Natick Select Board Approves Solar Program, Parking Crackdown, Cable Counsel in 5-0 Votes

NATICK — July 22, 2026 — Natick Select Board unanimously approved a low-income community solar program, a scofflaw parking enforcement policy, and a cable licensing legal contract at its July 22 meeting. The board voted 5-0 to authorize Chair Coughlin to sign three agreements with solar developer Blue Wave, allowing the town's electricity aggregation to channel solar bill credits to roughly 1,200 households on Eversource's R2 low-income rate — an estimated $300,000 in total annual savings, or about $400 per household. Police Chief James Six and Deputy Town Administrator for Finance Ari Skye also won 5-0 approval for a tow-and-hold policy targeting 24 identified vehicles or individuals accounting for 252 unpaid parking tickets totaling $12,225 in Natick Center, with Six noting the existing RMV-hold tool does not reach out-of-state plates. The board authorized attorney William H. Solomon at $220 per hour, not to exceed $6,600, to negotiate a successor cable franchise license with Verizon before the current five-year agreement expires in 2028. Fire Chief Jason Fursky reported a record 6,500-plus emergency calls in 2025, a 36 percent increase over pre-pandemic volume, with three-call simultaneous incidents up 66 percent in two years.