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2007 Annual Town Report Town of Andover Massachusetts TOWN OF ANDOVER 2007 ANNUAL REPORT 4,^sQsS^ PREPARED BY THE TOWN MANAGER PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 40, SECTION 49 OF THE GENERAL LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS AND ARTICLE II, SECTION 4 OF THE GENERAL BY-LAWS OF THE TOWN OF ANDOVER COVER PHOTOGRAPH OF THE TOWN OFFICES TAKENBY ANDOVER RESIDENTROBERTDENNIS TABLE OF CONTENTS ANIMAL INSPECTION 110 BOARD OF SELECTMEN 1 COMMISSION ON DISABILITY 104 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING 52 BUILDING DIVISION 52 CONSERVATION DIVISION 54 ELECTRICAL INSPECTION 53 HEALTH DIVISION 56 PLANNING DIVISION 59 PLUMBING, GAS & SEALER OF WEIGHTS & MEASURES 53 ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 61 COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION 74 DIRECTORY OF COMMITTEES & BOARDS 10 DIRECTORY OF DEPARTMENT/DIVISION HEADS 15 ELDER SERVICES DIVISION 77 FINANCE & BUDGET 19 ASSESSORS 21 CENTRAL PURCHASING 19 COLLECTOR/TREASURER 21 INFORMATION SYSTEMS 22 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 119 FIRE-RESCUE DEPARTMENT 31 FOUNDERS' DAY 16 GREATER LAWRENCE TECHNICAL SCHOOL 102 HOUSING AUTHORITY 109 HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? 210 HOW TO REACH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS 213 HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT 92 JOHN CORNELL FUEL ASSISTANCE FUND 118 MARGARET G. TOWLE FUND 118 MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY 65 PLANT AND FACILITIES DEPARTMENT 42 BUILDING MAINTENANCE 43 ELECTRICAL/MECHANICAL 43 FORESTRY 47 MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS 49 PARKS & GROUNDS 46 SPRING GROVE CEMETERY 47 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE 48 POLICE DEPARTMENT 26 ANIMAL CONTROL 27 DETECTIVE DIVISION 27 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 28 OPERATIONS DIVISION 26 RECORDS DIVISION 27 PRESERVATION COMMISSION 107 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 68 ENGINEERING 68 HIGHWAY 69 SEWER 71 SOLID WASTE / RECYCLING 72 WATER 70 SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 88 TOWN CLERK 38 TOWN COUNSEL 41 TOWN MANAGER 4 TOWN MEETING MINUTES 134 TRUSTEES OF PUNCHARD FREE SCHOOL Ill VETERANS SERVICES 85 YOUTH SERVICES DIVISION 80 Town of Andover Board of Selectmen 2007 V> OV.A.Y/ 'v< 2007 Board of Selectmen, from left to right: Gerald Stabile, Jr.; Alex J. Vispoli; Brain P. Major, Chairman; Mary K. Lyman; and Ted E. Teichert The Town ofAndover, more than a place to live, is a way of life. Its legacy ofdemocracy shall be preserved. Each citizen should experience the treasures ofnature, history, individual respect, neighborhood, and learning. As resources and energy allow, each ofthese gifts from the past will be enriched in the presentfor those yet to be. Vision Statement ofthe Board ofSelectmen .^^gffsisywft TOWN OF ANDOVER Town Offices 36 Bartlet Street Andover, MA 01810 (978) 623-8200 www.andoverma.20v Dear Fellow Citizens: In 2007, Andover saw the exchange of the Town Moderator gavel from long-time Andover government patriarch Jim Doherty to life-long resident and downtown business owner (and Jim's daughter) Sheila Doherty. Jim served our community with distinction for over 1 70 years in a variety of capacities: Recreation Supervisor, Co-Chair of the 350 Committee and 29-year Town Moderator. He is a man of great strength, great energy and great compassion - qualities that he has successfully passed along to his daughter Sheila who will continue to faithfully serve our community for many years to come. 2007 represented the culmination of many years of our community spending beyond our means. We have seen a significant reduction in our financial reserves driven by an over dependence on cash to fund our operating budgets. After multiple years of stern warnings from our rating agency. Moody's took the drastic action of downgrading our bond rating from Aaa to Aal. This was very disappointing for Andover. because it sent a message that we were no longer amongst the most elite municipalities with respect to financial strength, planning and decision making. Over the last five years, our operating budget has increased nearly 25% from S101M to $126M. To date, this budget expansion has been financially supported nearly 50% through the "New Growth" property tax revenue that is driven by the new construction of homes and businesses. Now we are starting to see a down turn in new construction opportunities; therefore, the budget growth of the recent past is not sustainable into the future. We as a community must take a hard look at the level of services that we have become accustomed to. We will not be able to sustain these service levels into the future within the constraints of Proposition 2/4 which permits the increase in property tax revenue of no more than 21/2 percent per year. Either we will need to gain permission to raise additional property tax revenue (Operating Budget Overrides) or we will need to reset our expectations as to the types and levels of services delivered across our community. To assist the community with the evaluation of future financial decisions, members of the Selectmen, School Committee and Finance Committee developed a multi-year budget model. This