City Council Gardner MA

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• Correction of Encumbrance Practices via Stabilization Funds: In consultation with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR), the city is moving to eliminate the practice of rolling over unused line-item balances via encumbrances to save for long-term capital purchases. Four specialized stabilization funds (Heavy Equipment, EPA Regulations, Information Technology, and Paving) are being established under MGL Chapter 40, Section 5B, to ensure formal council oversight for multi-year capital savings.
• Disposition of Municipal Surplus Properties: Implementation of the Municipal Surplus Property Plan—funded by a November 2025 state grant from the Community One Stop for Growth program—is underway. Approximately 40 parcels acquired over several decades (dating back to the 1920s) through tax title, donations, and bequests are being put forward for surplus declaration at assessed or appraised values to return them to the active tax rolls.
• Comprehensive Code Amendments & Fee Modernization: One item proposes extensive adjustments to municipal fines, permitting fees, operational hours flexibility, and process requirements—many of which have not been updated since 1993. Key provisions shift administrative permitting expenses to private applicants, modernize parking violations, align trash rates with a 5-year hauling contract, and ease food truck operations to generate local tax revenue.

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Resignations announced were Duncan Burns from the Conservation Commission, Tina Sobrega from the Rockwell Trustees, and Golf Commission Administrative Assistant Amy Levasseur.

The City’s general hiring freeze has been slightly modified to allow recruitment under strict executive or legislative oversight. Open positions include Golf Commission Administrative Assistant and a 32 hour transfer station supervisor position. Visit the City of Gardner Jobs Page, CLICK HERE.

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• Tenant Account Resolution: Clarification that tenant Dominic is fully paid up, off eviction status, and was not responsible for the City of Gardner’s broader municipal budget shortfall.
• Financial Operations & Enterprise Fund Goals: Efforts to transition the airport from relying on the City’s General Fund to a self-sustaining Enterprise Fund.
• Inter-Municipal Tax & Zoning Disputes: Ongoing negotiations regarding alleged improper real estate tax assessments by the Town of Templeton on tenants leasing city-owned land, as well as tri-town planning coordination (Gardner, Templeton, Hubbardston) for flight path protection.
• Capital & Easement Approvals: Mayor’s signature securing the $19,533 Approach East vegetation management plan, funded in part by $20,000 in unused prior runway allocations.

Due to significant tenant pushback and unresolved legal questions, the Commission deferred voting on the 28% rent increase pending further accounting and legal review.

There’s more information in these 3 infographics related to Airport Finances, Items at the Meeting, and a Summary. CLICK on any Image for larger view.

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The committee approved multiple localized water/sewer bill abatements and relief payment plans resulting from billing lag, hardware failure, and private plumbing leaks. Additionally, operational updates confirmed the completion of the municipal water system’s transition back to chloramines and detailed ongoing citywide paving efforts, traffic safety planning, and chemical mitigation strategies for legacy copper pipe corrosion.

Department of Public Works (DPW) Operations & Finance: Director Arnold presented a comprehensive update outlining severe resource constraints, funding reallocations, and seasonal maintenance preparations.

Staffing and Fleet Deficits

• Labor Shortage: Heading into winter operations, the DPW is understaffed by 9 positions. With an upcoming retirement of a 35+ year veteran Foreman prior to January 1, internal promotions will leave the department down 10 out of 29 total positions.
• Operational Impact: Plowing, salting, and snow removal routes will take noticeably longer to complete across the city.
• Fleet Deterioration:
  • A 1988 Mack salt truck has been officially retired due to being beyond repair, necessitating larger treatment routes for remaining vehicles.
  • The department’s tree bucket truck requires a $17,000 repair. If it breaks down further, it will be permanently parked, forcing the city to rely on emergency outside contractor agreements (which currently lack designated funding).
  • The DPW has already expended 75% of its equipment maintenance budget line item as of early November.

Water Enterprise Fund & Indirect Cost Transfers

• Water System Operations: The water system completed its seasonal refresh, successfully transitioning back from free chlorine to chloramines (the system standard for the past 20 years). Water quality sampling across municipal storage tanks remains strong with minimal public complaints.
• Financial Strain & Budget Reallocations: The City of Gardner transferred additional indirect cost expenses out of the enterprise funds:
  • $275,000 pulled from the Sewer Fund.
  • $245,000 pulled from the Water Fund.
• Capital Impact: The $245,000 unexpected transfer directly depleted the exact capital funds set aside to replace the primary water meter at Snake Pond. The DPW advised that municipal water rates will require an immediate, critical re-examination.

