Lynn City Council reconsiders and approves contract for Michael J. Donovan as director of capital projects

At a special meeting of the Lynn City Council, members approved a contract appointing Michael J. Donovan to lead a newly created capital projects unit, following a successful motion to reconsider an earlier negative vote.

The reconsideration motion was made by Councillor Appiah, which reopened the item for discussion. The council then voted to approve the proposed contract. The mayor said the position will report to the city chief financial officer and that the salary will be covered from the CFO’s budget, with some current-year charges coming from an ISD line and an allocation toward net school spending under Chapter 70.

The move to create a separate capital projects unit and install a dedicated director reflects the city’s growing pipeline of large construction and renovation projects. The mayor described the new unit as separate from ISD (the department currently performing many facility roles) and said it will provide focused oversight for projects including Pickering Middle School, which he described as an “almost $200,000,000” project. “We’re creating a new capital projects unit,” the mayor said, explaining the rationale for the appointment and the reporting structure.

On financing, a councillor asked whether Donovan’s salary would come from the school department. The mayor replied that the salary will be in the CFO’s budget; for the current fiscal year some costs will be charged to an ISD line and portions of the unit’s costs will be counted toward net school spending under Chapter 70. When asked whether the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) would reimburse the salary, the mayor said it would not: “No. The MSBA does not reimburse for, c staff,” he said.

Councillor Field praised Donovan’s experience, noting past projects he oversaw that came in under budget. Field asked whether Donovan’s role could reduce reliance on outside consultants and lower overall project costs. The mayor responded that the city expects dedicated oversight to avoid costly mistakes and to shepherd hundreds of millions of dollars in work across multiple projects.

Councillor McLean criticized the timing and communication around the appointment, saying the council was asked to act while Donovan was on vacation and that some members had expected prior steps (including removal from his ISD duties) to be completed before this vote. The mayor and others said the administration had sought continuity by having Donovan carry both roles while the city completed an ISD chief search and related ordinance changes.

Councilors asked about the term and compensation. The mayor and other councilors said the contract term runs through June 30, 2026, and the salary cited in the meeting was approximately $194,000. The mayor and councilors also discussed that an incoming ISD chief candidate would have a lower salary than Donovan’s previous ISD chief compensation, which the administration said would produce net savings in the longer run.

After discussion the council held a roll-call vote on the contract and the motion carried. The council adjourned immediately after the approval vote.