ANDOVER — Town Manager Andrew Flanagan may have had a different career path if he wasn’t introduced to his hometown’s first town manager.
Flanagan, 40, celebrated a decade at Andover’s helm on Monday. He came in as a first-time town manager while succeeding his 25-year predecessor in 2015.
The foundation for his public service was set by his family’s ties to the fire service even though Flanagan eventually found a different way to put out fires in municipal governments.
He grew up in Winthrop where his father and grandfather served as the city’s fire chief and his great-grandfather was a fire department lieutenant, serving their community for an estimated combined 118 years, Flanagan said. He recalled his grandfather pulling up in his “chief car” in the school’s fire lane to pick him up from kindergarten and joining his father in holiday parades.
“I was very fortunate to grow up around those types of things because it set a good baseline for public service, and gave me an understanding of the need to be flexible and responsive in an ever-changing environment,” Flanagan said.
While the fire service naturally interested him, Winthrop had just established the town manager form of government after a charter change while he was in college.
“I was introduced to the first town manager who offered me an internship and the rest is history,” Flanagan said.
Flanagan will have to wait to find out if he’s passed on the public service gene to his infant daughter, Charley, though. But in the meantime, the new father, who lives in Andover with his wife, is enjoying some full-circle moments with his young family.
In May, Charley was in the town’s Memorial Day parade with her dad.
“Charley’s only one, but I grew up around town government and it’s amazing to see how the cycle repeats itself,” Flanagan said. “I wonder what her perspective on this will be someday. No two days in the Flanagan household look alike because with the nature of the job, things happen and change and it requires me to plan differently than I ever did.”
One day his daughter will understand what her dad does, but for now, Flanagan said, even becoming a dad in the last year has changed the lens which he looks through to lead the community.
The past 10 years have been full of success, challenges and progress for Flanagan and his dedicated staff. He touts what’s been accomplished because of the town’s staff, boards and committees, and community’s willingness to see projects through that will make residents proud to call Andover home. The Select Board renewed its faith in his leadership when it extended his contract by five years last November. His third term kicked into effect in July with an annual salary of $262,000.
Flanagan remembers the moment he heard he was selected as Andover’s next town manager while watching a livestream of a morning meeting on Aug. 14, 2015.
The announcement was the culmination of a robust interview process that began in May 2015, four months after 25-year Town Manager Reginald “Buzz” Stapczynski announced he was retiring. Over a few months, Flanagan met with a screening committee, the Select Board and each individual member. On a “very warm” July day, Flanagan had to present his vision for the community along with fellow candidate Kendra Amaral and then answer the public’s questions.
Flanagan said he knew he had big shoes to fill coming in as a first-time manager. He had served as Arlington’s deputy town manager before taking on the Andover role. He’s appreciative of the town’s support from the start and that it gave him a shot.
He was thrown right into the thick of things at 7 a.m. on his first day, Oct. 13, 2015, with an executive session related to collective bargaining of all things.
“Coming to a new community and a large organization and replacing a person who’s been here 25 years, collectively those factors make the initial period overwhelming,” Flanagan said. “I remember my whole goal as a first-time town manager was familiarizing myself with the organization and trying to understand the priorities of the community to essentially navigate my very first steps because that’s sometimes the challenge.”
When he took office, Flanagan focused on the priorities of the community and Select Board at the time which centered around what to do with the Old Town Yard and unfunded liabilities such as Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) and pensions.
As a “finance person by trade,” he said he was able to help come up with a plan to finance the Old Town Yard project without looking at a debt exclusion override and see the dream project finally get over the finish line, with historical knowledge insight from Director of Planning and Land Use Paul Materazzo.
“We did that in the first eight months or so and it was the real first challenge,” Flanagan said. “But for me, it was a clear indication that with a solid plan, this community is generally ready to support things.”
The Old Town Yard redevelopment, he said, was a process the community knew would take about a decade to be completed. But the town was able to revamp its capital improvement program and fund the purchase of 5 Campanelli Drive, the building’s design and construction.
A decade later, Flanagan said the development is permitted and waiting approval by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. He added the pension obligation bond plan and the OPEB plan will stabilize the town’s finances.
But there were unprecedented challenges along the way like the gas disaster in 2018 and COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 thrown into the mix.
“One of the things I’m passionate about is not letting something like those completely obstruct progress in other areas like finance or capital projects,” he said. “To ensure that doesn’t happen, you need an army of a solid staff and support from elected officials. I’ve been fortunate to have both.”
The pandemic brought a few bright spots and some memorable moments, and important decisions, for Andover, Flanagan said.
He recalled tireless support from town staff to ensure pandemic outdoor dining went smoothly. The night before the town went live with its outdoor dining program, the town took a leap of faith hoping the community would respond and help struggling businesses by showing up, Flanagan said.
“The community responded so positively,” he said. “Businesses started to come out of that survival phase and were so eager to welcome people back.”
Flanagan won’t forget the “seven-hour marathon” of Town Meeting 2021 under a large tent with 1,200 people which he said may have had the greatest impact on the community in the past decade with major projects and bond plans passed.
Over the last decade, Flanagan said he has tried to create a community where residents feel proud to live and want to show off. He’s focused on keeping the downtown vibrant with businesses and creating a place people flock to, whether to enjoy the fresh flowers or decorative lighting.
In his third term, a vibrant downtown will remain a focus. Flanagan said he loves the holidays and plans to bring that energy to downtown with lights.
Keeping Andover a healthy, livable and safe community is also at the forefront with planned safety improvements like sidewalks and addressing pedestrian walkability. The town will continue to figure out ways to allow for economic diversity in housing so people return or stay in Andover.
Flanagan plans to continue supporting the business community and its growth with responsible commercial and industrial development.
“I never want us to be called complacent. We’re committed to be forward thinking.”