[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6228932,"mediaKeyId","3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110","parentId",3465558,"title","Gardner City safety committee recommends FY2026 budget, flags police and fire overtime requests and nonunion pay grid change","audioSeconds",2681,"startMs",63000,"endMs",2744000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110&start=63&end=2744","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110/thumbnail_63000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6228932/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Gardner-City-safety-committee-recommends-FY2026-budget-flags-police-and-fire-overtime-requests-and-nonunion-pay-grid-change","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6228932-46a5dbe5eb4ab9da0f63b703c891c9e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436879&Signature=g9e3UDQ8aks899JlG7QE7YDVqRMd2PmCpTWhBnhX61LxVHcbun2FoRjwyeG64ZNsF6l7wVXZjwX9YVJxXSZDO35aj4arA59SfJ-1hP4Xoekhm7RjhkV-8Y0RzXaGBdDASjzd4q-Gxq~WuW2uglaJezIsWnS4CMezKOp4oU5yII6yR9pSZ6jRjHZM~zt2F-rky3hbaDRIokY2OITk16ndZFOcTZZIyilnEJUO9G~CTC9dNVAUYNznK6w-8FOwGJJFYrx9IMmbkpuXyEZQ51VsH5nfx-m-Wss8z0KN1ldM87mbeEzgn0ZXLk~jUrGwepGm5X2HDls815t9jhtpExYPVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Gardner City, MA","date","2025-05-23T16:40:05.243Z","article","The Gardner City Public Safety Committee voted May 22 to recommend the City Council approve the city’s proposed FY2026 budget as presented, citing a roughly 2% increase over last year and a series of department-specific pressures that will require follow-up action by councilors and staff.

Committee leaders said the city’s budget team built revenue projections conservatively — using about 96% of the three‑year average on many line items — and that several departments will seek free‑cash appropriations this year to cover mid‑year overages. The committee approved the recommendation by voice vote (motion by Councilor Brooks; second by Councilor Hardin). All members present voted in favor.

The committee’s discussion focused on a handful of high‑priority cost drivers. The fire department will ask the full council for a free‑cash appropriation to cover an overtime overage estimated at $260,000, primarily attributed to deployments, injuries and mutual‑aid responses. The police department expects a free‑cash request of about $170,000, driven largely by vacancies and the need to backfill officers on overtime.

Budget staff said several near‑term workforce changes should relieve some pressure: a number of recruits are in the pipeline and several attendees noted fire‑academy graduations expected between now and September. Still, officials cautioned that unplanned events could continue to push overtime needs upward.

The mayor and the auditor described a change to the city’s salary ordinance (item 11539) for nonunion employees. Instead of a single compensation schedule, the administration proposed a step grid: the FY2025 pay rates were set as the first step, the grid applies 4% between steps, and the grid creates a clearer multi‑step pay path intended to improve retention. A city salary survey informed the change; two nonunion positions — the director of veteran services and the senior center director — were below the survey minimums and were adjusted upward to meet that minimum.

Departmental presentations identified other recurring and one‑time pressures included in the budgets. Solid‑waste and recycling costs rose: the city’s trash contract contains a built‑in 3% price increase and recycling revenue remains volatile because commodity markets fluctuate. Environmental monitoring at the solid waste landfill reflected a roughly 5% contractual increase over the prior year, similar to the prior year’s rise. Staff said they are seeking to build free cash for major repairs to the landfill, including replacement of leachate pumps.

On the landfill, officials said the leachate collection system relies on six pumps that are near the end of their service life after about 20 years of operation. City staff cited a prior estimate that replacement work could be in the neighborhood of $45,000 (estimate dated to a 2022 scope) and said they are obtaining updated quotes. The city’s environmental monitoring reports showed stable levels and no indication of leachate breaching groundwater, but staff also flagged erosion on the landfill cap as a separate maintenance need.

Several departmental leaders raised requests that were not accommodated in the budget this year. The building department sought funding to convert a part‑time plumbing and gas inspector (currently 20 hours per week) to a full‑time position; budget staff said the city could not fund that increase in FY2026 but that it remains a long‑term goal. Vehicle replacements for several departments — including continued rotation of police cruisers and at least one building‑department vehicle that failed inspection — were discussed as capital priorities that may require free‑cash funding or future budget adjustments.

Police and fire chiefs and other presenters reiterated staffing challenges. Committee discussion referenced National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) staffing guidance and how current local staffing levels fall short of those recommendations. Officials said federal grant programs exist to fund additional public‑safety positions temporarily, but they warned that many grants fund a declining share of a position over a multi‑year period and involve clawback risks if a municipality cannot sustain the positions after the grant ends. The committee and staff noted Gardner’s scheduled pension liability payoff in the early 2030s will shape longer‑term capacity to add recurring positions.

