March to Success – Projects and Progress

March to Success – Projects and Progress Interview with Mayor Michael Nicholson

With so much happening in the Chair City, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of it all. Fortunately, Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson has agreed to help us out. Today’s interview with Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson by Publisher Werner Poegel is March to Success – Projects and Progress. – Things happening in Gardner which directly affect your life. We will cover Notable Past Projects, Current Projects, Future Groundbreaking, and Future Planning and what’s on the capital planning list in 2023. Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY.

Jump to a Section: Notable Past Projects **** Medical Care **** Ongoing Private Sector Projects **** Work at the Schools **** Future Groundbreaking **** Future Planning **** The On-call Realtor **** Infrastructure Projects of the Past **** Good Impressions at City Hall **** Infrastructure Projects Being Discussed **** Infrastructure Projects in the Works **** Spaceport in the Future **** Future Planning **** People Projects **** The Cost of Cuts **** Education An Ongoing Project **** Strategic Use of Resources **** Event Projects **** Community Amenities **** Business Recruitment **** Grants – Past, Present, and Future **** Peoples Needs in the City of Gardner **** Addressing Project Needs Effectively **** Greatest Challenge Going Forward **** Setting Gardner Apart **** What Citizens Should Know.

Poegel: Mayor Nicholson, let’s start with notable past building projects in Gardner, such as Gardner High School with its stunning architecture, Gardner Middle school, the Levi Heywood Memorial Library, Gardner Police headquarters and Gardner Elementary school. Each project unique, each worthy of discussion. What would you like to say about them?

Nicholson: You know, Werner, what I think all those projects really set the foundation for who we are as a community. If you think back to what people know about those, you know, going back to when my dad was a student at Gardner High school, and Gardner High school just opened its doors, that’s the feeling that our Gardner Elementary students are feeling right now. And it gives that sense of pride in the community. We can see people utilizing the library. We can see the benefits of our current police station over what we used to have over on City Hall Avenue, and just how we’re able to grow and better serve the community that way. So what these projects say is what we’ve been able to accomplish as a community, and how we can set our visions for the future, because we’ve already seen what we can do in the past.

Poegel: Underway right now is a brand new surgical pavilion for Heywood Hospital, the Community Health Connections facility near Walmart and the possibility of an inpatient care center at 205 to 213 School Street. What led to the expanding availability of medical care in the city of Gardner, and what do you see for future progress?

Nicholson: Gardner’s always been a strong community when it comes to our medical facilities. You know, my grandmother was a nurse at Heywood Hospital back in the 1950s.You look at the different connections that those doctor’s offices and the hospital and everyone else has had in the community. But we need to meet the needs of the current population. And a population that continues to grow at an unprecedented rate right now. That we’re seeing in the City, with, you know, $420 million of home purchases in the past year, let alone everything else is coming. As our population expands, we need to expand and meet the needs of the community. So I’m really happy to see that Heywood Hospital is expanding on their surgical capacity. This should increase what they’re able to offer surgically by about 60% adding new operating rooms that are state of the art, compared to the current ones that were built in the 1960s,Community Health Connections, adding a mental health counseling facility, a urgent care facility, dental offices and doctor’s offices. And then clinical support options. CSO over at School Street, operating a new Department of Public Health facility over there for inpatient care and mental health services, but also then partnering with our police department as well to get clinical help for people who are having mental health trauma issues, when they’re calling 9 1 1. It really is helping, again, meet a modern community with modern solutions. And that’s one thing that I think Gardner is ready for and able to just hit the ground running on.

Poegel: Coming up March 15^th of 2023 Veronica Patti has organized, along with the Gardner Community Action Team, a health and wellness fair.

Nicholson: Exactly. And this is one of the things that really just dovetails off of what we were just talking about. We want to make sure people in the community know the resources that are available to them, know what community partners are here, and know where to go if they do need help or they know someone who needs those assistances. So it really is something that I’m hoping helps launch us into that realm and really helps show people what we have right here in their backyard.

Poegel: Gardner has been active in partnering with the private sector and getting buildings back to useful life. What can you tell us about the ongoing projects at 42 to 52 Parker Street, the Flat Iron Building and Timpany Crossroads.

Nicholson: I will start with the 42 to 52 Parker Street. That project is moving along. That is 29 market rate luxury apartments in the downtown. The outside is just about done. They about finished the siding. The new windows are in. They’re still working on some of the front exterior facade work. And then they’ll be beginning on the inside very shortly. They kind of just wanted to button up the outside as much as they could and then start working on the inside. We’re expecting those apartments will be available sometime in early 2024. The concession stand at Gardner High School is just about completed. That’s new bathroom facilities and concession stands. This is the first time since Watkins Field was constructed and the high school opened in 1976 that we are having bathroom facilities outside. Up until this construction project was completed, everyone had to go inside Gardner High School, which opens up some liability issues as to where people have access in the building. Or just general convenience issues of having to leave a stadium to come back into the stadium to watch a sporting event. So we solved that problem there, and helped make it a modern, actual facility, that meets our school needs. The Flat Iron Building at 25 Main Street, that is moving forward there, The bottom floor is in conversations right now with a restaurant. And while those details are still being finalized yet, and can’t fully be released there, it’s going to be very exciting for the downtown. There’s some communications of potential office spaces on the 2nd floor, and then the third floor having some residential apartments. And then over at Timpany Crossroads, things are progressing over there. Block Cannabis company is moving forward with the construction of their dispensary that they’re going to have over there. And then there are still two available storefronts that were looking filling soon. But you look Verizon’s open in the last year there. Leominster Dermatology, or Clearview Dermatology, as they recently changed their name to, has moved their office over there. Edward Jones, Starbucks has been very popular there. And there may be a swimming pool company opening up there soon as well.

