ANDOVER — The town’s state valuation projected for 2017 has dropped more than $1 million, according to Selectman Jane Rich. The final figure will come in April 2017.
Rich said Wednesday the drop of value is, in part, because two or three homes burned and part of the Andover Wood Products property was demolished. The valuation also takes into account real estate sales.
Selectman Sharon Hutchins raised the issue of a townwide revaluation of property at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Rich agreed that properties have to be reassessed, but there isn’t a company available to do it until 2018. “It’ll be 27 years since we’ve had a (revaluation). Usually, it’s every 10 years,” she said.
Also Tuesday, Rich said 12 people visited her at the Town Office where she explained the reasons for the town’s tax increase. “A couple people were very pleased; they said no one had ever offered to explain this stuff before. I thought it was worthwhile,” she said.
In other business:
* Planning Board member Mark Thurston said that a visiting veteran friend of his noticed that some of the flags hanging in town were torn. He requested that the town either replace them or take them down.
“I think we put into the road commissioner’s duties to remove the flags after Labor Day, (but) that hasn’t happened,” Rich said.
Adler said the torn flags would be replaced.
* The town is accepting bids for winter sand. It needs 3,000 cubic yards of half-inch screened sand to be stockpiled at the town garage. The bidder will need their own machinery and operator to stockpile it.
Bids should be marked “winter sand” on the envelope and turned in to the Town Office within about two weeks. Selectmen have not decided on a specific deadline for bids.
* Town Secretary Tracy Allegra will post an advertisement for an emergency management director to replace Fred Detheridge who resigned last week, according to selectmen. The position will be posted at the Town Office and at local businesses.
mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net
Send questions/comments to the editors.
