How the Hanson Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Ann Rein and Edwin Heal joined the board after the May 2022 election; Matthew Dyer and Kenny Mitchell left. On May 24, 2022 the board chose Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett as Chair (4-0, one member abstaining), Joseph Weeks as Vice Chair and Ann Rein as Clerk (each 5-0). Covers 39 meetings, May 24 to May 16, 2023.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
In Hanson, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Special Town Meeting · May 4, 2026 4 votes: 4 passed
Art. 2Raise $131,000 for the Police Relief Association contract, FY2026Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 3Raise $112,731 for the firefighters' (IAFF Local 2713) contract, FY2026Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 4Raise $23,000 for the Highway employees' (AFSCME Local 1700) contract, FY2026Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 5Raise $40,300 for the Administrative Professionals' (AFSCME Local 1700) contract, FY2026Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 6Raise $56,087 for non-union wages and contractual obligations, FY2026Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 7Transfer $50,000 from free cash for the Pratt Place culvert replacementPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 8Transfer $3,500 from free cash for legal advertisingPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 9Transfer $40,000 from water receipts for security cameras at the Crystal Spring wellfield and Water Department officePassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 10Transfer $120,000 from water receipts for an emergency generator at the Crystal Springs wellfieldPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 11Raise $4,500 for the town-wide postage accountPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 12Transfer $50,000 from free cash for the FY2026 regional public safety communications assessmentPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 13Transfer $146,097.45 from free cash for two police cruisersPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 14Transfer $125,000 from free cash for cybersecurity and network technology equipmentPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 15Transfer $68,000 from free cash for Microsoft 365Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 16Transfer $31,000 from free cash to restore library funds, staff hours and operating hours (amended from $21,000)Passed as amended“VOTED, Aye voice as amended”
Art. 17Transfer $40,000 from free cash for safety repairs to athletic field fencesPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 18Transfer $149,000 from free cash for a rubber-wheeled excavatorPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 19Transfer $78,000 from free cash for a skid steer loaderPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 20Transfer $7,500 from the ambulance account for two stair chairsPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 21Transfer $6,600 from the ambulance account for two video laryngoscopesPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 22Transfer $15,000 from free cash for the town share of a federal fire radio grantPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 23Transfer $45,360 from free cash for an awning between the Senior Center and Supportive Day Program buildingPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 24Transfer $2,000 from free cash for Board of Health legal notice advertisingPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 25Replace the FY2026 Camp Kiwanee budget: $306,000, using $31,000 in retained earnings and no subsidyPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 26Replace the stormwater management bylaw (Article 3-21)Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 27Replace the bylaw on discharges to the municipal storm drain system (Article 3-22)Passed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 28Add an MBTA Communities multifamily overlay district to the zoning map and bylawPassed“VOTED, Aye voice”
Art. 29Transfer $275,000 from free cash for legal fees if the MBTA zoning is not adoptedNo action“VOTED, Aye voice to Pass Over”
Art. 4Create a Water Enterprise Fund starting FY2026Passed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 5FY2026 operating budget, total $35,240,812 (with $1,061,175 more from free cash if the override fails)Passed as amended“VOTED Aye, voice as amended”
Art. 7Capital plan: $53,000 from free cash for two highway salt/sand spreaders (full plan failed, then reconsidered)Passed as amended“Vote, Aye voice as amended”
Art. 8Transfer $200,000 from free cash to the Stabilization FundPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 10Capital purchases: $50,000 (ambulance fund) for a Lucas CPR device and $35,000 (free cash) for the Nathaniel Mill roofPassed as amended“VOTED Aye, voice as amended”
Art. 17Add an MBTA Communities multifamily overlay district to the zoning map and bylawFailed“VOTED Nay, voice”
Art. 18Rename the Recreation Committee the Recreation CommissionPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 19Require citizens' petition articles to be filed 60 days before a town meetingPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 20Set the Finance Committee at five voters who are not town officers or employeesPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 21Lower the interest rate on senior tax deferral agreements from 8% to 2%Passed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 22Apply for a state library construction grant and reallocate $150,000 in ARPA funds for library planning and designPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 23Revise a prior vote and file a home rule petition to change the use of 8.5 acres of the Webster-Billings Conservation AreaPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Art. 24Transfer $50,000 from Community Preservation funds to finish new soccer and football fields at Hanson Middle SchoolPassed“VOTED Aye, voice”
