Annual Town Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 6:30 pm, at North Andover High School.

 

2025 Town Meeting Warrant

 

*ICYMI – Articles of the Day 

As we ready for Town Meeting on May 13, 2025, the Town will be presenting information every day on different warrant articles.

 

Article 1: Reports of Receipts and Expenditures.

 

The Town Bylaw Chapter 15 Section 4 requires all Town officers, boards and committees who receive or expend money to keep a record and accounting of those actions and report those to Town Meeting in an annual report.  Under Article 1, Town Meeting is accepting those reports.

 

Article 2: Authorization of the Town Manager or Superintendent of Schools Regarding Contracts in Excess of Three Years. 

 

Massachusetts Law only allows municipalities to enter into a contract of up to three years without permission of Town Meeting.  This article allows the Town Manager and Superintendent to sign contracts of longer than three years with the Select Board’s or School Committee’s approvals.  Towns will sometimes opt for longer contracts in order to lock in attractive pricing or for a lease.  For instance, the Select Board voted to allow a five year contract to rent the town’s postage machine in order to take advantage of the best pricing.

 

Article 3 and 4: Authorization to Accept and Grant Easements

 

These articles allow the Town to accept and grant easements for any public purpose.  An easement is a right to use someone else’s land for a particular purpose.  The Town often has to accept easements for purposes like extensions of sidewalks or for utility purposes.  The Town may grant an easement to a utility company or the Commonwealth.

 

Article 5: Approve Payment of Prior Years Unpaid Bills.

 

This article allows the town to pay bills from a previous year that may have arrived late or were unpaid for other reasons.  This year we have not identified any unpaid bills.

 

Article 6: Set Salaries and Compensation of Elected Officials.

 

This article sets out what various elected officials salaries should be in FY25.  This article is voted on annually.

 

Article 7:  Appropriation – Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Year 2026.

 

This article funds the Town’s Capital Improvement Plan for FY26.  The Town has a five year capital improvement and capital budgeting plan, which it updates annually.  The Town’s Capital Improvement plan can be found in the Town’s FY26 budget book, which is available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/3/folders/1I7tC3YXdpWkR-WC3k0rJM-X3k23fq0lp

This year’s capital improvement plan continues to implement Facilities Master Plan II and more information on that plan can be found here: https://sites.google.com/northandoverma.gov/fmp-2-0/home.  This year the Town will vote on whether or not to move forward with design for Youth Center.  The budget also continues the implementation of the Fields Master Plan with renovation of the high school fields.  The capital budget is funded using mostly one time revenue sources like free cash and the capital stabilization account.

 

Article 8: Water Capital Improvements – Debt Authorization 

 

The Town of North Andover is seeking to take debt from the Water Enterprise

Fund in order to pay for improvements to the Water Treatment Plant and to fund the demolition of the home at 400 Great Pond Road in order to protect the quality of the Town’s water source. This debt will not impact the general fund budget or cause an adverse impact on water rate payers.  More documents regarding 400 Great Pond Road and information from the 400 Great Pond Road Steering Committee is available here: https://www.northandoverma.gov/QuickLinks.aspx?CID=76

 

Article 9: Report of the Community Preservation Committee – Appropriation from Community Preservation Fund

 

This article lays out what projects will be funded using Community Preservation Act funding in FY26.  To learn more about the Community Preservation Act, please visit https://www.communitypreservation.org/about

To learn more about the Town’s Community Preservation Committee and to see the FY26 project applications, please visit https://www.northandoverma.gov/656/Community-Preservation-Committee

 

Article 10: Revolving Fund Spending Limits 

 

Every year Town Meeting authorizes the Town’s revolving accounts and sets spending limits for those accounts.  A revolving fund separately accounts for specific revenues and earmarks them for expenditure by a board or officer without appropriation for particular purposes to support the activity, program or service that generated the revenues.  Town Meeting authorizes the revolving account, its use, and how much can be spent from the account each year.

