SAUGUS – When Department of Public Works Superintendent Joseph Attubato said Tuesday that any future roadwork would include addressing handicap ramps, Al DiNardo sighed a sigh of relief.The Town Meeting member, who also sits on the Sidewalk Committee, said he believes that agreement is the town’s first real step in becoming compliant in regards to the Americans With Disabilities Act and sidewalks.”This is significant because it’s really the first time the town has made an effort like this,” he said.DiNardo has been actively pressing the town to address the lack of handicap accessible sidewalks for more than six months. The issue came to a head this week when work that DiNardo thought had been put off began on Essex Street, but it didn’t include installing new handicap ramps.Town Moderator Robert Long, who sat in on a meeting Monday with Attubato, DiNardo, Town Manger Andrew Bisignani, Town Meeting member and Chairman of the Sidewalk Committee Peter Manoogian and engineer Rick Salvo, said it was just a misunderstanding.He explained that because Attubato was resurfacing the road and not disturbing the sidewalks, he didn’t think he had to address the sidewalks.Long said it was determined, however, that any time any roadwork was done the work would include bringing sidewalks into ADA compliance.”I said I would comply and get the ramps done,” Attubato said.Long added that Salvo would draw up an estimate for the work, which would go out to bid.The resurfacing runs from Staff Road to the railroad tracks near School Street and Long said it includes roughly three side streets. The three side streets could require as many as six ramps, or eight if the outside of the end streets is included.Long expects the project to be funded from the $180,000 Town Meeting voted to direct toward handicap ramps during last spring’s annual.Part of the money was to be used to look at ramps in the Cliftondale Square area, but Long said that would be diverted.Despite the funding from Town Meeting, DiNardo is looking to bond another $150,000 for even more extensive sidewalk work during Monday’s special Town Meeting. Long, however, said he doesn’t like DiNardo’s chances for getting his article passed.”If it comes down between Public Safety, education and sidewalks guess where I’m going?” he said.If the article is approved, however, DiNardo said he could make a serious dent in what he calls a master plan for addressing the handicap access issue. Part of his plan includes doing a total re-evaluation of the main streets in town to make sure sidewalk setbacks are wide enough and designating exactly where ramps should be, “so we’re really getting it right.””To me it’s the first step in a two to five year plan to get the main streets and some secondary streets done,” he said.