Bisignani selected as new Nahant Town Administrator

NAHANT – Selectmen kept it local once again, voting 2-1 Thursday night to name resident and current Saugus Town Manager Andrew Bisignani as the next Nahant Town Administrator.”I feel good, I’m pleased and I’m excited,” said Bisignani after the meeting. “It’s a new challenge, a new group of players, different challenges here than in Saugus.”Bisignani has lived in Nahant for 16 years and commuted to Saugus for the past nine years. He will replace current Town Manager and Ocean Street resident Mark Cullinan, who announced in June that he was leaving the position after 17 years serving the town. A search committee announced Nov. 10 they narrowed 74 applicants to three finalists for selectmen to choose among: Bisignani, Jeffrey Chelgren, Wenham town administrator, and Orlando Pacheco, the town administrator of Lancaster. Selectmen interviewed Bisignani and Chelgren the following week after Pacheco withdrew his application and agreed they had a difficult decision to make.Selectmen Chair Lainey Titus began the discussion by announcing her support for Chelgren. She praised his ability to build consensus within Wenham as well as within the town’s regional partner Hamilton on issues concerning the schools, budget and more. She said she had “some concerns about (Bisignani’s) interpersonal skills and responsiveness,” in speaking with members of the Saugus community.But Selectmen Richard Lombard and Michael Manning said they also spoke with many Saugus community members and agreed that Bisignani’s tenure in the large and busy town – albeit sometimes controversial – made him their preferred candidate.”The fact that he’s, I would say, survived nine years as town (manager) of Saugus,” Manning said, demonstrated “his tact and level of financial and legal knowledge. He’s handled it despite of what I would say is a little bit of turmoil that is around him.”Lombard also noted Bisignani’s knowledge of the town as a resident.Titus said her vote in opposition to Bisignani’s appointment was to show her support of Chelgren, but said that Bisignani was “highly qualified and (she) would be pleased to work with him.”The selectmen agreed that they would meet with Bisignani in a public forum next week to discuss a contract for the position. Bisignani said that he would discuss his obligations to Saugus and Nahant at that time. Meanwhile, Bisignani said, he may literally follow in the footsteps of his predecessor. He too would be able to walk to Town Hall from his home.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].