Selectmen to vote on forum fate

SAUGUS – Town Meeting members did not take up the citizen’s forum issue during Monday’s Town Meeting because the Selectmen decided at the last minute to clean up their own house.But it was not for lack of trying. Town Meeting member Sean Maltais said he believed the Board of Selectmen had three chances to get the issue right and failed and now Town Meeting should tackle it.Selectman Michael Kelleher asked the body to let the board handle it and it ultimately agreed, voting 28-13 to table the issue.Selectman Chairman Donald Wong confirmed that selectmen would vote to reinstate citizen’s forum back to its original form. He said he also expects all of his colleagues to support him.The board voted 3-2 in November to do away with the citizen’s forum portion of the meeting. Instead, residents who wanted to appear before the board had to file a request.The fall out from the vote has been long and loud. Residents argued that timely issues could have to wait two weeks before being heard. Selectmen said residents could come and speak to them anytime there was an emergency. And both sides balked at change.Wong, however, said he sees now that his decision may not have been the best.”I took it off as a business decision,” he said. “I was thinking I could make the meetings run better.”Wong said he never expected such resistance. He also took full responsibility for axing the forum in the first place.”I appreciate the residents and the board members who backed me,” he said. “Honestly it was my idea.”Wong took the heat for his colleagues Stephen Castinetti and Peter Rossetti.”They backed me up and went down the rabbit hole with me, but this was my idea,” he said.Selectman Stephen Horlick, who voted against the proposal to do away with the forum said he is glad to see the issue come to an end.”It is the right thing to do,” he said.Horlick also said it’s the right thing for the board to take care of the issue and not Town Meeting.”Town Meeting has so much to do they shouldn’t have to take care of this too,” he said. “I’ll be happy once we vote.”Town Moderator Robert Long said it was his understanding that board members would likely take up the issue during tonight’s water/sewer meeting. Wong, however, said it is more likely the issue will be tabled until next week’s regular meeting.”That meeting will be televised and more people will see it,” he explained.Horlick agreed it would be better to wait.Wong said he never expected passion to run so high over the issue.”I take full responsibility for this and I will vote to put it back,” he said. “I also hope the people that rallied together to bring this back continue to rally together and help us do some positive things in Saugus.”