Hanson Select Board Unanimously Backs All 29 Special Town Meeting Articles

HANSON — September 30, 2025 — Hanson Select Board unanimously recommended all 29 articles in the October 6 special town meeting warrant, including the contested MBTA Communities multifamily overlay district zoning article. The board moved through roughly $1.1 million in free cash spending — covering union contracts for police ($131,000), firefighters ($112,731), highway workers ($23,000), and administrative staff ($40,300), plus $146,974 for two police cruisers, $125,000 in cybersecurity upgrades, $68,000 for Microsoft 365, and $21,000 to restore library budget cuts — with no dissent on any article. Town Accountant Eric Kinsher confirmed $3,064,123 in certified free cash; if every article passes, roughly $1,962,000 would remain. If the MBTA zoning overlay (Article 28) fails, a contingent Article 29 would authorize $275,000 in free cash for legal fees to fight an attorney general enforcement action, with the chair cautioning that the true cost is unknown: "We have no idea how much it is — that is our best educated guess." The board also voted to hire Spray Energy for a six-month natural gas contract at 9.233 cents per therm, and Green reported that AMC's "Dead City" Season 3 is scheduled to film at Camp Kowani for four days, following a prior two-day deal valued at $27,000.