SAUGUS — Removing the double electricity poles, replacing and rehabilitating the town’s dams, and upgrading gas pumps and getting new systems for public works and public safety locations were three of the six remaining issues that were all passed unanimously at Monday night’s Special Town Meeting.
Members and residents of the town packed themselves into the Town Hall Auditorium to finish voting on articles 10 through 15. Town manager Scott Crabtree explained each of the issues at hand before any votes were made.
The town meeting members voted yes to spending $45,000 in certified free cash for the removal of the double electricity poles that are spread throughout the town.
“Verizon identified about 45 double poles in Saugus,” said Crabtree. “If this gets passed, we are in the best position with Verizon being able to support us in this.”
In order to get into compliance with the state on the construction and design of the town’s dams, members OK’d spending $150,000 of certified free cash to replace or rehabilitate the existing ones. Town meeting members also voted yes on spending $350,000, borrowed by the Board of Selectmen, to fund an analysis to address the town’s ongoing stormwater runoff problem.
Martin Costello from precinct 10 mentioned the marsh restoration project that occurred a few years back and asked Crabtree about the possibility of that being the reason behind the town’s increase in storm flooding over the past year.
“This would need to pass in order to analyze that for further discussion if that’s what affected the storm drain and caused the increase of flooding across the town,” said Crabtree.
Also getting thumbs-up was spending $160,000 of certified free cash on upgrading gas pumps and purchasing new control system equipment at the Public Works and Public Safety locations. Another yes vote was for $109,001.24 to fund bills of the prior year with the source of funding as Fiscal Year 2017 available carryovers ($5,821.23 in the General Fund, $97,372 in the Sewer Enterprise Fund, and $5,808.01 in the Water Enterprise Fund).
The final yes vote was to amend the general bylaws of the town by adding a new section which would establish and authorize revolving funds for use by certain town departments, boards, committees, agencies, or offices.
“Charlie Baker and his administration did surveys in 2016 to find out how to better local governments, so passing this would mandate us to adhere to the modernization act,” said Crabtree. “For us, it’s about not running revolving accounts into a deficit.”
