Saugus racks up more than $100G in legal fees in ice rink dispute

SAUGUS – Board of Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino said if he were on the board in 2008 he would have never signed the agreement to sublease Kasabuski Rink, especially in light of the legal fees that have racked up since.?When I was off (the board), they renegotiated a lease with (Department of Conservation and Recreation) with the intentions of subleasing it,” Serino said. “It didn?t make any sense to me to do that. If I was on the board, I would have renegotiated it with the intent of the town keeping the rink and we wouldn?t be in the mess we?re in ? or give it back to them and let them negotiate a lease with (Dan) Maniff. Why should the town get involved? The whole thing has gone wrong as far as I?m concerned.”According to interim Town Accountant Joanne Gayron, the town has spent $102,000 on legal fees on Kasabuski. A Suffolk Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of the Kasabuski Rink owners in February saying that the town of Saugus “wrongfully terminated” its lease with them. The town has since filed a motion for new trial.Despite the costs, Selectman Steve Horlick said the issue is about doing what?s right for the community.?It?s just like the I&I,” Horlick said. “We spent the money on that and that was like a 10,000-to-1 shot but we spent it and look what that saved us. There?s nothing there to say if we go to litigation on this is it going to work out ? There?s no way to know. You just put your best judgment together and say, ?OK, what are we trying to accomplish?? But when this is about the parents and the kids in Saugus ? you have to go forward. You always have to go forward when it?s about the kids.”Selectmen Vice-Chairman Steve Castinetti said spending more than $100,000 on legal fees is better than spending what it would cost for improvements at the rink, which the sub-lessees are responsible for, according to the lease.Castinetti said the potential for the rink to make money “is there,” but noted it needs to be run properly.?We don?t have the money to spend legal fees, but we are the lessees of that rink, and as such we are responsible for what goes on there,” Castinetti said. “With capital improvements costing as much as $600,000, I think we?re better off spending $100,000 instead of $600,000. It?s been an albatross for a long time. I think if it?s managed properly the rink can make money, whether it?s for the current owners or the town. I?d hate to spend $100, on legal fees, but I?d rather see that than three- or four- or five- hundred thousand.”A recent letter from the DCR advised the town that it is in default of its lease, noting: “The Town of Saugus as the primary tenant has not complied with several material provisions of the lease including but not limited to sections 8 and 9 of the lease.”Attorney Neil Rossman, who represents current sub-lessees Dan Maniff and John Curley, said Monday he?s still waiting to hear from the DCR about what issues need to be corrected.Serino called the current legal battle “a tough situation” Monday, but said he?s happy the DCR is “finally getting involved.”?Let them try to straighten it out with Maniff,” Serino said. “We?re kind of caught in the middle of this thing now. It?s not a good situation. We just want to cure the problems that are there. Now the DCR is getting involved so I think it will be less of strain on the town. I think we?ll be a little more successful with the DCR.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].