Hanson Town Meeting Approves $262,669 Transfer for School District Budget
Select Board Approves 10-Year Comcast License Renewal Despite Service Quality Concerns
HANSON - June 24 and 25 - Hanson residents have given the green light to a $262,669 transfer from free cash to boost the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District's operating budget. This decision came during a Special Town Meeting on June 25, 2025, which lasted less than 5 minutes.
The extra funds will be added to the budget that was already approved at the Annual Town Meeting on May 5, 2025.
Town Moderator Sean Kealy led the short meeting, which only had one item on the agenda. It kicked off at 6:30 p.m. in the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School auditorium.
Kealy explained, "We're here to add to Article 5, Line 57 from the May 5, 2025 Annual Town Meeting. This is to meet Hanson's share of the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District's operating costs."
Kealy confirmed there was a quorum, with over 100 voters checked in and present.
After the unanimous vote, the meeting adjourned.
June 24 - The Hanson Select Board unanimously approved a 10-year cable license renewal with Comcast on Tuesday, securing significant funding for community television programming while expressing frustration about service quality issues affecting residents.
The new license provides $212,800 in capital funding over the 10-year period, with $21,280 allocated annually for community television equipment and operations. The agreement also maintains the current 4.75% of gross revenues funding level for public, educational and government access programming.
"Community television has never been more important through COVID and remote meetings," said Attorney William Solomon, the town's special cable counsel who negotiated the agreement. "Hanson has done a tremendous job with respect to community television."
However, board members voiced significant concerns about service reliability during the meeting. Select Board member Ed Heal described experiencing daily cable outages that interfere with his ability to work from home.
"I have cable outages almost on a daily basis," Heal said. "There are meetings that I'm supposed to be attending from home that I'm disconnected from because Xfinity is my only option."
Heal noted he has spent "hundreds of hours on the phone with Comcast" trying to resolve service issues without success.
Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett echoed similar frustrations, saying the town loses both electricity and cable service frequently. "If somebody sneezes in Hanson, we lose electricity and we lose cable," she said.
The board requested that Comcast government affairs representative Kathy Maloney attend a future meeting to address service quality concerns. Solomon agreed to arrange the meeting and said local representatives are typically responsive to municipal concerns.
"If there's an issue or problem and you let them know about it, particularly if you work for a government person, they will get on that," Solomon said.
The license agreement includes several technical improvements for community television operations. The town's three standard definition channels will be upgraded to Serial Digital Interface, providing better picture and audio quality. Comcast will also provide a high-definition channel within 24 months.
Under the agreement, Comcast must wait 18 months after providing the high-definition channel before reclaiming any standard definition channels. Solomon noted this provision is no longer being agreed to in other communities.
"Towns waited 20-plus years to get a channel, and then you wait two more years, and the moment you get it, they want to take away the other channel," Solomon said.
The license maintains cable service availability to all dwelling units in town without density requirements, meaning Comcast must serve every residence regardless of how many homes are in an area. The standard installation distance remains at 150 feet from the road to houses.
Board members also criticized the company's senior discount program, which provides only $2 monthly savings for qualifying residents. The discount requires extensive documentation and has limited eligibility categories.
"I almost wish that they weren't even offering it," FitzGerald-Kemmett said. "You've got to show, like, you know, basically cut off your left arm, give a pint of blood, and show all kinds of documentation, get two bucks a month off of your cable."
Solomon acknowledged the discount is minimal but noted most cable companies don't offer senior discounts at all. The board authorized Solomon and Town Administrator Lisa Green to send a letter requesting Comcast reconsider improving the senior discount program.
The license includes two side letters addressing the senior discount and potential future enhancements. One letter commits Comcast to discuss providing additional high-definition channels and electronic program guides for community television if such services are offered elsewhere within six years.
Eric Dresser, executive director of Whitman-Hanson Community Access, praised the license renewal in a written statement. He noted the process began with a 2023 community hearing that drew strong resident support for local programming.
"The resulting draft reflects the good-faith outcome of that work, balancing the regulatory, technical, and community-oriented goals for successful cable licensing in 2025 and beyond," Dresser wrote.
The 10-year term provides stability for community television operations and represents the maximum license period allowed under Massachusetts law. Solomon compared it to securing a favorable long-term mortgage.
FitzGerald-Kemmett emphasized the importance of community television for municipal transparency and civic engagement. She noted it serves as the primary source of local government information for many residents who don't receive comprehensive coverage from regional newspapers.
"It is the one way where if people want to keep up to date on what's happening in municipal government or civic events or whatever, we're very grateful for that," she said.
The board also addressed several other matters during Tuesday's meeting:
• Approved multiple line item budget transfers totaling over $60,000, including highway equipment replacement and fire department medical supplies
• Conducted annual appointments for dozens of committee and commission positions
• Adopted state-mandated designer selection procedures for municipal building projects
• Approved one-day liquor licenses for two upcoming weddings
The Board is also wrestling with Eversource's plans to upgrade gas systems on private roads. The project has sparked concerns about how the roads will be restored after the work is completed and what role the town should play in the process. To address residents' worries about the upcoming utility work, officials are considering holding a public forum separate from a Select Board meeting.
The board scheduled its next meeting for July 8.
Full meetings available via WHCA. Town Meeting and Select Board.