Faiella to Crabtree: No more waiting on grease trap issue

SAUGUS – Selectmen Chairman Ellen Faiella told Town Manager Scott Crabtree that he must find someone to educate the board on external grease traps by Feb. 1, and she wanted regular updates on his search progress.Faiella said restaurant owners had been “left in limbo” long enough from a meeting in November where the board first decided they needed more information about grease traps before they could make a decision on the right way to allow restaurants to install them. With current regulations only mandating “external-type” grease traps and more environmentally friendly options available, the board tabled the decision, and Faiella had asked Crabtree to find someone to educate them on the subject.At Tuesday?s meeting, Crabtree said he had “not been able to identify an expert in small grease traps,” only experts in the area of much larger systems.?This issue has been going on for quite some time,” said Faiella.Selectman Maureen Dever suggested that Crabtree reach out to other communities through the town?s Director of Public Health, Frank Giacalone, for someone who knew more about the grease traps, “instead of reinventing the wheel.”After Crabtree suggested a local plumbing company, Faiella reiterated that they needed someone to explain the grease trap regulations and not push a product like she said they had in the discussion two months prior, and they needed a name by Feb. 1 in order to have enough time to book the meeting outside of a regular organized meeting.?Your task was to find somebody who can educate us,” she told Crabtree. “Don?t leave any stone unturned. We?ve been waiting on this issue for two months.”Before moving on to the next agenda item, Faiella added to Crabtree, “I?d like regular updates and like it done on a consistent and frequent basis.”