Doherty takes over as town moderator

SAUGUS – Longtime Town Moderator Robert Long received a standing ovation as he took the podium to thank the town for allowing him to serve for 18 years at Special Town Meeting Monday.Long called it a “rare privilege” to have served in a town where he said he had grown up following local politics. “It?s something that does not come along in an individual?s lifetime for most people,” he said.Long said he would provide any assistance needed to the new Town Moderator, Precinct 4 representative Steven Doherty.Doherty was the only candidate nominated and was unanimously elected by Town Meeting members shortly after Precinct 10 representative Peter Manoogian nominated him.After accepting the position, Doherty informed members that he would be changing the policy of no electronic devices, asking them to keep the devices on silent and encouraging them to be used for Town Meeting business only.As business turned to the warrant, Article 2 was taken off the warrant. Doherty said the article, which proposed a vote to allow retired police officers to serve as Special Police Officers, was found to contradict the town charter, which only allowed the town manager to appoint officers. Doherty said Saugus Police Chief Domenic DiMella will rework the language for approval at a later date.Article 13, the Historic Mills Mixed Use Overlay District, was referred to the Board of Selectmen to place on the next Special Town Meeting warrant since the Planning Board had not yet made a recommendation due to a technical error advertising one of its public meetings.All financial articles, 5 through 12, passed unanimously without much discussion, but Town Meeting members approved an amendment to Article 8, which asked voters to approve $265,000 as a “supplemental appropriation” to the School Department. Town Meeting member Sean Maltais of Precinct 9 submitted an amendment that would ask the School Committee and Superintendent Michael Tempesta to use $30,000 of the funds to lowers athletic user fees.Maltais said it was a non-binding proposal meant to start a conversation, pointing to data that he presented that said it would cost a family with three children $20,000 over seven years to pay for athletic fees. All members but one voted for the amendment.