Poegel: Besides the concession stand at Gardner High school that you’ve already talked about, the athletic fields have been worked on. And there’s changes underway at the Elm Street school building to accommodate some folks that are be moving in there?

Nicholson: Yes, I mean, the athletic fields we did last year, those have all been leveled and receded and ready to go with new irrigation systems. That project’s been completed, so we’re already seeing the benefit of that. Over at Elm Street School, there are some renovations taking place. The superintendent’s office is going to be moving in there. The Gardner Academy has already moved in there, and then the boys and girls club is opening up their facility in the basement level. So there’s a lot of work being done over there, just like over at Waterford Street School. We’ll expect some work to be done for the new community center to be opening up later this year, probably around the October November timeline.

Poegel: Now, future groundbreaking to occur includes Rear Main Street and renovations on various downtown buildings. What would you like to say about these projects?

Nicholson: I’m very, very, very excited about the work that’s going to be happening in the downtown this year. One of the things I keep saying right now is when people ask, what’s happening in Gardner, what’s going on. A lot of that work is happening behind the scenes. And once the snow melts, we’re just going to be ready to press go. And we’re going to see a lot happening in Gardner. You know, two years ago, when I was giving my State of the City Address, I set a line that Downtown Gardner is going to look night and day, two years from now or three years from now and five years from now. And we’re going to start seeing that come to fruition, and I can’t wait. Over on Rear Main Street, having the amphitheatre seating, the food truck parking, potential outdoor public bathrooms. That way we don’t have to have porta parties there. If we’re going to put all this money into making some place that looks nice, it should look nice and have those nice amenities there, too. They’ll be fountains added. The residential building has doubled in size. So rather than a 56 affordable rate apartment building, now we’re looking at 110 market rate apartments with a potential rooftop restaurant.There’s a lot that’s happening there, and I really just can’t wait to see how this all comes together.One of the things that working with the different developers who are involved in the downtown, really changing the perspective into doing several different little projectsAnd making it one big overall plan that we’re calling Downtown Crossing. And really seeing how we can push this forward. To help market Downtown Gardner and bring people into the city.

UPDATE April 24, 2023: The condos are on hold due to a title problem discovered during the buyer’s title search. See this article, click here.

Poegel: Future planning has various buildings in the works, which were city property and will get repurposed to get back on the tax rolls. What can you tell us about these and other building projects.

Nicholson: Well, start with the School Street school building. This has been vacant since 1987. From before the time that my mother’s family moved to the United States. So that shows you how far it’s been since the City’s really done its job with that building. That has sold to Chad King. They were looking at some condo units being put in over there. We’ve got several properties on the market right now. The corner of Nichols and Parker, 73 Stuart street, Prospect street School. Several other places that just, There’s no need for the city to sit on these properties and become our next absentee landlord. We’ve done enough work in the city to fight blight, that we don’t need to be the ones causing it ourselves. And I think that the more we can get these properties back, into being promising properties rather than problem properties, that’s when we start doing our job here at City Hall and maintaining our fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers.

Poegel: What level of interest in the various properties has occurred since the City of Gardner has employed the services of the on-call realtor?

Nicholson: Our marketability for these properties has skyrocketed. When you look at what we sold last year. Because we did sell several properties last year. In the first and 2nd year that I’ve been in office, we could only advertise so much. There are certain things that are restricted that you can’t do unless you have a real estate brokers license. You can’t advertise in the multiple listing service. And if you’re not in mls, then you can’t go to zillow or redfin or several other real estate advertising properties that people really rely on. So working with Pelletier Properties our on-call realtor, We’ve now been able to grow. And to put this into perspective, when we sold School Street School, we got three bids. Prospect Street School is right now on the market. 27 individuals have pulled the RFP information and are expected to submit a request for proposal response on Prospect Street School. And that’s because people have been noticing things now that it’s been on the market in several different locations. You look at the property over on Leamy Street, or West Street, or Nichols and Parker. Nichols and Parker street While it was on the market for a dollar, and then we noticed that the assessed value was over the 35,000 so it had to go back out for an RFP instead of a general offer. It had close to 10 to 15 offers put on it. And more than that, have requested information for the request for proposal period. And again, when you advertise like that, it just does a lot more than we can do in house, legally and just logistically. So it really does help us in the long run.

Poegel: Mayor Nicholson, when you have, as you said, on one property, Prospect 27 offers, you can actually take a look at not only the monetary offer, but also what they plan to do with it. So you can really take a look at what the best interests of the City are.

Nicholson: Yeah, you know, it’s that something that really does help us. And that’s exactly why state law chapter 30 be at the general laws is set up like that. If a property is valued at over $35,000 we legally cannot sell it unless it’s done through a request for proposal system, and that’s not we set the minimum price at $35,000 that means if you set an appraisal or an assessment of the property, it’s over that much. And that’s to make sure we’re really getting the best bang for our buck. Well, a lot of places may be like, oh, we get the upfront sale price. We need to think of a long term planning goal and how does this affect us in the long term in our tax base. How does this meet the needs of the residents in the area. Things of that all need to be taken in part. So legally under the chapter 30 b requirements, we actually cannot open the price proposals until we’ve actually gone through and pre-graded the responses on the use of the property. And only after that’s done, can we go back and look at the price proposals.

