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Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, March 6, 2020 New Saugus Laws New Board of Heath bylaws banning plastic bags and polystyrene food containers take effect next week By Mark E. Vogler E ffective next Thursday (March 12), it will be against the law, at least in Saugus, for food service establishments and retail businesses to use plastic bags and polystyrene food containers. The Annual Town Meeting last May approved two articles authored by Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) – one designed to reduce the use of polystyrene; and the second one to eliminate single use plastic checkout bags that are distributed in town while promoting the use of reusable bags. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s Office recently issued a press release announcing the new bylaws, which can carry fines of up to $100 a day for violations. Meanwhile, the Saugus Health Department issued a mailing to all food establishment owners and operators notifying them of the upcoming effective date and enforcement. The new bylaws were approved last September by the state Attorney General’s Office: Article 15, “Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw,” serves to protect the Town’s unique natural beauty and its water and natural resources by eliminating single use plastic checkout bags that are distributed in the Town of Saugus and to A CATALYST FOR TOWN’S NEW ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS: Precinct 1 Town Meeting Member Ann Devlin, who is also president of Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE), expresses joy last May after Town Meeting approved a bylaw reducing the use of polystyrene food containers. SAVE instigated the new law and another one that bans the use of plastic check-out bags.(Saugus Advocate file photo by Mark E. Vogler) promote reusable bags. Article 16, “Polystyrene Food Container Reduction Bylaw,” serves to eliminate polystyrene food and beverage containers in the best interest of the health and welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of Saugus. “The Town of Saugus thanks residents and business owners for their cooperation of these efforts and compliance during this transitional period,” the press release from the Town Manager’s Office noted. To learn more about the new bylaws, visit the Saugus Health Department website at www. saugus-ma.gov/board-health or contact the Saugus Health Department at 781-231-4117. In its letter to local businesses, the Health Department said it will start to enforce the bylaws starting March 12, during annual routine food retail and food service inspections. These are highlights of the article approved this week by the Annual Town Meeting and the proposal members will consider on May 20. “Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw” Use Regulations: Thin-film single-use plastic bags shall not be distributed, used, or sold for checkout or other purposes at any retail store or grocery store within the Town of Saugus. If a retail store provides or sells checkout bags to customers, the bags must be recyclable paper bags or reusable checkout bags. Thin-film plastic bags used to contain dry-cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, bulk foods, wet items and other similar merchandise, typically without handles, are still permissible. Enforcement: The responsibility of the Board of Health, which shall determine the monitoring process, which may be limited to responding to citizen reports. Penalties: Noncriminal disposition fines – first offense, warning; second offense, $50 per day; third and each subsequent offense, $100 per day. Effective Date: Six months after approval of the bylaw by the state Attorney General’s Office, or Jan. 1, 2020, whichever is later. The Board of Health could exempt a retail store from the requirements for a period of up to six months upon a finding of undue hardship or if a retail store needs additional time to draw down an inventory of checkout bags. “Polystyrene Food Container Reduction Bylaw” Use Regulations: Food establishments are prohibited from dispensing prepared food to customers in disposable food service containers. Enforcement: The responsibility of the Board of Health, which shall determine the monitoring process, which may be limited to responding to citizen reports. Penalties: Noncriminal disposition fines – first offense, warning; second offense, $50 per day; third and each subsequent offense, $100 per day. Effective Date: Six months after approval of the bylaw by the state Attorney General’s Office, or Jan. 1, 2020, whichever is later. The Board of Health could exempt a food establishment from the requirements for a period of up to six months upon a finding of undue hardship or if a food service establishment needs additional time to draw down an inventory of foam polystyrene disposable food service containers. School Committee Member Hatch calls District Review Report school district’s “Bible” for turning Saugus Public Schools around But the amount earmarked By Mark E. Vogler S everal members of the Finance Committee were clearly troubled by a scathing report of the School Department that was released last fall by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. With the amount of money that the town has been spending on the school district in recent years, the findings of The District Review Report of Saugus Public Schools raised serious questions as to whether the district has been spending its money wisely or even knows how it’s been spending its money. “That report is not a very glorious report,” admitted Saugus Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David DeRuosi, Jr., after committee members quizzed him at Wednesday night’s budget review session. “No one person owns it. It clearly states we haven’t been working together on anything,” he said. DeRuosi and Pola G. Andrews, the School District’s Director of Finance and Administration, sat down at the table in the first floor conference room at Saugus Town Hall briefing the committee on a multitude of aspects of the School Department’s proposed budget for the 2021 Fiscal Year that begins July 1. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s proposed budget includes $30,075,250 for the School Department -- a $500,000 increase over the 2020 fiscal year budget approved last spring by Town Meeting. for Saugus Public Schools in the manager’s spending plan for 2021 Fiscal Year that begins July 1 is still $1.9-million less than what the School Committee voted unanimously to support last month. At the outset of Wednesday night’s budget session, DeRuosi singled out the highly critical District Review Report as a crucial document that will have significant impact on next year’s proposed school spending plan. The 90-page report that involved a comprehensive review of the entire Saugus Public Schools “was not that flattering,” the superintendent told the committee. Yet, the report was one of two impacts on the proposed school budget, according to DeRuosi. “We put together a budget that would help meet those needs,” he said. The second major impact was the election of a new School Committee, which reflects a message of what the community is looking for in its education system. “I believe this budget reflects a comprehensive review” along with the election fallout, he suggested. School Committee Member John Hatch told the Finance Committee that the district review is a valuable guide for school officials and community leaders in making needed improvements in the town’s education as the town looks forward to the opening of a new Saugus Middle-High School this spring. “That comprehensive review of the district has become a bible to the five of us,” Hatch said. “We carry it around every day,” he added. “I can see why the education system has fallen off in 16 years.” Hatch stressed patience, teamwork and commitment to turning things around. “In order for us to fix the system, we need to work together,” he said. DeRuosi noted that poor leadership and constant turnover in School Committees and superintendents contributed to the district’s regression. “This document is calling out a district that is struggling DISTRICT’S “BIBLE” | SEE PAGE 15

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