Curley property, school renovations, fire station key issues at Saugus Town Meeting

SAUGUS – When Special Town Meeting gets under way this evening, among the topics for discussion is whether to use part of the so-called Curley Property as a cemetery.Issues contained in the 12-article warrant run the gamut from funding transfers and incurring debt to replacing the Essex Street Fire Station’s heating system and officially accepting streets into various housing sub-divisions.The meeting at Town Hall begins at 7:30 p.m. It will be followed at approximately 9 p.m. by a public information meeting focused on the tentative fiscal 2012 town budget. The Board of Selectmen and the School Committee are scheduled to answer questions from town residents about the $76 million budget, currently unbalanced with an approximately $2 million deficit. Town officials are searching for ways to raise revenue.The Special Town Meeting will address whether to authorize the town treasurer, with approval from the selectmen, to raise or borrow funds for the Saugus High School ADA Compliance Project.Town Meeting members will also decide whether to accept Albert Drive, Lindsay Terrace, Scott Drive, Patel Drive, Randell Road and Noel Drive into their respective sub-divisions or neighborhoods.Article 2 asks to transfer $12,000 from the fiscal 2011 Non-Contributory Pension line item account into the fiscal 2012 Legal Litigation line item account.Article 4 seeks funding for repair or replacement of the Saugus High School unit vents.Article 6 is likely to generate plenty of discussion. It asks the town to transfer care, custody and control of 26.2 acres town-owned property, also known as the former Curley Property, for use by the Cemetery Commission for use as a cemetery for Saugus residents. The land in question encompasses over 60 acres.The same warrant article, submitted by the Cemetery Commission, asks that the remaining acres be transferred to the School Department. The land eyed as a potential cemetery is located at the northwest section.Article 11 would amend the town bylaws to create Saugus Student Government Day. The chairman of the Board of Selectmen would be authorized to proclaim the first Tuesday in May as the official date.In doing so, Town Meeting members, the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, Housing Authority and the vocational school representative would be paired with a student counterpart for the day.Further, the day would include conducting a Town Meeting of 50 students elected by high school students from “precincts” corresponding roughly to the town’s 10 designated precincts.