicity and reach a hand across the divide. I don’t think we can ask much more than that of any leader and I want to publicly thank her in any event for being someone who chooses to do that.
When going to the polls on Tuesday, April 29, please consider how important it is to have a select board with vision, dedication, integrity, and kindness and vote for Kate Phelan.
Sincerely,
Kim Martin-Epstein
Swampscott
