• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
Itemlive

Itemlive

North Shore news powered by The Daily Item

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Police/Fire
  • Government
  • Obituaries
  • Archives
  • E-Edition
  • Help
This article was published 7 year(s) and 1 month(s) ago

Saugus Special Town Meeting leads to big spending for public projects

Bella diGrazia

April 23, 2018 by Bella diGrazia

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.”

  • Bella diGrazia
    Bella diGrazia

    Bella diGrazia has contributed to the Daily Item off and on since 2017. She grew up in the city of Lynn and credits a lot of her passion to her upbringing in the North Shore.

    View all posts

Related posts:

No related posts.

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement

RELATED POSTS:

No related posts.

Sponsored Content

What questions should I ask when choosing a health plan?

Advertisement

Footer

About Us

  • About Us
  • Editorial Practices
  • Advertising and Sponsored Content

Reader Services

  • Subscribe
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Activate Subscriber Account
  • Submit an Obituary
  • Submit a Classified Ad
  • Daily Item Photo Store
  • Submit A Tip
  • Contact
  • Terms and Conditions

Essex Media Group Publications

  • La Voz
  • Lynnfield Weekly News
  • Marblehead Weekly News
  • Peabody Weekly News
  • 01907 The Magazine
  • 01940 The Magazine
  • 01945 The Magazine
  • North Shore Golf Magazine

© 2025 Essex Media Group