Poegel: When you have a few dozen request for proposals that come in, and assuming a lot of them are actually good proposals, who in City Hall takes a look at those and grades them to see what’s the best for the City.

Nicholson: So those are actually done by a committee of three. And one of the reasons why we do that, while technically, per the general laws I can do that myself, I want to make I’m that I’m not looking in a siloed view, but we’re getting the full picture. So myself and our purchasing director, Joshua Cormier, are involved in each of them. And then it really depends on what the project is as to 3rd that third person would be. So, for instance, what we’re looking at, who to pick for on call real estate person, It was myself, Josh Cormier, and then Councilor Ron Cormier, who is also the Chair of the Gardner Redevelopment Authority. So you get those different perspectives that are out there. So for these projects now, it’ll probably be those same three. However, it changes depending on what the request for proposal solicitation is.

Poegel: Many projects happen behind the scenes, as you’ve spoken about. Let’s talk various infrastructure projects of the past. The pump station upgrades at Coleman and Dyer. The locker replacements at Gardner Middle School, The Gardner Middle School improvements to the Gardner High gym floor and auditorium, switching various city financial services to the cloud, computer security software, and, of course, paving. What would you like to tell the public about the work which went into completing these projects?

Nicholson: There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. When I tell you that we’ve been getting ready for a really strong spring and summer construction season here in Gardner. I mean, we probably began those conversations in October November. One of the things that comes with all of this is it goes back to that saying, the devil is in the details, and if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So one of the things that we try to do is make sure that these projects are buttoned up as much as they can before we press go. So that we can anticipate, you know, this is a problem that could arise, this is a traffic concern that’s coming. So we can get that information out there before it starts. And we can really help make sure the public knows what’s going on, because, as I tell a lot of our school children, whenever I go speak at our schools, What’s great about working in the municipal level is that you impact people more closely than ever. If someone woke up and brushed their teeth in the morning, and water came out of their faucet, that means our water departments doing something right. If you ate breakfast, whether it was at a restaurant or you pick something up at the grocery store and cooked it at home, Our health department was involved in one way. If you drove somewhere and you didn’t hit a pothole, that means our DPW is doing their job. Or you hit a pothole and you notified DPW, that means they got to go do their job. So we impact people’s lives on a very minute and detailed level, so that we have to make sure that people have good memories in Gardner. If someone at the middle school can’t use their locker, they got to remember that when they get older, about how that affected their school experience. If someone like the basketball teams last night that won both of their games are able to show that off in a home gym that meets the needs and isn’t an embarrassment to have a visiting team come and play you there, that means you have a better experience there. What we need to be doing in our planning, behind the scenes work is making sure that those fine tuned details meet the needs of people who are living here, visiting here, traveling here. So that they have a good impression of Gardner as they move forward.

Poegel: Now, speaking of good impressions, one of the assets of the City is Rachel Roberts, who answers the phone at Gardner City Hall and makes that good impression.

Nicholson: Very much. Yeah You know, I’m very lucky to have Rachel in my office. She’s really been a really good asset and a really good friend. Rachel and I have known each other for years. I attended preschool with her son Adam, and then went from preschool all the way through 12th grade together in school there. So I’ve known her for quite some time. She was actually a volunteer serving lunches when I was a student over at Holy Rosary. So that’ll be able to work with her in a very different capacity. It’s really been a blessing, and she’s really been a tremendous friend and asset to the office, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have her as part of my team.

Poegel: When you meet with various departments, what are the current infrastructure projects discussed that are underway now, and into the spring and summer?

Nicholson: So you’re going to see a lot of work happening in the greater downtown area, and these details, if they haven’t already been released, will soon be released very shortly. Up at Monument Park, there’s going to be a ton of work happening there, and we want to make sure that this gets out as early as possible, because if we have to do anything with the concerts, we want to make sure people are aware. So all of the sidewalks around monument park right now are not ADA compliant. They’re too narrow. So we’re going to be redoing sidewalks all around the perimeter of the park. Victorian light post will be added up there. Three of the trees are actually diseased, so that we’ve got to take them down, but we’ll be replacing those. Going down Park Street, From there, they’ll be a new parking lot over at the old substation area with a waterfront park that’s there. The bike trail is going to go up from the skating rink up to Park Street, down Park Street in front of the Elks, and then go behind the Greenwood Pool building. The Greenwood Pool demolition bid will probably go, and we’ll probably see, Start seeing some demolition happen on that, probably late November early December Over on this end of the downtown, you’ll see work being done in Orpheum. People call it Bullnose Park, The official legal name is actually Chair City Central Park and Maki Park.All of those will have improvements done this year. You’ll see a new fountain put over in Bullnose Park. New fountains, planting and informational markers, as well as a couple swings and benches over at Orpheum Park where the old movie theater used to be. Maki Park will be terraced. There’ll be some new electrical work and fencing work there. Cornhole – A permanent cornhole facility will be installed there as well. It’s going to be a fun time in the downtown by the time we’re done.That’s not including any other Rear Main work that’s being done over there. We’re currently working on the paving list right now. We have about $850,000 that we can use for paving different places. We haven’t been notified by the state yet what our chapter 90 allocation will be, so we could hopefully do a little more. And then over on Elm street, the state’s complete Safe Routes to School program will be beginning. That really, it’ll basically be new roads and sidewalks on Elm street from Bond Street all the way to the Uptown Rotary.And then, of course, the Uptown Rotary work will begin sometime this summer as well.

