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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-17 Select Board Minutes NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES NOVEMBER 17, 2025 Executive Session: Chair Janice Phillips stated the Board will enter Executive Session pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 30A, Sec. 21(a)(3)to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining and to discuss strategy with respect to litigation. MOTION:Brian Roache made a motion, seconded by Laura Bates to enter into Executive Session at 6:30PM. Motion approved 5-0 by roll call vote. The Select Board moved to the Select Board Meeting Room to enter into regular session. Call To Order: Chair Janice Phillips called the open meeting to order at 7:10PM in the Select Board Room located at 120 Main Street North Andover. Select Board in Attendance: Chair Janice Phillips, Rosemary Smedile, Clerk Brian Roache, Laura Bates, and David Kres were present Non-Board Members in Attendance: Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues, Assistant Town Manager Laurie Burzlaff and Assistant Town Manager Andrew Shapiro were present. PUBLIC COMMENT None. NEW BUSINESS PUBLIC HEARING—In accordance with General Laws Ch. 40 Sec. 56, as amended, to determine the percentage of local tax levy which will be borne by each class of real and personal property, relative to settina the FY26 tax rate MOTION: Ms. Smedile motioned to open the public hearing for the petition in accordance with General Laws Ch. 40 Sec. 56, as amended, to determine the percentage of local tax levy which will be borne by each class of real and personal property, relative to setting the FY26 tax rate. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Bill Mitchell and Dennis Keohane were present. Mr. Mitchell discussed the steps in setting the tax rate. Mr. Mitchell discussed how the assessor values properties each year. Mr. Mitchell discussed the statistical standards they have to meet by the Department of Revenue. Mr. Mitchell stated they also look at the overall class of properties. Mr. Mitchell stated they are here to present the classification options to the Board. Mr. Mitchell stated once the shift is voted, Dennis will submit all the recertification for approval of the tax rate. Mr. Mitchell discussed the difference in valuations from last year to this year. Mr. Mitchell stated the total valuation change from last year to this year is about 6%. Mr. Mitchell discussed the percentage of values by class. Mr. Mitchell discussed what the property tax levy is, the FY26 budget breakdown, and the revenue sources for the Town. Mr. Mitchell discussed proposition 2%, the levy limit, levy capacity, and the levy ceiling. Mr. Mitchell stated the total Town budget is subtracted by the revenue sources, leaving them with the tax levy amount that they need to raise by property taxes. Mr. Mitchell stated to get the single tax rate, they take the total estimated levy and divide it by the value of the Town. Mr. Mitchell discussed the levy by class as a single rate at different shifts. Mr. Mitchell discussed the different options for potential shifts. Mr. Roache asked if they were at 1.32 currently. Mr. Mitchell stated yes. Mr. Mitchell discussed where the Town has landed historically in the past 17 years in regard to selected shifts. Mr. Mitchell discussed what the estimated tax rate would be if they stay at 1.32. Mr. Mitchell discussed looking at the valuation trends when trying to NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES NOVEMBER 17, 2025 decide how to shift. Mr. Roache asked if they can make a distinction between general commercial and industrial when making the CIP shift or do they all go within the same bucket. Mr. Mitchell stated all in the same bucket. Mr. Mitchell discussed historic tax rates and shifts including the residential and CIP factors. Mr. Mitchell discussed the residential share. Mr. Mitchell stated they have kept the burden shift exactly the same over the past five years. Mr. Mitchell stated by Amazon and some of the other industrial values going up, it has dropped the percentage of share that residents bear. Mr. Mitchell discussed the historic CIP share. Mr. Mitchell discussed where the Town was with the average single family, commercial, and industrial tax bills. Mr. Roache asked if that included Amazon. Mr. Mitchell stated yes. Ms. Bates asked if the increase in the industrial valuation is across the board. Mr. Mitchell stated yes, it has been designated by the appraisal institute for the entire state. Ms. Bates asked what was the reasoning for that. Mr. Mitchell stated it is warehousing. Mr. Mitchell discussed other tax considerations. Mr. Mitchell discussed where North Andover rates are when talking about single family tax bills. Mr. Mitchell discussed the Board of Assessors recommendation. Mr. Mitchell discussed the personal property and inventory that Amazon had in their facility last year. Mr. Roache asked how the inventory is calculated. Mr. Mitchell stated it is hard because it depends on the amount of product they go through. Ms. Bates asked if Mr. Mitchell could explain Amazon shifting to a corporation a little more. Mr. Mitchell stated in a limited liability company, everything is taxable;in a corporation, inventory is no longer taxable. Mr. Mitchell discussed other considerations such as exemptions. Mr. Mitchell discussed the January 1 tax bill as it is the residents right to appeal the new valuation. Mr. Roache asked if the formula referenced earlier is available to residents. Mr. Mitchell stated no. Mr. Roache