USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969 > Part 45
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A bond sale was approved by the Board in 1967 in the amount of $4,130,000.00. at an interest rate of 4.1%. Although this interest rate is the highest the Town of Andover has been compelled to pay for many years, it is a reflection more of the general money market conditions than the
financial condition of the Town. No less than ten bids were received involving almost 100 banking and investment companies throughout the entire United States. The difference between the suc- cessful bidder and the next bidder amounted to twelve 10/1000th's of one percent.
Strong and successful support was given by the Board to Main Street beautification, the acquisition of conservation and recreation land and property. The Board conducted one hearing during 1967 on the application of a cablevision television company. The Board also met on several occasions with the Finance and School Committees to discuss school construction and. school site acquisition matters.
Certainly one of the most impressive accom- plishments of the Board in 1967 was its involve- ment in the attracting of the Gillette Safety Razor Company to Andover. The Board looks upon this facility and the improvements to be undertaken in the Lowell Junction Industrial Area as sound investments in the future economic well being of the community.
As part of the Third Annual Founder's Day program held on May 6, the Board honored Ruth T. Hitchins as Town Employee-of-the-Year and recipient of the William H. Rhoads Memorial Award. Mrs. Hitchings has been the Town Manager's secretary since 1959. Prior to this, she was secretary to the Board of Selectmen, Board of Appeals and Veteran's Service Officer.
35 other Town employees received service awards while 11 citizens of Andover were recog- nized for their service to the Town as former members of the several Town boards, committees and commissions.
He Who Plants A Tree Does So For Another Generation - Main Street.
9
Town
Out
The Town Manager's report for 1967 will be brief since in effect the reports of the several Town departments and agencies reflect the Manager's areas of concern and activity. The past year continued to demand great and almost disproportionate amounts of the Manager's time, efforts and energies in school building construc- tion. Office routine particularly in the areas of budgeting and purchasing were equally as de- manding. Collective bargaining began in earnest in 1967 with a time spent in negotiating with unions representing public works and fire employee groups. A first and equitable contract was signed with the public works union.
Pollution or rather its elimination or control was a major concern in 1967 with the Town Manager and a member of the Board of Select- men representing the Town's interests in nego- tiations with its neighboring municipalities towards the establishment of a regional pollution abatement district. Industrial development activi- ties were a particularly rewarding experience in 1967 and promise even more in 1968.
Both because of the Fish Brook project and a generous rainfall throughout the past year, the Town Manager removed water restrictions in ef- fect since 1965.
The Town Annual Report for 1966 was made available to all taxpayers or registered voters by mail representing a change from past years when a report was either obtained at Town meeting or upon request and unlimited quantity.
Manager
1
٢
my
5
2
The Town Manager was privileged in the Spring to participate in a three-day colloquium on the problems of urban America and computer technology at the University of Pennsylvania, Fels Institute of Local and State Government. It was also a pleasant task to represent the Town of Andover's position on a clean-water classifica- tion for the Shawsheen and Merrimack Rivers. Andover was the only municipality along the banks of the Merrimack to advocate a "B" classi- fication rather the lower 'C" advocated by other communities and industries. Certainly because of its leading role in this area, the Town through the Town Manager played a small part in a documentary film on water pollution presented by one of the major Boston television stations.
Extensive work was performed in the plan- ning of the Andover Public Safety Center along with the Police and Fire Chiefs and Civil Defense Director. This project promises modern and adequate space and facilities for these vital town services for the first time in the modern history of the Town of Andover.
It was with very mixed emotion that the Town Manager accepted the resignation of Miriam Putnam as Town Librarian, a position that she occupied with distinction for more than twenty- five (25) years. Miriam left Andover to "climb another mountain" as Assistant Librarian at Talladega College, Alabama. As a token of the esteem in which she is held, the reading room of the Memorial Hall Library addition has been named in her honor.
10
Staff agencies
Board
of-
assessors
As a result of the town-wide equalization program, completed and placed into effect during 1967, all properties are assessed on the basis of current market value. The ratio of assessed value to selling price has varied considerably in the past with regard to particular type dwellings and in a few cases, even certain neighborhoods. Now there is equality of assessments pertaining to neighborhoods as well as the various classes and types of properties.
The Assessing Department has utilized a data processing system in which all pertinent assess- ment information is carried on punch cards. This system allows for the speedy preparation of commitments and bills for real estate taxes. The potential use of the now established data process- ing system has unlimited possibilities which can be of considerable benefit to the Assessing De- partment as well as to the townspeople in general. One of the many side-benefits from the program is the ability of the Board of Assessors
to determine the total valuation of real property according to its use. It is anticipated that during the ensuing year all personal property will be processed in the same manner that real estate valuations are being processed. This should result in further accuracy and efficiency.