Paving and Seasonal Infrastructure Projects

• Sand and Racette Street: Roadway paving and sidewalk installations are 100% complete.
• Active Work Zones: Paving and preparation work continue in Bloomingdale, City, Greenwood, Marquette, and Reagan areas.
• Mill Road: Binder post installed, handicap ramps actively formed and poured, utility structures raised, and base course asphalt proceeding ahead of snowfall.
• South Gardner: Full paving deferred due to timing, labor shortages, and coordination with an upcoming Community Development lighting and sidewalk project.
• Central Street: Crosswalks, flashing pedestrian signals, and handicap ramps are fully completed. Stop signs on Park Street have been removed.
• Murray Street: City dead-end road prep completed; awaiting private/developer paving on the Astra side.
• Priority List: Chestnut Street remains at the top of the DPW’s priority list for major repaving once capital funds are secured.

Winter Parking Ban & Code Red System

• Complete parking lot signage updates have been executed by Doug (DPW).
• Public notification signs regarding the municipal Code Red system and the newly established city parking ban telephone hotline are being deployed citywide, on Facebook, and across the municipal website.

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Engineering Department & Capital Projects: The Engineering Department outlined progress on major state-level grant applications, capital planning, and federal safety initiatives.

Route 140 Pedestrian Bridge ($11 Million Total Project)

• Easement Acquisition: Land acquisition proceedings are underway, involving municipal land and National Grid licenses/easements. The city is requesting an easement donation from Gamma to avoid appraisal costs.
• Construction Services Funding: The city must independently contract with design engineer GPI for construction inspection and oversight. Revised cost estimates put this contract at $330,000 (up from $290,000).
• Grant Strategy: The city is pursuing a MassTrails grant, which requires a 25% local match (~$60,000+).
• Timeline: Project bidding is scheduled for June 2027, requiring matched local engineering funds in place by mid-2027.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)

• Public outreach includes over 200 interactive map submissions logged on the project web portal.
• Final Vision Zero Action Committee meeting set for early December; public engagement meeting scheduled at the Police Station Community Meeting Room on November 17.
• Schedule Adjustment: Federal Highway permitting requirements delayed the physical demonstration project; formal City Council adoption of the final Safety Action Plan is pushed to next year.

Unfunded & Pending Engineering Priorities

• Route 68 / Route 868 Intersection: Requires $250,000+ in upfront engineering/design funding to qualify for state Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) construction funding. Project lead time is estimated at 5 to 7 years.
• Best Bet Dam Removal: Feasibility grant application submitted to the Division of Ecological Restoration (DER); marked as low priority for state funding.
• Capital Planning Ordinance: Capital planning intake forms sent to department heads. The makeup of the Capital Improvement Committee is shifting under a newly proposed municipal ordinance awaiting final City Council passage.

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Resident Inquiries & Public Safety Updates

• Water Coil Failure Lawsuit Settlement: The legal process regarding historical water coil failures/pinhole leaks has concluded, and settlement checks have been distributed to participating claimants.
• Corrosion Mitigation: To prevent future pipe degradation, the municipal water treatment facility actively adds orthophosphate to the water supply. This additive creates a protective chemical barrier inside copper piping to suppress internal corrosion.
• Chestnut & St. Clair Intersection: Resident concerns regarding damaged corner landscaping and request for enhanced stop sign visibility/flashing signals were logged. The committee referred sign enforcement to the Police Department and noted existing driver awareness limitations.
• Rotary Signage: The flashing update sign at the Elm Street rotary is designated to display Code Red enrollment procedures and the municipal hotline number.

These infographics provide additional details on the November 5, 2026 Public Service Committee Meeting

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• Waterford Community Center & Senior Center Move: The Senior Center’s relocation to the Waterford facility remains temporarily paused due to mandatory asbestos abatement in the two-story wing. The city is seeking to allocate $122,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds toward abatement. The Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) RFQ responses and draft scope of work from Bond / Titanium Bond are currently under executive review, with work set to commence once OPM and bidding contracts are awarded.
• Rear Main Project Severe Delays: The project faces significant delays driven primarily by National Grid and its subcontractor, Bond Construction Services. At week four of an estimated six-week turnaround, only 10% of the electrical utility conduit work is complete. National Grid cited “unforeseen underground utilities” and delivered an undersized, improper transformer.
• Impact & Legal/Financial Strategy: Because asphalt plants close around Thanksgiving, paving by contractor UEL cannot be completed before winter, delaying the opening of the park until spring 2027. Options for temporary winter opening using generators were rejected due to public safety concerns. In response to financial damages from demobilization, remobilization, and rising material costs, Director Stevens, Mayor Nicholson, and the City Solicitor are seeking in-kind service compensation from National Grid.

More Detail on the Rear Main Street Project Delays

Rear Main Project: Infrastructure Delays & Strategy: The Rear Main Project was intended to achieve completion prior to the winter season; however, serious performance delays by utility partner National Grid have altered project timelines.

