LYNN — The Lynn Water & Sewer Commission has postponed its session to discuss the contract for its new executive director.
The Commission selected external candidate James Arsenault for the position on Sept. 17. During Monday’s meeting, the Commission originally planned to conduct a session to discuss the details of the employment contract.
However, Water & Sewer Commission board members Richard Colucci and Vincent Lozzi Jr. voted against a motion to go over the contract on Monday, as they said they did not receive the official documents until moments before the meeting.
“You want transparency, and this is transparency,” Colucci said.
“I understand commissioner Colucci’s frustration,” Lozzi Jr. echoed. “This Board strives for transparency, and this is the first we’ve seen the contract.”
While Chairman Michael Celona and board member Robin Grace voted in favor of discussing the contract on Monday, the motion failed because board member and Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug was not present at the meeting to break the tie.
“I appreciate there are concerns, but we can talk about it. We don’t have to make a motion to approve anything; we just want to talk about it. We’re all here. Let’s at least have a discussion about it and see where everybody is,” Grace said of the contract.
At the previous meeting, Celona stated to the Board that he and attorney Sam Vitali would be drafting the employment contract to present at the next meeting.
Colucci then proposed to reschedule the executive session discussion to Oct. 20 so that the Commission members would have time to review all aspects of the employment contract before negotiations.
“The money could change. I want to look through the contract. I didn’t know about it until 20 minutes ago,” Colucci said.
Former Water & Sewer Executive Director Dan O’Neill resigned from the Commission in July. Arsenault, who currently serves as the Assistant Public Works Director in Hudson, said delaying the contract negotiation for two weeks makes transitioning from his previous position “very complicated.”
“I’ll get through it. I’ll do what I have to do,” Arsenault said.