The 1967 real estate tax of $3,956,455.00 committed to the Tax Collector in August was based on a total assessed value of $158,258,200.00 This value represents an increase in total assessed value of all real estate of $49,374,600.00 over the 1966 value, and reflects the results of the equali- zation program as well as alterations and new construction conducted during the year.
Tax exemptions granted to "Certain Elderly Persons" (over 70 years) in the amount of $50,936.33 total three times the amount granted in the previous year. Recent legislative changes in this exemption, which raised the maximum assessed value to $20,000 and established an exemption of $350.00 in tax dollars rather than exempting $4,000 in assessed value are responsi- ble for the increased cost to the town.
The reduction in the total exemptions given to disabled veterans in 1967 is due to the reduc- tion of the tax rate. Legislative amendments are expected this year, however, which will allow for a flat-sum exemption rather than on a valuation basis, in order to place the veterans' exemption on the same par with the "elderly" exemption.
Town Counsel
At the beginning of 1967, twenty-eight court cases involving the Town were pending as follows :
Eminent domain proceedings 8
Apellate Tax Board cases 9
Public Liability 1
Zoning
2
Other
8
During the course of the year, twenty-two new cases arose as follows :
Apellate Tax Board
2
Zoning 3
Eminent Domain 15
Other 2
During the year, twenty-seven cases and claims against the Town were terminated. During the course of the year, there were thirty-three appearances before courts, in addition to appear- ances before administrative boards.
Written opinions were rendered to almost every department of the Town government. Oral legal discussions and conferences were frequent.
ASSESSOR'S SUMMARY REPORT 1967
Number of Persons Assessed
Valuation -- Personal Property
8,653 $ 6,729,600.00
Valuation -- Real Estate Total Valuation
164,957,300.00
Tax Rate Per $1,000 Valuation
$ 25.00
Number of Acres Assessed
18,155.65
Number of Dwellings Assessed
5,319
VALUATION BY USE
Assessed Value
Industrial Plants - 53
$ 9,749,900.00
Business Sites - 176
19,428,900.00
Residential or Vacant
$129,079, 400.00
TAX EXEMPTIONS GRANTED
Clause 41 (Over 70)
161 Persons
$50,938.33
Clause 22 (Veterans)
319 Persons
14,583.50 $ 450.00
Clause 37 (Blind)
6 Persons
REAL ESTATE EXEMPTIONS
Clause 1 Property of United States
$ 1,863,200.00
Clause 2 Property of Commonwealth of Massachusetts
531,800.00
Clause 3 Property of Literary Organizations
25,699,800.00
Clause 3 Property of Charitable Organizations
119,300.00
Clause 3 Property of Benevolent Organizations
341,200.00
Clause 11
House of Religious Worship -- Parsonages
2,409,300.00
Clause 11
Parsonages
300,000.00
Clause 12
Cemeteries
397,500.00
Andover Housing Authority
1,039,900.00
Property Put to a Public Use
10,637,960.00
Property of a District
$ 2,306,700.00
Number of Acres Exempt
3,288.10
MOTOR VEHICLE AND TRAILER EXCISE
Number of Vehicles Assessed
12,307
Assessed Valuation Excise
610,975.19
Abatements
43,091.18
Tax Rate per $1,000 Valuation
$
66.00
158,227,700.00
$10,318,000.00
12
TOWN CLEM
T own
Clerk
The total number of registered voters as of September 12, 1967 was 10,594, divided by Pre- cincts as follows :
1-2008 2-1272 3-1829
4-2286 5- 849 6-2350
This makes an increase of fourteen new voters since October, 1966.
A Special Primary and Election were held to elect a Representative to the General Court to fill a vacancy. This required additional meetings of the Board of Registrars. In all, the Board held nineteen (19) meetings during the year for the purpose of registering new voters, certifying signatures on nomination papers and initiative petitions, and checking the voting list in order to bring it up-to-date prior to the annual printing in July. As Clerk for this Board, the Town Clerk is responsible for setting up the election schedule for the year.
The Board of Registrars appointed four (4) additional assistant registrars, bringing the total up to ten, (10) in order to speed up the compila- tion of the annual street listing.
The I.B.M. card system, which was started in 1965, is now functioning well and serves to facilitate the preparation of both the street and voting lists. These cards are kept up-to-date and are used for many other purposes.
