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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-03 Select Board Minutes NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES MARCH 3, 2025 Call To Order: Chair Brian Roache called the open meeting to order at 7:OOPM in the Select Board Room located at 120 Main Street North Andover. Select Board in Attendance: Chair Brian Roache, Janice Phillips, Laura Bates, Clerk Rosemary Smedile and David Kres were present Non-Board Members in Attendance: Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues, Deputy Town Manager Denise Casey, and Assistant Town Manager Laurie Burzlaff were present. PUBLIC COMMENT Jim Testa of 5 Appleton Street expressed his thoughts on the dedication of the but on Grogan's Field, and that it should be named after Bob Albrecht. Gail Woolford of 25 Cochichewick Drive expressed her disappointment that Campion Estates does not receive trash pickup through the town. Patrick Hennessy of 636 Chickering Road expressed his confusion as to why 8 units or less can receive town trash pickup, but 9 units or more cannot. Jennifer Rogers of 65 Thistle Road expressed her thoughts on the dedication of the but on Grogan's Field, and that it should be named after Bob Albrecht. John Vincent of 11 Bear Hill Road expressed his thoughts on the dedication of the but on Grogan's Field, and that it should be named after Bob Albrecht. Public comment via email in regard to the dedication of the but on Grogan's Field and naming it after Bob Albrecht. GOVERNMENTAL REPORTS Update from Superintendent Lathrop Superintendent Pam Lathrop and School Committee Vice Chair Joe Hicks were present. Ms. Lathrop gave a recap of the four budgets previously discussed. Ms. Lathrop stated the School Committee voted on 2/25/25 to move forward with a recommended budget of$68.2 million. Ms. Lathrop stated this is a 9.89% increase over FY25. Ms. Lathrop stated this would keep $1.5 million remaining in the levy. Ms. Lathrop discussed the School Committee directives. Ms. Lathrop stated the School Committee asked to keep elementary class sizes between 18-25, to reduce programs rather than eliminate them, to temporarily take Kittredge School offline, and to maintain professional development opportunities for educators. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the 9.89% increase is the increase from the FY25 appropriation of$62,064,629. Ms. Lathrop discussed the impacts to the North Andover Public Schools. Ms. Lathrop stated the welfare of the students remains their top priority, they are maintaining its curriculum work and educational initiatives, and are committed to moving forward. Ms. Lathrop stated she will present to the Finance Committee at their meeting on Wednesday, and the School Committee will hear more about the FY26 budget on Thursday at their meeting. Ms. Lathrop stated they are meeting with all of the principals to review the cuts and what those cuts will look like. Ms. Lathrop thanked the Town Manager and the Select Board for their collaboration. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the bylaws do require the Select Board to adopt a budget and transmit that budget to the Finance Committee. Ms. Bates thanked the Superintendent and School Committee for their transparency. Ms. Bates asked once they know where the cuts are, will there be enough capacity in the levy to cover next year's NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES MARCH 3, 2025 salary increases. Mr. Hicks stated in the calculations they went through last week, they were cognizant of making sure they could sustain themselves next year. Mr. Hicks stated next year level services are projected to be around $4.1 million. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the budget is sustainable moving forward on this process. Ms. Bates asked as they approach contract negotiations, do they need to start building in salary reserves. Mr. Hicks stated they will be entering into negotiations in FY27. Ms. Lathrop stated they will be negotiating with the teacher assistant union and secretarial union in FY26. Mr. Hicks stated in FY27 negotiations, they will be more cognizant of those reserves, but they do not have the luxury of holding onto money. Mr. Hicks stated they made a commitment to remedy the issue of the teachers being underpaid. Ms. Lathrop stated they had not received the opportunity this year to look at whether they are spending their money in the ways that they want. Mr. Hicks stated they have been under the assumption that money is being spent in the ways that they want, but the administration has not been able to conduct evaluations on the programs. NEW BUSINESS Vote to name but at Grogan's Field Mr. Roache stated they have received five submissions. Mr. Roache explained how the process works when making a recommendation to name a town asset. Mr. Roache stated they received a significant amount of public comment via email. MOTION:Ms. Phillips motioned to dedicate and name the but at Grogan's Field Bobby Albrecht. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Open Space and Recreation Plan Update Krista Moravec with Horsley Witten and Amy Maxner were present. Ms. Maxner stated it is a seven year planning document that evaluates the open space and recreation assets and needs. Ms. Maxner stated they were able to engage a consultant to assist with that effort. Ms. Moravec stated the purpose is to provide an overview of the plan and the requirements for an open space and recreation plan. Ms. Moravec discussed what open space and recreation areas are. Ms. Moravec discussed why the town has a plan. Ms. Moravec stated it helps maintain and enhance the benefits of these resources, it provides a plan of where they are, where they want to be, and how they want to get there, and it helps measure success in meeting needs and challenges. Ms. Moravec stated that by having an approved plan by DCS, it keeps the town eligible for funding through that plan. Ms. Moravec discussed the accomplishments since the last update. Ms. Moravec stated they held a public input workshop and survey in 2023. Ms. Moravec stated following that they developed a draft of the plan and held another meeting to ensure the plan was right. Ms. Moravec stated they are now asking for comments and letters from the Select Board to submit with the draft to DCS for approval. Ms. Moravec discussed the overview of the plan. Ms. Moravec discussed the open space and recreation resources inventory. Ms. Moravec discussed the community's needs. Ms. Moravec stated there needs