To learn more about the different types of revolving accounts, visit here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/revolving-funds-chart-non-school-department-program/download

 

Article 11 Appropriation – General Fund for Fiscal Year 2026 

Article 12 Appropriation – Water Enterprise Fund for Fiscal Year 2026 

Article 13 Appropriation – Sewer Enterprise Fund for Fiscal Year 2026 

 

These articles are the Budget articles of Town Meeting and include the regular operating budget, as well as the Town’s three enterprise funds (Steven’s Estate, Water and Sewer).

 

More information on the Town’s budgets can be found here: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I7tC3YXdpWkR-WC3k0rJM-X3k23fq0lp

 

To learn more about Enterprise Funds generally please visit: https://www.mass.gov/doc/enterprise-funds/download

 

Article 18: Transfer of $75,000 to OPEB Trust 

In 2010, Town Meeting created a trust fund to save money to pay for retiring employee’s post employment benefits.  In 2019, the Town OPEB Committee issued a report to the Select Board with recommendations regarding OPEB, which can be found here: OPEB Report July 15, 2019.pdf. The Town is requesting to transfer $75,000 from Free Cash to fund that account.

 

Article 20: Transfer to Stabilization

The Town is requesting to transfer $101,015.00 to the Stabilization Account.  The Stabilization Account is the Town’s savings account.  The Town saves money there to be used in emergencies.  Some like to refer to the account as the rainy day fund.  The Town has financial policies in place that advise the town to maintain 5% of General Fund revenues in the Stabilization Account.To appropriate from the Town’s Stabilization account requires a 2/3rd vote of Town Meeting.

 

 

– The Town of North Andover is Now Able to Accept Online Donations

 

The Town of North Andover is now able to accept online donations.  Donations can be made to the following Town organizations and initiatives that help support those in need and serve our community.

 

Elderly and Disabled Tax FundChapter 60, 3D: The purpose of the Elderly and Disabled Tax Fund is to help defray the real estate taxes of elderly and disabled persons of low income.

Festival Committee Donations

A donation to the Festival Committee will help support the following events: sheep shearing, 4th of July Fireworks, breakfast with Santa, the holiday parade and the tree lighting.

Library Municipal Donations

Your gift enables the Library to provide additional materials, programs, and other resources that will enrich our community.

Senior Center Donation Fund

North Andover Elder Services and the North Andover Senior Center mission is to advocate for older adults and to encourage maximum independence.  Your gift will help us meet our mission.

Veterans

Support the Troops

Donations are used to assist Veterans and their dependents directly in North Andover.  These donations are intended for unrestricted use.  If you would like to donate specifically for fuel, transportation, or food in accordance with Chapter 60, please consider the Veterans Donation Fund.

Veterans Donation Fund

Donations are used to assist Veterans and their dependents directly in North Andover.  These funds will be used for specifically fuel, transportation, or food in accordance with Chapter 60.  If you would like to give an unrestricted donation, please consider choosing Support the Troops.

Youth & Rec Donation Fund

The mission of North Andover Youth and Recreation Services is to provide the community, youth, and their families with staff, resources, and programs with the goal of empowerment and building self-esteem.  The positive experience of this involvement enriches and strengthens the fabric of our community for today and a lifetime. Your generous gift will allow us to continue our mission to the youth of North Andover.

These donations go directly to the Town of North Andover. If you are looking to donate to the Joseph N. Hermann Youth Center, Inc., The Friends of the Senior Center, the Stevens Memorial Library Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Stevens Memorial Library, or The Friends of the Stevens Memorial Library, please contact those groups directly.

Please visit  the Town of North Andover – Donations Online Payment Center at northandoverma.gov/donations.

 

 

Upcoming Meetings:Upcoming meetings & important events for this week can be viewed at www.northandoverma.gov

Monday, April 28:
Select Board

Tuesday, April 29:
Stevens Memorial Library Board of Trustees

Board of Assessors

Festival CommitteeWednesday, April 30:
Greater Lawrence Sanitary District

Old Center Historic District Commission

Thursday, May 1:
School Committee