REHOBOTH - Selectmen were flooded with complaints from residents about Rehoboth's local cable access provider, RePAC, during a public forum.

Among the complaints were that RePAC does not have clear policies and procedures allowing access, is not following its agreement with the town and ignores submissions and requests to play programming.

Residents also said selectmen should seek the resignation of RePAC's current board or terminate the town's current agreement with them.

Monday's public hearing was prompted by a petition signed by 200 people asking selectmen to look into the situation with RePAC.

"Our local cable access provider is not open to the public, does not act in the public interest and puts forth its own political views," resident Robert Brawley said during the almost two-hour forum. He also said that RePAC allows access "to only a select few."

"This denial of access, or selective access is, in my opinion, a breech of RePAC's agreements with the town," he said.

David Katseff, chairman of the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee, said the school district has concerns regarding Channel 15, the public access educational channel.

He questioned who has authority to schedule programs on the channel, and whether RePAC is allowed to edit the programs it airs.

He said the school department has asked RePAC but "has not gotten much of any response."

Resident Sally Cameron also said RePAC did not reply to her when she (and others) requested that it air a Sun Chronicle-sponsored candidates' forum in April. The newspaper ended up withdrawing its sponsorship because of controversy over planning of the forum.

"It is in the tradition of the worst totalitarian governments to control the media and put out a one-sided message," Cameron said.

"RePAC works for us, and they owe us transparency and the opportunity to use the resources paid for by our cable bills," she added.

Another resident, Gerald Schwall, said the RePAC board may already be in jeopardy because it has not been following its own bylaws and articles of organization, including holding regular, posted meetings that open to the public.

"They're required to broadcast their own meetings. I've never seen one," Schwall said. Selectmen were also asked to look into the validity of the 2008 agreement between RePAC and the town, and an alleged lack of oversight in that agreement, compared with the original agreement from 2004.

RePAC representatives could not be reached for comment.

Selectmen Chairman Frederick

"Skip" Vadnais said the RePAC's board was invited to attend the meeting, but was told that no rebuttal would be necessary because the purpose of the forum was to hear residents' concerns.

No action was taken by selectmen. The board plans to discuss the matter further at its next meeting.

Laura Calverley covers Rehoboth for The Sun Chronicle. She can be reached at lcalverley@aol.com.