Next steps: by recommending the budget as presented, the safety committee forwarded the FY2026 package and flagged multiple free‑cash appropriation requests that will appear before the full City Council for approval. Staff said they will return updated cost estimates for the landfill pump work, and department heads will continue to brief councilors on hiring and vehicle plans as recruitment and equipment quotes evolve.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Gardner Public Safety Committee Meeting May 22 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Gardner City Public Safety Committee voted May 22 to recommend the City Council approve the city’s proposed FY2026 budget, noting a roughly 2% increase and several free‑cash requests for police and fire overtime.","taxTitle","Gardner City, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",60679,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6228923,"Safety committee recommends approval of two secondhand‑articles licenses to full council",0,3374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110&start=3374&end=3374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110/thumbnail_3374000.jpg","/articles/6228923/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Safety-committee-recommends-approval-of-two-secondhandarticles-licenses-to-full-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6228923-0d48e669595d0fe26072dd8663b01d3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436879&Signature=X663KhSxbPB~2En0o7inOwHkEemArUlKa0U8sq1q2KObwXiHZUYHmZDdmfBwIXWbEV~L1bWU1b1MkZYdLRd3Zd-Rs~McdMqupprwNe~9gMe0c87NVet8jA73v9U0PFqEKCSEKy15t~BDHeFSQxZw84RbXUPTLEuWC5B~L~fhAykCGkQMzF-rPsHCKuOrShtQNngSh51OcOkkzeOA4jVrJ~73MTVDhhSIyMuaaNOdoDTkxFj2l0FxdE9rXUhrwy6zUa4LpvFVFuGOFc6zqL4HhIlLdYRDd-3HvQ1wTzgNiSVpSYFFXWWFSYaCnW2yRTpF0JPPNH-6hivlHE5ia5uL-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gardner City Public Safety Committee on May 22 recommended that the full City Council approve two collector/dealer in secondhand articles licenses: After You Click the Deal at 18 Parker Street and Hopeful Boutique at 29 Pleasant Street.

The police department reported no issues or concerns with either application. The committee voted to send both license applications to the full council with favorable recommendations (motion for 18 Parker Street by Councilor Hardin, second by Councilor Brooks; similar motion and second for 29 Pleasant Street). All members present voted in favor of both recommendations.

The recommendations will proceed to the full council for final licensing action.","The Public Safety Committee recommended that the full City Council approve two secondhand‑articles dealer licenses at its May 22 meeting after the police department raised no objections.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6228927,"Gardner City activates new parking meters downtown; ParkMobile app introduced, enforcement surge reported",745,2654000,3399000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110&start=2654&end=3399","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3465558-5981425c2d0f0c17306f4b4e978b8110/thumbnail_2654000.jpg","/articles/6228927/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Gardner-City-activates-new-parking-meters-downtown-ParkMobile-app-introduced-enforcement-surge-reported","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6228927-10c7eb7b0b984c709cc0e7679811dd00/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436879&Signature=mmS~3bWtUbsYFTX0f5TpydsYEKRDP62QaYpGSg8v79833ZZZ8hk86TnUaKyqxDmFyIRnN0vodDjAwlfcIKVeKGzOY~2CzgXoGmZW~jRuSwxnoKCdCbwnThiTEc57DrKsYN~ImNTJ4hoiOBOEO9onM~4hhgbjI6doCbImJQij8uhWALJUlqXTgYFDYbZ7QACXOBjS13AnTBTPgfj4z0M2KQCMPAomtJH3C56bxhSsogTm9u~jJn6iuHRmYnPp~wtucL1W188xCUexHlRKLyd68S5k~nDrWTwIOLds6xFAjbLbt2oUn5UOe08o~hpsVezn2-AQyJpdfLweMSSTJIJpCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gardner City officials told the Public Safety Committee on May 22 that most newly ordered parking meters have been installed and activated across the municipal Parking Meter District, that a mobile payment option (ParkMobile) is available and that enforcement of paid parking produced a sharp uptick in appeals and citations after activation.

Director Cormier and other staff reported the majority of meters had been programmed; about 80% were updated in their programming run, while a limited number require new parts or full replacement because of age or firmware incompatibility. Staff said the city purchased some new meters and also re‑used older housings when possible.

Officials described the payment options: coins accepted directly at the meter; ParkMobile provides a credit card payment path but the meter itself does not have an embedded cellular connection and therefore will not change its color from red to green when paid via the app. City enforcement staff can scan newly paid meters to verify payment status. The committee was told ParkMobile charges a vendor convenience fee of $0.40 per transaction; the city’s parking rate remains the council‑approved 50¢ per half hour.

Staff described the cost of new hardware at roughly $750 per meter (including housing, internal mechanisms, domes and posts) and said procurement quotes were in hand for additional replacements and programming parts. The DPW did much of the physical installation; a new parking‑meter maintenance technician, Tom Roberts, was hired to maintain and collect from meters, and DPW staff temporarily supported installation during prior staffing gaps.

Enforcement began immediately after activation. The police department reported heavy initial enforcement activity — one day produced 61 citations — and the civil‑enforcement office has seen appeals increase by roughly 600%–700% over a recent two‑week period as the public adapts to renewed paid parking. Committee members and the police chief said the city needs a short retraining and public‑education period because paid enforcement has been inactive for several years and many downtown parking habits changed during the COVID era.

Staff also clarified one local detail: meters will be reinstalled in the five City Hall Avenue spaces closest to Pleasant Street, per the safety‑committee vote and the parking‑meter district ordinance; remaining City Hall Avenue and Connor Street spaces will remain unmetered, and staff said they had notified the post office and its employees about the arrangement.

No committee vote was required for the update; staff will continue to complete programming and replace aging units as procurement and parts availability allow.","City officials said newly installed downtown parking meters are largely active, that ParkMobile is available for credit‑card payment (with a 40¢ convenience fee charged by the vendor) and that enforcement led to a large spike in appeals and citations in the first days of paid parking.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Gardner City safety committee recommends FY2026 budget, flags police and fire overtime requests and nonunion pay grid change

Safety committee recommends approval of two secondhand‑articles licenses to full council

Gardner City activates new parking meters downtown; ParkMobile app introduced, enforcement surge reported