Saugus Library trustees look to wipe slate clean with new nonprofit

SAUGUS – The Saugus Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to allow temporary trustee Paul Allen to look into starting a new nonprofit group to replace the current Friends of Saugus Library.Allen said he would speak with law professor Ralph Clifford from the University of Massachusetts to see whether a new nonprofit group needs to be created with the Secretary of State?s office.?I want to see if we can take the existing 501C and move with that or are there just too many issues with it to where we just want to make that go into default and start anew,” said Allen.Library Director Diane Wallace said she isn?t sure if past financial records for the Friends of Saugus Library were prepared fraudulently or not, after former administrative assistant Linda Duffy was arrested in December and charged with stealing more than $800,000 from the library over seven years.Town Treasurer/Collector Wendy Hatch recommended starting a new organization with a new name established with the Secretary of State?s office.?That way everything is clear from the previous organization and any issues that may have been associated with it won?t cloud anything as we go forward,” said Hatch. “To establish ourselves with any other organization under the same tax identification number could become problematic.”Hatch also said any bank accounts associated with the Friends of Saugus Library have been closed.The Board of Trustees is still made up of three temporary members: Allen, who is also a Town Meeting member, Hatch and Saugus resident Joanne Gayron.The Board of Selectmen removed the previous board for lack of oversight after Duffy was arrested, and is still seeking applications to appoint new trustees.Wallace said people have been “reluctant” to get involved with the Board of Trustees, however, Allen said he has an interview with the selectmen on March 8 to become a full-time member.?It wasn?t even on my agenda until after I had been asked to join temporarily,” said Allen. “It just looks like a good cause. We have no place to go but up and we need to be re-established.”In other business, the Trustees voted 3-0 to end the $1 fee to take out DVDs at the library, while Wallace said she wants to look into converting the two upstairs bathrooms into study rooms.Wallace said a lack of staff and ongoing vandalism problems forced her to permanently lock them.?People would kill to study in here,” said Wallace.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].