USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969 > Part 58
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83
For, let no one be misled! The costs of goods and personal ser- vices have increased and are increasing and if we demand, as we do, efficient and effective services - schools, police and fire protection, snow removal, garbage disposal, sewer, water and debt service and all the myriad functions of town government, then we must be willing to pay for them. Your municipal offi- cials - all of whom are taxpayers - are conscious of the impact of the real estate tax which is overly burdensome and realize fully that until the State and Federal governments come to the rescue, we are very nearly on our own!
I urge all to come to the open warrant hearing, but especially to the Town Meeting with as open and unprejudiced minds as possi- ble. -
Your officials, of course, will abide by the decision made on the 8th of March and be guided by them. May those decisions be made with considered judgment and understanding.
Sincerely yours,
BOARD OF SELECTMEN Philip K allen Philip K. Allen, Chairman
PKA:rh
General Government
Town Meeting
A Special Town Meeting on July 31 drew such a crowd (more than 3,000 voters)
If the past year were required to be described in a single and most apt term, it would have to be THE YEAR OF THE TOWN MEETING.
It all began with the Annual Town Meeting in March which required four (4) sessions in or- der to complete its business. A Special Town Meeting on 31 July drew such a crowd (more than 3,000 voters) that the meeting had to be post- poned to the following evening and its location changed from the traditional Memorial Auditorium at the East Junior High School to the gymnasium and cage at Phillips Academy where more than 2,000 convened. Finally, the first regularly scheduled Special Town Meeting re- quired as a result of the 1967 Town Meeting having voted a by-law calling for such a meeting on the first Monday in October was held. What of the business transacted at these meetings ? Murch
Some 4,179 ballots were cast at the March election with Selectmen Roger W. Collins and William Stewart being re-elected to office along with incumbent School Committee Women Mrs. Virginia Cole and William King. The business sessions appropriated $10,442,325.85 for the regu- lar budget and other special items. The Town Meeting refused to abandon the Town Hall pro- ject and to transfer the funds appropriated for this project in 1965 to the Public Safety Center Building and school building programs. By a vote of 614 to 7, approval was given to the Town of Andover becoming a member of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District, a move that will re- sult in the saving by the Town of more than $1 Million for sewage treatment facilities required by both the State and Federal governments.
In addition to the operating budget approved for schools, funds were appropriated for other school projects or programs. These included $400,000.00 for the repair of the East Junior High School; $175,000.00 for furnishings and equip- ment for the Bancroft Elementary School; fenc- ing for the Senior High School costing an estimat- ed $40,500.00; and $40,000.00 for repairs to cer- tain playfields at the Senior High School.
Acquisition of the Playhouse property on Essex Street was turned down although a simple majority of the Town Meeting members favored the proposal made by the Board of Selectmen. A 2/3 majority vote was required. Overwhelming approval of a plan for the sewering of the West Andover Industrial Area costing an estimated $1,581,000.00 was forthcoming with the stipula- tion that no funds be expended until a suitable industry located in the area having sufficient as- sessed value for tax purposes to pay the cost of the project.
Creation of a Town Industrial Development Authority was also approved to be used if neces- sary to attract or retain a desirable industry. Acquisition of additional conservation land off Highplain Road and bordering Haggetts Pond as recommended by the Conservation Commis- sion and a majority of the Board of Selectmen received a "yes" vote of the Town Meeting.
Two (2) significant amendments to the Zoning By-Law were also approved. These involv- ed the strengthening of the Town's soil removal regulations and the creation of an Office Park zone but applied to no specific area of the Town as yet.
Certainly one of the more lively portions of the Town Meeting revolved around the Leash Law By-Law which came before the Town Meet- ing by private petition. There were more people in attendance at this session than there were per- sent at the previous meeting several nights before when the vote was taken on the use of Free Cash to reduce the tax rate and in effect, to set the tax rate. After considerable debate which ran the spectrum of the very serious to the utterly ab- surd, the Town Meeting approved the by-law by the slim vote of 257 to 253. Unfortunately, funds were not voted to enforce the new and tough law, a defect which may be corrected at the 1969 Annual Town Meeting.
