Choose Town Officers
To choose all necessary Town Officers for the ensuing year. (By ballot vote during polling hours.)
- Operating Budget
To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,849,388 for general municipal operations. This article does not include appropriations contained in special or individual articles addressed separately. (The Select Board recommends $1,859,388.)
This year’s budget represents a big step forward in areas that will improve the health and safety of the residents of Andover. 2019 is the first full year of a new contract for emergency medical services with the city of Franklin. Franklin will provide daytime coverage seven days a week for $80,000 per year. While Andover will continue to maintain volunteer emergency medical services, more and more we do not have the response necessary for transportation and/ or required level of care.
We are also introducing a second full-time police officer in this budget. We have been fortunate to have experienced part-time officers in our community for many years, but we have been losing them to a much deserved retirement. We will be better served going forward with a second full-time officer to cover our community’s growing need for coverage.
With more calls for emergency medical and police coverage and for overall safety on our 60 miles of road, keeping the roads in good travel condition is important. We need to spend money on road signage to help police and ambulance services find our homes quickly. Every year, many road signs disappear, and they are expensive to replace. Temporary part-time labor in the summer will help get the work done, as our highway crew are doing more road project work to keep costs down on maintenance and road/bridge improvement projects.
Road projects planned for 2019 include 1) engineering and permit to fix drainage on Currier Road; 2) engineering and repair to basin system on Shirley Ave; 3) removal of dangerous trees on Elbow Pond Rd, Maple St, Raccoon Hill, and Chase Hill Roads.
- Purchase Real Property
To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $51,100 for the investment in and purchase of the lot known as Lot# 12-7-358 located on New Hampshire Route 4 to assure a continuous source of sand for use by the Town of Andover. This lot totals 10.95 +/- acres. This sum to come from the unassigned fund balance.
The Town and the State of New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT) have finally determined, after in-depth research, that the property known as White Oak Pit is owned by the State. While the research was on-going, the Town opted not to continue to excavate sand from the site, and we added $40,000 to last year’s budget to cover the purchase and delivery of sand.
The State has recently offered to sell the property to the Town for $51,100. There will be an additional cost for a final survey, driveway permits, and establishment of a right-of-way easement. We believe this is a reasonable offer, and it will put to rest years of uncertainty due to lack of records. The property should yield several more years of sand for the town.
Once the town votes to purchase the property, DOT must offer it to other State agencies before it goes to the Governor’s Council for final approval. For that reason, a reduction in the winter materials line will not appear until the 2020 budget.
- (Establish) Forest Fire Equipment Capital Reserve Fund
To see if the town will vote to establish a Forest Fire Capital Reserve Fund for the purchase of equipment and further to raise and appropriate $10,000 to put in the fund. This sum to come from the unassigned fund balance. Further, to appoint the Select Board as agents to expend.
This fund would allow the town to set money aside for the purchase of equipment such as a new John Deere gator and other tools needed for fighting forest and brush fires.
- (Transfer) Forest Fire Equipment Capital Reserve Fund
To see if the town will vote to transfer the balance remaining in the Forest Fire Equipment line in the operating budget, a sum of $800, to the Forest Fire Equipment Capital Reserve Fund established in Article 4. This article is contingent upon passing Article 4.
- Transfer Station Expendable Trust Fund
To see if the town will vote to establish a Transfer Station Expendable Trust Fund for projects related to recycling and municipal solid waste management, and further to raise and appropriate $15,000 to put in the fund. This sum to come from taxation.
Money needs to be set aside for use at the Transfer Station only, as we continue to make improvements to the office and hopper area and change over to source-separating our recyclables. Money for water and septic for the new office would also come from this fund.
- Morrill Hill Road Capital Reserve Fund
To see if the town will vote to discontinue the Morrill Hill Road Capital Reserve Fund established in 2015. This is a housekeeping article because there are no funds to transfer.
Morrill Hill Road Bridge was completed and the Town has received the 80% Bridge Aid Grant from the State. This money replenished our general fund balance, which we use for leveling the tax rate and for emergency funding.
- Capital Reserve Funds
To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $243,500 to add to the following Capital Reserve Funds (CRF) previously established:
Revaluation: $5,000
Ambulance Replacement: $0
Highway Grader: $15,000
Highway Projects: $150,000
Police Cruiser: $13,500
Transfer Station Equipment: $10,000
Bridge Rehabilitation: $50,000
These are all previously established funds. The amounts to be raised are the same as last year with two exceptions: 1) The Revaluation CRF was reduced for this year only, as we have the reserves necessary for the contract for the next five-year cycle. 2) Emergency Medical Services will be withdrawing money for a replacement ambulance this year and are not asking for the usual $25,000 contribution to the fund for this year.
The Highway Projects planned are the top wear coats on Monticello Drive and Old College Road.
- Expendable Trust Funds
To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the amount of $31,000 to add to the following Expendable Trust Funds (ETF) previously established:
Forest Fire Labor: $5,000
Town Buildings: $20,000
Technology: $6,000
These are all previously established funds. We decreased our request for Town Buildings because we would like to establish a separate fund for the Transfer Station in Warrant Article 6, with $15,000.
- Solar Energy Capital Reserve Fund
To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $2,954 to be added to the Solar Energy Capital Reserve Fund previously established. This sum to come from the unassigned fund balance.
Voters authorized the establishment of this fund in 2017. Each year, for six years, we will ask to add this amount to the fund from the unassigned fund balance. In year six, the Town will have the option to purchase the Solar Energy System on the Town Office Building roof for its then-depreciated value of $17,724 with money from this fund.
- Elbow Pond Culvert
To see if the town will raise and appropriate $224,257.40 for the purpose of removing and replacing the damaged concrete box culvert on Elbow Pond Road and repairing and mitigating associated damage. 75% of the cost, $183,193.05, will come from the unassigned fund balance and will be reimbursed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The remaining 25%, $61,064.35, will come from the Bridge Rehabilitation Capital Reserve Fund.
This project qualified for FEMA funding as a result of damage from the late October 2017 storm event. Instead of being a simple replacement project, the new box culvert will be installed on new precast substructures to reduce the likelihood of similar damage from a similar storm event. Material protecting the channel and channel banks and road surface will also be upgraded. This amount is based on outside contracted work and materials and will be reduced using Town labor and materials from our gravel pit.
- Keno
To see if the town will vote to allow the operation of Keno within the town pursuant to the provisions of NH RSA 284:41 through 51. This will be voted on by ballot.
Keno 603 is a new game being offered to cities and towns by the New Hampshire Lottery as of December 2017. Establishments holding a valid liquor license (a “pouring establishment”) can offer the game. All revenue generated by the game goes to funding full-day kindergarten.
Voters must approve the operation of Keno by a vote at Town Meeting. All towns that offer full-day kindergarten, even those that do not vote to allow Keno, will receive these funds. Google “Keno 603” to find out more about the game.
- Appointed Road Agent
To see if the town will vote to discontinue the elected road agent position and to require the selectmen to appoint an expert highway agent pursuant to RSA 231:64. To go into effect after Town Meeting 2020. (Submitted by petition)
There is no fixed term of office for this position, making the expert agent an employee or contractor hired by the select board. The expert agent will be able to use his or her own equipment and employees without being subject to the competitive bidding requirements of RSA 95:1. Also, the expert agent, not being an elected official, is not required to be a town resident.
- Other Business
To transact any other business that may come before this meeting.