Left In Lowell

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I’m sure you have heard by now. (The Sun in its infinite incompetence likes to move their links around and let the previous one die. Link edited - Lynne)

Let’s all take a deep breath and consider our next steps carefully. The City has acted:

The challenge we face, as a community, is that events have been escalating and rhetoric is as heated, as the finger pointing. We have to be better going forward.

Starting with the residents of Lowell, we need to carefully craft a sustainable solution that all the stakeholders can find acceptable. No one “party” will get all that they desire, as we have several competing interests. It is upon our civic leaders to lead by example and gingerly walk this process to a fair outcome. So, as the Zen Master says, “Empty your cup.”

Please bring something to the table on this Open Thread

April 2006 - CM Cox resigns.
June 2006 - CM Lynch is hired.
End of July 2006 - Lynch takes the helm.

John Cox’s Future

Lowell’s city manager still has the entire month of July on the job, before he takes some time off to rest and relax and reflect on his future. John Cox told me earlier this week that he has some prospects, but nothing definite.
-snip

With his many contacts at the Statehouse, Cox could be an asset in the right lobbying mix. He’s done it before with success, although Cox said he is reluctant to plunge into it. “You can make a lot of money,” he said, “but my daughter is going into high school and I’d like to be around my family rather than in Boston.” As Cox explains it, being a successful lobbyist means longs days and late nights. It can wear on you after awhile, he said. For six years, Cox was the face behind Lowell’s revitalization and growing reputation as a great place to live. He’ll leave with nary a severance package, just his last paycheck and many fond memories of serving the City Council and the people of Lowell to the best of his ability. Sure, Cox made mistakes, but his successes far outweighed the miscues. His ability to get things done, even during the recession, will be hard to duplicate after his connections to the Legislature’s political heavyweights are gone. …

That was June 2006. Soon, storm clouds blotted out The Sun. (more…)

I betya that C.Elliott is starting to have second thoughts about his LHA crusade. It might be that he is quickly running out of further places to move the goal posts too. It might be that the buzz around town is turning sour. There is no way to be sure.

The Blog of Record gives two clues:

“This visit confirmed that the LHA and the City will achieve the desired outcome of assuring public safety, compliance of the State Building Code and the issuance of valid Certificates of Occupancy for the renovated units if the plan is followed going forward,” Sullivan wrote.

Oh, there is also this clue:

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You can read the entire LHA article, written by Lyle Moran, and not find a single quote by C.Elliott. What are the odds?

You should really try to get through Deluca’s diary, over on Gerry’s blog. Yes, I know. The sickly sweet platitudes are enough to make you yak, but he is on to something.

City Manager Cleans Up Dodge

I’m not sure if Deluca even realizes how correct he is. The City Manager has purged the under the table economy that linked City Hall to less than scrupulous business owners perpetrating bribery, ect. Wake up, folks. You think “cash transaction” management in the Clerk’s office is Lynch’s BIGGEST problem?

There is a reason that the ‘gang that can’t shoot straight’ is falling all over themselves to rid Lowell of Bernie Lynch.

Does this clue you in?:

Feel free to fly over to Never Never Land to discuss this matter. Though, you may come back here to swirl the bowl with me when your pushback to pablum like, “I think Councilor Elliot will place his confidence squarely with City Manager Lynch if he proves its deserved.” gets, …. um …. er …. ah! … recycled. Yes. When your brisk comment gets “recycled,” you can opt to redeem it here.

Update: JfL hits it out of the park.

joe from Lowell Says:
Bud Caulfield is playing with fire. The LPD has spent a decade and a half building up solid relationships with the Cambodian community, as part of its innovative and successful community policing strategy. What’s despicable here is an effort to polarize the city between supporters of Nuon and supporters of the police for cheap political reasons.

So, I’m listening to the replay of City Life, this afternoon, when I heard former Mayor Caulfield describe current Councilor Vesna Nuon, as “despicable.” Maybe he meant that C.Nuon’s actions, standing up for his civil rights, was despicable. I can’t parse that closely, the word was shocking.

I texted a buddy of mine: “Bud called Vesna despicable on City Life” The answer was one word, “Par”

Ensure you watch the whole thing. It’s 5:36 of civic trainwreck.

It amazes me how a former Mayor can speak with such faux authority on a subject that he clearly knows so little about. He speaks with utter disregard for the office from which he came. It was sad to watch. You have to consider this mindset was voting on our City’s business, just over a month ago. *exhale*

As it would happen, Councilor Nuon appeared last week on City Life. His approach to the issue was very conciliatory, looking forward with respect for Lowell’s Police. Don’t believe me. See for yourself, here.

Caulfield finished by summizing that C.Nuon was, “suing the taxpayer.” It just blows my mind that Caulfield could have it so wrong!

Worse yet, he speaks, somehow, for a “raw nerve” that is throbbing in Lowell. Clearly, the remedy is Preparation H.

