Public Service Committee Handles Abatement Requests and Hears Updates
The Public Service Committee met on January 30, 2026. Listen on any device, CLICK PLAY.
The Committee heard from a homeowner and a non-profit requesting abatements, deciding to forgive 30 percent of the bill for each based on what the committee had done in the past. Each was also granted a 12 month interest-free payment plan.
DPW Update: Snow and ice already $270,000 over budget due to a heavy winter. Gardner’s salt supply was in “pretty good shape.” Director Dane Arnold went over the problems with a fleet of aging trucks from the 1900’s and early 2000’s that are expensive to maintain and the challenge of purchasing replacement vehicles when a new dump truck costs $250,000 and a 10-wheeler costs $350,000.
Sludge Landfill Issue: DPW Director Arnold detailed a looming statewide crisis. With other states refusing to accept Massachusetts’ wastewater sludge due to PFAS contamination, disposal options are becoming scarce and expensive. The city’s plan to expand its own landfill faces a major hurdle: the state is mandating a “phased” approach. This creates immense financial risk, as the city could spend millions on the first phase only to have the state deny the permit for the next, making a fiscally irresponsible outcome possible.