to be more public awareness of open space areas. Ms. Moravec stated they learned there were a lot of people who did not realize how many open spaces had public access. Ms. Moravec stated they learned that there needs to be more facilities and programming for adults ages 30-65, and that there is a high demand on athletic fields regarding management and upkeep. Ms. Moravec stated environmental justice was also a need. Ms. Moravec stated accessibility was a need to ensure those with disabilities have access to those resources. Ms. Moravec discussed resource protection needs: water quality, landscape, habitat, and wildlife corridors, and trees and forestry. Ms. Moravec discussed the operation and management needs. Ms. Moravec stated there is a need for a town-wide land management strategy for municipal conservation land, a need to implement Athletic Field Master Plan, a need for communication and engagement, and a need for resilience to climate change and natural hazards. Ms. Moravec discussed the 7 year action plan, and the NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES MARCH 3, 2025 four goals of the plan. Mr. Kres asked what do other towns do if they do not have an Open Space Committee. Ms. Moravec stated similar to what North Andover does, it is through the Conservation and Planning Departments. Ms. Smedile asked if Ms. Moravec had suggestions on how to balance the push for affordable housing and the push for an open space and recreation plan. Ms. Moravec stated creating a committee is something to consider as these plans are a multiple committee and department effort. Ms. Moravec stated they have met with the Planning Board, and they have provided comments. Ms. Phillips asked if they knew how many acres there were of protected land in North Andover. Ms. Moravec stated 5,700 acres between the town, the state, and nonprofit. Mr. Shapiro stated the Master Plan does a good job of defining the priorities of where they want to develop versus where they do not want to develop. Mr. Shapiro stated open space is an ongoing conversation when it comes to development. Mr. Roache asked if there were any specific recommendations to Great Pond Road. Ms. Maxner stated no, it is just noting that is in process. Discussion regarding trash pickup at condominiums Jim Stanford was present. Mr. Stanford stated a citizen's petition was brought forward last year in a discussion to add solid waste to their homes. Mr. Stanford stated it was about 29 homes, and they estimated it would be about$10,000 to add those 29 homes to the town's route pickup. Mr. Stanford stated it led to the discussion of why some condominiums have an exemption and how they arrived at the bylaw they have. Mr. Stanford stated the existing bylaw allowed an exemption for all residential units and condominiums that had less than nine units. Mr. Stanford stated there are 59 town homes and 509 condominiums that do receive trash pickup under the exemption. Mr. Stanford stated for the rest of the town that leaves 1,627 condominiums and 145 town homes that do not have town trash pickup. Mr. Stanford stated they looked at the average cost. Mr. Stanford stated they generate 8,300 tons a year in trash and 2,300 tons a year in recycling. Mr. Stanford stated they have about 8,200 customers. Mr. Stanford stated from there, they looked at the actual cost they spend on curbside pickup. Mr. Stanford stated they spend a little more than $1.5 million on trash pickup and $230,000 on recycling pickup. Mr. Stanford stated it is about$200 per customer. Mr. Stanford stated if they added the 1,800 residents who do not receive town trash pickup it would cost an additional $400,000. Mr. Stanford stated there is only two years left on an agreement that has been in place for many years. Mr. Stanford stated the town has benefited: from host agreements with TBI where the recycling is picked up, they have wind waste, and the actual cost per ton for them to take the trash is good. Mr. Stanford stated to process recycling is about$125 a ton, more than it is to dispose of trash. Mr. Stanford stated the cost is going up for trash and recycling. Mr. Stanford stated it would be a substantial amount of money if they were to make the switch to all of these properties. Mr. Stanford stated they would have to add another day to the route or they would have to have the contractor add another truck. Ms. Phillips asked if it is stated in the deeds that they will not receive town trash and recycling pickup. Mr. Stanford stated it is typical they would put this sort of language in a deed. Ms. Phillips asked if there is potential for an additional fee for trash pickup at condominiums. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated it would have to be a bylaw. Mr. Stanford stated that is something they would not recommend. Mr. Stanford stated they need to look at the bylaw and reduce the amount of trash residents can put out. Ms. Smedile asked if they were different from other communities. Mr. Stanford stated they are fortunate in some regards, but in past contracts, other communities are envious. Ms. Bates stated the other problem is too, is that they can no longer ship trash out of state. Mr. Stanford stated a lot of other states do not want out of state trash. Mr. Roache asked if the unit count includes commercial units. Mr. Stanford stated yes. Mr. Roache stated it might be a better time to talk about this when the contract with the vendor is up in two years. Ms. Bates asked what are next steps as they move towards the new contracts and putting those changes into the bylaw. Mr. Stanford stated they have four primary vendors all with varying contracts. Mr. Stanford stated the state provides recommendations a year to a year and a half prior to the contract ending. Mr. Stanford stated they are going to do everything they NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES MARCH 3, 2025 can to reduce the rate. Ms. Bates asked if composting comes into the conversation about reducing tonnage. Mr. Stanford stated yes. Vote to adopt FY26 budget and transmit to Finance Committee Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated she transmitted a document to the Board. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the School Committee voted recommending a budget of$68.2 million. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated in accordance with the bylaw, they are asking the Board to adopt the FY26 budget and transmit it to the Finance Committee. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the $68.2 million budget is a 9.89% over the FY25 appropriation of$62 million. