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.