AMHERST — A week before the Oct. 13 deadline to approve or reject a new 10-year contract with Comcast, members of the Select Board will learn Thursday whether the two sides are any closer to an agreement.

The Select Board is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. in the Town Room at Town Hall to get an update from board members Douglas Slaughter and Andrew Steinberg, and Town Manager Paul Bockelman, following a final negotiating session with the cable company Tuesday morning.

Bockelman said Tuesday afternoon that no decision by the Select Board is expected until its Oct. 13 session starting at 5 p.m., when the board has a joint meeting with the School Committee to appoint a new member, and then will be joined at 7 p.m. by the trustees of the Jones Library and the Finance Committee to learn about fiscal year 2018 financial projections. 

A vote by the Select Board, or a request for an extension beyond the Oct. 13 deadline, needs to happen at that time, Bockelman said.

“The way I understand it is the Select Board should act,” he added.

The Cable Advisory Committee has recommended that the Select Board not sign the contract, which offers only $1.125 million incapital funds, short of the $2.205 million request, and does not offer public, educational and governmental channels in high definition.

Concerns raised

The two members of the Select Board joining the negotiations late in the process has raised concerns for one observer.

Isaac BenEzra, a longtime member of the board of directors for Amherst Media, said Tuesday he is concerned that the Cable Advisory Committee is being pushed aside after recommending against the deal.

Bockelman said that committee provided valuable advice and helped with the negotiations, and will still play a role going forward.

BenEzra said he wants details about a prospective deal to be made public before the Select Board votes, to see if there has been movement from Comcast.

“The community will do everything to support the recommendation from the (advisory) committee to get a fair, just contract, not just for Amherst Media, but for the town,” BenEzra said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.

Scott Merzbach is a reporter covering local government and school news in Amherst and Hadley, as well as Hatfield, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury. He can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5253.