by Sharon Mahoney, General Manager

On Wednesday, April 1 I appeared before the Brookfield Select Board to discuss renewing our contract for use of the Green Room, located adjacent to the Great Hall stage on the second floor of the Town Hall, as our live studio. Our request was to renew the agreement for two years, not only to bring it into line with the April 3, 2028 expiration date of the antenna/transmitter and Mezzanine contract, but to alleviate the need to go before the Select Board every year several months in advance to begin renewal negotiations. I mentioned to the three Board members by way of introduction that Apple Country Radio had spent over $12,000 of its own funds on renovations to both spaces, including having volunteers clean out old and discarded piles of flats, costumes and props from both rooms, establishing electrical and internet connectivity, refinishing the floors, painting and repairing holes in the plaster, and erecting our antenna atop the Town Hall Clock Tower.

Both former Chair Richard Chaffee, and newly-elected Chair Sarah Campbell, declined to move for renewal of the contract for two years. Mr. Chaffee said that there was a grant application in the works for a chair lift that would render the Great Hall ADA compliant, and said if it was granted and the chair lift installed, the Green Room would be needed for use in presentations, theatrical and musical productions, and for that reason our contract, if they chose to renew it, should only be renewed for one year at a time rather than two as we had requested.

I pointed out that no attempt to clear out or clean the Hall or renovate or replace the old seating had taken place since the now-disbanded Town Hall Improvement Committee paid to have the Great Hall painted two years ago. I also reminded the Board that the Hall itself needed much more renovation work prior to it being used, littered as it was with random pieces of furniture and cartons, stacks of wooden folding chairs dating from the early 30s that had been gathering dust for decades, and numerous set pieces – including a large stack of some very heavy flats. I also mentioned that the stage and main floors are in need of refinishing and the stage lacks a cyclorama curtain along the back wall and and teaser curtains on the wings.

Select Board member Beth Coughlin commented that the Green Room was not essential to the operation of the Great Hall itself, noting that the room on the right-hand side of the stage, as well as the landing above it, held enough room for a changing area. She also pointed out that the Green Room was also being shared with Brookfield Cable Access Coordinator Jacob Gorham for his command center, and asked if he would be required to vacate the space as well if Apple Country Radio was required to move.

For her part, Ms. Campbell cited Mass. General Law 30B, Section 16, which governs how towns and cities handle procurement and disposition of property. She said she had contacted Town Counsel, and said she had indicated that the procedure for allowing us to use the space had not been properly followed, and that the space – which we had occupied since mid-2024, should instead have gone out to bid prior to any further agreement being signed.

I responded that Town Counsel herself had drafted the original agreements, and it was upon that contract wording that the previous Select Board and Town Administrator had based and signed its final rental agreement back in 2025. Ms. Campbell replied that Town Counsel had never received copies of the signed agreement. (That task had been left up to the previous Town Administrator, and it evidently had not been followed through prior to his resignation.)

In the end, Ms. Coughlin proposed that Apple Country Radio be granted a 90-day reprieve from the agreement expiration while the situation was resolved. The vote was unanimous. I also insisted upon an additional vote that that Apple Country Radio not only be allowed to continue setting up its live studio but to be allowed to go back on the air again when it was ready, to which the Select Board also unanimously agreed.

The bottom line is that Apple Country Radio will only be allowed to continue using the Green Room without a signed contract until Tuesday, June 30, 2026. If the contract is not renewed by then, we will be asked to vacate that space.

If you wish to watch the meeting video, it can be found at the following link. The portion of the meeting pertinent to our discussion begins at the 27:12 mark. Brookfield Select Board Meeting 4/01/2026

Until then, we will continue to finish up our work on the live studio and get back on the air, as well as continuing to work with the Select Board and Town Counsel on a renewed rental agreement. We thank the large group of supporters who attended the April 1 Select Board meeting. Your presence in support of the station made a difference, and we are grateful!