While the Board of Selectmen voted to allow the Town to use electronic voting in its elections, the use of these machines will be delayed until certain restrictions by the State have been eliminated.
Number of births recorded MALES
270
144
FEMALES 126
Number of deaths recorded MALES 85
160
FEMALES 75
Number of mariages recorded 202
Fees collected and turned over to the Town
Treasurer :
Marriage Intentions $ 458.00
Certified copies of vital statistics 819.50
Uniform Commercial Code 1,328.00 Alcoholic Beverage Licenses 9,765.00 Business Certificates 34.50
Miscellaneous 1,491.00
Hunting and Fishing Licenses
3,569.00
Dog Licenses 3,936.75
TOTAL
$21,402.25
13
Town Accountant
At the outset of 1967, two prime tasks facing the department were 1) eliminating the back- log on water billing and 2) generally streamlining and smoothing out the various procedures on the machine.
Beginning the first of April, the water billing timetable was accelerated to the extent that a section of billing was completed every two weeks instead of every month. As of December 31st, the billing program was current.
In April, a space problem that was all but intolerable was corrected when the Selectmen closed the conference room to the public. All accounting personnel and computer equipment were moved from the first floor and installed in that room. This gave the space needed, and then the department began to function with a more than reasonable degree of efficiency.
With the water billing up to date and the resulting release of machine time, attention is being given to other phases on the machine. First priority is revenue accounting. It is hoped that a program will be developed that will permit the posting of receipts weekly on magnetic ledger cards and in turn produce a monthly revenue statement.
Payroll processing is running quite smoothly and efficiently, although some revisions are plan- ned in the program in order that it can be even more effective.
The problems that have been solved and the handicaps that have been overcome have been accomplished in spite of an increase in the work load. For example, in December of 1966 1,700 checks were written in the payment of bills. In December of 1967 it took 2,000 checks to do the same job. In 1966 fewer than 1,000 W2 forms were printed for employees. In 1967, there were exactly 1,200. These increases tend only to empha- size the value of the computer. It would be im- possible to process the Town's present volume of work with the equipment and personnel available prior to the installation of the computer.
Accountant
Holly Perdue
Tax Collector
Collections in total, for 1967 increased approximately $500,000 over 1966 as follows:
1966
1967
Real Estate
$ 3,504,437 $ 3,785,800
Personal Property
168,632 161,440
Motor Vehicle
562,208 572,615
All Other
75,759 291,384
Total
$ 4,311,036 $ 4,811,239
As a comparison to ten years ago, there were 4,422 pieces of taxable property in 1957. Ten years later there were 7,745. Total collections in 1957 amounted to $ 1,857,947.
It is foreseeable that the total collections in 1968 will reach the five million dollar mark for the first time in Town history.
The Tax Collector comes and takes the tax for your house. He does the same with all the people.
14
Town Treasurer
BORROWING
The impact of capital expenditure projects is reflected in increased borrowings in 1967 in anticipation of bond issues for financing them. Loans totalling $1,500,000 were negotiated. One sale of bonds, dated December 1, 1967, in the sum of $4,130,000 was held in November cover- ing the following :
$ 900,000 - Supplemental appropriation for new High School.
$ 250,000 - Water Mains: North Street, River Road, Cross Street and High Plain Road.
$ 600,000 - Bancroft Road Reservoir.
$ 580,000 - Central Police and Fire Station. $1,800,000 - Bancroft Elementary School. Other Loans :
$ 8,500 - Memorial Hall Library (in an- ticipation of reimbursement).
$ 500,000 - Tax Anticipation Notes dated April 3, 1967 due October 31, 1967.
INVESTMENTS
Income from investment of surplus and ac- celerated sewer funds :
$ 27,491.49 - Revenue Funds
$
121,400.35 - Non-Revenue Funds
824.31 - Accelerated Sewer Funds $ TAX TITLES
3 Redemptions
3 Foreclosure Petitions filed in the Land Court
1 Affidavit to foreclose tax titles on three parcels of land of low value filed with the Com- missioner of Taxation.
BY WAY OF COMPARISON
1957 1967
Receipts $4,130,534 .* $13,944,881 .** Disbursements 4,345,460 12,987,500.
*Includes Bond Proceeds of $1,052,000.
** Includes Loans and Bond Proceeds of $5,630, 000
15
Planning Board
As the Planning Board has often stated at. Town Meeting and on other occasions, the Zoning By-laws of the Town exist, under the limitations set forth by the Commonwealth for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Town. They are pro- jected to permit growth but to control the use of the land so that the Town may grow and yet pre- serve its desirable characteristics insofar as pos- sible.
