View the complete packet and agenda, CLICK HERE.
Prior to the City Council Meeting, there is a Joint Public Hearing of the City Council and Planning Board on Zoning issues. Packet and agenda, CLICK HERE. Hearing was continued until April.
An Informal Meeting which was to be held for the purpose of a District Improvement Financing presentation was canceled, but the information packet was still made available, CLICK HERE.
Gardner MA City Council Meets March 20, 2023
Listen to the meeting on any device, CLICK PLAY.
The Gardner City Council approved meeting Minutes of 8 prior meetings and discussed the OML Complaint of Paul DeMeo who alleges they don’t do the minutes fast enough. A proposed response to be reviewed by the City Council states that there is good cause for the delay due to staffing issues at the City Clerk’s office. Gardner Magazine researched this issue and found for example, that an Ohio State Supreme Court ruling stipulated that AUDIO recordings of meetings made available to the public can be called “minutes”. Gardner makes YouTube recordings of every City Council meeting and most other Committee meetings available, often within 24 hours of the meeting. SUGGESTED RESPONSE of Law Dept. APPROVED.
The City Council also reviewed communications from Mayor Nicholson regarding Chapter 90 Funding, a proposed Intermunicipal Agreement between the City and Ashburnham for Wastewater – FURTHER STUDY ORDERED, and a proposed Intermunicipal Agreement between the City and Hubbardston for Animal Control Services. – APPROVED.
Other matters are to confirm appointments and to address matters which have come before the Public Safety, Public Welfare, and Public Service Committees. An approval to send the pay raises to 2nd printing will give raises to Mayor, City Council, and School Committee effective January 1, 2024. Mayor: $105,904.22, City Council President: $12,298.98, City Councilor: $8415.27, and School Committee: $5743.43. It has been some time since raises were authorized. The Mayor for example, will still make about 40% less than the highest paid City employee. APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY