What's Happening in Andover, MA…

The Participatory Capital Budgeting program for fiscal year 2023 will fund 11 projects in the town of Andover.

This is the second year of the program and enables residents to have a say on how some of the capital funds of the town should be spent by submitting proposals for programs or projects in the town.

From October 2022 through January 15, 2023, residents were able to submit suggestions for capital projects. There were 41 applications submitted during this period. Projects that were eligible for funding were required to be one-time expenses and need to have either a municipal purpose or be on town property.

Representatives from the Community Services, Community Development and Planning, the Library, Public Works, and Police and Fire Departments were among those who reviewed the proposals and evaluated them based on their cost, feasibility, and benefit to the town. Details about such projects and their advantages for the town are often provided by flyer printing.

The cost of the 11 projects ranges from $500 to $10,000, and they include a pollinator garden, public drinking fountains in the park, crosswalk lighting on Main Street, accessible outdoor game tables, and traffic calming infrastructure and signage to improve the safety of pedestrians in key areas. The total amount for all the projects is $53,000 and this will be funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds, as well as general funds from the Capital Improvement Program as appropriated by Town Meeting.