July - August
This meeting was called by the Board of Selectmen for 31 July to consider the rezoning of
3
some 185 acres on land located west of Route 93 and south of Lowell Street from residential to in- dustrial in order to permit the Ratheon Company to construct a $10 - $20 Million manufacturing and office facility to replace the company's pre- sent plant in Shawsheen. Funds were also re- quested for limited street, water and sewer im- provements to service the site. Because of the overwhelming response by voters attending the meeting and the inadequacy of the Memorial Auditorium, the meeting was adjourned to Phillips Academy on August 1st. The combined efforts of Academy officials, Town Clerk, Town Manager and other Town officials and employee resulted in one of the most successful meetings ever conducted in the Town of Andover from the standpoint of logistics alone. Voters gave approval to all of the matters presented by a majority of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee. October
The principal matter considered and ap- proved by the October meeting was funds in the amount of $2.25 Million for the construction of a major addition to the West Elementary School.
Finance Committee
Employment of a full time pur- chasing agent.
Despite aggressive efforts to reduce the 1968 town expense requirements, the Finance Commit- tee found itself in a position of recommending a financial program for 1968 that resulted in a tax increase of $6.00 per $1,000. assessed valuation or an increase from $25.00 to $31.00. The Fin Com's batting average continued to be very high with very few of its recommendations being rejected by the Town Meeting. Among the more signifi- cant negative recommendations by the Finance
Committee were the acquisition of additional sidewalk plows, the employment of a full time Town Purchasing Agent and the construction of the Town Public Safety Center as conceived in March 1968. Town Meeting saw fit to overrule the Finance Committee in only a few areas such as the acquisition of a snow blower and the entire budget request of the local Council on Aging.
Town Meeting also approved the recommen- dation of the Finance Committee that some $843,310. in Free Cash be used in order to reduce the tax rate, the largest amount ever used for this purpose. This position was not supported by either a majority of the Board of Selectmen or the Town Manager but was supported by the Town Meet- ing.
The Finance Committee gave its stamp of approval to the money items considered at the 31 July Special Town Meeting which were necessary to support the plans of the Raytheon Company for the construction of its Ten to Twenty Million Dollar manufacturing and office facility on Lowell Street. These approvals were in the amount of some $350,000. for water, sewer and street im- provements.
Favorable action by the regularly scheduled October Town Meeting for the construction of a $2.25 Million addition to the West Elementary School was also supported by the Finance Com- mittee. Fin Com and Town Meeting approval were also given to a $40,000. allocation for a Federal Grant Application for audio visual materials and facilities at the East Junior High School.
As part of the routine of the Finance Com- mittee, some $12,520.67 in transfers from the Re- serve Fund were made for items which occurred during the 1968 year but which were not antici- pated at the time of preparation and adoption of the 1968 budget. The following represent some of the larger transfers :
$2,318.32 for sewer main repairs on High Street
$1,500.00 for repairs to Town Fire Truck
$3,000.00 for additional expense resulting
from the 31 July Special Town Meeting $1,400.00 for repair of damages to police car $1,600.00 for premature baby care
$1,549.45 for interest on short term debt.
Of the above totals, some $2,007.88 was re- turned to the Reserve Fund. Thus, the Finance Committee in 1968 enjoyed a very favorable ex- perience in terms of transfers from the $45,000. Reserve Fund.
4
Board of Selectmen
After many years of delay the second stage of Rogers Brook was undertaken.
It would be well nigh impossible to chronicle all of the events of the past year in which the Board of Selectmen was involved. The Board met regularly some twenty-four times and had twenty- seven special meetings as well as innumerable conferences and work sessions in overseeing the affairs of the town during the past year. A great deal of the work of the Board is routine but necessary and time-consuming. Some eleven gra- vel permit hearings were conducted, two liquor violation hearings and three "Hatch Act" hear- ings were held. There were, nevertheless, several significant decisions made by the Board during the past year, the consequences of which will be felt for some time to come.
After more than three years of effort the Board was successful in working with officials of the City of Lawrence and the Towns of North Andover and Methuen in developing a Greater Lawrence Sanitary District in order to eliminate the present practice of dumping raw sewage into the Merrimack River. Legislation was introduced by area legislators of the General Court with all communities accepting the enabling legislation by the end of the year. The town's representative on the Sanitary District Board is Donald C. Bassett, Water and Sewer Superintendent.
The Board also met successfully a critical transportation crisis which developed as a result of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Author- ity taking over the operations of the Eastern Mas- sachusetts Street Railway Company, bus carriers within the Greater Lawrence area as well as from Andover to Boston. It was necessary for the town to subsidize the MBTA service for three months because of the area communities' inability to find a private carrier to assume the responsibility for
the service. After a great deal of work and any number of frustrations the Selectmen, along with their counterparts in Methuen, Lawrence, and North Andover licensed the Trombly Motor Coach Service of Andover to operate busses over routes previously maintained by the MBTA. The service is at no cost to the taxpayers of the communities involved. At the writing of this report the Trom- bly Company has been able to provide very ade- quate bus service to all communities with every promise that this will continue in the foreseeable future.
After many years of delay the second stage of Rogers Brook was undertaken and completed in 1968. This project picked up at Main and Bar- nard Streets, went to Bartlet Street, and across the park, terminating at Whittier Street. In addi- tion to the installation of an eight-foot diameter reinforced concrete pipe following this route, several smaller and essential drain laterals were installed which will provide more adequate drain- age for Main and Chestnut Streets. The Town had appropriated $180,000 as its 50% share of the project cost, and it appears that some of this money will be returned in 1969 when final costs are determined. It would appear at long last that the chronic problem of flooding below Whittier Street has been eliminated.
Water, sewer, and street improvements to the Lowell Junction area represented another under- taking in 1968 in conjunction with the Gillette Toiletries Company project in Lowell Junction along US Route 93. By the end of the year most of the work was completed at least to the extent of the services being available for use with only clean-up remaining for 1969.
Perhaps one of the most noteworthy, if not shattering, events in the past year was the re- quest on behalf of the Raytheon Company of An- dover for the rezoning of approximately one hun- dred acres of residential land east of and abutting US 93 south of Lowell Street to industrial. The company indicated that its facility in Shawsheen had reached a point where it was no longer suit- able for the operations of the company, and as a consequence it would be necessary for a new faci- lity to be constructed, preferably on the site cho- sen by the company in West Andover. A Special Town Meeting was called by the Board for 31 July 1968, but because of the largest turnout for a Town Meeting in the history of the town, (more than 3,000) the meeting was adjourned to 1 Au- gust. The town voted by considerably more than
5
the two-thirds majority vote required for zoning matters to rezone the acreage chosen by the Ray- theon Company for its expansion. A court suit was instituted by abutters challenging the action of the Town Meeting. A Superior Court ruling upheld the action of the town, but this too was appealed to the State Supreme Court. At the writ- ing of this report the suit has been withdrawn, and the Raytheon Company is proceeding with plans for the construction of a ten to twenty mil- lion dollar office and manufacturing facility, with work anticipated to begin in the spring of 1969.
Among the other matters considered by the Board was the appointment of Jerome Andrews as a full member of the Board of Appeals and William V. Emmons as an associate member of the Board. The Board of Selectmen also approved the payment of $34,600 for the acquisition of land adjacent to the West Elementary School in order to permit the expansion of the school. The Board
also confirmed the appointment by the Town Manager of five task force committees : Senior High School Auditorium, Solid Waste Disposal, Traffic, Street Lighting, and Tidy Town. At the request of the Conservation Commission the Board took by eminent domain the so-called Brox land on Lowell Street in Shawsheen.
A high point of the past year was the unani- mous selection by the Board of J. Everett Collins as Town Employee of the Year and recipient of the William W. Rhoades Memorial Award. "J. Everett," in his many years of residence in An- dover, has served as a member of the Board of Selectmen, Representative to the General Court, and in recent years as music consultant to the Andover School System. His striking white hair has been a trade mark of the Andover Male Choir at its periodic concerts, particularly the annual rendering of the "Messiah."
STAFF AGENCIES
Board of Assessors
The large increase during this five year period reflects the results of the townwide equalization program which increased the 1967 assessed value by $49,374,600.
The 1968 real estate assessed value of $163,423,300 indicates an increase of $5,165,100 over the previous year, and a total increase of $65,990,500 since 1964. The large increase during this five year period reflects the results of the townwide equalization program which increased the 1967 assessed value by $49,374,600.
The assessed value of all personal property was increased this year by $76,800 to a total of $6,803,000. In 1964 the assessed value of all tax-
able personal property was $4,713,200 showing an increase, during this five year period, of $2,089,800. Over sixty percent of the total value is allocated to the Massachusetts Electric Com- pany and the Lawrence Gas Company.
The increase in tax exemptions granted un- der Clause 41 (over 70) over the five year period is caused by recent legislative changes which in- creased the maximum assessed value to $20,000, and established an exemption of $350.00 in tax dollars rather than $4,000 in assessed value.
