Hanson Select Board closes October special town meeting warrant with 28 articles

HANSON -- August 26, 2025, Hanson Select Board closes 28-article special town meeting warrant ahead of October 6 vote on MBTA Communities Act zoning. Town Administrator Lisa Green told the board Tuesday that Hanson has lost more than $257,000 in state grants since falling out of compliance July 14, including an $87,413 green communities grant that would have started police station weatherization and approximately $170,000 in supplemental Chapter 90 highway funds, with police body armor grants now also at risk. The board placed Article 26 to bring MBTA zoning before voters and a companion Article 27 appropriating $275,000 for specialized outside legal counsel, benchmarked against Milton's litigation costs, should the zoning article fail. Green warned that if Hanson does not comply by year's end, the state will likely file suit and, following the Milton precedent, could appoint a third party to designate the zoning district. Other warrant items include $131,000 for a police union contract, $146,974.05 for two new police cruisers, $125,000 for cybersecurity infrastructure, and $162,400 for a Highway Department rubber-wheeled excavator. The board also unanimously appointed Brenda Andis as its new administrative assistant effective September 2 and ratified a contract for Police Chief Michael Casey running through June 30, 2028.