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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, September 27, 2019 Page 3 Special Town Meeting SCTV gets help to build studio in Saugus Historical Society Bldg. and for new equipment By Mark E. Vogler t took two brief preliminary meetings – a 25-minute session of the Board of Selectmen and a seven-minute session of the Finance Committee – to pave the way for a Special Town Meeting vote Monday night on what could be a major financial investment in Saugus Cable TV. Both meetings were necI essary so that Town Meeting members would have a recommendation from the Finance Committee on an article seeking $550,000 for construction and/or renovation of a Public, Education and Government (PEG) Access studio/ facility in Saugus. Concerns about the lease between Saugus TV and the Saugus Historical Society for renting part of the society’s building at 30 Main St. and some financial issues kept the Finance Committee from making any recommendation on the article at last week’s meeting (Sept. 18). After FinCom Chair Kenneth DePatto and other committee members sat in on the meeting of selectmen, DePatto said he was satisfied that his committee should recommend the article for construction and/ or renovation of a PEG Access Studio/Facility in Saugus and related costs. Language in the article stipulates the money would be approved subject to later votes by the Board of Selectmen “as they see fit as to the ASKS | from page 2 Route 107, where there’s a little area where you can park without being worried about getting hit. I just jumped out of the car and snapped a photo. It was impromptu. So, I went home, just grabbed a canvas and started working. Q: So, you love the marsh? A: I do. I think it’s beautiful. I find marshes everywhere beauproject scope and details, and distribution and schedule of funds to be transferred from the PEG Access Enterprise Fund.” “More than likely, construction won’t begin until a lease has been signed,” DePatto said. He added that he is satisfied selectmen would be looking at the lease to make sure it’s in the town’s best interests. All of the funds would come from the PEG Access Enterprise Fund and be distributed under the authority and direction of the Board of Selectmen. The funds constitute the money received from ratepayers under the current Cable Television Renewal License Agreement and held in the enterprise fund. Saugus is in a unique situation. It’s not taxpayer’s money. But the Board of Selectmen are responsible for approving all funds. But there are several extra layers of local government oversight. Because of new state regulations, the funds must go through Town Meeting and are subject to oversight by the Finance Committee. Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini expressed concerns about how involved selectmen should be. “It’s not up to us to be the gatekeepers and go in and review the bids,” Cicolini said. “It’s not up to us to determine whether the $550,000 is appropriate.” But the board certainly has tiful. I have been working on a painting for over a year of a marsh up in Brunswick, Maine. Emmanuelle Le Gal, of Lynn, did a watercolor painting of Rumney Marsh called “Nursery of the Sea,” which tied for third place. Q: So, this painting kind of makes a statement of the marsh, especially with this transmission line and the tower that goes through the marsh. A: Yes. The marsh is so beautithis,” Brazis said. “But I think the board has been working very hard on this and doing its due diligence.” Without a Finance Committee recommendation, Town Meeting members wouldn’t be able to vote on the studio construction/renovation project. The Special Town Meeting would have to return for a later session. SCTV Board of Directors MAKING HIS CASE: Precinct 4 Town Meeting Member Albert J. DiNardo advocates for SaugusTV project. He is also president of the SCTV Board of Directors. President Albert J. DiNardo made his case for the project during Town Meeting. “The last time I checked, we had $1.8 million that was collected over the years because we didn’t have to pay any rent,” DiNardo said, referring to the cable station’s current quarters at Saugus High School, which is slated to be torn down next year. “We were told multiple times that no municipal buildings were available,” DiNardo said, referring to the concerns made by Brazis during the selectmen’s meeting. The Town Meeting voted TAKING A VOTE: Members at Monday night’s Special Town Meeting. a role to play, Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta told colleagues during their meeting. “I do think it’s our responsibility to take a look at the lease,” Panetta said. Cicolini said that once selectmen feel comfortable with the lease, we’re trusting that ful, but it’s been threatened by what people are doing to it. I live on Winnepurkit Avenue in Lynn, and we visit the marsh all of the time. Yes, it is so beautiful. At the same time, you have a big road in the middle of it, with big poles and wires running through it. I wanted to show that conflict in the painting. People need to know it’s a beautiful place, yet a place that is threatened by human activity. they’re going to spend the money properly. Selectman Scott Brazis was the board’s lone opponent to SaugusTV’s move to 30 Main St. and the costs involved. “I still think there are other alternatives, and I can’t see spending that kind of money on overwhelmingly in support of the $550,000 for the new studio. Members also approved two other SCTV-related articles – one of them a $275,000 request to buy equipment for the studio. A third article seeks $215,088 for the operating budget of the PEG Access studio. Members also approved $335,000 for replacing air-conditioning units at the Public Safety Building and the Town Hall. Saugus Cultural Council seeks funding proposals T he Saugus Cultural Council is currently accepting proposals to fund communityoriented arts, humanities and science programs. The council has set a deadline of October 15 for organizations, schools and individuals to apply for grants that support cultural activities in the community. According to spokesperson Mike Sullivan, these grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Saugus, including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances in schools, workshops and lectures. The council is part of a netMAKING A STATEMENT: Emmanuelle Le Gal, of Lynn, did a watercolor painting of Rumney Marsh called “Nursery of the Sea” to illustrate how modern technology threatens the beauty of the marsh. A ROADSIDE VIEW: Local artist Diane McLaughlin used a photo image of Rumney Marsh from Route 107 to fashion this oil canvas painting. work of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community. This year, the council will distribute about $13,000 in grants. Previously funded projects included field trips to the North Shore Music Circus, a performance of William Shakespeare at Belmonte Middle School and visits by the travelling New England Aquarium. For local guidelines and complete information on the council, contact Mike Sullivan at 617-968-6261 or michaelsullivan027@gmail.com. Application forms and more information about the LCC Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org.

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