Project Component	Responsible Party	Status / Issues Identified
Off-Site Conduit & Grid Connection	National Grid / Bond Construction Services	10% Complete at Week 4 (out of 6-week timeline). Cited “unforeseen utilities.” Delivered improper transformer.
On-Site Conduit Connections	Daigle (“Dagel”)	On Hold. Cannot connect meters to transformer pad until correct transformer is installed by National Grid.
Paving & Surface Completion	UEL	Blocked. Cannot perform paving until underground electrical connections are completed.
Project Oversight & Legal Action	City of Gardner (Stevens, Mayor, Solicitor)	Strategy developed to demand in-kind services/compensation from National Grid for delay-induced expenses.

Causes of Delay & City Assessment

1. Utility Work Progress: National Grid and Bond Construction Services estimated a 6-week turnaround to lay conduit from transformers to the site. At the end of week four, only 10% of the work was finished.
2. “Unforeseen Conditions” Defense Rejected: National Grid attributed delays to unexpected underground utilities lacking historical as-built plans. Director Stevens strongly rejected this explanation, noting that unmapped utilities (ranging from 10 to 100 years old) are standard for any New England urban downtown shovel site.
3. Equipment Misconfiguration: National Grid ordered and supplied an improper transformer with insufficient electrical capacity for the project site’s required service. This mistake halted subcontractor Daigle from completing on-site connections between meters and the transformer pad.

Winter Closure & Resident Safety Concerns

• Paving Deadlines: Asphalt plants typically cease operations around Thanksgiving (3 to 4 weeks from the meeting date). Due to electrical delays, UEL will be unable to pave and open the park before winter.
• Rejection of Temporary Winter Opening: The city evaluated using temporary diesel/power generators to supply interim electricity and open the parking lot for winter use. Director Stevens rejected this alternative due to explicit public safety risks:
  • Hazardous vertical poles protruding in uncompleted parking areas.
  • Risk of temporary generator power failure overnight leading to unlit lots and undetected black ice.
  • Concerns that National Grid would prioritize municipal outages elsewhere over maintaining a temporary generator setup in Gardner.

Financial Mitigation & Legal Strategy: The delay forces contractor UEL to demobilize for the winter and remobilize in spring 2027, introducing additional costs alongside projected increases in asphalt and construction material prices.

• Available Capital: Although the city appropriated $800,000 for the project earlier in the year (March/April 2026)—with many line items coming in under budget—city leadership refuses to absorb delay costs caused by utility negligence.
• Strategy: Director Stevens, Mayor Nicholson, and the City Solicitor formed a legal strategy for an upcoming meeting with National Grid, UEL, and engineering firm Fenn & O’Neal. The city will insist that National Grid provide in-kind services to offset demobilization, remobilization, and material cost inflation directly caused by National Grid’s inaction and equipment errors.

D. Proposed Public Signage: To combat public confusion regarding the seemingly finished surface of the site, Chair Kazinskus suggested placing informative signage along the project fencing. The signs will explain to residents why the site remains closed pending utility completion, providing transparency without resorting to unprofessional finger-pointing.

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• Fire Department Promotion: Sean Kelly was formally promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Gardner Fire Department following over 21 years (7,896 days) of service and notable leadership in community safety programs.
• Financial Oversight & Prior-Year Bills: The Council approved two measures to pay unpaid Fiscal Year 2026 bills using Fiscal Year 2027 funds. The debate over these payments brought to light significant administrative inefficiencies in City Hall’s decentralized billing processes, prompting calls for operational modernization.
• Electoral Integrity Statement: Councillor Brooks reaffirmed public trust in local and state election infrastructure, emphasizing robust auditing and verification procedures.

During discussion on Item 11965, Councilor Brad Heglin delivered a detailed critique regarding internal workflow flaws within City Hall’s financial operations:

• Copier Billing Disconnect: City Hall operates three commercial copiers under contract across three departments (City Clerk, Health, and Economic Development). All invoices were historically routed to a single point of contact—the former City Clerk. Upon that clerk’s departure, incoming invoices went unnoticed and unpaid, eventually triggering late notices to the incoming City Clerk a year later.
• Systemic Redundancies: Councillor Heglin pointed out that similar decentralized issues exist across other basic recurring utility bills, noting that City Hall receives “well over a dozen separate invoices every month for cell phones for all employees who work in the same building.”
• Lack of Centralized Tracking: The city currently lacks a centralized roster of recurring vendor bills and designated department managers responsible for paying them, creating severe operational vulnerabilities during staff leaves or turnover.
• Operational Critique: Councillor Heglin characterized the current bill-paying infrastructure as looking like it was “designed by Rube Goldberg,” describing it as “horrifically inefficient,” “redundant,” and relying on “unnecessary or overcomplicated tasks.” He urged the administration to restructure internal operations to “run City Hall more like a business.”

