October 2025 SMAC Public Hearing Notice of Breach and Termination

To the Citizens of Stoughton

Pursuant to the 2023 Access Corporation Agreement, SMAC is an agent of the Town tasked with providing a Public Educational and Governmental Access (“PEG”) Cable Channel for the Town.  On October 1, 2024, over a year after the Agreement‘s execution, the Town, faced with non-compliance with the 2023 Agreement, issued a formal Article VIII notice of breach to SMAC.  That notification alleges that SMAC repeatedly and egregiously violated this Access Corporation Agreement via non-compliance with mandatory accountability and transparency requirements by refusing to provide necessary financial documents.

In response, SMAC, through counsel, sent a November 27, 2024 letter accusing the Town of violating its First Amendment rights, providing some, but not all, of the contractually obligated documentation. After receipt of SMAC’s response, the Town started the breach and termination process under Article VIII of the Agreement and sent two Select Board members to discuss a resolution with SMAC.

Despite ongoing dialogue, SMAC sent the Town a copy of its Federal complaint – clearly in response and in retaliation for the October 1, 2024 notice of breach.  SMAC never cured its breach, notwithstanding that it had over two years to do so.  As a result, on September 11, 2025, the Town noticed an October 9, 2025 hearing to determine if a breach of the agreement has occurred and determine a potential remedy.

Although we believe that the SMAC Board of Directors has not thus far been open and transparent with Town Hall and has thus far been unwilling to release critical documents as required by its contract, we offer these materials in our continued effort to serve Stoughton’s citizens through an open and transparent public hearing process.   Accordingly, we posted a disclosure of all public records on both the Select Board and Town Manager’s pages.

For the most recent Select Board proceedings with respect to SMAC's 2025 lawsuit filed in response to the Select Board's 2024 exercise of its contractual right to notice, consider and publicly hear the question of SMAC’s alleged breach of contract, please see immediately below the most relevant files.

The materials being considered in the October 9, 2025 public hearing follow below:

Federal Court Proceeding (Highlighted From List Below)

  1. 35. SMAC Motion for Preliminary Injunction (PDF)
  2. 36. Towns Opposition to SMACs Preliminary Injunction Motion (PDF)
  3. 37. Judges Order Denying SMACs Motion (PDF)
  4. 39. SMACs Demand Letter for 1.9 Million (PDF)
  5. 40. Judge Transcript and Denial of SMACs Request (PDF)

Select File Below to View Portfolio of All Files Combined

  1. All Combined documents (PDF)

Table of Contents - Broken up by Individual Files 

  1. All Combined documents (PDF)
  2. Coversheet - Public Hearing Oct. 9, 2025 (PDF)
  3. 1. Excerpts of Applicable Contract Terms (PDF)
  4. 2. Access Corporation Agreement, Feb. 17,2009 (PDF)
  5. 3. SMAC Evaluation July 14, 2020 (PDF)
  6. 4. SMAC Review by William Hewig III, February 27, 2023 (PDF)
  7. 5. Memo to SMAC re new contract terms, June 14, 2023 (PDF)
  8. 6. Access Agreement Drafts (PDF)
  9. 7. Select Board Meeting Minutes, May 16, 2023 (PDF)
  10. 8. Email with SMACs counsel June 14-July 2023 (PDF)
  11. 9. Memo to SB re new contract terms, July 19,2023 (PDF)
  12. 10. Memo to SMAC re new contract terms, Aug 10,2023 (PDF)
  13. 11. Access Corporation Agreement, Aug. 9, 2023 (PDF)
  14. 12. Select Board Minutes, June 18,2024 (PDF)
  15. 13. Appointment Letter Bates, June 18, 2024 (PDF)
  16. 14. Appointment Letter Mullen, June 18, 2024 (PDF)
  17. 15. Article VIII Notice, Oct. 1, 2024 (PDF)
  18. 16. Town Counsel request for documents, Oct. 1, 2024 (PDF)
  19. 17. Email Select Board and SMAC, Oct. 28-Nov.14, 2024 (PDF)
  20. 18. SMACs Councel Correspondence, November 27, 2024 (PDF)
  21. 19. 2022 Form 990 (redacted) (PDF)
  1. 20. Inventory of Equipment (PDF)
  2. 21. Capital Budget (PDF)
  3. 22. Select Board corr. to SMAC, Jan. 29, 2025 (PDF)
  4. 23. Email SMACs counsel, Feb. 2, 2025 (with bylaw and minutes excerpts) (PDF)
  5. 24. Meeting SMAC and SB Members Roberts and Carrara, March 14, 2025 (PDF)
  6. 25. Meeting SMAC and SB Members Roberts and Carrara, March 28, 2025 (PDF)
  7. 26. Email SMACs Council, April 5, 2025 (Federal Lawsuit) (PDF)
  8. 27. Email SMACs Counsel, July 22, 2025 (PDF)
  9. 28. 2024 Form 990 (redacted) (PDF)
  10. 29. Studio Equipment Inventory List (PDF)
  11. 30. Select Board corr Notice of Hearing, September 11, 2025 (PDF)
  12. 31. Published Notice of Public Hearing (PDF)
  13. 32. SMAC cor September 24, 2025 (PDF)
  14. 33. Select Board Agendas, Aug. 15, 2023 to Oct. 7, 2025 (PDF)
  15. 34. SMAC corr., Oct. 20, 2025 (together with Exhibits thereto) (PDF)
  16. 35. SMAC Motion for Preliminary Injunction (PDF)
  17. 36. Towns Opposition to SMACs Preliminary Injunction Motion (PDF)
  18. 37. Judges Order Denying SMACs Motion (PDF)
  19. 38. Mark Linde Statement (PDF)
  20. 39. SMACs Demand Letter for 1.9 Million (PDF)
  21. 40. Judge Transcript and Denial of SMACs Request (PDF)