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Select Board minutes from January 9, 2018 through April 28, 2026, as posted on the town website (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until 2022). Not here yet: minutes before 2018 (online back to 2014, not loaded), and any minutes after April 28, 2026 (the town has not posted them yet). The town's links for the April 7 and April 14, 2020 minutes open a "Page Not Found" page, and its September 9, 2025 link opens the agenda instead of the minutes, so those meetings are missing. About one in five files are scanned images; we read them with text recognition and checked the hard-to-read counts against the page. Hanson's minutes record most votes as a count, such as "Voted 5 – 0" or "5 members vote in the affirmative", and since about 2023 often add a roll call by name. When the count equals the members present and no one voted no or abstained, we show every member present as voting yes; when a roll call lists each member, we show each vote as recorded. When a count is split, or does not match the members listed present, and the minutes do not say who voted which way, we show only the count. Where a roll call names a member the minutes list as absent, lists a member twice, or does not match the stated count, we show the count only and add a note. A few votes recorded only as "motion carried" show the result only and are not treated as unanimous. Members who stepped aside (recused) or left the room are left out of that vote. Joint votes with other boards (Planning Board, Board of Health, School Committee) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Apr 18Increase its contribution by using one time funding of…Motion: to increase its contribution by using one time funding of $160,000…Passed 3–2 · No: Heal, Rein
April 18, 2023 (Joint meeting): Increase its contribution by using one time funding of $160,000 to close the gap of the WHRSD assessment
ApprovePassed · 3–2
To increase its contribution by using one time funding of $160,000 to close the gap of the WHRSD assessment
Yes: FitzGerald-Kemmett, Hickey, WeeksNo: Heal, Rein
From the minutes
“MOTION by Mr. Hickey, seconded by Mr. Weeks, to increase its contribution by using one time funding of $160,000 to close the gap of the WHRSD assessment. Voted 3 – 2 Roll call – Hickey -Aye; Rein-Nay; FitzGerald-Kemmett-Aye; Weeks-Aye; Heal-Nay.” (Motion: Hickey, second: Weeks)
Mar 14Approve the one-day liquor licenses as printed on the…Motion: to approve the one-day liquor licenses as printed on the agendaPassed 4–0 · see note
March 14, 2023: Approve the one-day liquor licenses as printed on the agenda
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To approve the one-day liquor licenses as printed on the agenda
The minutes give only the count (4-0-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“MOTION by Mr. Hickey, seconded by Ms. Rein, to approve the one-day liquor licenses as printed on the agenda. Voted 4 – 0; 1 abstain.” (Motion: Hickey, second: Rein)
Jan 31Post the Veterans Service Officer position as fulltime at…Motion: to post the Veterans Service Officer position as fulltime at 32…Passed 3–0 · see note
January 31, 2023: Post the Veterans Service Officer position as fulltime at 32 hours with a salary range of $55,000 - $60,000
ApprovePassed · 3–0
To post the Veterans Service Officer position as fulltime at 32 hours with a salary range of $55,000 - $60,000
The minutes give only the count (3-0) with 5 members shown present, not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“MOTION by Mr. Hickey, seconded by Mr. Weeks, to post the Veterans Service Officer position as fulltime at 32 hours with a salary range of $55,000 - $60,000. Voted 3-0.” (Motion: Hickey, second: Weeks)
Dec 6Approve repairing the EV charging stations, if the cost…Motion: to approve repairing the EV charging stations, if the cost of…Passed 4–0 · see note
December 6, 2022: Approve repairing the EV charging stations, if the cost of running the unit is less than the cost to repair/maintaining
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To approve repairing the EV charging stations, if the cost of running the unit is less than the cost to repair/maintaining
The minutes give only the count (4-0) with 5 members shown present, not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“MOTION by Mr. Hickey, seconded by Mr. Heal, to approve repairing the EV charging stations, if the cost of running the unit is less than the cost to repair/maintaining. Voted 4-0.” (Motion: Hickey, second: Heal)
Dec 6Approve waiving of fees for the Hanson Community Christmas…Motion: to approve waiving of fees for the Hanson Community Christmas to…Passed 4–0 · see note
December 6, 2022: Approve waiving of fees for the Hanson Community Christmas to use the lodge on December 15, 2022 from 1pm to 8pm to sort Christmas gifts at no charge
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To approve waiving of fees for the Hanson Community Christmas to use the lodge on December 15, 2022 from 1pm to 8pm to sort Christmas gifts at no charge
The minutes give only the count (4-0-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“MOTION by Mr. Hickey, seconded by Mr. Weeks, to approve waiving of fees for the Hanson Community Christmas to use the lodge on December 15, 2022 from 1pm to 8pm to sort Christmas gifts at no charge. Voted 4-0; 1 abstain.” (Motion: Hickey, second: Weeks)
Nov 15Vote Mr. Buckley as a full member of the…Motion: to vote Mr. Buckley as a full member of the Zoning…Passed 4–0 · see note
November 15, 2022: Vote Mr. Buckley as a full member of the Zoning Board of Appeals with term to end June 30, 2024
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To vote Mr. Buckley as a full member of the Zoning Board of Appeals with term to end June 30, 2024
The minutes give only the count (4-0) with 5 members shown present, not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“MOTION by Mr. Hickey, seconded by Mr. Rein, to vote Mr. Buckley as a full member of the Zoning Board of Appeals with term to end June 30, 2024. Voted 4 -0.” (Motion: Hickey, second: Rein)
From the Hanson Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town website. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos of current members: stills from WHCA-TV interviews (Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, Municipal Focus, July 2023; Ann Rein, Joe Weeks and Frank Milisi, Bring It On, April 2024). Members without a photo show initials.