Saugus selectmen delay SCTS vote

SAUGUS – Saugus selectmen put off a decision on the Saugus Cable Television Station rules and regulations handbook after several residents spoke against it and urged the board to post it online for public input.Three people spoke against the proposed handbook at Tuesday night?s selectmen meeting, including 25-year-old Stephanie Fail, who urged the board to post the document online for the public to read.?Leave it open to edits for a month and let the citizens weigh in,” said Fail. “It will encourage people to come to these meetings and have a hands-on approach. Requiring someone to decide what they?re going to say before they go on television is incredibly oppressive to freedom of speech. This document is scary. Why is it that you guys fear dissent? Please remember that dissent is not a bad thing.”No one spoke in favor of the handbook.After an hour-long discussion between selectmen that became testy at times, the board voted unanimously to post the finished version of the handbook online and to meet on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. for the final vote.According to selectmen Chairman Michael Serino, a provision in the handbook giving the Operations Manager or the SCTS Board of Directors authority to prohibit “inappropriate” programming was removed. It was replaced with a new one that requires people to give five days notice before criticizing someone else.Serino and selectman Debra Panetta both said they think the provision will “enhance free speech.”?(It) levels the playing field for anyone who gets attacked,” said Serino. “It could be a situation where someone is criticized or their reputation is criticized and they don?t find out for three weeks.”Selectmen Vice Chairman Steve Castinetti said he was concerned about “ambiguous language” in the handbook.?I?m not sure I could support this unless the language was tightened up a bit,” said Castinetti. “I had someone text me today asking, ?If someone calls me bald on cable TV, is that derogatory?? I?m concerned that we wouldn?t have been sitting here talking about this if it weren?t for a particular program. I find it difficult to swallow that we?re reacting the way we are to keep that type of programming off the access channel.”Saugus resident Martha Clouse held up a remote control and told the board it was her “personal censorship device. She said she resented the fact that the “someone can tell me what I need to watch on television ?”?It has an on off switch and a channel change button,” she said. “I?m seriously concerned about this board and the Board of Directors at cable television getting deep into the morass of censorship ? We need to really, really look at any language that has any censorship.”While residents asked for more public input, Serino said there has been “plenty of discussion” on the handbook.?There has been plenty of openness and transparency from the board,” said Serino. “I don?t think any member of this board can say that they?ve seen a handbook in the last five years and I don?t think this board has ever seen a budget over the last five years ? They never televised a meeting and never approved a handbook.”In other business, the board voted to approve the following: to allow an auto repair business at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car on Route 1, to prohibit parking on Essex Street 100 feet north and 100 feet south from the corner of School Street and to transfer ownership of Super Seven Subs & Pizza on Lincoln Avenue to Kevin McMaster for a new restaurant called Lincoln Ave. Pizza & Sub.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].