Stoughton officials are signaling a breakthrough in the protracted legal conflict with the Stoughton Media Access Corp (SMAC), describing negotiations as having reached the final stages during Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting. Following months of litigation and closed-door sessions, Chairman Stephen Cavey provided a promising update to the community, suggesting that a resolution is imminent for the organization responsible for the town’s local cable access programming.

The meeting opened with a significant step toward finalizing the agreement, as the board moved into a 35-minute executive session to hammer out the remaining strategy. Motion Made by S. Cavey to enter executive session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation concerning the Stoughton Media Access Corp. Motion Passed (3-0-0) with Members Scott Carrara, Louis Gitto, and Cavey voting in favor. Upon returning to open session, Cavey expressed a high degree of optimism regarding the collaborative tone of recent talks, noting that both the town and the media corporation have transitioned from legal friction to a shared focus on the town's future.

Just as a point of information for the public, the negotiations between SMAC and the town have gone very well, Cavey told the board. We've received a settlement agreement. We've also received an updated access agreement with SMAC. Both sides negotiated these, and both sides are now reviewing, looking to make some perhaps final changes. But we are very much at the end of the line here with everything looking very promising. Cavey specifically thanked the SMAC Board members for their cooperation, characterizing the progress as a testament to how much everybody cares about the well-being of the town.

The procedural elements of the dispute were also addressed as the board reconvened a public hearing that had been technically open since October 2025. Vice Chair Debra Roberts, participating remotely, assumed the role of acting chair for this portion of the agenda to maintain continuity in the hearing process. To allow both legal teams time to finalize the language of the settlement and access agreements, the board opted to extend the timeline by two weeks. Motion Made by L. Gitto to continue the public hearing of October 9, 2025, to Thursday, March 26, 2026. Motion Passed with the board signaling that this future date may serve as the final chapter in the dispute.

Outside of the legal negotiations, the board took a somber moment to recognize the passing of Julia Isabel Kelly-Kuhn, a 64-year-old longtime resident and mother of Stoughton Police Officer Robert Kuhn. Member Joseph Mokrisky led the tribute, highlighting the family's deep roots in the community. Robert's been a longstanding member of the police department and a true hero over there, in my opinion, Mokrisky said, noting that the Kelly and Kuhn families have made a huge, positive impact on Stoughton. The board and those in attendance observed a moment of silence in her memory.

The momentum toward a SMAC settlement comes during a busy period for Stoughton’s leadership. While this meeting focused on resolving media litigation, the board remains mindful of the broader fiscal landscape, including the recent $3.3 million surplus transfer from the High School project to the South School project and the ongoing transition of the VNA services to the Fire Department. As Member Carrara and the rest of the board look toward the March 26 hearing, the focus remains on ensuring that the final SMAC access agreement provides stable, long-term media coverage for the town’s residents.