The agenda and packet for this meeting is 927 pages. CLICK HERE for pdf. (It’s a huge file.)
New City Clerk Sworn In, Appointments Approved, and 3 Investigations Begun at lively City Council Meeting
Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson has issued a response to the City Council’s actions of last night. See below.
The Gardner City Council met on June 15, 2026. Listen to the entire meeting on any device, CLICK PLAY.
Here’s some of what transpired at the meeting. Jennifer Pelavin was elected City Clerk of Gardner effective July 6, 2026 by a unanimous vote and was immediately administered the oath of office. Pelavin is a local attorney and a member of the Gardner School Committee.
The 15% increase to water rates was approved. This approval arose out of an amendment proposed by Councilor Brad Heglin which reduced the requested rate increases to this amount and only for one year.
The Mayor’s proposed Chief of Staff description and proposed budget item was referred back to the Finance Committee for study and review, effectively tabling the item.
The Municipal Surplus Property Plan which includes a recommendation to sell 7 buildable lots owned by the City and get them back on the tax rolls was adopted by the Council.
All of the proposed appointments were approved.
The FY27 Budget was brought up. The vote will be at the next meeting which is scheduled for a week from now.
Details on the Approved City Council Formal Investigations
Council President George Tyros yielded the Chair to Council Brad Heglin to he could outline and start discussion on 3 proposed investigations. (1) Alleged lack of transparency concerning the extensive renovations at Gardner High School. (2) Process Failures involving cyber fraud (3) A breakdown in process flow involving the Building Department Listen to this portion of the meeting on any device, CLICK PLAY.
Despite Councilor complaints about not receiving information in a timely manner, the City Council approved the additional $1 million in funding for the Gardner High School C-wing, which comes from the bond surplus of Gardner Elementary School
Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson’s Response
“Dealing with large scale construction projects like this can always be difficult and communication in these situations is key. With changes in scope, cost changes due to economic trends, and tight construction timelines, communication and regular briefings need to be done in order to keep everyone on the same page. I will be working directly with all City departments and members of the City Council to make sure communication breakdowns like this do not happen in the future. All of us working for the City- our elected officials, department heads, and employees – all work together to get the best possible outcome for our residents every day. I think this project is going to be a big benefit for our students for years to come. With recent upgrades made to the art wing of Gardner High School and now this project renovating the Athletic Wing, 2/3 of the Gardner High building will have been fully redone, both extending the life of the building and providing our student athletes with the top quality services they deserve. Projects of this size, scope, and cost require close supervision and management and we will be sure to provide regular updates to the City Council and the public on the process, so that the outcome of this project can truly be celebrated for the good it will provide to the community. No matter the path that got us to this point, we are here now and know the benefits this project will provide and can move forward improving and addressing concerns on all sides of the issue while doing the best possible for our schools.”
– Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson
