In Last Meeting of 2025, the Gardner Board of Health Addressed Leadership Transitions and Staffing Vacancies
A top candidate for the vacant Health Director role has withdrawn from the process. The Chair of the Board of Health, Susan Avalone has resigned after 17 years in the post. Other staffing vacancies in the department were also discussed. Listen to the entire meeting on any device, CLICK PLAY.
The Gardner Health Department is currently “significantly understaffed”, operating with permanent leadership or adequate administrative support. Key vacant positions are Health Director, Administrative Coordinator, and Transfer Station Supervisor. A top candidate for the position of Health Director was offered the job and formally accepted, but unexpectedly withdrew his acceptance on December 18th. A second candidate has been offered the position and the Board was waiting for a response at the time of this meeting.
Adding to the Challenges: Adding to the challenge, a resident filed a complaint alleging a potential Open Meeting Law violation related to how the director interviews were conducted. The board held the interviews in a private executive session. This is a valuable lesson on the tension between government transparency and practical necessity. The board chose to conduct interviews privately because, as one member explained, multiple candidates expressed concern that “their current employees did not know that they were looking for jobs” and a public process “would have been detrimental for them.” While protecting candidate confidentiality is crucial, the law is unclear on whether a full quorum of the board can participate in private interviews. This situation highlights how local officials must constantly navigate complex rules to perform their duties correctly.
Progress Discussed: During the meeting, the Board discussed the progress on the Leachate Pump repair with the repairs having started on December 3rd and expected to take several months. The Landfill Cap Erosion Repair project is on hold as the Board is applying for a grant to hopefully find the money needed. Acting Director Angela DiPrima updated the Board on the bed bug infestation at a local apartment complex and noted that despite 3 professional treatments, some bugs remain and one unit is actually unfit for habitation due to damage from the insects and the insecticide. The Board is working on how to help the resident clean her personal belongings without spreading the infestation. The Board of Health is starting a new program for the safe disposal of medical sharps such as needles and syringes and is moving forward with a new program that will allow residents to safely and properly dispose of old or unused medications.