~ The Advocate Asks ~

Selectmen and School Committee members pick their top stories for 2023 and discuss their priorities for the new year.

 

  Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we reached out to each of the members of the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee and asked them if they would like to name their top story in Saugus during 2023 and talk about their top priorities for the new year. All five selectmen responded. Two of the five School Committee members participated. Here are their individual responses.

 

  Q: What do you consider the top story in Saugus during 2023? Feel free to elaborate. Also, what are your top priorities for the new year?

 

Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta

There were several stories that made the headlines in 2023, but I believe the ‘City vs. Town’ discussion along with the dismissing of the School Superintendent were two of the more notable ones.

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

–Saugus has two major opportunities that will require investments. First is the new Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School. Although we have established a special stabilization fund for this project, and Town Meeting has appropriated funds to such, we are now beginning to see dramatic increases in our share of this investment. Second is the investment in a third fire station on the west side of town. The cost of construction as well as any additional operating costs cannot be absorbed in our current or future operational budget. It will be important for both elected and appointed officials to communicate to the public and obtain town wide support for these important projects.

–We are moving forward with the Town-Wide public safety communication infrastructure project. Our public safety communication infrastructure needs critical upgrades and replacement of the town’s older communication and infrastructure. Replacement of this infrastructure will ensure reliability and town-wide coverage for the portable and mobile radios and a needed investment in the Town-owned network to expand fiber optics communication.

–The Town is in the process of a water meter replacement project. This will cost approximately $6M. This system will be automated and let the Town residents know if there is an abnormality with their water usage.

–Parks and playgrounds are always a priority with the Board. Town Meeting voted $2M during their last session for upgrading the parks and playgrounds.

–The re-purposing of the offline schools is also an important goal, but we need to deal with the financing of the Vocational School first, as well as moving forward with a new fire station on the west side of town.

–Improved communication of important town-wide information to residents is also a priority of the Board, which includes timely updates on our Town’s website.

–We need to schedule Show Cause hearings for the closed establishments that have all-alcoholic liquor licenses. We even have one restaurant (Longhorn) who has an all-alcoholic liquor license that never even opened in Saugus. Some of these establishments have had years to sell their license. I am sure we have restaurants in Town that would appreciate having one of these licenses which would help them with their business and Saugus would get the meal-tax revenue.

 

Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini

I would say the top story in 2023 was centered around the establishment of a charter committee and potentially changing certain aspects of our current form of government.

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

The priorities for the new year, that I consider top priorities considering the current board hasn’t met to establish the 2024 goals as of yet, would be:

–3rd fire station on the west side of town – gather results of the feasibility study and move the project forward by establishing a comprehensive communication plan to make sure our residents are informed on the financial impact the borrowings will have on our residents so we can gather the support necessary to ensure it passes.

–Assess the most current financial impact of the new vocational school project on Saugus and inform residents how it will impact their taxes. The cost of the project continues to increase dramatically so the impact needs to reflect the most accurate cost to complete.

–continued investment in fully inclusive parks and playgrounds ($2 million appropriated) with emphasis on Golden Hills which is in dire need of a full renovation.

–continue with community input on repurposing of school buildings that are offline. This will help us assess the financial impact of the various projects and how each will impact

–Dog park – there is a constant demand from our residents for a conveniently located Dog Park in town. I would like us to continue to offer support to the town manager as he advances the dialogue with the Stanton foundation who will assess their support for a dog park in town to minimize the cost to our residents.

–Maintain our AA+ bond rating to maximize the savings on borrowings which essentially translates to savings to our residents.

I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024!

 

Selectman Anthony Cogliano

For me, the biggest story of 2023 was the failure to form the Charter Commission. It took everything I had to gather the signatures to get it on the ballot. But, we did it. After that, I have to tip my cap to the opposition, the scare tactics that they used prevailed. So you have to take your losses, pick up the pieces and move forward. I think trying to run 12 Campaigns, and getting the question to pass, cost me the Chairmanship of the BOS….so again, tip my cap to Debra, she worked hard to regain her seat and I will support her every way I can in that capacity. I love this town, its people and I will go after it again in 2025.