Poegel: Coming down the pike, there will be some infrastructure projects in the works this year, such as the grant received for the water main, the Gardner Airport runways, and maybe even a successful grant for the wastewater treatment plant. Please tell us about them.

Nicholson: So the work being done on the main water main, That’s the water transition line. It’s the only pipe that connects the water treatment facility at Crystal Lake to the storage towers on the top of James Street. And why that’s important is that old pipe controls if four fifths of the city have water services. This was a pipe that was originally installed in the 1880s. That’s right 1880s when President Grant was President, following the civil war. And it was lined in 2003 after it was cited in a federal report of the most vulnerable assets in each state. So we did get $1 million earmark in the federal budget that was signed by President Biden, that was presented by Senator Warren, so that we could replace that line. Work will probably begin sometime this summer on that project. We did receive a $5 million grant from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to redo the runway and the taxi way at the Gardner Airport. This is the first time in about 20 to 25 years that the project of this size has been done over there. So that’ll help us market the airport over there. That also includes additional funding for an airport master plan that will help us lay out for over the course of the next five years, what project should be done to make Gardner Municipal Airport, a more marketable place so that it is a fully utilized facility and not a hidden or forgotten gem in the City. And then we were notified that we did receive the $1.3 million grant from the federal government for the wastewater treatment plant. And what this will help us do is help us increase our infrastructure that we have over there. To remove nitrogen from the by product of the wastewater there. To make sure that we are doing everything in the most environmentally friendly way possible. So there’s a lot that happening there and hopefully a lot more down the future.

Poegel: So, Mayor Nicholson, I’m dying to ask. The new phone system at Gardner City hall has given you the opportunity to have some very unique on-hold music, including the rocket ship that everybody’s talking about. Now, can you let us in on some inside details Do the plans at the Gardner Airport for the next hundred years include the possibility of a Gardner Spaceport?

Nicholson: You know, Werner, there’s certain secrets that out with the federal government we can’t share. No, I’m only kidding. You know, who knows what will happen in the long run. But if you end up with a Gardner Spaceport, you know, that can only mean new and exciting things for Gardner. But I don’t think there’s going to be something like that for at least a couple decades.

Poegel: Future planning for infrastructure is always a difficult task. Sometimes you get grants, sometimes it’s all out of pocket, often a combination of the two. What do you have on your list?

Nicholson: You know, this is a question that really just defines almost every product that we have in municipal government. We do what we can to try to improve the area, but there’s only so much we can do living in our means and not overburdening our taxpayers .There’s a lot that we have on the list , And this is exactly why we’re doing an extra push to try to get some federal grant funding so that we can, or even state grant funding, too, so that we can get what we can for the, you know, the biggest bang for our buck, if you will. I talked about at the State of the City, One of the things I’d like to see in the next, you know, five to 10 years, is moving all of the utility wires in the South Gardner Village Center underground. This is going to be probably about an 850 thousand dollar project. Seeing what we can do, And that would move the utility wires from about the West Broadway Pizza area down to the Gardner Martial Arts Academy underground. To make that area more marketable, just visually more appealing, and basically make it look more like a regular Downtown area. But there’s a lot more we have to do. There’s a lot on our capital improvement plan. We’ve probably got about 75 different projects. Looking at the list now in front of me. Everything from, you know, the disc golf installation, new playground equipment, a salt shed replacement at the DPW, a parking deck for the downtown to add more parking, you know, upgrades to electrical services, to different traffic signals across the City. You know, the Elm Street and Pearson Boulevard traffic lights. I feel like every snowstorm, one of them gets hit by a plow. So making sure that we can get things done over there. The roof at the Gardner Fire Department is in desperate need of being replaced, let alone potentially adding an addition onto the fire department building as well. If the state moves forward with a potential public safety building authority, similar to the Massachusetts school building authority. And that’s something that myself, along with several other mayors across the state, have been strongly advocating for with the administration. So there’s a lot that we have on our list, a lot going to be voted on by the capital improvement planning committee later on this week. The City Council will have to vote to approve the list that they have moving forward. So all of that will come to light at that time But there’s a lot on our list, and we can only do so much But we’ll try to fight for every penny that we can to make sure we can get as much done as we can.

Poegel: Now, isn’t that one of the reasons why you are advocating for an additional person to help in the grant writing process?

Nicholson: That’s exactly why they would be a contracted position. So it wouldn’t even impact the city long term with our pension liability. Because it would be a contractor that we’d hire out for this purpose. But people in Gardner are paying the taxes that are funding these grants. Whether it’s a federal grant, whether it’s a state grant, or something that we obtain on a local level, it’s our tax dollars that are paying these funds. So why is it we shouldn’t be going out to make sure that if there’s a penny out there, that penny comes back to Gardner rather than somewhere in Tennessee or Oklahoma or Los Angeles, or even down in Boston or Springfield or Greenfield. We need to fight for ourselves here, because if we don’t fight for ourselves, no one else is going to fight for us. So if we can get someone out there that can make it so that Gardner gets as much as we can, that makes gardner stand out from everyone else. I know, I’m really hoping that the City Council does move forward with this project. We already lost $1 million grant because we just missed the deadline on it. And that would have helped us with construction over at Waterford Street School. For our the CAC, and Growing Places locations, because it would have helped with food security locations That was funded through the Cares Act.Again, all of this is one time funding that if we don’t go for it, we’ll never get a chance at it again. So I’m really hoping that this does move forward, because it’s not going to do anything but help the city of Gardner in the long run. So I’m really hoping that that is prioritized and is something that we see approved and ready to move forward with in the next week or two.

