HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 Annual Report-Town Clerk 2006 Annual Report— Town Clerk
I respectfully submit my report as Town Clerk for 2006.
Our Annual Town Election on March 28, 2006 reelected Mark Caggiano for his
second three year term. Daniel P. Lanen was elected replacing Donald B. Stewart. Don
was recognized for his five terms of dedicated service as a Selectman and Licensing
Chairman. Dr. Charles Ormsby was reelected to his second term on the School
Committee and Barbara J. Whidden was elected for her first term. Our Annual Town
Meeting began in May and was adjourned until June 5 to resolve budget issues. There
were 1,470 voters present and the meeting reconvened in the North Andover High School
Field House. A Special Town Meeting was called by Citizen Petition for July 10, 2006.
There were 3,029 voters that checked in to the meeting. This meeting was the largest
Open Town Meeting ever held in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Without the
cooperation of Jeff Coco and his Emergency Management Team, outstanding cooperative
efforts of our Police and Fire Departments to coordinate logistics and ensure the safety of
all attendees, and the efforts of my staff, Board of Registrars, and election workers this
mammoth event would never have taken place.
The September Primary Election and the State Election in November again
demonstrated planning and cooperation. North Andover was a test site for handicap
voting machines. Through the cooperation and efforts of our voters over 100 people put
the proposed system through a rigorous test to guide the Secretary of the Commonwealth
in his ultimate choice of machines. The November State Election had 10,618 voters
turnout wand with the closing of schools and opening our polls at 6:OOAM the use of our
High School as a single voting location was extremely successful.
The Town Clerk's Office continues to be a very active passport facility. Major
changes necessitating the use of passports for travel has allowed people to come to North
Andover for their processing. This service also provides needed revenue to the Town.
We recorded 284 births, 256 deaths and 95 marriages in 2006. My dedicated staff
has taken this challenge in addition to their expanding daily duties. Karen Fitzgibbons,
Janet Eaton, our tireless volunteer Harold Dushame all provide the highest level of
service to the Town. We continue to seek improved technology and innovation to keep
pace with our expanding population and duties. Serving almost 30,000 residents and
over 17,000 voters with additional mandates and duties requires cooperation with all
Town Departments.
Assistant Town Clerk, Janet Eaton, is responsible for all the licensing for the
Board of Selectmen. Her outstanding efforts in working with new businesses and
processing renewals ensure total compliance to all mandates. The renewal process
coincides with a very busy Election season. Working with other Town Departments
and Boards, this dedication allows business to grow and thrive in North Andover. The
expansion of our dog licensing program provides convenience, compliance, and safety to
the community.
Our archival work continues as the restoration program started with Community
Preservation funds moves forward. The implementation of our Laserfiche project begins
the first step to scan and index the Town's records. The ultimate goal is to have all the
Town's records electronically preserved, stored, and indexed for easy document retrieval.
The Town's web page is being updated as we strive to provide improved information to
the public in electronic format.
We thank the people of North Andover for their support in our endeavors and projects.