Select Board Discusses Electric Service Improvements with National Grid, Receives Update on Strategic Goals and Objectives

ANDOVER, MA – The Andover Select Board held its first meeting of 2026 on Monday, January 5 in the Select Board Room at Town Offices. At the Board’s request, representatives from National Grid, Andover’s electric utility provider, appeared to discuss concerns related to frequent power disruptions. National Grid introduced a new mapping tool to track the location of outages in town and outlined a series of near-term measures intended to improve reliability.

The Select Board also received a mid-fiscal year update from Town Manager Andrew Flanagan on progress toward the strategic goals and objectives adopted last summer for FY2026. The goals encompass eight priority categories across the areas of administration and finance, communications and resident engagement, capital improvements, and Select Board priorities. Flanagan reported favorable progress across the goal areas, with work continuing toward completion by the end of the fiscal year.

Other items discussed during the meeting included the appointment of members to newly created committees: the American 250^th Committee and the Public Art Commission, acceptance of a grant to support Elder Services’ transportation program, and a proposed revision of the Board’s Finance and Investment policy.

National Grid
Representatives from National Grid appeared at the Select Board meeting to address concerns raised by the Select Board regarding frequent disruptions to electrical service in parts of Andover. National Grid recently appeared before the Select Board on November 12, 2025, providing an overview of the Town’s electric distribution system, reliability metrics, and steps being taken to improve electric service in Andover. During that meeting, the Board requested that the representatives return at a future meeting to provide a more detailed plan outlining improvements that will reduce the frequency and duration of power disruptions in Andover.

During Monday’s meeting, National Grid presented a new mapping tool, developed at the request of the Select Board, that will allow the Board and others to monitor the location of outages across Town, as well as the cause of each outage. The map demonstrates that there are several “hot spots” where outages have occurred frequently over the past two years. The areas identified as hots spots include Lowell Street, Chestnut Street, Chester Street, Woburn Street, Salem Street, Jenkins Road, and Rocky Hill Road.

National Grid outlined a set of targeted reliability upgrades planned for areas where outages have been identified as most likely to occur. The plan includes focused tree trimming along Woburn Street, Jenkins Road, Rocky Hill Road, and Salem Street; installation of animal guards on devices serving the Lowell Street, Chestnut Street, and Chester Street areas; and replacement of existing fuses with cutout-mounted reclosers (CMRs) in locations including Woburn Street, Rutgers Road, Jenkins Road, and Rocky Hill Road. National Grid also plans to replace bare conductors with covered wire on portions of Jenkins Road and Woburn Street, and to sectionalize certain single-phase taps using fuses to better isolate faults and limit the number of customers affected during an outage. Finally, National Grid noted that FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration) schemes will be installed on most feeders in Andover, with the goal of covering approximately 89% of customers within the next two years.

The Select Board asked to be kept informed of progress in the implementation of the reliability improvement plan. National Grid stressed that this list of targeted improvements is not exhaustive, and that many other projects are underway across Andover to improve reliability across the distribution system. 

Strategic Goals and Objectives Update
Town Manager Andrew Flanagan provided the Select Board with an overview of progress on the Select Board’s strategic goals and objectives for FY2026. The goals were adopted by the Select Board in August as part of an annual process to establish the major priorities that will guide Town Administration and departmental work throughout the fiscal year.

For FY2026, the Select Board adopted eight strategic goals organized into the areas of administration and finance, capital improvements, communications and resident engagement, and Select Board priorities. The adopted strategic goals and objectives for 2025-2026 can be viewed online.

Among the key updates, Flanagan highlighted progress on the Town’s Communications and Resident Engagement efforts, including the launch of a comprehensive resident survey in partnership with UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion. The survey is scheduled to go into the field in January and will gather information on residents’ satisfaction with Town services, preferred methods of communication, and other priorities. Results and analysis from the survey are expected to be presented in the late spring, and will help guide the Town’s future communications strategy. 

Flanagan also discussed progress in the area in financial and capital planning, including the completion of a comprehensive review of the Town’s Long Range Financial Plan, which included joint workshops with the Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee. The results of that will serve as the foundation for the development of the FY2027 budget, which is currently in progress. Additional updates included the ongoing review of the Town’s financial policies related to debt and reserves, progress on the Facility Master Plan study to assess long-term needs of Town and school buildings, and continued coordination on major capital investments such as water main replacement and implementation of the Sidewalk Master Plan.

Additional highlights included updates on emergency communications planning following a tabletop exercise conducted with the Emergency Management Working Group, the development of a Welcome Guide for new residents, and continued monitoring of Select Board priorities such as the redevelopment of the Old Town Yard site and enhanced legislative affairs tracking. 

Flanagan noted that the Board will continue to receive periodic updates on goal implementation as the fiscal year progresses. Overall, Flanagan reported favorable progress on each strategic goal, outlining steps that will be taken in the coming months to ensure their completion before the end of the fiscal year. 

Other Actions 

• The Select Board reviewed a draft section of the Select Board Policy Guidelines as part of its ongoing effort to update the document to make it more streamlined and accessible. The Board conducted a second reading of a section related to finance and investment and discussed whether the Town’s goal of maintaining a AAA bond rating should be expressly referenced in the policy. The Board voted to adopt the revised policy as presented, with the understanding that the policy might be revisited in the future and with recommendations from a joint subcommittee formed with members of the Finance Committee.
• The Select Board voted to appoint members to the American 250th Committee, which will be responsible for planning events and programs to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Andover’s role in the American Revolution, as well as to the Public Art Commission, which will be charged with identifying appropriate locations for public art in Andover and selecting artwork for installation. Town Manager Andrew Flanagan noted that he and Town staff interviewed dozens of applicants to serve on the newly created committees, highlighting the strong level of interest and engagement from the community.
• The Select Board voted to accept a $10,000 donation from Elinor Marie Kelley in memory of George Dexter Kelley to support Elder Services’ transportation program. 

The Board is scheduled to meet next on Tuesday, January 20. The full meeting can be viewed online through AndoverTV.