Recall the date in Saugus: 3/17/15

SAUGUS – The Board of Selectmen wasted no time Tuesday night setting March 17 as the date for a recall election that could potentially cost four of the five members their elected positions.Board chair Ellen Faiella and selectmen Maureen Dever, Paul Allan, Stephen Castinetti and Debra Panetta voted to set the election after Castinetti moved discussion about the date from the end of Tuesday night?s board meeting agenda to the front.Their quick action drew no response from 20 meeting attendees, but the vote headed off threats by a Superior Court judge on Dec. 30 potentially to order the recall as soon as today if the selectmen failed to act on a commitment by their attorney, Neil Rossman, to set the date on Tuesday.Faiella and Castinetti, following Tuesday?s meeting, said board members had every intention of scheduling the election after tabling a vote on the recall during their Dec. 9 meeting.The board?s decision to fire Town Manager Scott Crabtree last Oct. 29 following months of disagreements between selectmen and Crabtree sparked formation of Save Saugus, an organization that gathered sufficient signatures under the Town Charter to call for the recall election.Panetta voted against Crabtree?s firing and is not subject to recall. The March election date is based on a scheduling formula set by Secretary of State William Galvin?s office.Save Saugus representatives claimed victory following last week?s court hearing after Rossman told Judge Thomas Drechsler the selectmen would schedule the election. But Save Saugus members failed to persuade Drechsler to intervene and order the board to not hire a new manager prior to the recall.The judge said he is inclined to address Save Saugus? concerns if and when selectmen move to hire a new manager.A Town Manager Search Committee set up by selectmen with town residents Peter Rossetti, Joshua Dellheim and Robert Cox as members, held its first meeting on Tuesday a day after selectmen met and, according to Faiella, addressed residency concerns about the committee?s makeup raised last month by Town Meeting meeting member Al DiNardo.DiNardo objected to former town resident Richard McDonald?s appointment to the committee, noting McDonald, who has extensive town government experience, lives in Haverhill. Selectmen on Monday named Cox to the committee and designated McDonald an adviser to the committee.Faiella said the committee does not have a deadline to forward three to five manager candidates? names to selectmen. She said the committee received roughly 30 applications before the Dec. 19 deadline is set.?We feel strongly about allowing them to do the vetting process,” Faiella said.In other news from Tuesday?s board meeting, temporary Town Manager Robert Palleschi informed selectmen that Spectrum Health Systems is opening its local methadone clinic today.Palleschi said the drug addiction withdrawal assistance program?s status under state law allowed Spectrum to obtain its occupancy permit two weeks ago over objections by selectmen and residents about the clinic?s Route 1 North location.Dever wants Spectrum representatives to come before selectmen to discuss security and other concerns raised by residents in the neighborhood near the clinic.?The fact they are opening will raise the level of alarm. There is a tremendous amount of fear because they (neighbors) have no information,” Dever said.