6
1
ASSESSOR'S SUMMARY REPORT
1964
1968
Number of Persons Assessed
6,686
8,820 $ 6,803,000.00
Valuation -- Personal Property
$ 4,713,200.00
Valuation -- Real Estate
97,432,800.00
Total Valuation
$102,146,000.00
Tax Rate Per $1,000 Valuation
$ 33.00
Number of Acres Assessed
18,115.65 4,806
18,115.65
Number of Dwellings Assessed
5,520
TAX EXEMPTIONS GRANTED
No. Granted
Clause 41 (Over 70) Clause 22 (Veterans)
$ 15,215.20
185 $ 61,429.80
Clause 37 (Blind)
792.00 7
$
651.00
REAL ESTATE EXEMPTIONS
Property of United States
$ 178,850.00
$ 1,863,200.00
Property of Commonwealth of Massachusetts
339,350.00
532,800.00
Property of Literary Organizations
22,235,900.00
27,074,900.00
Property of Charitable Organizations
73,275.00
106,700.00
Property of Benevolent Organizations
131,500.00
293,400.00
House of Religious Worship
1,692,225.00
2,583,600.00
Parsonages
135,000.00
243,500.00
Cemeteries
218,275.00
293,700.00
Andover Housing Authority
906,250.00
1,041,900.00
Property Put to a Public Use
$
7,616,225.00
$ 14,340,500.00
Property of a District
2,308,600.00
Number of Acres Exempt
2,962.74
3,288.10
MOTOR VEHICLE AND TRAILER EXCISE
Number of Vehicles Assessed
11,314
13,537
Assessed Valuation
$ 8,940,535.00
$ 12,016,085.00
Excise
517,863.66
683,284.17
Abatements
36,539.01
59,004.73
Tax Rate per $1,000 Valuation
$
66.00
$
66.00
Town Counsel
During the year, 19 cases were terminated.
At the beginning of 1968, twenty-seven (27) court cases were pending as follows : Eminent Domain Proceedings 10
Appellate Tax Board Cases
6
Public Liability Cases 1
Zoning 4
Contract
2
Tort
2
Other 2
21,476.60
$ 16,288.80 274
163,423,300.00 $170,226,300.00 $ 31.00
7
During the course of the year, thirty-three (33) new claims arose as follows :
Appellate Tax Board 21
Contract 4
Public Liability
1
Tort
1
Zoning
5
Redistricting 1
In addition, an arbitration case has been commenced which will eventually become a con- tract action.
During the year, 19 cases were terminated.
Counsel made thirty-four (34) appearances be- fore courts, in addition to appearances before administrative boards and arbitration.
Extensive written opinions were rendered on twenty-eight (28) matters. Documents of release and contract approvals were prepared on twelve (12) matters. Five (5) deeds were drawn. Sixty- nine (69) parcels of land were taken by right of eminent domain.
Oral opinions and conferences on legal mat- ters involved every department of the Town and were very frequent.
Town Clerk
Electronic Voting was used for the first time in the November election.
The office of the Town Clerk had an especi- ally busy year in 1968 with the Annual Election and Town Meeting (which took four sessions to complete), two Special Town Meetings, two Pri- mary Elections and the National Election. Elec- tronic voting was used for the first time in the November election and proved very successful. The voting public reaction was excellent. Results of the balloting were known at least six hours ahead of the election of 1964. At the computer center, 10,072 cards were processed in one and one-half hours with only twenty cards having to be hand-counted.
As of October 5, 1968, the total number of registered voters was 11,640, as follows:
Precinct 1 2146 Precinct 2 1323
Precinct 3 2054 Precinct 4 2581
Precinct 5 958 Precinct 6 2578
Republicans 4335 Democrats 2788
Unenrolled 4517
Total number of deaths recorded 222
Male
111
Female 111
Total number of marriages recorded
220
Total number of births recorded 265
Male 128
Female 137
Fees were collected in the amount of $14,335.05 and turned over to the Town Treasur- er.
8
HOW ONE BECOMES A V O T E R .....
Who can vote?
A citizen of the United States, 21 years of age or more on election day, who can read and write English and has been a resident of Massachusetts for one year immediately preceding the date of the election and a resident of his city or town for six months immediately before the date of election and is a registered voter in his city or town.
New Resident Law of 1962 ..
A citizen who fulfills all the other basic voting qualifications listed here may vote by special ballot for president and vice-president only pro- vided he has lived in Massachusetts for a minimum of 32 days before the election.