Poegel: Projects don’t always involve brick and mortar buildings. Very often they are people projects involving various initiatives. Let’s talk about them. You focused on domestic violence prevention, crime prevention, drug interdiction, and substance abuse prevention and assistance. What’s happening currently, what do you see happening this year, and what’s on your radar for future planning?

Nicholson: You know, the way I take this is when I worked previously for the Baker – Palito administration when I was still in college, the overall theme that we had in that office there was that people are policy. And that’s something I’ve tried to take forward here in Gardner, is that people are policy. If people don’t have a community that they feel healthy, comfortable, safe, and proud to call their home, that means us in City Hall aren’t doing our job. So we’ve brought back certain aspects of the police department, like the K-9 unit, the drone. We’re growing what we can offer over there to make sure that if people are in certain situations, they can find a way to be comfortable with it. Even if it is an uncomfortable situation, at least something close to feeling like they’re safe. That’s why we’re working with communities support operations out of School Street, to see if we really partner with the Gardner Police Department, so that if someone’s having a mental health issue, they can work with that clinician. It’s why we’re working with GAAMHA, with the opioid funding that we’re receiving, to make sure that if someone does have an overdose, they can follow up and make sure that they know what resources are available, So that they can get out of that, you know, substance abuse addiction state, and really find the help that they need. It’s also why we brought back the prevention coordinator. And not even brought it back For the first time ever had a prevention coordinator in the Gardner Health Department.So that people really know how to navigate the resources that are available. Back in my supplemental budget proposal this year, the City Council approved funding for a part time domestic violence advocate that will be advertising soon. But the reason why we hadn’t advertised for a year is Deputy Chief Maroni went out and actually got a grant to provide additional funding, funded under the violence against women act at the federal level, That we can, you know, increase the hours over there for that position and the important work that they’re going to be doing. And this is something that was cut from the budget back in 2006 that we’re able to now bring back If you really take that people are policy lens, that’s how we can really see what services do we need to provide for the community to make sure that we can build a place that people are proud to call their home. And that means making sure they feel safe and have the resources available to them.

Poegel: Am I right when I think that some of these cuts that are made really don’t amount to, in the grand scheme of things, a lot of money? Why did they get cut?

Nicholson: You know, I it’s hard for me to cast judgment on decisions that were made when I was back in sixth grade. But I will say that when you cut services like that, or you cut the arts, you cut the music in our school systems, you’re not cutting funds, you’re cutting opportunities, you’re cutting resources, you’re cutting something that people rely on to live in some cases. And I think that sometimes you need to step back and look at a big picture, more than a dollar sign, and look at the city as the place where people live, rather than a business. And while there are times that you do have to live within your means, and there are things that come up that you just don’t expect, and there’s tough decisions that need to be made, If you make those tough decisions without really sitting down and thinking about the full community impact ever, you really do a disservice to the city rather than actually being a public servant.

Poegel: And don’t you sometimes cost the city more money in the long run?

Nicholson: Very, very, very much. If you look at the even the deferred maintenance done on our public buildings, You know, one of the things that we’re looking at right now is a new electrical service for Gardner City Hall, because the system that we have right now is original to the 1933 construction of the building. With the 200 amps that we have right now, We really can’t do much, especially now in a environment where every office has a computer, every office has a phone, everything like that. But the more you put it off now, the more expensive it becomes to really upgrade that rather than doing incremental maintenance as you move forward. Now we’re stuck trying to play catch up rather than just deal with what we have at hand.

Poegel: Mayor Nicholson, education is always a project. Past successes still in place are innovative pathways, early college and other academic programs. There was a renewed focus in art and music in 2022,, and a large investment in the Gardner music program. What else is happening right now happening this year,. And what’s on your radar for future planning for Gardner education. And Mayor Nicholson, how will the anticipated large increase in state funding this year for garner public schools affect what can be done in the district?

