Last call rollback hearing postponed in Saugus

Selectmen have postponed their scheduled Friday night public hearing on the proposed SAUGUS – closing-time rollback for restaurants and bars from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m., sparking discord among board members and drawing the ire of rollback proponents.The postponement means the current board will not take up the matter, since a new board will be elected on Tuesday. And it remains to be seen whether the new board will bother to act on the issue at all.Board of Selectmen Clerk Wendy Reed announced the postponement in letters and email to selectmen Tuesday afternoon, and the media was also informed via email. She said the reason for the postponement is that Special Town Counsel Ira Zaleznik is not available to attend the Friday night hearing due to a scheduling conflict. That?s the same reason that was given two weeks ago when the board moved the originally scheduled hearing for Saturday, Halloween Day, back to Friday night.Selectmen Stephen Horlick said he is not happy about the postponement, especially that he was not given the courtesy to weigh in before the decision was made.?It’s not necessary for special town counsel to attend a hearing,” Horlick said. “I don’t need special counsel to tell me to vote yes or to vote no on a rollback. This is all spelled out in Massachusetts General Laws, that establishments can serve liquor up until 11 p.m., and beyond that it’s per the discretion of cities and towns.?All of these other communities around us – Revere, Winthrop, Lynn – made the decision to rollback the hour based on Massachusetts General Laws,” Horlick said. “From what I can see, one board member took it upon himself to make the decision for the board. I was never consulted. There’s no excuse for that. We all have cell phones and we all have text messages.”Selectman Stephen Castinetti is presiding on the issue since the board?s regular chairman, Donald Wong, is neither voting on the proposal nor participating in the deliberation since his family, which owns Kowloon Restaurant, holds a liquor license.Castinetti, contacted Tuesday evening, said he postponed the meeting upon the advice of special counsel, and that once he received that advice he immediately instructed Reed to notify all selectmen by email and regular mail, and that the leading proponents of the rollback were also informed.He said other than a scheduling conflict, Zaleznik’s primary concern is about entertainment licenses.?At this meeting we were to have two hearings, one on liquor licenses and one on entertainment licenses,” Castinetti said. “(Zaleznik’s) main concern is that Roller World has a suit against the town and he didn’t want is taking any action (on entertainment licenses) that would affect that.”Castinetti said he would not consider holding public hearings without counsel present. He added, however, that he does believe it is wise to hold the liquor rollback hearing before the election.?I am convinced there are board members who would vote different ways on this after the election than they would before the election, because people are concerned about losing votes,” he said.Two other selectmen, Michael Kelleher and Peter Rossetti, are out of town this week. Both had indicated they would be back in time to attend the Friday night hearing.Rossetti said earlier this month, however, that he opposed the timing of the rollback.?I don?t think it?s appropriate three days before the election but so be it,” Rossetti said. “It?s such a volatile issue and there will be grandstanding, it?s just not a good idea.”The rollback was proposed by a group of Town Meeting members spearheaded by Al DiNardo, after reports of late-night summer violence in the parking lot of Jin Restaurant/ Orchid Nightclub. DiNardo said more than 30 Town Meeting members signed a petition in support of a rollback, and a dozen attended a selectmen meeting to present it to the board.?The board is not responding to what the people want,” DiNardo said. “I think this board should (hold the hearing) because