Saugus Town Manager accuses foe Castinetti of exceeding authority

SAUGUS – While Saugus selectmen have been arguing about Town Manager Scott Crabtree?s contract, one issue that came up during Tuesday?s contentious meeting was a letter from Crabtree to Vice Chairman Steve Castinetti.In the letter, dated March 12, Crabtree accuses Castinetti of pressuring town employees in the human resources department, “through expressions of assumed authority,” into providing “documents and information relating to the hiring process for various open positions.”Crabtree stated, if true, “this is improper” and “clearly exceeds your authority” as a selectman.?Such materials are confidential,” said Crabtree. “Any release of them would put town employees at risk of violating the privacy rights of the applicants ? Any such improper interference with town operations must immediately cease and desist.”Crabtree then warned Castinetti if it happens again, the town is “prepared to and will take all such further action that may be necessary to protect both town employees and individuals with whom the town interacts, including applicants for employment.”Castinetti said Wednesday that while Crabtree was on vacation, he decided he was “going to do some investigating” to find out why certain jobs in Town Hall weren?t being filled.?I was asking some questions of human resources,” said Castinetti. “I never asked once about anybody specifically. I never asked for personnel files, resumes, applications, nothing. I wanted to know if we had applicants and if they could tell me why the positions hadn?t been filled yet.”Castinetti said 99 percent of the letter “was false, misleading and inflammatory,” and noted he took issue with selectman Stephen Horlick bringing it up at Tuesday?s meeting after a vote to extend Crabtree?s contract failed.?For Horlick to bring that up, like he?s a little white sheep that never made any mistakes,” said Castinetti. “He?s got more charges against him than the whole board combined and he?s going to read that about me?”Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino declined to comment on the letter, but noted “the girls down there were in tears.”With Crabtree and Serino both on vacation at the time, Horlick said he doesn?t think Castinetti would have looked into the issue if they were both in town.?In my opinion, Steve thought he was the head honcho and he appointed himself as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen,” said Horlick. “He was in the paper a week earlier complaining about why these positions weren?t being filled. So in my opinion, he took it upon himself ? he went down there and tried to get personal confidential information from people who put in resumes, which he?s not entitled to.”Selectman Julie Mitchell, who voted against a contract renewal, could not be reached for comment Thursday, but posted on her Facebook page that, “Tuesday night?s meeting sealed the deal!”?Personal agendas over the Towns (sic) best interest, NO WAY, that is not for me,” Mitchell posted. “Imagine what a this (sic) world would be like if we could change the rules everytime (sic) we did not get our way. I do not like the fact that our board is so divided and for one board member to attack another with something he knows nothing about is truly disheartening.”Town Counsel John Vasapolli said job applications are not public information and are “not subject to scrutiny.”?If you look at the charter, the selectmen hire the Town Manager and once they hire him, he?s the chief financial officer ?” said Vasapolli. “He?s in charge ? He hires, he fires, he spends money, he appoints. There?s no approval or review by the Board of Selectmen once he?s hired.”After the vote to renew Crabtree?s contract failed, the board voted 3-2 to have Vasapolli draft a Town Meeting article to change the vote requirement from four to three. Vasapolli said a simple majority of Town Meeting would be needed to change the charter and if passed, it would have to be approved by the Legislature.?That?s been changed in the past over my career as Town Counsel, over 30-so