Selectmen Candidates Take on Flooding and ZBA Make-Up

Four candidates for the Board of Selectmen fielded questions including those on flooding, ZBA appointments and the state of local government at a forum Monday.

Matt Strauss, Patryk Januszewski, John J. Callahan and Charles Patsios are competing for two open selectmen seats, both for 3-year terms.

Swampscott voters will elect two of them on Tuesday, April 30, barring a tie.

On Monday, at Swampscott High, they took turns responding to questions from a panel of Swampscott Reporter and Marblehead Reporter journalists.

Asked how important it is that the town find a solution to drainage problems, and the extent to which the candidates would invest in that solution, Matt Strauss said he favors a step-by-step approach.

He said the town should see what the current drainage study uncovers before it invests in a solution for fear of throwing away good money after bad.

It's going to take a lot of time and money to fix it the right way, he said, and fixing it the right way is the key.

John Callahan said the flooding problem should have been dealt with in the past.

And it needs to be addressed immediately.

This is why towns are in place, to protect each other, he said.

Patryk Januszewski said a solution to the town's drainage problems is critical. He said he witnessed the flooding in 2011 and was astounded by its extent.

That extent represents a threat to the public's safety and to the town, financially, with respect to legal liability.

He said he favors aggressively pursuing a solution to flooding and would confer with the public to gauge their support.

Charles Patsios said the town needs to do more than what it is doing — carrying out a $40,000 drainage study.

Such a small sum is not going to tell the town what it needs to know about flooding, he said.

It requires a full study to resolve problems with flooded homes and raw sewage posing health risks to the public.

The candidates all appeared to favor more diversity on the Zoning Board of Appeals, saying the board has too many developers on it.

Charles Patsios said he would like to see an architect on the panel and, perhaps, someone with planning experience.

Matt Strauss said diversity is important because of the variety of viewpoints that diversity inspires.

John Callahan said the ZBA is probably the most antagonistic of all the committees and boards in town, calling their meetings wild and saying the board appears broken. 

Patryk Januszewski said it is important to have a developer and a lawyer on the board but not a board made up largely of lawyers and developers.

He would like to see balance in the membership to counter any imbalance toward endorsing projects for the sake of generating profits.

In his closing remarks, Strauss said he will bring leadership and experience to the board.

He said there would be no on-the-job-training required.

in his closing statement, Patsios said he will ask the tough questions on the board even if it means getting a black eye.

He was critical of the current board for censoring Selectman Glenn Kessler for asking a question.

Januszewski said the town is at a crossroads with its budget and its infrastructure slowly falling apart.

He said he will seek better communication, creative solutions and he comes with no strings attached.

Callahan said the Board of Selectmen sets the tone for the town. And the tone being set by the current board is rife with conflict and has bred a culture of arrogance.

He said he will reach out to fellow members and work for the greater good.