Page 10 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 DEAL | FROM Page 5 town could be considerably more if the agreement receives the required backing of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Aff airs (MassDEP), the Board of Health and Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree. “My estimate is somewhere between $20-$25 million over 20 years, on the low end and $30 million on the mid to upper level,” Selectman Jeff rey Cicolini told The Saugus Advocate of the potential savings to the town as a result of the amendment he crafted. Cicolini, who said he opposed the agreement off ered by WIN Waste Innovations and recommended by the Board of Health’s Landfi ll Subcommittee, recommended these changes: • Elimination of the $15 million lump sum payment to the town within 30 days of obtaining fi nal approval to operate the landfi ll beyond the current Valley Fill expiration date of December 2025. Cicolini changed the lump sum to $1 million. • The agreement will not exceed 20 years – not the 25 years in the deal off ered by WIN Waste. • Eliminating the tipping fees paid by Saugus to WIN Waste for residential waste disposal during the entire agreement, which would begin at the end of 2025 when the landfi ll is expected to reach its capacity. • The removal of the provision that stipulates WIN Waste would reduce the amount it pays the Attorneys at Law 14 Norwood St., Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (617) 387-4900 Fax: (617) 381-1755 John Mackey, Esq. * Katherine M. Brown, Esq. Patricia Ridge, Esq. Saugus Selectmen Anthony Cogliano and Jeff rey Cicolini listen to WIN Waste Innovation’s Host Community Agreement (HCA) off er. town if the company is required to invest more than $5 million due to regulatory requirements or capital improvements. Under Cicolini’s amendment, the town’s benefi ts would not be decreased if WIN Waste is required to pay more than $5 million for major upgrades of the plant. “I do not share the view that this vote tonight has anything to do with the support of or approval of extending the ash landfi ll,” Cicolini told his colleagues before off ering his amendment. “I’ll say it again. If the DEP asks me my opinion, I would prefer to not see expansion of the ash landfi ll. I don’t know how many times I can say that and, hopefully, have it sink in to individuals, but I can tell you this has nothing to do [with HCA].” “My vote is for my role on the GREAT RATE ALERT: 2.28% 15-Month CD memberspluscu.org 781-905-1500 MEDFORD NORWOOD DORCHESTER EVERETT PLYMOUTH APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Rates effective August 30, 2022 and subject to change without notice. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain on deposit until maturity and that a withdrawal or fee will reduce earnings. Certificates are fixed-rate accounts and will remain in effect until maturity. Fees that may be applicable to deposit accounts can be found on the fee schedule. In the case of CD or IRA, penalty may apply for early withdrawal. NCUA insures up to $250,000; MSIC insures all excess shares and deposits above the federal insurance limits of $250,000. APY* Only $500 Minimum to open! No Maximum! Grab this offer NOW at any Members Plus branch! Board of Selectmen as a chief policy maker and as the highest elected board in town, because it’s a host agreement that would require our approval … There has to be some kind of trust in the Board of Health and the DEP, who know a lot more about this stuff than I ever will and I care to,” he said. While he opposes expansion of the ash landfi ll, Cicolini said he supported an amended agreement based on the improvements at the plant “although not the same as building a new facility.” He said he hopes MassDEP and Board of Health make sure all of the health and environmental impact concerns are addressed. Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano and Selectman Corinne Riley voted in favor of Cicolini’s amendment. Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Debra Panetta and Selectman Michael Serino – both staunch opponents of any expansion of the ash landfi ll – voted against it. WIN Waste “pleased” with the vote WIN Waste Innovations off ered no immediate reaction after Tuesday night’s vote but issued a brief statement on Wednesday (Sept. 21) expressing satisfaction with the vote. “We are pleased that the Board of Selectmen approved a Host Community Agreement (HCA) for continued use of the ash monofi ll that will deliver substantial economic, environmental and community benefi ts to Saugus,” said WIN Waste Innovation’s Vice President of Environment, Jim Connolly. “As with any agreement of this kind, there are details of the HCA to fi nalize and we look forward to doing so in the coming days and weeks. We thank the Board of Selectmen for facilitating a substantive, comprehensive and transparent discussion and for creating a framework for a mutually benefi cial public-private partnership between Saugus and WIN Waste for years to come,” Connolly said. “We are grateful for, and humbled by the large number of Saugus residents who took the time, in both letters and attendance at Board of Selectmen and Committee meetings, to voice their support for the HCA,” he said. Ten of the 16 speakers who testifi ed at Tuesday night’s twohour public hearing said they supported the HCA; six opposed it. As of Wednesday, all but one of the 35 letters submitted to the Board of Selectmen were in favor of the WIN Waste proposal. A major obstacle to any deal would be whether MassDEP will allow extending the life of the ash landfi ll. State Rep. Jessica Giannino (DRevere), whose district includes Precincts 3 and 10 in Saugus, and State Rep. Jeff rey Turco (DWinthrop), along with the Alliance for Health and the Environment, are hosting a meeting set for 6 p.m. Sept. 28 in the second fl oor auditorium of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central St. The hosts have invited MassDEP offi - cials to appear at the meeting to answer questions about the future of the landfi ll. Citizens may submit questions in advance to allianceforhealthenvironment@ gmail.com. vote Panetta sought to delay HCA Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Panetta made a motion at the outset of the hearing to continue the hearing until after the board’s Nov. 1 regular meeting. “I never received a copy of the proposal that we are supposed to discuss tonight,” Panetta said, reading from a statement explaining why she believed the board wasn’t adequately prepared to vote on the HCA. “There isn’t even a proposal in our Selectmen packages or in our Selectmen offi ce. We advertised a public hearing, and the proposal is not available to the public. We don’t have copies at Town Hall or the library for people to read, there are no copies in the Selectmen’s offi ce, the proposal is not on the Town’s website, and there are no minutes posted on the Town’s website. I think we should continue this hearing until the documents are made available so that everyone can read the proposal to understand what we are discussing ahead of this meeting,” Panetta said. “Secondly, I still believe we should wait to hear from the DEP prior to meeting. The DEP was very clear in the letter to Representative Turco that they would allow no further expansion on the landfi ll, especially since it is located in an area of critical environmental concern,” she said. “Lastly, I would like to hear from Town Meeting now that we are calling a Special. I feel that this vote is extremely important for our Town, and we should have all the information before moving forward. I also would like to have a separate BOS meeting to discuss this topic after the October 24th (special) DEAL | SEE Page 11
11 Publizr Home