Selectmen thwart effort to retake TV station control

SAUGUS – The Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 against placing a question on the November ballot that seeks to take the local cable access station out of the hands of the Board of Selectmen and put it back in the hands of the community.”We’re not done,” said Chet Stentiford from the group Saugus Concerned Citizens, who presented the ballot petition at Tuesday’s board meeting.SCC member Martha Clouse read the petition, signed by 13 residents, that asked the question “Would you like to see Saugus Cable Television revert back to Saugus Community Television, a community operated organization, where you have a voice as opposed to a Board of Selectmen controlled operation.”Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino said he didn’t believe the board was the proper venue in which to get a question placed on the ballot.”I think there is a process and I don’t think it’s through the Board of Selectmen,” he said. “It’s through state statute.”Serino said if any group wants to get a question onto the November ballot it needs to collect a certain percentage of signatures, roughly 1,800, and present the petition to the state.Committee member Debra Panetta said she wouldn’t support the request largely because she didn’t agree with much of the verbiage.Clouse explained that originally a contract between the town and Comcast established the local cable access station, SCTV, as a public, educational and government non-profit corporation. As a result of that deal, SCTV received quarterly distributions paid by residents through their Comcast bills and the money was earmarked solely for SCTV.The petition notes that as of August 2012, SCTV began operating as a cable television station under the direction of a Board of Directors appointed by the selectmen and money once reserved for SCTV is now used “as the town deems necessary.”Selectman Stephen Horlick also took issue with the wording of the ballot question and argued that the board does not control day to day operations of the station.”Who has the ultimate power for appointing the Board of Directors?” asked Stentiford. “The Board of Selectmen. At this point the public has no power.”Selectmen Steve Castinetti and Julie Mitchell voted in favor of placing the question on the ballot while Serino, Panetta and Horlick voted against the motion.Rick Fail, also a Saugus Concerned Citizen member, said he sees the rejection of their request as a challenge.”This is a challenge for us to get the signatures,” he said. “They want 1,800. Our goal is to get 3,000.”All the people I’ve approached to sign agree that we have the right to be on the ballot,” he added. “They might not agree with the question but they agree we have the right to be on the ballot.”