[{"_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",6222152,"mediaKeyId","3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0","parentId",3610723,"title","City engineer proposes pay split with water, sewer and flags $40,000 MS4 consulting cost","audioSeconds",208,"startMs",34000,"endMs",242000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0&start=34&end=242","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0/thumbnail_34000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6222152/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/City-engineer-proposes-pay-split-with-water-sewer-and-flags-40000-MS4-consulting-cost","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222152-5e9d954238863645b63850ed6ef44c6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169257&Signature=KR5Bssx~qQ4UIQWlWVnZOttoJqpwJV3bf9Iq08HCdCw7p6Pj8tTtsw~nLHf8MDdfGhRHbKLwO~HTzqMgjpBYuj7L5BYnQZYQvnUos5k8BeyBkvdS-VznTDl-yyi~UMm56WAKCeSQFcu0jsQRbwPCT7Q3G1aBKQM8IxIc~1kLkdGjKdQmX9m4y6VFUX8F-cii3f7MHyubUzl0LO790PzQzahjE-hd5iGffInBxZBNrnf9Mj2MmtOZ7cb0ztcMHKW7Z0SvmtwzKdsNNkVV78m2kz4CrHRxhNSK5IeP6e0YN67TLtm8bFMvEaDoiN8ol6ir2KvQNxA8UysjiN5IgqqN4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Gardner City, MA","date","2025-05-30T15:33:27Z","article","Rob, the city engineer, told the Gardner City Public Service Committee on May 30 that the mayor’s proposed budget includes a restructuring of his and the GIS coordinator’s salary allocations to one-third city, one-third water and one-third sewer, and that change reduces the engineering department’s requested city-funded salary amount.

The change matters because the engineering department handles work for the city’s water and sewer operations and for mapping and record keeping that the GIS coordinator supports, Rob said. He told the committee the proposed split would replace the current allocation, which he described as 50% city and 25% water and 25% sewer for the city engineer’s pay.

Rob said the engineering budget as proposed shows a decrease of nearly $49,000 compared with 2025, and that almost $45,000 of that reduction is salary-related. He also noted a recurring $40,000 consulting line for work tied to the city’s MS4 permit — the municipal stormwater discharge permit administered under EPA rules — which remains in the proposed budget.

Rob described forthcoming changes to the MS4 permit that will require the city to retrofit municipal properties with stormwater treatment devices or other controls. “The requirements of our MS 4 permit through EPA, which is our stormwater discharge permit, are changing,” he said. “One of the things we’re going to be required to do very soon is retrofitting municipal properties with stormwater treatment devices or other controls. That’s going to require engineering survey engineering actual construction.”

A committee member asked whether grants might cover those costs. Rob replied that he had looked for grant opportunities but said they are limited: “Every community has to do this. So grants are kind of few and far between, unfortunately.”

Rob also explained how encumbered professional-services accounts affect reported “actuals.” He said some years require more consultant work than others and that encumbered funds are used to smooth those costs, which can make the year-to-year “actuals” totals look different from the annual budget line items.

No motion or formal vote was taken during the engineering discussion. Committee members asked clarifying questions; staff described the mayor’s proposal and the department’s estimate of work upcoming under the MS4 permit but did not adopt a funding decision at the meeting.

Committee questions and staff answers during the May 30 meeting will inform follow-up budget deliberations later in the city review process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Gardner Public Service Committee Meeting May 30 2025 Part 1 of 3","oneSentenceSummary","Rob, the city engineer, told the Gardner City Public Service Committee on May 30 that the mayor’s proposed budget includes a restructuring of his and the GIS coordinator’s salary allocations to one-third city, one-third water and one-third sewer, and that change reduces the engineering department’s requested city-funded salary amount.","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},6222144,"City staff outline step-based pay schedule after reviewing last year’s flawed salary study",0,484000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0&start=484&end=484","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0/thumbnail_484000.jpg","/articles/6222144/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/City-staff-outline-step-based-pay-schedule-after-reviewing-last-years-flawed-salary-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222144-d343b7bb6e2dd255e4fb3c169e7a9864/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169257&Signature=kRErbFt0hbQLioKZv3OXCnVMclGvOd6b~9BgV1q72Q5vmiwpVvAtOU9MzvTugMQuRPeX5nt7x-eeICnOAFkiXkdBk5SiqbKP-cXR276DtpGefrSELwZndPLWqlNHj8UTa9qsMZ9VOUkUxRpcuuY6dXREMjfb2B7jdGpGLgRb8BFFMwbaY5px9~JmIajeGAilnGk2q9TDdgy96NL9xXdVe-zlVY0wmYHJN52XNT6z6k-oZwnOrrNe5jPSXksYDEEw0tcV3wpDE-Qiy3bmdA4sbKb6ODioWVneg89-MYlYGyXJGWY~HFeTimLn4z7w12gS9S5JoS2iWJ8mLSRs5Q~MXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A staff presenter told the Gardner City Public Service Committee on May 30 that a city salary study completed last year had shortcomings, and that a small group of department leaders had developed a step-based compensation schedule they consider fairer and more likely to retain employees.