Nicholson: You know, I’m very proud of the work that we’ve been able to do in our schools, You look at our manufacturing program. It’s brought ways that students can now connect with the community. It’s opened up internship opportunities at local manufacturing centers in Gardner. You know, even as little as the chairs that we give out at the mayor’s office, those are made by our students in our schools. And it just builds a little bit of community pride. And one of the things that I’ve said from the start is that it’s great that we have what we have to offer here, but if people who live here don’t know what’s in their backyard, then what good is it in the long run? So it’s connected our students with things that they may not realize. If someone goes out and say they want to major in biomedical engineering, but that means they can never move back to Gardner, because there’s nothing like that here, But you show them the different, you know, the peptides that are manufactured here, or even just general manufacturing or different other works here in our backyard, they realize that there’s a connection that they can have, and it gives them a reason to come back here. And that’s something that I think is a renewed aspect and just a new lens that some of our students may not have had in their vision before. You look at the arts and the music. We gave $100,000 to our music program. Now we have over 200 students in the elementary school band in its 2nd year in existence here. There’s more students who are involved in the choral programs and the drama programs at the middle school. The high school is still winning medals, a ilver medal at a state finalist competition most recently. There’s a lot that’s being done, and I’m really hoping we can continue that. I did not expect to see such an increase in Governor Healey’s proposal for chapter 70 funding for our schools. We’ve never seen a $4 million increase in our school aid from the state. So one of the things that Dr Pellegrino and I plan to do in the next couple weeks is really sit down and look at what services are doing well in our schools, what was cut in recent years that we could need to bring back, what do we need to do to readjust how things are currently operating, and what services have we not thought of yet that could benefit our students in the long run. And when we propose the school budget in the beginning of April to the school committee, I think that will really benefit the city in the long run. And seeing how we can utilize this really unprecedented funding that we have to have the best long term impact. Because our students at our schools, their experience that we have in the classroom determines how they like gardener in the long run, and if they want to stay here in the long run. And so we want to give them a reason to come back. And if they don’t have, and that starts the moment they step foot in preschool and kindergarten, if they don’t have a memorable and enjoyable and meaningful experience in the lessons that they’re learning, in the ways that they’re being taught, in the atmospheres that they’re in, that how can we expect them to want to come back after they graduate high school.

Poegel: Sometimes Mayor Nicholson projects involve strategically utilizing resources to solve problems. Last year, what we’re calling “Cameras Against Trash” was launched to cut down on illegal dumping. What other programs are in place, will be in place or are part of future planning?

Nicholson: Our newest endeavor that we’ve just launched is a new litter hotline. So if you go to the health department’s page on the website now and you see someone illegally dumping, you can actually call that right into the health department. It’ll go to a mailbox that then gets sent to our health department staff. So that’s going to be our newest endeavor there. We’re still seeing what other things that we can do to help increase our outreach. We are going to be moving our dog licensed software for next year. So 2024 onto our viewpoint system, and seeing what else we can do to add the operations of City Hall onto an online platform. So that people can access city hall from the comforts of their home. And seeing what else we can do that way. So there’s a lot that we’d like to do to strategically make things easier. And make things more accessible for City Hall for people who live in the community and members of the general public. So hopefully we’ll be able to increase that in the next year.

Poegel: It’s always tough to figure out what event projects to focus on. Based on what people like. Gardner has Citywide yard sales, fireworks at Kendall Pond, small business events, the food truck festival, the fabulous fall festival, Oktoberfest, and various holiday events. What’s happening this year that’s new, What’s on the drawing board for the future and what’s strictly on the wish list for now.

Nicholson: You know, there’s a lot that’s happening this year, mainly with regards to the centennial celebration. So we know officially now that the centennial parade will take place at 1pm on Sunday September 17^th. The reason for the Sunday date is because it’s more convenient for the businesses who are in the downtown area, where the event will pass through. Aside from that, with the city hall, dances are coming back. In some cases, we’ll have a throwback decades dance, showing everything from back in the 1950s, moving forward all the way back to the roaring 20’s. I believe there’s a winter gala that’s planned to celebrate the centennial celebration. There’s several different things going on. Veronica Patti’s been a lightning rod in helping get outreach events that are in the area. Our Hispanic Heritage celebration is coming back for its third iteration on the second week of September this year. And the mariachis have already been booked, so they will be back as well to help us kick that off, you know, the Oktoberfest, as you said, Small Business Saturday the sidewalk sale, the fireworks, the food truck festival. Mount Wachusett Community College is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. So there’s a lot that we can expect happening. So just keep an eye out because there’s going to be a ton of celebrations this year, really to celebrate who we are as a community and how far we’ve come.

Poegel: Contributing to a strong sense of place are projects which emphasize community amenities. Gardner has a number of parks for its citizens, including Bickford, Ovila Case, Pulaski Park, and the Greenwood Pool. If you would tell us what you’d like about these past projects, what you see happening this year, and what the future will bring in terms of community amenities.

Nicholson: So as of yesterday, I just approved 200 hundred thousand dollars of funding for our DPW to go out and purchase new playground equipment. So we’ll be seeing a ton of new opportunities at our different playgrounds. Ovila Case is going to be getting a pickleball court, as well as Bailey Brook park will also be getting a pickleball court, as well as a five and under playground taking place over there in that section of the city. There’ll be a new disc golf course also going into Bailey Brook Park to try to help clear out some of the brush that’s kind of taken over some of the walking trails that are over there. So those will be all new amenities added over there. The Greenwood Pool will get the pavilion after the demolition is done. And one of the things that we’d like to add is an opportunity to flood that pavilion in the wintertime. So that we’ll have outdoor skating overlooking Crystal Lake. And one of the things that we’d like to see in the long term is repairing and replacing the nighttime lights over the baseball diamonds at both Bickford playground and Ovila Case playground. That way, we can, you know, really help boost our nighttime games for the different leagues that utilize those facilities. So that’s more of a long term plan. But at least in the short term goal, we’re going to see a lot of work happening in all of our parks and playgrounds this year.

Poegel: For 100 years in various forms, business recruitment has been an ongoing project. Gardner has had a successful couple years in adding commercial businesses to the city, and many of its manufacturers have announced successful operations. What’s in the works this year and in the near future?

