Saugus resident remains upset over town manager’s contract extension

SAUGUS – Albert DiNardo refuses to let Town Manager Andrew Bisignani’s contract extension rest three weeks after it was approved.Selectmen voted to extend Bisignani’s contract during its Oct. 28 meeting with little fanfare and minimal debate. The board voted 4-1 with Stephen Horlick the lone no vote to extend the contract by 18 months.DiNardo told selectmen during Tuesday’s meeting he thought the public should have had notice that an issue that important was going to be discussed. Selectman Michael Kelleher couldn’t have disagreed more.”The manager is not a volunteer position – he is under contract,” he said. “In the nine years I’ve been here we have never taken a public vote on a contract with public input.”DiNardo said all he was asking for was more information. He said he didn’t disagree that the manager’s contract gave the town stability but argued that it would put him in the corner office through two election cycles.He said he believed the town voted for change during the last election when it voted 4-1 for a charter change.Kelleher quickly pointed out the town didn’t vote for a charter change, it voted to form a Charter Commission.”Don’t assume that there will be a charter change and don’t assume I’m going to sit in the corner until it plays out,” he said.Kelleher argued that a year ago words such as receivership and state intervention were being tossed about.”I’m not hearing that anymore,” Kelleher said. “That’s what gave me the confidence to vote for that (contract extension).”DiNardo said he would simply like some answers; he would like to know where the town is headed in the next five years and if there is a plan.”We didn’t do street sweeping this year,” he said. “That’s a major issue to some people. Is it going to be a non-street sweeping year again next year?”DiNardo said his other question was more delicate but it needed to be asked.Kelleher cut him off.”You are not going to touch that are you?” he asked before DiNardo actually asked about a potential raise for the manager.Kelleher called DiNardo irresponsible for inferring Bisignani would receive a raise because he received a contract extension. He said he had no intention of offering the manager a raise and the manager had not asked for one.”I’d be embarrassed to offer a raise in this economy,” he added.DiNardo, however, stuck to his guns.”I just think there needs to be more awareness,” he said. “You have the power and authority to do as you see fit but we need to serve each other notice.”Selectman Peter Rossetti said DiNardo does receive notice through the budget process and called his desire for a five-year prediction a little unreasonable.”I just think we need a plan,” DiNardo said. “He’s been here five years, that’s a benchmark, a record maybe and we’re going to expect a little more.”