Mayor blunts their complaints
By Joshua Resnek
For the first time in nearly three years, councilors expressed frustration and openly challenged the Wynn Casino Group and the Gaming Commission, calling for both to appear before the City Council to explain what exactly is going on.
“I’m embarrassed and frustrated. I feel slighted,” Councilor at Large Wayne Matewsky complained. ‘We’re in a debacle here and we could lose out on everything. And we don’t know what’s happening and Wynn Group plays its favorites and me and three others just don’t matter.”
Matewsky said he had not been debriefed or reached out to by the Wynn Group since he was a representative more than three years ago.
The mayor responded to Matewsky’s remarks with a rambling and sometimes incoherent blend of smiles, laughter and nervousness and stumbling phrases.
The obvious attempt was to keep close control of his relationship with Wynn’s chiefs of the Everett project.
“The Wynn people themselves…ah…don’t know what’s happening…they will meet with you,” he said haltingly without completing his thoughts.
“When? Here in the Council Chamber. Will they meet with all of us or just their favorites?” Matewsky shot back.
“Well…um…they will meet with you and small groups separately…um… but not all together. I’m sure they will be I touch with you tomorrow,” the mayor seemed to say as he leaned on the podium or stood upright in his blue suit, with his black hair slicked back and revealing a tan from a recent vacation as he addressed the council.
He never directly suggested that Wynn Group should come to City Hall for a meeting with the council.
“I find it insulting,” Matewsky said fueled by his rising frustration.
“It’s just common courtesy…that they should appear before us,” added Matewsky.
The mayor contested this.
He suggested that Matewsky and the entire council appear at the topping off ceremony Friday at the casino and hotel worksite where officials from Wynn Boston Harbor will be celebrating with the more than 1000 construction workers at the sprawling site.
He said he was certain Wynn Group had invited every councilor.
“I haven’t been invited to anything in three years,” Matewsky said.
The mayor attempted to hold back his laughter.
Council President Peter Napolitano chimed in: “There is a lack of communication.”
Councilors Rose DeFlorio and Leo McKinnon also expressed wonder about what exactly is going on with the company and the project.
McKinnon said he had been in touch with officials at Wynn who don’t reach out to him and that he was told there are presently two investigations ongoing.
“An internal company investigation and the Gaming Commission investigation,” McKinnon told his colleagues.
McKinnon suggested to the mayor that both groups, Wynn and the Gaming Commission come to city hall for an executive session to detail what is going on.
The mayor half heartedly nodded his head but gave no answer.