Brimfield Select Board Approves Spectrum Deal at Full 5 Percent Franchise Fee Cap

Select Board · Meeting of July 17, 2026

Brimfield Select Board approves Spectrum franchise deal at 5 percent cap and eyes new town website vendor. The board voted unanimously at its July 17 meeting to accept a cable license agreement with Spectrum at the FCC-maximum 5 percent franchise fee, up from the previous 4.5 percent, with free cable drops to municipal buildings retained on a voluntary basis. Chair Martin Kelly framed the increase as essential to funding the town's part-time cable access coordinator position.

The board also approved two Opacum Land Trust Forest Legacy Program conservation restrictions — one on Prospect Hill Road, to be held by the town and monitored by the Conservation Commission, and one on John Haley Road, held by Opacum Land Trust — and set the cable access coordinator's hourly rate at $30.90, a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment paid entirely from franchise fee funds. Administrative Assistant Chris DeFalco was directed to gather two or three competing proposals for a new town website platform within two weeks, after describing a pattern of undisclosed security incidents and password resets by current vendor Civic Plus, with a contract break deadline of approximately October 1.

In the full story:

• National Grid Utility Pole Hearing, Apple Road
• Public Forum — Soliciting Concerns
• Approval of Meeting Minutes
• Committee Appointments
• Opacum Land Trust Forest Legacy Program
• Cable Access Coordinator Pay Rate
• The complete report — 2,463 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.