It is interesting to note that at a Town Meet- ing in 1660, three hundred and eight (308) years ago, the Inhabitants took
"into consideration the great damage that mey come to the Towne by persons living remote from the Towne upon such lands as were given them for ploughing or plant- ing and soe, by their hoggs and cattle de- stroy the meadows adjoyning thereunto." They accordingly ordered
"that whosoever, inhabitant or other shall build any dwelling house in any part of the Towne but upon such house lott or oth- er place granted for that end without ex- press leave from the Towne shall forfeit twenty shillings a month for the time he shall soe live in any such p'hibited place." The Towne added that it did not intend -
"to restrain any P'son from building any shede for himself or cattle that shall be necessary for the ploughing of his ground or hoeing of his corne, but to restrain only
from their constant abode there, the Towne having given house lotts to build on to all such as they regard as inhibitants of the Towne."
In other words, three centuries ago, the citizens of Andover saw fit to limit the use of land within the Town in a manner at least as severe as any limitations we feel are necessary today. Our Cluster Zoning provisions, today, set aside land which is not to be built upon. In the language of old Andover, we feel that "great damage may come to the Town" if we do not set aside some land to be conserved.
It is the feeling of the Planning Board that Andover, today, is just beginning to feel the im- pact of the highway development around Boston, with the accompanying spread of industrial and residential activity. As a result, the attention of the Planning Board was focused during 1967 on the Industrial Zones of the town, and the Board sees this attention as a continuing need.
Other matters also drew close observation from the Board, including further study of the Central Business District, with amendments be- ing passed setting up controls over combined business and residential use within the Cen- tal Business District. Other amendments, recom- mended to and approved at Town Meeting, in- cluded permission to use industrial land abutting railroad property without conforming to "yard" requirements if a railroad siding is constructed
16
1
and the setting-up of penalties for the violating of zoning laws.
Submitted for consideration during the year, were fourteen (14) residential development plans involving a total of three hundred and sixty-one (361) house lots. Of these nine (9) plans with one hundred and ninety-two (192) lots were given final approval, the remaining five (5) plans with one hundred and sixty-nine (169) lots are still pending in the preliminary approval stage. The Board also signed 49 Form A plans (plans that do not require Planning Board approval) with a total of 68 lots. In the course of approval of these plans, some thirty-three (33) acres were turned over to the Conservation Com- mission as reserved land, resulting from the Cluster Zoning provisions of our By-law. This is one of the weapons the Planning Board has been using to preserve wetlands, to create buffer zones along water courses and to secure belts of greenery for the Town wherever possible.
CMVRPD
The Central Merrimack Valley Regional Planning District is a voluntary organization of cities and towns created under the laws of the Commonwealth. In 1967, the 196 square mile of area of jurisdiction of the District included the cities of Lawrence and Haverhill and the towns of Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Mer- rimac, Methuen, North Andover and West New- bury. With the acceptance of West Newbury as a member during the year, only Boxford, George- town and Groveland remain as non-participating members of the District. The 1965 population of the District was 196,000 persons.
The District Commission, consisting of one member and one alternate from each member community, maintains an office and staff locat- ed at 477 Essex Street, Lawrence, Massachusetts. Regular meetings are held at the District Office on the third Thursday of each month and are open to the public. The officers of the District elected in April were: Chairman, James M. Ban- nan, No. Andover; Vice-Chairman, John R. Leone, Methuen; Treasurer, Jean B. Ippolito, Lawrence; Assistant Treasurer, Peter F. Miles Merrimac ; Secretary, Warren C. Frye, Haverhill.
The District is charged by law to create and maintain a comprehensive regional plan for its area of jurisdiction. During the year, the status of the regional plan for the Lawrence Sub-Region composed of Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover was clarified by an action to ratify previous adoption of the plan as it had been published between 1962 and 1964. Work has begun to expand the regional plan to include the Haverhill Sub-Region. Approval of the Commis- sion's request to expend $47,405 in Federal grant funds for this purpose was obtained.
In June, a major change in the open space and recreation element of the regional plan was made. As a result of this action, the regional plan no longer advocates meeting future regional re- creational needs by locating regionally controlled parks in Andover, Methuen and North Andover. Areas previously proposed for regional mainte- nance and availability are now proposed for local conservation jurisdiction. However, the District continues to propose meeting the regional recrea- tional needs by the creation of a Regional Con- servation and Recreation Commission to own and manage facilities which would be available to all residents of the region.
