Countdown Till Saugus Town Meeting

  Editor’s Note: The 2025 Annual Town Meeting convenes on Monday, May 5. As a special service to our readers and the registered voters of Saugus, we are reaching out to all 50 Town Meeting members, focusing on one precinct each week, in the weeks leading up to the start of Town Meeting, asking members about their expectations for the upcoming Town Meeting. This week we received responses from two of the five Town Meeting Members in Precinct 6 and from a Precinct 5 Town Meeting member whose comment was received after the deadline for last week’s column. Town Meeting members who don’t respond in a given week are still invited to submit a response, which will be included in the next edition. For next week’s newspaper, we will reach out to the five Town Meeting Members from Precinct 7. The 2025 Annual Town Meeting convenes four weeks from Monday.

Question One: What do you consider the top priority for the town as you prepare for the opening of the 2025 Town Meeting session?

Jeanie Bartolo: Maintaining our Stabilization Fund and our AA+ Bond Rating. On other issues across town I am hopeful that progress will be made on the third Fire Station. Also, continue with the work being done on the infrastructure as well as our playgrounds. Discussions on what becomes of the closed schools and the property on Main Street.

William S. Brown: It’s a primary responsibility of Town Meeting to approve a budget that will maintain fiscal stability. The town manager, his staff, and all the contributors of this budget deserve our thanks for their efforts. I am concerned that maintaining fiscal stability may be a challenge due to volatility of cash from federal programs which may dry up as it flows through the state. The other primary responsibility of Town Meeting is the disposition of zoning articles, these I usually need to hear the debate to decide how to vote.

Mark Panetta (Precinct 5): Maintaining our AA+/Stable rating from S&P Global, which is the highest in Saugus’ history. This favorable rating helps Saugus achieve more favorable borrowing rates which saves the taxpayers money. Continuing the rehabilitation of parks and playgrounds around Town. Continue to be a full-service community. Continue the positive steps taken in improving communication throughout the Town.

Question Two: What do you consider the top priority for residents in your precinct (Precinct 6) as you prepare for the opening of the 2025 Town Meeting session?

Jeanie Bartolo: The areas that I see need attention in Precinct 6 are: Traffic in Cliftondale Square is a nightmare. There is bumper to bumper traffic from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and there are drivers cutting through neighborhoods. Litter is a huge problem in Cliftondale as it is all over town. Enforcing NO PARKING during snowstorms, several cars were not moved on Jackson Street or Essex Street. Another issue is street cleaning. We need to know exactly when the street sweepers are coming and notify the residents when to move their cars, as it stands now we are paying for street sweepers to drive down the middle of the street. A serious issue is tree trimming and culverts not being cleaned out which causes flooding in homeowners yards.

William S. Brown: What I understand the concerns of Precinct 6 residents are: a third fire station and the traffic that travels through our town. The third fire station has been studied to the extreme, it is time to make some decisions! The next concern is twofold, the first part is the speed that drivers travel throughout Saugus. Far too many busy streets are lacking or completely lacking speed limit signs. We need a major investment in signs and a plan on where they will do the most good. I know that signs alone will not slow drivers down, we must have a coordinated plan with the police department and a team of selectmen, town meeting members, and concerned citizens. The second part of the traffic concerns in our town are these large (supersized) dump trucks that use Saugus as a shortcut to wherever they are going, usually out of town. These trucks can often be found on smaller residential streets, where they should NOT be.

Mark Panetta (Precinct 5): The one concern I hear the most in Precinct 5 is the status of the Lynnhurst school. There have been several good ideas shared, and I look forward to continuing discussions of its future use.

Question Three: Are you working independently or in collaboration with other members on articles to be introduced for this year’s Town Meeting? Could you please elaborate? Summarize your article and what you hope to accomplish.

Jeanie Bartolo: I am not currently working independently or in collaboration with other Town Meeting Members on any Articles.

William S. Brown: During my tenure I have had the good fortune to work with several town meeting members from different precincts. I value their advice, their opinions, and their friendship.

Mark Panetta (Precinct 5): Not at this time.

Question Four: Please feel free to share any other views about the upcoming Town Meeting.

Jeanie Bartolo: It is always exciting to start Town Meeting, getting to see your fellow Town Meeting Members you usually don’t run into around town. So many things can change as Town Meeting progresses. You can think an article will sail through and then find a lot of discussion and in the end an interesting twist! I love seeing what we will accomplish.

William S. Brown: To me Town Meeting heralds the end of a cold, dark winter, and the coming of spring. I enjoy looking over a budget, reading zoning articles, and all the preparations for the annual town meeting.

Mark Panetta (Precinct 5): I am looking forward to the debate on important articles that will impact our community. I am thankful for the detailed review of our Finance Committee and how the Town Manager always makes himself available to answer important questions regarding articles. I appreciate the commitment and dedication from all involved in our Town government.