THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 12, 2024 Page 7 Countdown Till Town Meeting Editor’s Note: The 2024 Annual Town Meeting convenes on Monday, May 6. As a special service to our readers and the registered voters of Saugus, we are reaching out to all 50 Town Meeting members, focusing on one precinct each week, in the weeks leading up to the start of Town Meeting, asking members about their expectations for the upcoming Town Meeting. This week, we received responses from three of the fi ve Town Meeting Members in Precinct 7. For next week’s newspaper, we will reach out to the fi ve Town Meeting members from Precinct 8. Question One: What do you consider the top priority for the town as you prepare for the opening of the 2024 Town Meeting session? John Chipouras: One of the main priorities is to have a third fi re station. We need to preserve one of the closed elementary schools to prevent overcrowding because there are many apartments being built. We need to come under an agreement with Win Waste Innovations. every day. Certainly, I think the town is bursting at the seams. I get a little concerned about overdevelopment. We’re really getting overdeveloped on Route One. It’s going to choke us to death, and I don’t think it’s going to be good for commerce. Question Two: What do you A scene from last year’s Annual Town Meeting (Courtesy Photo of Saugus TV to The Saugus Advocate) Frank V. Federico: Ensuring the safety of students in Saugus public schools is paramount. With a recent uptick in violent incidents on school grounds, it’s evident that significant changes are necessary in both prevention and response protocols. The constraints imposed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) have made it exceedingly challenging for Massachusetts school systems to safeguard students effectively. Saugus must assertively address these limitations. While numerous adjustments are warranted to foster a safer learning environment for both students and teachers, implementing a School Resource Offi cer (SRO) program stands out as a potentially the most impactful measure with immediate results. Robert A. Palleschi: The traffi c is the big town wide issue. It seems that everyone in town complains about the traffi c. If you get on Central Street at 3 o’clock, you’re backed up all the way to Lily Pond, pretty much consider the top priority for residents in your precinct as you prepare for the opening of the 2024 Town Meeting session? John Chipouras: Many residents of North Saugus want a traffi c study on how to alleviate the traffi c on Walnut Street coming from Lynnfi eld to Lynn. Vacant properties need to be occupied on route one, as they are an eyesore. We need to maintain our AA Plus Bond Rating. Frank V. Federico: The residents in my precinct are among some of the best, sharing common desires with many across Saugus. They seek assurance that the town prioritizes their well-being. As warmer weather approaches, they look forward to venturing out of their homes and walking their neighborhoods and witness well-maintained roads, potholes promptly repaired rather than just patched, and sidewalks that don’t pose a risk of injury when TOWN MEETING | SEE PAGE 16 RON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM
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