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated this includes the Medicaid funding, the Middle School teachers reserve, the guidance budget increase, and an additional$3.5 million of levy capacity. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the $68.2 million budget is$947,000 less than the purple budget, $595,000 more than the blue budget, and$3.4 million more than the guidance budget. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated it is not a $3.4 million increase, it is a $6 million plus increase. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the total budget based on this request would be increasing by 6.74% from FY25. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the proposal brought forward leaves levy capacity of$1.5 million for FY27, which she anticipates will fund a portion of the School Department's negotiated cost of living increases in FY27. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated during the financial forecasting, they had forecasted the budget would increase in FY27 by 3.14%. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated this is a forecast and will adjust based on financial conditions. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated it assumes$1.3 million in New Growth in FY27. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated if they determined in FY27 that they wanted to use the remainder of levy capacity that would theoretically increase budget guidance by 4.74% or$3.2 million in FY27. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated Superintendent Lathrop had created a FY27 level service document that reflected the $69 million budget. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated she asked her to go back and do it for the$68.2 million budget as well. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated she believes it will be close but that leaving this$1.5 million in capacity puts them in a better place moving into next fiscal year than the purple budget would have. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the 2026 tax impact of this request is approximately$314. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the additional$160 impact would be seen in FY27. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the impact on Facilities Master Plan 11 is the same as if they used the entire levy capacity in one year. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the group insurance rates did come in higher than anticipated and will represent a shortfall in FY26. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated she and the Finance Director are working to quantify that amount. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they do have a small deficit in FY25 in the group insurance rates. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the shortfall in FY26 is somewhere between $300,000 and$600,000. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated these documents are posted on the website. Mr. Roache stated procedurally, his understanding is the Finance Committee will vote to adopt on March 25 so the Board can make recommendations following their recommendations. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated yes. Mr. Roache asked if they would be transmitting a $136 million budget to the Finance Committee. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated yes. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated she and the Finance Director have held off on creating their budget document because they did not know what the budget was going to be. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they will now prepare that and present it to the Board. MOTION:Ms. Bates motioned to adopt the FY26 Budget as presented by the Town Manager and transmit to the Finance Committee for review. Ms. Phillips seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Appoint candidate to Housing Authority Ms. Burzlaff stated in 2021, the state changed the law with regard to the membership of the Housing Authority, and one member has to be appointed by the town that is a tenant representative. Ms. Burzlaff stated this is the first election since that change in the law. Ms. Burzlaff stated rather than this being elected NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES MARCH 3, 2025 on March 25, it is now the Board's appointment. Ms. Burzlaff stated it is for a 5 year term, and the law requires the Housing Authority to present two to five names of residents that are interested. Ms. Burzlaff stated they did put forward two names;one is the current member. Ms. Smedile asked if there are any tenants who serve on the Board now. Ms. Burzlaff stated yes, the current member up for reappointment is a current tenant and wants to continue to serve. Mr. Kres asked if the bylaw states two to five. Ms. Burzlaff stated yes. MOTION:Ms. Phillips motioned to appoint Edward Capodilupo to the Housing Authority for a term ending March 25, 2030. Mr. Kres seconded. Motion approved 5-0. APPROVAL OF OPEN SESSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 24, 2025 MOTION:Mr. Kres motioned to approve the Open Session minutes of February 24, 2025 as presented. Ms. Phillips seconded. Motion approved 5-0. SELECT BOARD UPDATES Ms. Bates mentioned a survey will be going out for the Kittredge School building. Ms. Phillips mentioned the Farmer's Market is looking for volunteers. Ms. Phillips mentioned the recognition of the 7th grade class who won the name a snowplow. Ms. Phillips thanked the Black History Month Committee for their programming at the church. Mr. Roache mentioned that the Black History Month Committee has one event left at the Historical Society. Mr. Kres mentioned the Historical Society has programs in March for Women's History Month. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned they are deficit spending for snow and ice. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned that Dawne Warren, Town Clerk, qualified for the Massachusetts Town Clerk Association's prestigious CMMC award, which is a Certified Massachusetts Municipal Clerk designation. ADJOURNMENT MOTION:Mr. Kres made a MOTION, seconded by 8:50PM to adjourn the Select Board meeting at Ms. Phillips. Motion approved 5-0. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Civitarese Executive Assistant NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES MARCH 3, 2025 Rosemary Connelly Smedile, Clerk of the Board Documents used at meeting Appointment Presentation Memorandum Minutes from 2/24/25