Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 19, 2023 TOWN MEETING | FROM PAGE 1 “I got 101 phone calls – one was in favor of this article,” said Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo, one of the 18 members who supported the Planning Board recommendation against adoption of the zoning article. “Our Master Plan says to revitalize and rezone Cliftondale Square,” Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Christopher P. Riley said. Many of the Cliftondale Square area residents who spoke during the deliberations expressed concerns that adoption of the Zoning Overlay District would have an overall negative impact on their neighborhood. “We do not have the room for 85 to 143 apartments,” Essex Street resident Cheryl Roberto testifi ed. Some Cliftondale Square area residents worried that the proposed zoning changes could lead to the construction of fi ve-story buildings, which they said would be completely out of character with the neighborhood. The Planning Board, in its review, called the proposed Zoning Overlay District “inappropriate for the Cliftondale Square Neighborhood.” Planning Board members cited overcrowding, excessive traffi c and insuffi cient parking as their chief concerns. Session Three highlights Overall, Town Meeting members spent more than four hours in the second fl oor auditorium at Town Hall, as they also approved: • A $107.5 million local government operating budget for the 2024 fi scal year that begins July 1. This comprises $75.9 million for the municipal department operating budgets and $31.6 million for the Saugus Public Schools operating budget. • A 5.0 percent increase in the water rates for Fiscal Year 2024, with all receipts to be held in the Water Enterprise Fund to be used exclusively for water expenses, water maintenance, water debt and interest and water improvement programs. • $5,887,002.00 funded from Sewer Enterprise Fund Revenue and $0.00 to come from Retained Earnings; $610,157.00 is to be appropriated in the General Fund funded by Sewer Enterprise Fund Revenue for Indirect Costs. • An article initiated by Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian to rename the property known as the Ballard School to “Ballard Gardens.” This proposal, which was approved unanimously, “supports the concept of demolishing the existing building, site preparation, repurposing where appropriate, elements and materials that can be incorporated into a passive green space with topographical features and designs that may include perennial planting, trees, brick walkways, a gazebo, a separately fenced area for dogs and a separate tot lot.” A quick and eff ective Town Meeting session Town Counsel John Vasapolli said he thought the recently concluded Annual Town Meeting was one of the most expedient and effi cient sessions he has experienced during his 42 years of giving legal advice to members. “I never remember 5.0 %APY* INSURED 9 Month CD Your nest egg just got an upgrade. 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Any questions they had were already raised in the preliminary meetings,” he said. “And the good news is we’re in great fi nancial shape, enjoying the highest bond rating this town has ever had,” he said. It is not unusual for sessions of the Annual Town Meeting to be continuing into June or later into the fi scal year. But completing its business by mid-May is indeed a departure from normal proceedings, according to Vasapolli. TOWN MEETING | SEE PAGE 4 Town Meeting 2023: Some disagree with two-thirds vote ruling By Mark E. Vogler Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano said he will request the state Attorney General’s Office to review whether the article establishing a Cliftondale Square Overlay Zoning District should have passed by simple majority rather than two thirds supermajority. Town Moderator Stephen Doherty told members at Monday’s night third session of the Annual Town Meeting that Article 21 would need two thirds vote. A majority of members voted in support of the measure by a margin of 23-18. But that was only 56 percent – about fi ve votes short of the two-thirds. In an interview Wednesday, Cogliano cited a 2021 law that he said appears to allow a simple majority on zoning articles. “Hopefully, the AG inter*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of the date posted and is subject to change without notice. APY assumes that interest remains on deposit until maturity. A withdrawal will reduce earnings. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. Minimum of $500 is required to open a Certificate of Deposit and earn the advertised APY. Member FDIC | Member DIF All Deposits Are Insured In Full. prets the rezoning of Cliftondale Square as a simple majority vote because that will be a major victory for Joe Vecchione and the Town as a whole,” Cogliano told The Saugus Advocate. “I’m just requesting that the AG review whether this zoning change meets the requirements of the new standards. Although I respect the opinions of John Vasapolli and Jesse Schumer, I took it upon myself to speak to other local Attorneys who believe it should have been a simple majority vote,” he said. “I would also like to thank Joe Vecchionne for the tremendous amount of work he did putting forth the zoning change. It will be a significant loss to Saugus if he doesnt stay involved,” he said. Town Counse l John Vasapolli said he doesn’t believe that the new state law applies in the case of the Cliftondale rezoning article and said he advised the town moderator and Vecchione of his informal opinion about a week ago. “If it were a simple matter of changing from multi-family to mixed zoning, it would be a majority vote,” Vasapolli said. “But the article has a number of dimensional changes within it that would require a twothirds vote. That zoning change as submittedhas a lot of changes – not just to mixed zoning. He’s changing height restrictions,” he said.
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