ANDOVER — On Tuesday, Jan. 31, two Andover selectmen, Brian Mills and Joe Luce met, while two others vying for the open seat vacated by Jeff Elkie, sat in the audience.
Candidates, Justin Thacker and Toby Wells and three other citizens were at Town Hall for the meeting.
A third candidate, Kevin Scott, was not present at the meeting.
Elkie had held the position for just eight months, since March 2022. The new election will be held at Andover Town Hall from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Feb. 13.
As the meeting began, Selectman, Mills took blame for not receiving a cover for a 40-yard dumpster container that had arrived. The cost for the cover is $3,000. “They will try to come up with a cover or we can ask at the next town meeting to budget for it,” said Mills.
During citizen comments, Toby Wells, said he wasn’t allow to throw a mattress in the dump. “Now I have a mattress in my yard.”
“You’re now officially a Mainer,” quipped Mills.
Citizen, Justin Thacker, asked about the holes in the roads.
Mills said they would pass it on to the road commissioner, but they will likely only be able to fill them with sand right now.
Luce and Mills approved several warrants:
$7,546.23, C.N. Brown for heating, diesel and gasoline for the town garage;
$5,065.31 for cutting edges for the plows;
$1,412.00, GPE Insurance;
$1,304.27 for MMEHT, town employees health insurance for the month of Feb.;
$1,305. NETS for the Fire Department;
$4,337.48 for Secretary of State, motor vehicle registration;
$12,000 Swasey, Inc. for winter sand.
They approved payroll.
Sharon Farrington spoke on behalf of the water district trustees. Conversation centered on a possible water rate increase. “They haven’t had a rate increase for 20 years,” she said. “They don’t know [how much it will be] until the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) and the accountants go over the numbers,” she said.
The select board approved an abatement for The Corner Store, for one year, 2022. They approved an assessing inquiry from Stephanie Bedard on wrong acreage. They renewed their cemetery CD for 15 months at 3.3%.
The Boston Cane certificate was signed by both selectmen. The cane had earlier in the week been presented to Freeman Farrington, 92.
Mills said they plan to reach out to someone to do property tax collections for the town.
For the dedication on the town’s annual report, Mills suggested Ronnie Mills and John Fox.
Linda Airhart, secretary to the select board, said someone called suggesting that flyers about the upcoming election be handed out at the transfer station, rather than the post office.
They approved the motion and adjourned.
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