LYNN— City Councilor Dr. Peter Meaney resigned as chairman of the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission (LWSC), three days after being voted to that position.
Monday night at the Water and Sewer Commission’s first meeting of the year, Meaney, a new member of the commission participating in his first meeting, was appointed chairman despite Michael Celona already having been reappointed in December by all five commissioners at the time.
“I was definitely surprised and disappointed by the actions that Councilor Meaney, Commissioner (Vin) Lozzi (Jr.), and (Richard) Colucci took at the meeting,” Celona stated.
Upon Colucci’s motion to nominate Meaney as chair, the board voted in favor 3-1.
The Lynn Water & Sewer Commission (LWSC) was established by the state legislature in 1982. Under the statute, there are two commission members appointed by the mayor and three by the City Council, with one of those seats designated for a sitting city councilor. The council also has to approve the mayor’s appointees. On the current board, Celona and Robin Grace were appointed by the mayor and Colucci and Lozzi were tabbed by the council. New City Council President Coco Alinsug was the council representative until stepping down and being replaced by Meaney.
Public opposition intensified Thursday, when Andrea Amour, the founder of Save Kings Beach, created a petition with two requests: for Celona to be reinstated as chair of the LWSC and for the City of Lynn to commit to transparency and qualification-based criteria for the commission’s leadership and appointments.
“Lynn Water and Sewer leadership directly impacts how quickly the sewage pollution gets remedied,” Amour said in explaining her reasoning for the petition.
“Mike, perhaps, is the most critical commissioner at Lynn Water and Sewer, working to investigate and fix sources of pollution at Kings Beach,” she continued.
Amour said that approximately 200 people had signed the petition, which was a result of people across Lynn making phone calls and sending messages about what they believed was right.
“I do believe we’re a very strong voice in the community standing up for what was right, which was to put Mike Celona back in his role as chair at the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission,” Amour said.
Shortly after the petition was released on social media, Meaney also took to social media to post a photo of his resignation letter, later stating that his number one priority during his three years as a city councilor and every public role he’s had is to serve and help the people of Lynn in meaningful, constructive ways.
Addressing his resignation, Meaney said, “I thought it was in the best interest. When I got the chairmanship, I didn’t anticipate this kind of backlash.”
He continued, “It’s not about me at the end of the day, it’s about cleaning up the beach, and it’s about having good drinking water. I would have been a distraction, which is counterproductive towards the mission.”
When asked if he would be open to becoming chair again of the LWSC if re-elected, Celona responded with a simple “Yes.”
Mayor Jared Nicholson said, “The LWSC plays a very important role in our residents’ daily lives and I appreciate the enhanced collaboration the commission has embraced with our administration. I look forward to working with the council’s new appointment along with the other commissioners.”
