Saugus police, fire depts. to get manpower boost

SAUGUS – The Saugus Police and Fire Departments will be a getting a boost in manpower after Town Meeting voted Monday night to add a pair of firefighters and a pair of police officers to the ranks.Town Manager Scott Crabtree submitted articles 7 and 9, which will put an additional $43,000 and $174,000 into the police and fire budgets respectively. The articles passed unanimously.The money will be spent on four new positions for the remainder of the fiscal year with the remainder of the money going toward firefighter overtime.The town will also be getting a new reverse 911 service as Town Meeting voted to spent $18,500 on the system. That vote passed unanimously as well.Other articles submitted Crabtree and passed by Town Meeting include article 4, which will spend $35,000 to hire an Economic Development/Grant Writer position, article 6, which raises $47,000 for professional services for the accounting department, article 10, which spends $7,600 for Veterans Services salary, article 11, which pays $5,100 in unpaid bills from last fiscal year and article 12, which authorizes the Town Treasurer to borrow $1.2 million for the Lincoln Avenue reconstruction project.The project will redo roads and sidewalks from Cliftondale Square to the Revere line.Article 2, which will petition the state for two additional liquor licenses for the town passed 27-14. Peter Rossetti made a motion to amend the original article to eliminate a stipulation that the licenses would only be used along the “Route 1 corridor” and will go toward restaurants with a minimum of 200 seats.That amendment passed requires only a 50-seat minimum and no location requirements.Article 14, the so-called “Hallin Principle” passed unanimously. The article was drafted by Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian to commemorate Saugus High School teacher Isabelle Hallin, who was wrongly accused of serving alcohol to students in the 1930s.The wall on the stairway leading to the Town Hall auditorium will receive a photograph of Hallin along with a statement of principle that reads: “May our actions within this Town Hall lead to greater wisdom and justice rather than sorrow and regret.”Town Meeting also voted to tweak several bylaws after Saugus Police Sgt. Paul Vansteensburg submitted articles looking to protect the town?s parks.Article 15, which changes park hours from “8 a.m. to 10 p.m.” to “sunrise and sunset,” and articles 16 and 17, which add the town?s new rail trail bike/walking path to the list of places where drinking alcohol or operating a motor vehicle are prohibited, passed unanimously.Town Meeting voted to spend a total of $346,000 Monday night, which Crabtree had stated previously was made of new growth, including local receipts like $400,000 in permitting fees for Walmart.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].