My-oh-my, how the Bernie Bashers are all jazzed up. The kabuki level is volcanic in the Council Chamber. The Blog of Record can’t kill enough trees. The heat from their pages are singeing little birdie bottoms all over the Merrimack Valley.

Now, WCAP spilleth over!!!!!!
(bold mine)
1/25/2012 City Manager Bernie Lynch on LHA, Resumes & Non-Profits

“Susan from Lowell” (13:00) I do think that, Mr. Manager, you lost all credibility and respect, last night, when you basically said that you didn’t know that, you know, the Council wanted you to bring all of the resumes forward. That the motion, you know, you weren’t clear on that. I mean, you’re supposed to be a professional, smart man and you didn’t know that. And, this has been an ongoing issue for some time now about resumes and you mean to tell me, you know, that you didn’t know you were asked to bring all 3 in. I think you blatantly lied, you know, right there and I think it should be a wakeup call to the City Council and to the citizens of Lowell. If you lie like that, you now, right out in public, God only knows what you’re doing behind closed doors.

By gosh, by golly. “Susan from Lowell” speaks truth to POWER! Woot! Whoa, wait, truth to power requires truth. Mostly, but not in the mouths of Bernie Bashers.

“Susan from Lowell” is about as sure of what Councilor Elliott said on Tuesday, January 17th; well as, Councilor Elliott. Here is the words C.Elliott used to offer a substitute motion, that fateful eve. (bold mine)

C. Elliott (42:13) After listening to the discussion, I started counting a number of individuals that have expressed concern over the resume issue. I’d like to make a substitute motion that we delay this until we get the resumes, and then bring it in, so that we have a chance to evaluate this individual.

Please verify my transcription, between 28:19 - 46:39.

This diary is a special shout out to Councilor Ed Kennedy. Sir, I’m wary of you and what, I think, you mean to municipal governance. You are an ol’ skool Democrat. The kind I’m not enamored with. But, thanks for your leadership, last night. I think you successfully “split the baby,” in such a way, that any reasonable person could accept. You provided a means for the Council to provide a type of oversight that fits squarely within the bounds of Plan E. Your motion allows ‘due diligence,’ while concurrently protecting privacy.

What I’m hoping is the intended consequence of your sitting in the front seat, last night, is that your peers see the significance of conducting themselves in a manner that is in keeping with proper decorum and comity. Your amendment asserted that the Council Chamber is not a Colosseum. That Councilors are not combatants. That the Court of Public opinion stops at the rail that lies between “We the People” and our duly elected officials and their appointees.

For those not in attendance, last night; it should be noted that Tim Green & Mickey O’Keefe, shook hands and walked out together. They are Union brothers and know solidarity is paramount. Our Councilors, and those surrounding them, would do well to heed their living example.

I’m hoping we have pressed, “Reset.”

Let’s resume making Lowell a better Lowell than the way we found it, on this Open Thread.

I won’t write too much about last night’s City Council meeting and the discussion around LHA appointments and the appointment process in general - which came up twice, once to confirm Tim Green finally, and a second time around Elliot’s motion to demand all resumes from now on.

If you really want to know how I feel, you can go scroll down to the part of my Twitter feed where I expressed my frustration several times during the evening while “live tweeting” the meeting.

Suffice it to say, Elliot thinks he has a winner he because he can say he’s on the side of transparency, and Rita backed him up, but the rest of the Council grew really uneasy about the whole thing. I thought Nuon’s speech was particularly spot on, stating he wasn’t “comfortable” with undermining the Manager’s actual lawful job and the way this all shook out.

But the irony meter (or maybe it was the hypocrisy meter? or both?) went sky high during Elliot’s rant at one point, where he said he felt that when Tim’s son came up to him to lobby on behalf of his father (and I take it, not entirely politely?) while Elliot was out with his kid, that was inappropriate.

Inappropriate? Inappropriate?? Haven’t we been saying that the entire time that Elliot’s been hammering at this? Of course it’s inappropriate. It’s playing politics with an appointment process that is supposed to be nonpolitical. It’s O’Keefe lobbying to send his resume direct to the Council despite the fact he wasn’t picked. This is the what comes of putting politics ahead of our Plan E form of government; as the City Manager wryly noted, a perfect example of it.

That inappropriate lobbying is the end result of what Elliot himself wanted. You made that bed, sir, now lie in it. (By the way, the reasoned, measured, and polite manner in which the CM responded to Elliot was awesome. And yet Elliot kept on repeating the same tired thing over and over… obstinately refusing to let any other viewpoint make a dent in that head of his. Sigh.)

I tweeted that Elliot really was like a Bud 2.0. But I’m really not giving enough credit to Bud. At least he could occasionally be charming. But the raving and bloviating and creating a problem where once there wasn’t one, and absolutely refusing reasonable explanations for why it can’t be the way Elliot wants it? Elliot is Bud, spot on.