Nicholson: We’ve got a couple operations that are in the works right now, like I said over at 25 Main Street. The water flood that they had over there from a pipe that burst on Christmas was almost the best Christmas present that that building could have gotten for the downtown because it opened up some spaces. Right now, they were going to keep the former unemployment office and Mass Hire office by itself and keep the former Edward Jones office as separate. But because of that flood, it caused them to make that one big space that’s there. So it opened up new opportunities, and that’s how they got someone in there. We know Ats on the Rocks is coming back to Gardner, over in Timpany Plaza, Aldi’s just signed for the remaining portion of the old Stop and Shop. So Aldi’s is coming to Gardner pretty soon. There’s a lot of new businesses that are in the pipeline, incoming. And we’re increasing our outreach efforts. One of the things that recently happened, as much as little, actually yesterday afternoon, Magnus Carlberg, the new Executive Director of the Wachusett Business Incubator, and I met to discuss ways that we can go out and increase our outreach programs. How can we get these stores in . And that’s a lot of times, us making those initial phone calls, saying, what can we do to get you to come to Gardner. And there’s several different, you know, restaurants opportunities, retail facilities, stores and clothing stores, things of that nature that we’ve already begun to outreach. We probably get about 25 to 30 feelers out there and see. We’ll see who we can get back in.

Poegel: Mayor Nicholson, funding from grants helps the taxpayers of the city who don’t have to shell out as much locally. First, can you tell us about the most successful grants of the past, what’s happening currently, and your request to invest in a dedicated additional person so Gardner does not miss out on millions of potential grant dollars.

Nicholson: You know Werner, it’s just like I said when you asked earlier, it’s one of those things that if it’s our tax dollars that are going to pay for these grants, we should be doing everything we can to make sure that that money comes back and benefits us in the long run, rather than someone across the country. Because if we don’t invest in ourselves, we don’t set the example. If we invest in ourselves, we give people a reason why they should invest in us, because it shows that we’re willing to actually sit down and partner with them and make sure that those endeavors are successful. If you look at the grants that we’ve received, you know, the underutilized properties grant that’s helping us with the property at 42 to 52 Parker Street, the different Mass Works grants that are funding Rear Main Street, those are going to change the entire landscape of the downtown and really spur that development. Once that was announced, all of a sudden, now there’s millions and millions and millions of dollars being invested in the city. 210 Parker Street, the former Garbose Building is about to close as a sale there. And that’s one of the places that we are looking at for a future bakery. Keeping the commercial on on the first floor, and looking at other options for the upper floors that are there. If we can get grants like that, that helps show that we’re willing to invest in what’s around us, it really just helps us in our marketing efforts, because it shows we’re not sitting on our hands. It shows we’re not being stagnant, but we’re actually going out and trying to make a difference in the community.

Poegel: Mayor Nicholson as Gardner Marches to Success with Projects and Progress, let’s speak about how well Gardner is taking care of peoples’ needs. I’ll go through the topics one by one so you can give me a short answer on each.

Poegel: First, physical housing.

Nicholson: If you look at at the downtown, there’s enough buildings right now that are either renovating apartments or creating new apartments. Or building the new apartment building on Rear Main Street. That we’re looking at close to 800, 1200 residents. That are now going to be able to move into the downtown. To put this into perspective, in the last municipal election, we had about 1200 people come out and vote. Now we’ve got almost that many people who can now move into the downtown alone. So it really is a big impact there. Aside from that, you look at the housing development. That happening in different areas of the city. Over on West Broadway, Clark Street and other areas there. And the demand is still there. The real estate markets going back into a bidding war, area here in Gardner. So that I think we’re going to see a lot of interest continue in the city, and we’ve trying to meet what we can with the project that we have

Poegel: How about various needed service for medical and emotional needs?

Nicholson: I think that relates back to the question that we had earlier on in this interview, Werner, where we’re talking about, you know, the expansion at Heywood Hospital for the surgical pavilion, the expansion of the Community Health Center with a mental health counseling facility, urgent care, dental offices and doctor’s office, and then the dph facility over on school street, through clinical support options, that really is meeting the needs of a modern society, that also helps grow our services for the growing population that we’re seeing.

Poegel: The infrastructure that affects daily lives.

Nicholson: I mean, we’ve paved more roads than in a two-year period, than we ever have in the city’s history. We’re continuing that trend moving forward, so that we can really impact how people have an opinion of how the city looks. That part of our visual appeal that we’re seeing there, but also making sure that our water and sewer infrastructure is up to date. Our electrical needs are being met. Converting what we can to leds, and our streetlights were just about done that full conversion there. To make sure that we’re also then being more efficient and also more cost effective. On our results there, too, because that impacts the average citizen on a daily basis, as well.

Poegel: Handling citizen concerns

Nicholson: That goes back to helping make the operations of city hall available. From the comforts of people’s homes. That’s something that we’re going to try to continue doing through our online permitting software, but also just making sure that we make City Hall available to the public, because those are the residents who we serve. And that’s why we’re here every day, is to make sure people are happy and comfortable and proud of the community they live in.

Poegel: An Art Center

Nicholson: We are working with the Gardner Area League of Artists, or GALA, as they refer to themselves, at making a new arts center in the City of Gardner. And while those plans are a little early on right now, I think we’ll see a very exciting opening, probably later this year In the greater Elm Street area.

