Andover Select Board recommends 3 petition articles for Town Meeting
May 3—ANDOVER — The Select Board has voted to recommend three petition warrant articles for Town Meeting.
The vote came during the board's last meeting April 25. The articles propose a speed limit adjustment, a retiree cost-of-living adjustment, and the renewal of a stream gauge system on the Shawsheen River.
The board also heard a petition to bring Hacienda Way up to code and approve it as a public way. Due to an easement issue, the board decided to withhold its recommendation until after receiving more information.
Resident Michael Silverman spoke on behalf of Article 28, which would allow the Select Board to change the speed limit to 25 mph in thickly settled areas or business districts.
If the article is approved, the town would accept the provisions of a state law that allows the board to decide if roads with no posted speed limit can switch from 30 mph to 25 mph. Silverman said 61 municipalities in the state have adopted the change.
Police Chief Patrick Keefe said while the law would not make much of a difference for the police force, it may make residents feel more comfortable. The chief said the town would usually have to work with the state to change speed limits.
Board members discussed establishing a process so residents could request a speed limit adjustment on their street and learn when the limit changed.
Resident John Mahoney proposed Article 31 to appropriate $75,000 for operating and maintaining a stream gauge station on the Shawsheen River. This would provide a 72-hour forecast for floods, he said.
Mahoney said a gauge was installed in 2007 following a serious flood in 2006 but funding ran out. In 2013, funding for the gauge was proposed as a warrant article by residents.
Mahoney added that the article would be amended at Town Meeting to only last for two years and request $31,000. Mahoney said they would then hope to include funding in the town's annual operating budget.
Article 26, the cost-of-living adjustment for retirees, was submitted by petition by Kevin Connors. The article authorizes the Contributory Retirement Board to increase the maximum base on which cost-of-living increases are calculated for retirees and beneficiaries of the Andover Contributory Retirement System by $1,000 each July 1 for the next two years.
This would result in a base change from $12,000 to $13,000 effective July 1, 2022, and from $13,000 to $14,000 effective July 2023.
At another Select Board meeting, Connors cited increases in food prices, gas prices and medical care expenses as a reason for the article. Town Manager Andrew Flanagan said the Finance Committee voted unanimously to approve the article.
In addition to the articles submitted by citizen petition, the board recommended approval of three other articles.
The board recommended approval of Article 11, which included financial housekeeping articles.
Among these articles were supplemental budget appropriations that allocated $500,000 for the snow and ice budget, $274,952 for Greater Lawrence Technical School due to an increase in attendance, and $275,000 for a fund to help pay the medical expenses of firefighters injured on the job.
The board recommended approval of Article 17, which allocates $14,000 to the Jerry Silverman Fireworks Program as part of the Fourth of July festivities.
The board also recommended approval of Article 18, which would appropriate $9.5 million for Doherty Middle School and the Andover High School design. Eight million dollars would be spent on upgrades to Doherty Middle School, such as an elevator and subsequent improvements required by code.
Flanagan described it as a "public access and code project." He said all funding for these projects would come from the school operating budget.
Residents will vote on 35 warrant articles at Town Meeting on May 17-18.
