Special Town Meeting to cost taxpayers $50K

ANDOVER — Taxpayers will be footing an estimated $50,000 bill so that a Special Town Meeting can be held on March 11, just seven weeks before the town holds its annual Town Meeting April 29.

At a Wednesday night meeting, town officials asked the petitioners of the meeting why they had elected to call a Special Town Meeting instead of working with officials to position the articles for a vote during the annual Town Meeting.

The Special Town Meeting was called to make changes to zoning and bylaw that would block the creation of a paved path at Haggetts Pond. However town officials have criticized the articles included in the warrant for having widespread unintended consequences.

Petitioner Don Schroeder said they had been worried the project would go ahead if they had not made the call.

“At the end of April we don’t know if the project is going to be completed,” said Schroeder. “Or it’s to the point where it can’t be reversed.”

Select Board chair Melissa Danisch said that a few hours before the petition was filed, officials had offered to “freeze” the project until after Town Meeting.

Schroeder said paving opponents determined that it was important to go ahead with the Special Town Meeting anyway. He said there had been a potential that the town would go forward at “their own pace.”

“It wasn’t taken lightly,” said Schroeder. “I agree 100% about the time and effort but it was a serious concern of myself and others.”

Meeting costs include paying town workers and printing, and then mailing the Finance Committee’s report, said Phil Geoffroy, the head of communications for the town. The town also has to rent out the machines used for electronic per event, he added.

Special Town Meetings can be called with a petition bearing 200 signatures or signatures equivalent to 20% of the population, whichever is less, according to a memo sent by Town Counsel Doug Heim prior to the meeting.

“Accordingly, our Select Board has no discretion to refuse, cancel or delay a Special Town Meeting called by resident petition,” he wrote.

Due to state law, the town must hold the meeting within 45 days of it being called by a petitioner.

At a Select Board meeting earlier in the week, resident Bob Pokress took aim at Andover’s current form of local government, which allows for Special Town meetings to be called so often.

Pokress said that a town legal counsel had affirmed that — if he gathered enough signatures — he could hold a Special Town Meeting to declare an official town sandwich.

“Reflects the insanity of the process,” said Pokress.