Saugus cable staff to transition to town employees

SAUGUS – Effective Monday, the staff at the Saugus Cable Television Station will be town employees, as opposed to independent contractors.The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on Thursday to approve a $151,151 budget to fund the station for the first six months of 2015. The board also approved $11,609 to cover the station’s expenses for the remainder of 2014.Vice Chairman Maureen Dever said the budget will be financed through an account controlled by town Treasurer Wendy Hatch. Dever said the account carries a current balance of “close to a million dollars.”SCTS Executive Director Bryan Nadeau said that as independent contractors, he and his staff were being paid a flat rate and were responsible for calculating their own withholdings.Chairman Ellen Faiella told Nadeau and the SCTS Board of Directors that the process of putting the station’s staff on the town’s payroll had been prolonged by the ongoing legal proceedings between the selectmen and the town’s former station, Saugus Community Television.”It’s been an absolute nightmare,” said Faiella.”You guys have been frustrated and frustrated and frustrated,” said Selectman Stephen Castinetti.Dever said that SCTV has yet to release the balance of its money to the town despite being ordered to do so by Judge David Lowy of the Essex County Superior Court. However, she commended the SCTS staff members for staying the course despite the legal battle swirling around them.”I want to thank all of you for remaining,” she said. “The way you have been treated is unacceptable.”In response to a question from Selectman Debra Panetta regarding inventory, SCTS Chairman Joe Cassia called attention to the station’s air conditioning unit, which stopped working last week after being in the building since 1992.”It’s necessary for lighting to keep the place cool,” he said.In terms of record keeping, Cassia said that unlike prior years, the station’s financial documents will be well-organized moving forward.”You can rest assured that the books will be kept in a very orderly fashion,” he said. “I think everybody is excited to start a new day.”