Saugus town manager in hot water

SAUGUS – After more than a year of contentious dealings with Town Manager Scott Crabtree, the Board of Selectmen will meet in executive session on Monday “to discuss discipline or dismissal of an employee,” according to the town’s website.Although Town Council John Vasapolli was not completely certain of the board’s intentions, he said that under the Town Charter, Crabtree is the only employee that can be terminated by the selectmen.He added that a constable has served Crabtree with a notice of the Sept. 15 meeting. Under the Open Meeting Law, the town manager reserves the right to move the meeting to open session at any time.Should there be a four-fifths vote to terminate Crabtree, Vasapolli explained that it would be for “failure to carry out through malfeasance or negligence, the duties and responsibilities of the town manager,” as is stated in Crabtree’s contract.However, Vasapolli pointed out that under Article 2, Section 11 of the Town Charter, the board “would have to find just cause” before it can begin the process of removing Crabtree.In speaking about the board’s Aug. 28 executive session, which called for an evaluation of Crabtree’s job performance, Vasapolli said that the selectmen could not make such an assessment as it was not in Crabtree’s current contact. Doing so would have put the board in violation of labor law.”It is my opinion that the Board of Selectmen have no authority to conduct an evaluation of the town manager under the terms of the present contract or under the provisions of the Town Charter,” said Vasapolli in his Aug. 28 letter to Selectman Debra Panetta.”This is Saugus vendetta politics at its worst,” said Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian of Precinct 10.He explained that the tension between Crabtree and Chairman Ellen Faiella go back to when she was let go from the Police Department.”Faiella has a problem with Scott because he laid her off when she was a town employee,” said Manoogian.He added that Crabtree has also encountered resistance from Vice Chairman Maureen Dever and Selectman Stephen Castinetti.In recalling the years under former Town Manager Andrew Bisignani, Manoogian said that a performance evaluation was never discussed.”Castinetti never said boo about an evaluation,” he said.Manoogian added that the town’s “political instability” could jeopardize its chances of getting state funding for a new high school.Referring to the selectmen as a “rogue board,” Town Meeting member Al DiNardo of Precinct 4 said removing Crabtree “would be devastating for the town.””We went through a lot of pains to make Scott town manager,” he said.Should the board vote to remove Crabtree, he will be the ninth town manager to leave office after two years.Crabtree and the selectmen were unable to comment on the matter under the rules of executive session.