model takes into account the revenues and expenditures over the previous three years and uses assumptions to estimate Andover's revenues and expenditures for three future years. For the first time ever, Andover has a tool that can model the impact of today's financial decisions forward three years into the future. Looking toward 2008 and beyond, Andover has many questions to answer. Should the Town continue to create new fees (and expand existing fees) or should we structure our spending so that we live within our tax revenue? Are there services that the Town should eliminate in order to shift monies to other parts of the budget, if so, specifically which ones? Should the Town pass Operating Budget Overrides to increase property tax revenues or should we adjust service expectations to match existing revenues? These are questions that the Town leadership cannot answer alone; we need your support, your opinions and your assistance so that we, collectively, can use our brain trust to create new paradigms. I respectfully submit this correspondence on behalf of the Andover Board of Selectmen for the 2007 Annual Report. Brian P. Major, Chairman Andover Board of Selectmen TOWN OF ANDOVER Town Offices 36 Bartlet Street Andover, MA 01810 (978) 623-8200 www.andoverma.eov To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and Citizens of the Town of Andover: "The township of New England possesses two advantages which strongly excite the interest of mankind, namely, independence and authority. Its sphere is limited, indeed; but within that sphere, its action is unrestrained. This independence alone gives it real importance, " which its extent and population would not insure. Alexis de Tocqueville " "Democracy in America In the 1830's, Alexis de Tocqueville spent several years traveling across the country observing the underlying foundation that made democracy successful in America and especially in New England. He found two traits that are still New England hallmarks today - independence and authority. Nowhere is it seen better than at Town Meeting. Town Moderator James D. Doherty, who retired in 2007 after twenty-nine years of service, was keenly aware of these traits and faithfully respected and protected both independence and authority throughout his leadership. This legacy has been passed to us and we, in turn, are charged with upholding the traditions of Town Meeting so it can be passed to the next generation of New Englanders. The first article of the 2007 Annual Town Meeting was the Annual Town Election. In March, Sheila M. Doherty was elected to follow her father, James D. Doherty, as Town Moderator. Alexander J. Vispoli was re-elected as Selectman. Gerald Stabile, Jr. was elected to replace John P. Hess. Mr. Hess retired after ten years of faithful service on the Board. Debra R. Silberstein and Richard J. Collins were both re-elected to serve on the School Committee. The Annual Town Meeting passed a budget that was precariously balanced on a variety of reductions including $619,000 from the Capital Projects Fund. The voters passed the Community Preservation Act that will result in a one percent real estate tax surcharge. The CPA, if approved at the Annual Town Election in March, 2008, will provide funding for open space/recreation, historic preservation and affordable housing. The Youth Center project was supported with the passage of a land transfer warrant article for property behind the Doherty Middle School. Voters approved the creation of the Design Review Board which will maintain Andover' s character and sense of space through a well-designed and built environment. A Special Town Meeting was held within the Annual Town Meeting and four land acquisitions were approved: 16 and 18 Pearson Street for parking for Memorial Hall Library, 37-39 Pearson Street for Town Yard expansion and 15 Blanchard Street for municipal purposes (ballfields, active open space, etc.). At Town Meeting, the Virginia Cole Community Service Award was presented to Douglas M. and Ruth H. Dunbar for their thirty years of unselfish service on numerous Town boards and committees including the Board of Health, League of Women Voters, Finance Committee and Memorial Hall Library Trustees. The citizens of Andover are always ready to serve their Town. This year, two important committees were formed made up of Town volunteers: the Audit Committee and the Town Yard Task Force. The Board of Selectmen are credited with developing a comprehensive Municipal Vehicle Policy for the assignment, use and identification of Town-owned vehicles and for the reimbursement and use of personal vehicles for Town business. The Board also endorsed another Andover Citizens Survey in partnership with the Center for Public Research at Merrimack College. The survey will be conducted in 2008. In an effort to reach out and communicate better with our residents, three important steps were taken: the Board and League of Women Voters sponsored the successful Mid-Year Review in the Fall, the first edition of the Town of Andover - Winter Newsletter was published and sent to each household with the Town census and the Andover website was re-designed with a new front page which has more content and a new section to obtain customer service feedback on municipal services.

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