The North Andover Community Preservation Committee has opened up grant applications for projects proposed for Fiscal Year 2022. Each year the North Andover Community Preservation Committee offers grant funding for projects related to open space, historic preservation, recreation, and housing. The Committee makes recommendations to Town Meeting, which votes on the funding. This year’s applications are due Friday February 5th, 2021. Find out if your project is eligible for funding and find grant applications on the Community Preservation Committee web page. Please feel free to reach out to Dan Beckley at dbeckley@northandoverma.gov.
MA legislation has extended vote by mail for 2021 local elections held on or before March 31st. Due to COVID-19, if you would like to vote by mail, please complete and sign the application and return it to the Town Clerk's office no later than March 24th at 5:00 PM. Once the ballots are received for the 3-30-2021 Annual Election from the printer, the ballots will be mailed to those with applications on file. Ballots from the printer should be received early March. Feel free to contact the Town Clerk's office at vote@northandoverma.gov with any questions regarding the annual election or vote by mail.
Massachusetts is currently in Phase 1 of the MA COVID-19 vaccine distribution timeline. On January 11, first responders throughout the state started getting vaccinated in continuation of Phase 1. Our first responders got vaccinated this week and Phase 1, which includes health care workers, will continue through January. Long term care staff and residents are partnering with the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program and will begin being vaccinated in Phase 1. Phase 2 will begin in the middle of February and will include individuals over the age of 75, individuals of all ages with 2+ comorbidities, senior housing, adults over 65 and adults with one comorbidity. Phase 2 will also include early educators, K-12 teachers, food workers and infrastructure workers such as public works, water and sewer treatment facility workers and transportation workers. The Town will release a robo call to inform residents about vaccine availability at that time. The Health Department will be holding local clinics and pre-registration will be required for planning purposes and to avoid large crowds or long wait times. Learn more about the vaccine timeline here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/when-can-i-get-the-covid-19-vaccine.
North Andover continues to be designated as a higher risk/red community. Please continue to use caution, wear a mask, practice social distancing and avoid gatherings.
COVID-19 testing at the Stop the Spread sites is free, easy and painless. Please consider getting tested over the next two weeks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 to your family and friends. A list of the sites can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread
State Small Business Grant Application Period Extended to Monday – 1/18 at Midnight:
Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) is administering a $668 million Sector-Specific Relief Program for Massachusetts businesses. The online application portal for this program is open, and will close Monday, January 18th at midnight. Awards are expected to be announced in early February.
Eligible industries for this program include:
Restaurants, bars, caterers
Indoor recreation and entertainment establishments
As more and more businesses, restaurants and activities remain open at a reduced capacity, we continue to encourage the community to stay diligent in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Many of the things that you can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses such as the flu, include:
Wear a face covering or mask whenever in public.
Physical or social distancing whenever in public and as much as possible.
Avoid large gatherings especially as it gets colder and more events are being held inside.
Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Clean things that are frequently touched (like doorknobs and countertops) with household cleaning spray or wipes.
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue or your inner elbow, not your hands.
Stay home if you are sick and avoid close contact with others.
Please join us in stressing this to your family, friends and neighbors.
If you get a COVID-19 test for any reason, especially if you are not feeling well then please isolate until you receive your test results. It is also important to isolate yourself from your family members if possible. The majority of the transmission we are seeing is from household contacts. Please be aware and protect your family. These steps are of the utmost importance and reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Due to the volume of positive cases across the State of Massachusetts, the Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) was developed to aid Local Boards of Health in the tracing of close contacts in each community. By answering the call from the CTC, you can do your part in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19. Your caller ID will show the call is coming from MA COVID Team with area codes (833) or (857).
The COVID-19 hotline is still available at 978-208-6070. Messages left on this line are sent directly to Town staff and will be answered during regular business hours.
The best source of guidance and recommendations is the DPH website:
Burning season begins today, January 15, and ends May 1. Please see the information below regarding open burning regulations and permits, as well as fire pit regulations.
Any residents wishing to participate in this annual event must obtain a permit online at the North Andover Fire Department website – nafd.us.
Open burning can only be conducted with a permit issued by the fire department and is only permitted for brush, cane, driftwood, forestry debris, agricultural debris, and, under limited conditions, fungus-infected elm wood. Burning grass, hay, leaves, stumps, and commercial or industrial land clearing for non-agricultural purposes is prohibited.
