Nahant approves Bisignani as town administrator

NAHANT – Selectmen voted 2-1 to sign a contract with Andrew Bisignani that makes him the new full-time town administrator of Nahant, but which pays him only a part-time salary.”I think it’s a win-win for the town – we get a full-time manager for half the pay,” said Selectman Richard Lombard after the board and Bisignani signed the contract at its Thursday night meeting.But Selectmen Chair Lainey Titus voted against signing the contract. She said she was uncomfortable with the precedent. “I truly believe he has every intention of working full-time, but I also know life can change on a dime,” Titus said. “I have no reservations about your work ? but what precedent does that set for future town administrators?”According to the three-year contract, Bisignani will begin Feb. 1 and “the employee shall devote his full time to the office.” He will be paid no more than $44,372 in salary by Nahant in the first year and be compensated for more than 960 hours of work, the contract notes. He will also not receive health benefits, vacation, holiday or sick time, or participation in the pension policy. To honor the contract in Nahant, Bisignani said he will retire from his current position as Town Manager of Saugus. This enables him to collect his maximum pension benefits, but also limits the amount of money he can earn to supplement his pension, the number of hours for which he can be paid and eliminates certain other employment benefits.The contract ends a controversial few weeks for Bisignani since Nahant Selectmen voted 2-1 (with Titus against) on Dec. 2 to name him the next town administrator. Several Saugus selectmen criticized Bisignani for not officially notifying the board he was seeking other employment before his contract expires July 21, 2012. Bisignani subsequently requested that contract negotiations with Nahant be held in private on Dec. 7 because they were “politically sensitive,” the Daily Item reported last week. Titus abstained from the vote – but Lombard and Selectman Mike Manning voted in favor of the request.After the Thursday night meeting, Titus said she had heard during the search process that Bisignani might only request being paid part-time. However, she did not think it was a serious option until it was suggested – by Bisignani, meeting minutes show – during the executive session Dec. 7. All three selectmen said Thursday that the idea had no impact on their voting whether to recommend Bisignani for the town administrator position Dec. 2.Bisignani said that it was an uncommon, but not unheard of, situation for former government employees to work for part-time pay but commit to full-time work. He also viewed it as mutually beneficial. He said retiring at his 2012 salary of roughly $120,000 gives him a larger pension than he would receive if retiring after taking a roughly $20,000 pay cut to become town administrator in Nahant. Furthermore, it would help his home community – he told the selectmen that the savings could fund another teacher’s or police officer’s salary – and he said he is a notorious workaholic.”A lot of people want to give back ? I saw this as an opportunity,” Bisignani told selectmen. “I’m doing this again not because I need the job, but I need the work.”Lombard, current Town Administrator Mark Cullinan and Town Counsel Charles Riley Jr. all spoke in favor of Bisignani and expressed confidence that he would be a full-time and effective town administrator.Titus said she hoped she would regret not voting in favor of signing the contract and signed the agreement.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].