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For years, municipal budgeting in Gardner mostly operated within a 12-month vacuum and relied on “Free Cash” band-aids to fix issues that should have been planned for in advance. In today’s fiscal environment—with skyrocketing health insurance rates, double-digit inflation on materials like asphalt and road salt, and Proposition 2 1⁄2 constraints—that reactive model doesn’t work. The Council has been raising concerns and red flags about these issues for years and now have taken concrete steps to get us on the right track. 

This ordinance fundamentally changes how Gardner manages taxpayer funds by requiring mandatory 5-year multi-budget forecasting for the long term, and monthly expenditure tracking reports assembled by the Auditor  for the short term and continuous oversight. 

This month also saw the enactment of legislation to ensure the sound management of major city projects. The ordinance which passed at our second October meeting, reforms the Capital Improvement Committee to restore elected representation—including dedicated seat allocation for the School Committee for the first time. And it requires mandatory communication and reporting, establishes advisory committees for major projects, and closes loopholes by mandating formal project plans and cost estimates prior to procurement. 

Multi-year forecasting, regular reporting and better communication and organization around City projects will give the Council and administration the analytical runway needed to budget realistically and keep track of municipal expenditures effectively.

Rooted in Experience and Community: This Month’s Appointments

Our Appointments Committee had an active month, vetting and bringing forward top-tier candidates who bring institutional stability, technical excellence, and deep community roots to Gardner’s municipal operations:

• Department Leadership: Dane Arnold was confirmed to a new term as Public Works Director, celebrating 25 years of exceptional leadership managing our city roads, water mains, and wastewater infrastructure; and confirmed Roland Jean Jr. as Building Commissioner, ensuring dependable code enforcement and accountability for local development.

• First Responders: The Council confirmed two outstanding local academy graduates to the Gardner Police Department—Officer Dana Dumas and Officer Justin Johnson. 

• Boards & Technical Inspectors: The Council confirmed MWCC Dean of Nursing Dr. Kimberly Shea, DNP, RN to the Board of Health; aviation manager and pilot Peter Kettle to the Airport Commission; and experienced inspectors Daryl Sweeney (Inspector of Wires) alongside alternates Alan Speck and Shaughnessy Dame.

Working Together: Bridging Boards, Comissions & City Leadership

This month was defined by strong intergovernmental teamwork between the Council, the Mayor, and our dedicated local boards and commissions.

A Joint Honor at Walsh Square: Mayor Nicholson and I partnered to introduce an order dedicating the intersection of City Hall Avenue and Pleasant Street as Walsh Square, honoring Martin Walsh and his son, Attorney James Walsh, for over 75 combined years of dedicated civic leadership in Gardner.

Traffic Commission Collaboration on Winter Parking: Following our vote against returning to a blanket parking ban, I met directly with the Traffic Commission to share the Council’s feedback. Thanks to quick action by Deputy Chief Moroni, Line & Signs, and IT, the City installed clear informational signs across municipal lots and launched a 24/7 automated hotline at (978) 991-1515 for real-time storm parking ban updates. 

Direct Dialogue with the Conservation Commission: On October 26, I attended the Conservation Commission meeting to speak candidly about our budget landscape, the FY26 roll-over deficit, and the budget games that were being played to pay that affected the Conservation Agent position dating back to 2018. Righting the ship for FY27 will require that the Council, the administration, and our boards stay aligned to protect critical community operations.

October Wrapped Up

This month was full of conversation around one common core: working towards the best for Gardner. Whether we are strengthening financial transparency, improving capital planning, or building bridges between our boards and leadership, real progress requires that we stay curious rather than judgmental when new ideas are brought to the table. By keeping an open mind, staying transparent, and continuing to collaborate across departments, we can foster meaningful dialogue and deliver lasting results for our community.

I hope you had a happy Halloween and thank you for staying engaged! – George

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Additionally, the committee received status updates on historical and ongoing infrastructure work: The Greenwood Pool demolition project is officially closed out in the grant portal. The demolition of 205–213 Main Street is completed from a CDBG perspective, with focus shifting to marketing the property to buyers. The Greenwood Pavilion has received building approval, with full buildout and concrete pouring targeted for Spring due to seasonal weather limits. Downtown Phase 5 (sidewalks and curbing) is near substantial completion (targeted for October 31, 2026), while Downtown Phase 6 (transit node design near City Hall) received HLC approval to move forward based on elevated MART ridership data. FY2026 & FY2027: Full approval for the FY2026 application was confirmed, and a draft schedule for the FY2027 application cycle was presented, establishing a December 4, 2026 target for the Request for Proposals (RFP) posting.

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