Each day a determination will be made by 9:30 a.m. whether burning will be allowed, this decision to allow burning is based on changing atmospheric conditions such as wind or dryness and recommendations made by the state. If winds kick up or other atmospheric conditions change suddenly, making it unsafe to burn, permits can be rescinded (cancelled).
Due to the nature of our job and emergencies that arise, there may occasionally be a delay in getting that decision sent out. We will get it out as soon as possible.
Violations of the permit requirements, open burning law, and/or open burning regulations will be grounds for permit revocation. According to Massachusetts law, anyone found burning without a permit may be subject to criminal charges, the punishment for which is a fine of up to $500, plus the cost of suppression or by imprisonment for up to one month, or both.
For more information about burn permits, visit the Burn Permits & Regulations page on the North Andover Fire Departments website by clicking here. Anyone with questions regarding opening burning should call the North Andover Fire Department at 978-688-9595.
Fire Pit Regulations
The North Andover Fire Department allows the use of Fire Pits, Chimineas and Outdoor Fireplaces provided the following conditions are met:
The Fire must be small and manageable, no greater than 3 feet in diameter. By definition, a fire larger than 3 feet is no longer considered a cooking or recreational fire.
All fires must be constantly attended by a competent person until extinguished. (21 or older)
A water supply or an extinguisher capable of extinguishing the fire must be within 75 feet of the fire.
The Fire Pit, Chiminea, or fireplace will be on a non-combustible surface at grade level and not under any type of overhang, roof or canopy
Fires will not be located within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material and any condition that could cause fire to spread within this area will be removed prior to ignition.
The fire and/or smoke cannot pose a hazard to any property.
The Smoke from any device cannot create a nuisance or health hazard to the neighborhood.
Finally common sense must be used!!! A screen should be used to prevent embers from igniting nearby combustibles. Never use flammable fluids to start your fire. Only ordinary firewood is to be burned: No construction debris, leaves, household trash, hazardous waste, or chemicals may be burned at any time.
If the North Andover Fire Department is called to your house for any type of outside fire, we reserve the right to order any fire be extinguished at the officer’s discretion. The above rules do not affect the rules pertaining to permitted open burning season.
If you have any questions pertaining to this guideline, please contact the Fire Prevention Office during normal business hours at 978-688-9590
Please see below for an updated COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Summary from the North Andover Health Department.
North Andover Health Department Community Development Division
In an effort to effectively distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Charlie Baker has created a timeline to address and prioritize different sectors of Massachusetts to receive it. Below is a summary of the timeline created and who falls into which of the 3 phases.
Phase 1 is currently scheduled from December to February. Phase 1 vaccine recipients will be those in:
Clinical and non-clinical health care workers doing direct and COVID-facing care
Long term care facilities, rest homes and assisted living facilities
Emergency medical services, police and fire departments
Congregate care settings
Home-based health care workers
Health care workers doing non-COVID-facing care
Phase 2 is currently scheduled from February to March. Phase 2 vaccine recipients will be those in:
Those with high-risk COVID-19 complications (those with 2 or more comorbidities and/or those age 75 and older), and residents and staff of public/private low income and affordable senior housing
Early education and K-12 workers, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, restaurant and café workers
Employees across the food, beverage, agriculture, consumer goods, retail and foodservice sectors
Meatpackers
Sanitation, Public works and Public health workers
Vaccine development workers
Food pantry workers
Transit/Transportation: Uber/Lyft/ridesharing services/pharmacy delivery drivers, workers in passenger ground transportation, non-urgent medical transport, Massport workers other than police
Convenient store workers
Water and wastewater utility staff
Court system workers (judges, prosecutors, defense attorney, clerks), other than court officers who fall under first responders
Medical supply chain workers
Funeral Directors and funeral workers
Adults age 65 and older
Individuals with 1 comorbidity
Phase 3 will be for the general public and is currently scheduled to begin in April. Not many details are currently available for Phase 3, but as more details are made available the North Andover Health Department will continue to keep the public updated.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine and similar information, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Health’s website at https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine-in-massachusetts. You can also submit additional questions to COVID-19-Vaccine-Plan-MA@mass.gov for specific information. Please keep in mind that all dates noted may be subject to change depending on guidance from the State of Massachusetts. For additional questions or concerns please contact kobika@northandoverma.gov or scasey@northandoverma.gov or call the Health Department at 978 688 9540.
