Saugus Finance Committee concerned over Belmonte

SAUGUS – The Saugus Finance Committee is hoping to have the project manager and members of the Belmonte Middle School Building Committee attend tonight?s meeting to further discuss articles on the Town Meeting Warrant requesting additional money for the Belmonte repair project.Articles 37 and 38 seek additional money from the town for asbestos abatement and additional remodeling of the school to go along with the already approved $19 million project.Finance Committee Chairman Robert Palleschi said during Wednesday night?s meeting that he felt “snookered” because he thought “asbestos would have been the No. 1 priority.”Vice-chairman Kenneth DePatto said builders need to make the numbers work the way they are.?That?s what the people voted for,” said DePatto. “It doesn?t make sense to me. I really think the general contractor needs to go back there and do their due diligence.”The Finance Committee did not take any action on the articles, but did recommend article 36, a new bylaw regulating vacant and dilapidated properties.The committee did not recommend article 35 which sought to provide a $3,000 to $4,500 stipend for members of the Saugus Retirement Board.Bill Cross has been on the Retirement Board since 1997 and said the stipends will lessen the increased burden of being on the board.?They passed all these new laws with mandatory training and meetings all the time,” said Cross. “I?ve been at the retirement office for eight to 10 hours per week.”Cross said the money would come out of the town?s retirement account and would be come at no extra cost.?I know asking people to OK money in these times, especially in Saugus, is sacrilege,” said Cross. “I wouldn?t go forward with this unless I had the blessing of the Finance Committee.”Finance Committee Chairman Bob Palleschi, however said he couldn?t support it and the article as indefinitely postponed.?If times were different that would have been pretty easy,” said Palleschi.The Finance Committee will meet again tonight at 7 p.m.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].