Eagle-Tribune Blogs: Heard in Beverly

Mayor Scanlon came in for some high praise from city councilors last night for his work in securing as much as $47.8 million from the state to help pay for the $81.5 million high school project:
Bill Coughlin: “I don’t know anyone else who could have done it better.”
Maureen Troubetaris: “I commend you for your hard work.”
Kevin Hobin: “You’ve done great work on this.”
But it wasn’t all compliments. Scanlon had a particularly testy exchange with Councilor-at-Large Pat Grimes, who questioned Scanlon on the lack of official confirmation from the Massachusetts School Building Authority about its share of the cost. The authority’s board of directors still has to vote on the $81.5 million figure and isn’t scheduled to meet until November. Scanlon wants the City Council to approve borrowing the money by Oct. 27, the deadline by which the city must award the construction contract or be forced to re-bid the project and risk getting a higher cost.
“You’re asking us to do this without the vote of the (MSBA) board,” Grimes said.
“It’s not our business and I don’t think it’s your business to ask how that board works,” Scanlon said.
When Grimes said she would like to see written confirmation of the MSBA’s commitment before she votes to borrow the money, Scanlon said it was “absolutely bizarre” that Grimes would think that he wouldn’t do just that.
Grimes fought back, saying, “I take offense at you saying it’s bizarre.”
John Burke agreed with Grimes, saying her questioning was legitimate and should not be considered a “personal comment” on Scanlon.
Burke also praised Scanlon for his nearly three-year quest for money from the MSBA. “It was a yeoman’s effort,” Burke said. “You’ve made every single deadline you’ve been asked to meet.”
Scanlon deflected the praise, saying he had plenty of help from his staff as well as the project’s architect and manager.

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