Poegel: Another music venue.

Nicholson: We are working on some music options over on Rear Main Street, so that once that’s done, we can potentially expand our summer concert series, So it’s not just at Monument Park, but also on Rear Main Street by the food truck court tat’s planned for that area that’s there. So it should be an exciting time, especially for live music performances in Gardner.

Poegel: City Employee staff training.

Nicholson: This is something that we’re constantly working on, whether it be through a professional development seminar, or working with, you know, Mount Wachusett Community College. Seeing what we need to do to make sure our city employees have the resources that they need to be successful, but also meet the needs of the citizens. One of the things that we actually get asked for the most for our city employees is professional development class, to make sure that they understand the functions and an updated microsoft excel platform so that they know what formulas are there, what options are there, what functions are there. But also classes in other languages. Spanish Portuguese French different languages that we’re seeing come into the city for people who may have a language barrier. And whether it’s an employee learning how to speak just enough Spanish to get by, or if that means translating some of our permit applications into Spanish for the new residences that are here, that’s another training that we’re trying to see if it’s worth looking into there. But in any aspect, in any professional development course, especially for some of our department head levels, in order to keep certain certifications that they have, they’re required to do continued professional development, purchasing, building, health, anyone who has licenses in those departments, are required to do a certain number of continuing education classes a year. And that we’re going to try to continue that trend.

Poegel: Hiring enough personnel.

Nicholson: That’s something that, you know, we struggle with, just like everyone else is doing right now. But we’re trying to make it as attractive as we can. Our benefit package is very good. We still have pensions here in Gardner, which is something that private sector, you know, hasn’t heard of in over a decade. We’re really doing everything we can to make sure people realize the benefits of working for our team, benefits of serving the community in any way that you can, and really trying to get people in the door so that we can get new blood and new ideas.

Poegel: Mayor Nicholson as a city, how is Gardner addressing its project needs more effectively now than in the past? And what does the future hold in terms of even more effective planning?

Nicholson: You know, I guess it’s one of those things that I’ve said before, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.If we don’t have a vision for the city, not just to get us to the end of this year, but to get us through the end of the next five years, in the next decade, and really plan out a, for lack of a better term, monopoly board plan for the city, then what are we doing? We have to think about how can we best benefit the city in the long run.How can we get out of the silo of right here, right now and look at the better picture.That whoever the next mayor is has a better, you know, starting point than when I started in 2020. While, I have no plans on leaving Gardner, I’ll stay as long as the voters will keep me, That’s what you have to keep planning is how is the next generation going to benefit from what we’re doing now. And at what doors will what we do now open up for us in the next five to 10 years.

Poegel: Now, with various types of projects, like city buildings, private sector buildings and development, infrastructure, various initiatives, education, various programs, community events, community amenities and business recruitment, Among these, what is your greatest challenge going forward?

Nicholson: You know, I think honestly, Werner, this is going to sound as an interesting answer to this. I think one of the greatest challenges that we have here in Gardner is getting rid of certain ideas people have of the city that live here. And remarketing what’s in the city to the people who have lived here for decades. I think people have seen Gardner ebb and flow for so long that sometimes you get into a mindset that, that’s not Gardner, or that’s just not something that Gardner’s done before. We’ve never done things in that way, or we just don’t have a ability to do something here. When we do And it’s finding ways to break down that mental capacity that Gardner can be more than Gardner has been in the past. And just because we haven’t done something a certain way or certain fashion, or haven’t taken a new idea on a certain way in the past, doesn’t mean we can now and won’t in the future. And if we don’t get rid of that stigma, in that mindset, that we won’t be able to move forward to the community.

Poegel: Speaking of that, as Gardner marches to unprecedented success with its progress on various projects, what do you think is setting Gardner apart now, and what do you think will set Gardner apart in the future?

Nicholson: You know, I think what sets Gardner apart now is that we’re willing to try new things, and that’s caused us to have the investments that we’re seeing right now. You know, one of the things that I told one of the investors when they were first interested in coming to Gardner and weren’t sure, is that if we try something and it fails, we tried it and we learned from it. It’s not a full failure because it gave us the knowledge that’s there. So I’m always willing to try something just because of the benefit of the knowledge that we get as a result of it. And now that persons purchase four or five buildings Gardner now. I think if you can show that you’re willing to work with people, if you show that you’re willing to take a chance on something and learn from the experience, it really helps make us stand apart from other communities around us who may still be stagnant, and what they’ve been doing. And I think how this will help us set apart in the future is that the benefits that we’re seeing now, of that investment and how we stand out now helps us grow in the future, and really will help build a stronger community in the next decade.

Poegel: And Mayor Nicholson, my last question: What would you like the citizens of Gardner to know about your approach to the various projects completed, underway, soon to begin, or forecast for the future?

Nicholson: You know that’s a great question, Werner. And I think I’m gonna relate that back to my first ran for office in 20 20 I use the slogan, young ideas backed by experience. And what I meant by that is, new ideas that come should be given a chance. So if anyone in the city has any ideas on what you’d like to see, a business you want to see coming to downtown, whether you know the specific business or just the type of business it is, if there’s a project you’d like to see, a park that needs improvement or something like that, please let us know. Because in order to work for the community, we need community input. And that means letting us know what you’d like to see here in your home. And we’re willing to work with you. We’re willing to sit down and have those conversations and see how we can make Gardner the best place it could be.