The end result of the motion by Elliot was an amendment by Kennedy that passed. Specifically, the Manager is asked to produce the resume of the intended candidate (ok, reasonable) and that City Councilors in need of clarification, or of evaluating the Manager’s choice and process, could individually and privately go and ask for other resumes that were submitted. The question was put to Christine O’Connor about the lawfulness of this, and she gave it the nod. This seems to me to be a reasonable gesture - of course we want the City Council to take an active role in assessing the city manager, and if they believe they need to know how his process for choosing appointees to boards worked, this is essential…while still protecting the privacy of the applicants who did not get selected. Elliot seemed incensed by this compromise.

So you know that this isn’t really about assessing the City Manager - it’s about making it all a very ugly public spectacle. I’m paraphrasing here, but Elliot’s response was, essentially, “So you’re saying I can see the resumes but I can’t make them public to my constituents.”

Last I checked, the constituents elected you to make determinations about your vote. What does constituents have to do with anything here? He might as well just have said, “But you’re saying I can’t talk to the Lowell Sun about the applicants?” Because we all know that his “transparency in the process” line translates to “what can I give the Lowell Sun so I can get quoted again?”

By the way, during confirmation roll call for Tim Green’s appointment to the LHA board, held near the beginning of the meeting, Elliot was the only “no” vote. How very mature.

1/23/12 Update: 18. C. Elliott- Req. City Council adopt a policy to require the City Manager to submit resumes of applicants for all Boards and Commissions that require City Council confirmation. (h/t Gerry Nutter) When I wrote the diary below, I had no knowledge of this motion. Other than the utter obviousness of C.Elliott’s tact. The fan is on and the shit has been propelled towards it. … waiting … waiting

C.Elliott is at it again. He is busting the manager’s chops over a non-issue. But, it makes for great kabuki? No?

Though it is futile and a huge waste of our Council’s energy, I guess it’s politically “savvy?” for Elliott to test the new Council members. The latest hissy fit won’t, except for selling a few extra copies of the Blog of Record, accomplish anything BUT put his newest peers on the spot. This won’t make him a lot of friends, mind you. Not that that matters much. He came in #2 pulling a screwy, Dick Howe, Sr. wannabe routine. So, expect a whole lot more nonsense. There’s an odd demographic that merges Bernie Bashers with “keep ‘em honest” voters. It’s an ugly sweet spot for a Councilor to play in. Unless Joe Mendonca can make a better appeal to the “keep ‘em honest” voters, I don’t see Elliott letting up. Though, the Bernie Bashers are not easily appeased. If Elliott ends up all thunder and no lightning, the Bernie Basher’s praise will quickly turn to scorn. That is how they roll.

Anyways, this escapade can only be to gut check his fellow councilors because it is a cheap knock off of events from October 2011.

Resumes came up again this fall when Lynch named Groveland Finance Director Greg Labrecque the city’s new treasurer, but declined to release the names and resumes of the other five applicants interviewed after Elliott requested them.

The Sun made a public-records request for those names and resumes, but was denied by O’Connor. She argued the resumes of unsuccessful applicants are protected under exemptions in the state’s public-records law because they concern personnel matters and implicate specific privacy rights of applicants for vacant city positions.

The Sun has appealed the denial to the Secretary of State’s Office and is awaiting a ruling.

The Lowell Sun is reporting that City Manager Lynch is refusing to give the resumes of all the rejected top candidates for the LHA Board of Commissioners despite the Council’s vote to refuse to appoint his choice for the Board.

Unfortunately, this is a case where doing what is right, or what is the CM’s right, makes him look bad - ie, obstructionist, or like he’s trying to hide something. Which is of course what opponents are saying about the move. I’m shocked, shocked that Elliot and the Sun want to use this to whack him over the head. Not.

What I need to know (for context) on this issue: are other municipal managers in other cities in similar situations (Plan E, where the Manager has the right to hire and fire without interference by a Council/Board of Selectmen) asked to give all the resumes of candidates for appointments?

Because from where I sit, this directly interferes with the Manager’s right to hire and fire, just like defunding Sheehan’s position was. Now, in the case of appointments needing to be approved by the Council (different from direct hires for city departments in that way) you might be able to make a minor case for the Council’s right to know. However, if this is the case, then why does the CM make the appointment at all? Why not appoint directly from the Council on all these boards? The answer is, there are direct appointments on some boards, that are run by the Council, where they are the ones reviewing candidates’ resumes and making the call.

If the Council wants to micromanage appointments, then I want them to actually do it fully, and take on the responsibility of reviewing the goddamned resumes themselves and making the appointment - not use a situation like we have with the LHA (which is under controversy) to pretend they give a rat’s ass about the CM’s appointment process and needing the ability to second-guess his choice. Put up or shut up, Council.

As to delaying appointments until you can benefit from the results of your hissy fit, you are starting to look like the US Congress. Knock it off.