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

My goals for 2024 would be the building of the west side fire station, plans put in place for our schools and I will also be pushing the rezoning of Cliftondale Square again this year. I will always do the best I can to keep Saugus Moving Forward. Happy New Year to all.

 

Selectman Corinne Riley

The top story of 2023, in my opinion, was the effort to rezone and revitalize Cliftondale Square. While this effort failed to achieve the 2/3 supermajority required, it was passed by a 28-13 majority of Town Meeting voters, indicating a clear appetite for revitalization in Cliftondale.

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

Regarding priorities, my priorities on the BOS have been public safety, communication, ensuring all voices are heard, and making Saugus a better place to live. Accordingly, my top priority for the next two years is the long overdue West-Side Fire Station. Another priority is the completion and rollout of a SMS-compatible communication service for residents, so that timely updates on emergency situations and other updates like road closures can get pushed to residents’ smartphones in real-time. Next is Economic Development and Safety Improvements in Cliftondale Square. Traffic and pedestrian issues are well-known, and while some preliminary work has been done, it’s time to see some progress on the ground and in the vacant storefronts. Another important issue facing us is the recent influx of hundreds of migrants to hotels along Routes 1 and 99, causing real stress on schools, police, fire, and health departments. We need to cooperate locally and with our state delegation to help the migrants and reduce (or pay for) the burden on town resources. Finally, the Golden Hills Playground is a safety hazard and needs a complete replacement. Town Meeting authorized $2M funding for playground investment this Spring, and I’d like to see the Golden Hills Playground project fast-tracked.

I look forward to working with the Board and the Town Manager over the next year to work toward these and other goals.

I’d like to wish all the residents a Healthy, Happy and Peaceful 2024!

 

Selectman Mike Serino

I believe the 2023 top story in Saugus was the defeat of the proposed Charter Commission. The proposal to change Saugus’s form of government from a town to a city was first introduced in January 2023. This past November, the residents of Saugus did vote No by some 200 votes. However, seven of the nine candidates elected, actively campaigned not to support changing our town to a city and opposed forming a Charter Commission. Consequently, the defeat of the proposed Charter Commission was significantly larger than the no/yes vote margin.

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

I believe the top priorities for 2024 will be the mandated funding of a new North East Regional Vocational school. The school is projected to increase its student enrollment capacity from 1,200 to 1,600 students a year. Saugus’s financial portion which includes construction costs and student increased enrollment is estimated at around 4 million dollars a year. A proposed new 3rd fire station on the west side of route one is another priority. To date a feasibility study is being done for this project. Also a municipal parking lot for our business community in Cliftondale Square is a priority. The town has recently purchased two properties for this project.

 

School Committee Member Ryan Fisher

The top story of 2023 was probably the lead up to and the results from the local elections. Most residents were galvanized, one way or another, and I’m proud that once the election is over, we unify and get back to work. Those who are fired up by one issue or another find they like being involved and stay involved when the real work begins, and that’s always great to see.

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

My priority in 2024 is to jump into the school budget process after the holiday as we gear up towards the annual Town Meeting in the spring. We have a number of priorities to protect and fund in this budget that will set the stage for next year’s progress.

 

School Committee Member Stephanie Mastrocola

As far as a top story in Saugus is concerned, I am going to take a back seat on that question this year. I don’t feel at this time it would be appropriate for me to comment on some of the events that took place. Have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year to All!

  Q: What are your top priorities for the new year?

My top priorities for the new year are to meet with as many people as I can. Teachers, parents, school nurses, paras, and most of all the students. I promised the community when I ran for School Committee that I would work hard to hear their concerns. One of the top priorities at this time is the staffing needs and making sure the staff feel supported as well as the students.