asked regarding where North Andover ranks in the single family tax bill compared to others in Essex County, do they have the same information for commercial and industrial. Mr. Mitchell stated yes. Ms. Bates asked if that would give them the tax rate for commercial. Mr. Mitchell stated he can look those up. No public comment. MOTION: Ms. Smedile motioned to close the public hearing for the petition in accordance with General Laws Ch. 40 Sec. 56, as amended, to determine the percentage of local tax levy which will be borne by each class of real and personal property, relative to setting the FY26 tax rate. Mr. Roache seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Vote on percentage of local tax levy which will be borne by each class of real and personal property relative to setting the FY26 tax rate MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to approve in accordance with General Laws Ch. 40 Sec. 56, as amended, the percentage of local tax levy which will be borne by each class of real and personal property relative to setting the FY26 tax rate and sets the Residential Factor at 0.9273 with corresponding CIP shift of 1.3201, pending certification of the Town's annual tax recap by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Confirm Town Managersppointment of Joseph Agosto as Director of Youth and Recreational Services Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated Mr. Agosto is currently the executive director at the Merrimack Valley YMCA Lawrence branch. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated Mr. Agosto previously was the director of operations at the YMCA of Greater Boston and as the sports and recreation coordinator for the JCC of Greater Boston. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated Mr. Agosto will be starting pending the Board's confirmation on January 5, 2026. MOTION: Mr. Kres motioned to approve the Town Managers appointment of Joseph Agosto as Director of Youth and Recreational Services. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES NOVEMBER 17, 2025 Vote to ratify contract between the Town and AFSCME Local 2978 Professional Librarians MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to ratify the contract between the Town and AFSCME Local 2978 Professional Librarians from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028. Mr. Kres seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Vote to ratify contract between the Town and AFSCME Local 2978 Administrative Union MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to ratify the contract between the Town and AFSCME Local 2978 Administrative Union from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. Appointments A. Jennifer Whitney- Community Preservation Committee B. Anthony Petronio - Council on Aging (Associate Member) Ms. Bates provided background on the individuals being appointed. MOTION: Mr. Kres motioned to appoint Jennifer Whitney to the Community Preservation Committee through June 30, 2028. Mr. Roache seconded. Motion approved 5-0. MOTION: Mr. Kres motioned to appoint Anthony Petronio to the Council on Aging as an associate member through June 30, 2028. Ms. Smedile seconded. Motion approved 5-0. CONSENT ITEMS 1. Accept donations to the Holiday Decorating Committee for holiday wreaths in the amount of 714.00 2. Accept donations to the Festival Committee for the Santa Parade and Tree Lighting in the amount of$1,825.00 3. Accept donations in the amount of$100.00 from Sheila Bowie to the LibraU 4. Accept donation in the amount of$5,000 from the North Andover Farmers Market for food insecurity MOTION: Mr. Roache motioned to accept all consent items. Ms. Bates seconded. Motion approved 5-0. APPROVAL OF OPEN SESSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 3, 2025 MOTION: Mr. Kres motioned to approve the Open Session minutes of November 3, 2025 as presented. Mr. Roache seconded. Motion approved 5-0. SELECT BOARD UPDATES Mr. Roache wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Ms. Phillips mentioned the Merchant Association's gingerbread walk. Ms. Phillips mentioned the Santa Parade. Ms. Phillips mentioned the Christmas tree lighting. Ms. Phillips mentioned the Menorah lighting. Ms. Phillips mentioned the take and leave bins. NORTH ANDOVER SELECT BOARD MINUTES NOVEMBER 17, 2025 TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the Festival Committee's Crafts and Cocoa event at the Stevens Estate on December 14. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned Cram a Cruiser will start December 6. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the Fire Department's Toy Drive that will be beginning soon. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the curbside leaf pickup. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned that the Stevens Street Covert Rehabilitation Project is completed. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the work being done on the Jasmine Willows sewer pump station. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned the ongoing renovations on the Library's public bathroom. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues mentioned Town Hall and other non-essential buildings will close at noon on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Mr. Roache made a MOTION, seconded by Ms. Smedile to adjourn the Select Board meeting at 8:07PM. Motion approved 5-0. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Civitarese Executive Assistant Brian Roache, Clerk of the Board Documents used at meeting Presentation Appointments Donations Minutes from 11/3/25 Town Manager's Report