The District continued its interest in the abatement of pollution in the Merrimack River. in the Spring, the District prepared a report and recommendation concerning the classification of the river. This report was filed with the Depart- ment of Natural Resources and the resulting river classifications were in substantial agree- ment with the recommendations.
In the Fall, the Commission initiated the renewal of negotiations between the Lawrence Sub-Region communities concerning the creation of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District. As a result of these meetings, the Commission drafted a proposed bill to authorize the establishment of a District to build and operate a regional sewage treatment facility. At the close of the year, nego- tiations on this matter were continuing.
Changes in Federal legislation made in 1966 created additional work for the District as well as additional opportunities for service to its member communities. The Federal Demonstra- tion Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 requires that applications made by localities for financial assistance under most Federal com- munity development programs must be reviewed by the regional planning agency for consistency with the regional plan. The processing of these
17
applications means additional work for the Dis- trict, but it also offers a specific service that the District can offer its members. As many com- munities are discovering, lack of a regional plan- ning agency with a regional plan makes them
ineligible to participate in many Federal aid pro- grans.
In the past year, the District has processed seven Federal aid applications being submitted by its members as follows :
Applicant Andover
Project Total Cost
Aid Requested
Elementary School $ 88,950
$ 88,950
Loan
Construction Plans
Haverhill
Connector Highway
Location
Haverhill Construct Industrial $164,010
$ 82,000
Grant
Park Sewage Plant
Lawrence
Alteration to $ 65,078
$ 26,950
Grant
Water Plant
Lawrence
Airport Runway $ 62,210 Extension
$ 31,100
Grant
Lawrence
Plans for Hospital $ 80,800 Remodeling
$ 80,800
Loan
Lawrence
'Transportation $ 16,415
$ 10,943
Grant
Demonstration
District Total $477,463
$320,743
At year end, the District was processing two additional applications :
Applicant
Project Total Cost
Aid Requested
Andover
Plans for Water $ 124,100
$ 124,100 Loan
Plant
MBTA
Purchase of Bus $5,270,000
$3,513,333 Grant
Company
The District was financed primarily by an- nual payments from the member communi- ties based on a per capita assessment rate of 8.7545 cents. These payments produced $15,468.88 of the District's revenue for the year which
totaled $19,975.94. Expenditures for the year . totaled $17,395.11, leaving a surplus of $2,580.83 which will be used to meet 1968 expenses.
The following persons participated in the activities of the District during the year.
Town of Andover Mr. Arthur Neumark, Member Mr. John Hardy, Alternate Mr. Timothy J. Scanlon, Advisory Town of Merrimac Mr. Peter F. Smiles, Member Mr. Charles E. Billups, Alternate Town of Methuen Mr. John R. Leone, Member
Atty: Maurice Schwartz, Alternate Mr. Ernest DelDuca, Advisory Town of North Andover Mr. James M. Bannan, Member Atty. George A. Stella, Alternate Mr. John J. Monteiro, Advisory Mr. Leslie C. Bernal, Advisory
City of Haverhill
Mr. Warren C. Frye, Member
Mr. Edward Prince, Alternate
Mr. Merton Greenstein, Advisory (Resigned)
Mr. Donald A. Basiliere, Advisory
Mr. Walter Bonin, Advisory
City of Lawrence Mr. Jean B. Ippolito, Member
Mr. Michael J. Tarshi, Alternate
Mr. Dario Pepe, Advisory Atty. Arthur S. Sobil, Advisory
Mr. Harry S. Weinroth, Advisory
Town of West Newbury Mr. Herbert H. Cornell, Member Mr. Paul Johnston, Alternate
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Municipal Buildings
Maintenance of the Town Hall continued to be a problem in 1967. Despite some painting and valiant maintenance efforts by the building cus- todian, the Town's municipal offices leave a great deal to be desired not only in terms of limited space but of difficulty in maintenance because of their limited size, intensive use and age. The Board of Selectmen continued its efforts in seek- ing to agree on a suitable location for the new Town Hall and, in fact,, settled upon use of the present site after the new public safety center is constructed and the central fire station demolish- ed. It has become increasingly apparent, how- ever, that the funds $550,000.00 which were provided for a new building in 1965 will not be adequate to construct quarters which will meet the space requirements of the several municipal offices. Public building construction costs con- tinue to climb sharply with no apparent hope that they will level off, no less decline. With a new facility at least two and as long as three years
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