Who must register?
A citizen who has not registered be- fore, or has moved to a new city or town, changed his name through court action or marriage, or whose name was not included in the annual listing of residents on the January Ist previous to the election.
Otherwise, voters need register only once in Massachusetts.
How to register .. Appear before the local board of
registrars of voters and prove under oath that the applicant have the nec- essary qualifications for voting.
Registration by mail ..
It is not provided for by law except for servicemen and all other federal employees or spouse, parent or child of a federal employee on foreign ser- vice who meet the requirements for absentee voting. If a person is un- able to appear because of illness, application may be made in writing to the local registrar who will send two registration officers to the appli- cant's place of residence.
Where to register ..
At the city or town hall or a desig- nated place in a city ward.
In factories, mills, hospitals or rest homes upon petition of ten voters. City or town clerks or local boards of registrars will supply more information upon request.
When to register ..
On any business day of the year except on the twenty (20) days before city, town or special state primaries or elections, and on the thirty-two (32) days before presidential primaries, biennial state primaries and elections.
HOW ONE BECOMES A J U R O R .....
1. Board of Selectmen submit names of prospective jurors.
2. These names are checked against current jury list; and if there are no dupli- cations, questionnaires are sent to names submitted.
3. When all questionnaires are returned, the Town Clerk's office prepares a new list.
4. Jurors are kept on the list for three years unless called for jury duty. When a name has been selected, it is automatically removed from the list. At the end of three years, new questionnaires are sent to these people. In other words, no person is entered on the jury list without first answering a questionnaire.
5. Copies of jury list are sent to Superior Court in Boston and Lawrence and to the local chief of police.
6. One list is cut up for the jury box. From this box, the Selectmen draw names of jurors after a constable brings in the request from the appropriate court.
9
Tax Collector
Tax Collections for 1968 reached an all time high of $5,862,264.25
Tax collections for 1968 reached an all time high of $5,862,264.25. This is an approximate $2.3 increase over the past five years.
Comparison is as follows :
Real Estate $3,063,069.69
$4,993,787.37
Motor Vehicle Excise 434,919.24
647,098.94
Personal Property 151,224.23
208,721.48
All Other 34,980.97
12,656.46
$3,684,194.13
$5,862,264.25
Operating Cost of Tax Collections for the same period were:
Personal services
$15,317 $14,620
Operating Costs
1,782 2,615
$17,099 $17,235 were
During 1968 the Water Collections
brought downstairs into the Tax Collectors Of- fice, thus saving people the climb to the second boor. Numerous favorable comments were re- ceived, especiallly from the elderly when they found they no longer had the added task of once entering the hall, to climb the stairs. This move was accomplished by making two offices available for Tax Collections and closing off the front door This resulted in a more efficient operation, and alleviated the need for added space.
TOP TEN TAXPAYERS - 1968
PERSONAL PROPERTY
REAL ESTATE
ASSESSED
TAX
ASSESSED
TAX
Raytheon Company
$5,208,700
$161,469.70
Massachusetts Electric Co.
$2,995,000
$92,845.00
83,200
2,579.20
Phillips Academy
2,244,800
69,588.80
Melrand Trust (Washington Park)
1,776,400
55,068.40
Lawrence Gas Co.
1,343,600
41,651.60
Gustave A. Schlott
1,139,300
35,318.30
C. Lincoln Giles
1,120,000
34,720.00
Danton Realty Trust
1,113,100
34,506.10
Rolling Green Motor Inn
1,088,200
33,734.20
Merrimack Mutual Fire Ins. Co.
1,083,200
33,579.20
Town Treasurer
Five years have produced a sub- stantial increase in the flow of
Due to the number of projects requiring financing in 1968, the offering of bonds was postponed until a combined sale could be held. In the meantime, since work had commenced on several programs, borrowing in anticipation of the bond issue was necessary. Twenty-three (23) loans, totalling $2,647,000.00 were secured. In- cluded in this sum was $912,500.00 in renewal notes. Tax Anticipation loans in the sum of $1,000,000.00 were also negotiated.
10
On December 18, 1968 a bond sale was held in which Town of Andover bonds amounting to $3,940,000.00 were sold at 4.50 per cent with a premium of $18,121.61. This issue included sew- er, water, street construction, East Junior High School remodeling, land acquisition and the West Elementary School addition. The bonds are dated December 15, 1968 and will mature at intervals over a twenty-year period.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.