Bisignani extension source of squabble

SAUGUS – Not everyone is happy with the process selectmen took when they decided to renew Town Manager Andrew Bisignani’s contract.Town Meeting member Al DiNardo recognized the board was well within its rights to renew the ma-nager’s contract the way it did but said, “I don’t like this process at all.”Selectman Michael Kelleher raised the issue of exten-ding Bisignani’s contract during the members’ motions portion of the meeting, which comes near the end. He made a motion to add 18 months to the contract he said in part because he supported the job Bisignani has been doing and because he thought it would carry forward the relative economic stability the town is enjoying at the moment.Selectmen debated the issue and approved the extension 4-1 with Stephen Horlick as the only dissenting vote.DiNardo said the fact the board extended what he called the most powerful position in the town essentially in the dark without any input from the public was simply wrong.”They have the right to do this, they are filling these seats at the moment,” he said.Kelleher could not be reached Friday but his colleague Peter Rossetti defended the board’s decision. Rossetti said he does not ever remember there being a public hearing regarding the manager’s contract.In fact, while DiNardo may disagree with how the board handled the contract extension it did not deviate far from the last renewal process.Bisignani’s contract was last renewed and extended in 2005 when the board consisted of Kelleher, Rossetti and Horlick along with Janette Fasano and Michael Serino. The result was a $5,000 raise, an additional $1,000 in expenses and a three-year extension on his contract, which put his expiration date at January 2010. The current extension will end July 21, 2012.The unanimous vote came shortly after the election and just one week after Bisignani announced he would not pursue a position in Winthrop despite the fact he was the front-runner. And there was no public hearing or chance for public input.Town Meeting member Ray Lawrence doesn’t totally disagree with DiNardo. Lawrence said he thought at the very least the board should have waited for Town Meeting to conclude and the dust to settle over Kasabuski before taking up the contract. He said he also wouldn’t rule out public involvement.Town Moderator Robert Long pointed out what the board did was in fact its job.”They have to take responsibility, this is one of the big-ticket items of what they do – they hire and fire the manager,” he said. “It’s probably the main thing they do.”Long said he was almost more disappointed at the lack of cohesiveness among board members. Horlick was clearly caught off guard when Kelleher made his motion.Having served as a selectman Long said he knew there were discussions that go on behind the scenes and while board members might claim Tuesday’s vote was out of the blue, in all likelihood at least three other board members probably knew it was coming.”I think the turmoil over the contract has a lot to do with the relationship between board members,” Long said. “That’s very sad really.”Long not only didn’t necessarily disagree with the process, he did agree that moving the contract’s expiration date was a good idea.”I absolutely agree that a January end date was not good for the town,” he said. “The second quarter is a very busy time of year. It’s a bad time to end a managers contract – any manager.”