Selectman continues to press for legalization of in-law apartments

SAUGUS-Selectman Michael Kelleher is taking his fight to legalize illegal in-law apartments to the streets.During last week’s selectmen meeting, Kelleher called upon residents to pick up their phones and start calling their Town Meeting members.Kelleher is remaining steadfast in his pursuit of legalizing the illegal in-law apartments in town despite critics who say his plan is flawed. Last spring he offered up an article for the annual Town Meeting that was passed off to the Planning Board. The article is set to reappear this spring and Kelleher is already lobbying for support.The article calls for a one time amnesty for illegal in-law apartment owners if they come forward and apply for a $1,000 permit. It does not, he insists, open the door for others to build apartments.Kelleher said his opposition claims his article will give rise to two and three family homes and will clog the town’s streets with cars.”These apartments already exist,” he said. “My article gives them amnesty for a period of time . . . what we would have is legalized apartments that already exist.”Kelleher said town officials should be somewhat embarrassed that the illegal apartments are allowed to exist as is.”Pick up the phone and start calling Town Meeting members,” he said to the local cable watching public, “and ask them to do something about the illegal in-law apartments.”Just as he’s received little support for his rally to legalize illegal in-law apartments, Kelleher got little support during a recent water/sewer meeting as well.But unlike the apartment fight, in the end he received a boost from a most sympathetic, if unexpected source.When Kelleher called for a motion during a meeting regarding the water/sewer rates that caused a huge spike in the bill for at least one mobile home park, he received nothing but silence.Water/sewer consultant Kathy Griffin said she would need three weeks to amass the information the selectmen were looking for. Kelleher, however, made a motion that the board reconvene in two weeks because he felt asking the residents, some of whom were fearing eviction, to wait three weeks was too much.After several, long, completely silent moments Selectman Stephen Horlick spoke up.”I will second the motion because I know what it’s like to sit there and make a motion and have no one second it,” Horlick said.While the comment brought a round of laughter from board members and audience members, Horlick’s comments rang true.On more than one occasion, Horlick has had a motion left hanging with no one stepping up to second it even simply for purposes of discussion.While Selectman Chairman Donald Wong said he thought Griffin should not be rushed in her work, the motion passed 3-1 with Selectman Peter Rossetti voting against the idea and Steven Castinetti home with the flu.After offering to support Kelleher, Horlick sought a little support of his own when he asked his colleagues to join him in asking the state delegation to “not support” Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget.Horlick said Patrick’s budget is tied to casino revenue and casinos haven’t been approved yet.According to Horlick, Patrick budgeted $124 million less in lottery money, instead banking on the fact that casino gambling would pass and the money would come from that.”I want the $124 million in the budget, fully funded, not tied to revenue the government hasn’t realized,” Horlick said.Kelleher agreed with Horlick, saying he feels the governor is challenging the entire legislation to pass casino gambling or let the cities and towns take the hit.The board passed the motion 4-0 with Castinetti still home with the flu.The Board of Selectmen will get its first look at the town’s fiscal 2009 budget tonight where Town Manager Andrew Bisignani is doing a little gambling of his own.Bisignani warned the board there would be some tough decisions to be made particularly if Kasabuski Arena isn’t rented out.Bisignani put out a request for proposals hoping someone would jump at the chance to sublet