Saugus Town Meeting invites Bisignani to appear

SAUGUS – Saugus Town Meeting voted 31-12 Monday night to pass a resolution inviting former Town Manager Andrew Bisignani to attend a special public meeting to explain comments he made in a recent article in the Daily Item.Town Meeting member Al DiNardo wrote the resolution based on comments Bisignani made in a May 31 article about the second part of a forensic audit. In the article, Bisignani states that the issues raised in the audit were “openly discussed in budget presentations with the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee and Town Meeting.”DiNardo?s resolution states: “The Saugus Town Meeting is hereby inviting former Town Manager Andrew Bisignani to attend a special public meeting to explain his accusations against town officials in a public forum.”At Monday?s town meeting, DiNardo said the resolution sends a message both to the public and to Bisignani that Town Meeting has an “open door policy.”?We need to respond to that sort of talk,” said DiNardo. “I think we have an obligation to refute some of this stuff or at least let the public know ? that we didn?t shut the door on him because it makes it sound like we?re not giving him the ability to come. If he chooses not to come that?s fine, but it is noted on record that he was given the opportunity.”Town Meeting member Tim Hawkes said he trusted the town government to “do the proper thing” and since the audit was released he noted his trust has been compromised.?The purpose of this resolution is to restore the trust in our town government and town officials which we are a apart of,” said Hawkes.Michael Serino, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, told Town Meeting that he “knew about nothing that was going on” regarding the audit findings.In other business, Town Meeting voted 41-1 to pass article 39 which seeks to have a charter study committee look into drafting a proposal to establish staggered elections for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.According to Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian, Saugus is the only town in Massachusetts that does not have staggered elections.Town Meeting also referred article 40, which eliminates sick leave and vacation buy back, to the Town Manager and voted to indefinitely postpone article 43, which makes several changes to the town?s public safety bylaws, including public consumption of marijuana.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].