Lynn City Council approves separate Capital Projects Unit and appoints incoming unit head through June 2026

The Lynn City Council voted at a special meeting to create a separate Capital Projects Unit (CPU) and approved a contract for the incoming unit head that runs through June 30, 2026.

Mayor Nicholson said the city already has a capital plan “but it sort of is living in our budget document,” and described the CPU as a way to give large, ongoing projects “the focus they deserve.” The council approved the measure by roll call; the motion carried with eight yes votes and two no votes.

The CPU will be spun out of the Inspection Services Department (ISD), where Mike Donovan had been supervising both capital projects and ISD duties. City officials told the council that Donovan had been overseeing major projects — including Pickering, which Nicholson described as “almost 200,000,000,” and a cataloged backlog of elementary school upgrades “over a hundred million dollars.” Those figures were offered by city staff during the meeting as context for creating a dedicated unit.

Councilor Field asked about savings from relying on in‑house expertise rather than outside consultants: “With his expertise and without the CFO here, how much is the city probably saving or losing money having Mr. Donovan in this role…?” Mayor Nicholson and staff said the city could not precisely quantify avoided costs but argued that dedicated oversight should prevent costly mistakes and improve outcomes on projects that are typically in the millions of dollars.

Council members pressed for clarity about the transition timeline and compensation. The contract approved at the meeting was described during discussion as totaling $194,000 and extending through June 30, 2026; councilors were also told the incoming chief’s salary will be significantly lower than Donovan’s prior compensation because the incoming chief has less tenure with the city. Councilor Badri asked about a previously mentioned 75/25 breakdown; city staff clarified that the CPU costs would not come out of the school department’s payroll but from the city budget charged toward education.

Councilors also discussed process and communication: several members said they had understood earlier votes as moving Donovan out of his ISD chief role and expressed concern Donovan had remained in both roles for continuity. Mayor Nicholson said Donovan had been designated temporary head of the CPU in October and that the city postponed a formal ISD chief transition to avoid operational disruption while conducting a search for a permanent ISD chief.

Roll call on the motion showed the following votes: Councilor Allen Sugg — yes; Councilor Chakotis — yes; Councilor Field — yes; Councilor Hogan — no; Councilor LaPierre — yes; Councilor McLean — yes; Councilor Meaney — no; Councilor Mejia Madre — yes; Councilor Nett — yes; Councilor Walsh — yes. The motion carried.

City staff said the incoming CPU head will report to the chief financial officer. Councilors were told the selected candidate is expected to begin on or about April 7. The council’s approval amended prior ordinance language governing ISD chief compensation to allow negotiation of a market‑based contract for incoming candidates.

The council ended the special meeting after the vote; staff will proceed with implementing the new unit and onboarding the incoming chief.