The presenter said the original study was a starting point but had flaws: it was hard to compare some Gardner jobs with positions in other communities because duties differ, and the study used a 50% benchmark that the group considered a low bar. “There was a lot of flaws in the study itself, but it was at least a starting point for the department heads to look at,” the presenter said.

To respond, the presenter said a group including the auditor, the HR director, the city engineer, the city assessor and the presenter produced a spreadsheet covering the city’s 61 ordinance positions and proposed step increases at years 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 to mirror the structure of union contracts. The presenter said the first notable finding was that only 13 employees had five years or more service, a fact the group said indicated employee turnover and loss of institutional knowledge. The presenter argued that a step schedule could improve retention and in some cases save the city money over time.

The presenter framed the proposal as a staff-developed compensation schedule to be considered in the budget process; no formal adoption or vote occurred at the committee meeting. Committee members asked clarifying questions about how encumbered funds and actuals interact with line-item budgets during the session, but the step-schedule work was presented as a planning item for budget deliberations rather than a final decision.

If adopted in later budget actions, the step schedule would adjust starting salaries and create periodic step increases to bring positions closer to market over employees’ tenure, according to the presenter. The presenter did not provide exact dollar amounts for each step during the May 30 discussion.","A staff presenter described work by a small group of department leaders to revise a city salary schedule after identifying problems in a recently completed salary study. The group proposed a step schedule tied to years of service for 61 ordinance positions, noting only 13 employees had five or more years of service and saying a step system could",{"_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},6222149,"Conservation agent salary line set for 82% increase in Gardner City proposed budget",43,318000,361000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0&start=318&end=361","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3610723-d1923db212ae9ca4a8b8c16293a887c0/thumbnail_318000.jpg","/articles/6222149/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Conservation-agent-salary-line-set-for-82-increase-in-Gardner-City-proposed-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6222149-d25d71b0abe5bbd545136e21f5d8f514/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169257&Signature=YKo4ZTOxzdN5IawKUTJrzYKCr2~hQeYPAYvLrwes5m6lbkgisls81FJXWBmZCK7D9hQDrhKErLCxWPaiUGlx-ZACes-ibHnaJBxoMV7uKwur7krd67Vo6QRSJLt3-24JvEx-0IF~tqDKAdjbasUAWvUeE6GNZDo6dbEGKxmDzeox-GFFeSyYqru-sFJiSyCmv6ioPkOL5nbYFRpvnX8xPc~Ij~V0YBjcxLbaBzFQAimlAENLS1h~LwOy0oeWBRx3~QmF7O78k6CfRfwJBq3B3Nu1OE8ef8OfNv7bYmSnPm96ylzusxvJlO4sfX4ZZcvw~SZI2a~Mipc50T-w8Ep-bA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Gardner City presenter told the Public Service Committee on May 30 that the proposed conservation department budget keeps most line items unchanged but increases the conservation agent salary and wages by about 82 percent to reflect added responsibilities.

The presenter said the higher salary line recognizes the amount of time Justin — identified in the meeting as the conservation agent — has spent addressing the needs of the conservation commission over the last five months. “All the line items stay the same except for conservation agent salary and wages accounting for 82% expected increase and slightly more, than that just to represent Justin's responsibilities,” the presenter said.

The presenter described the increase as intended to match the workload the commission has required recently; no separate new program or capital expenditure was proposed in the conservation budget discussion. Committee members did not press for additional detail at the meeting and there was no motion or vote on the conservation budget during this session.

The conservation agent was reported to be out of town for professional development; the presenter said the department expects the agent’s responsibilities to continue supporting the conservation commission and that the budget line reflects that anticipated workload.","A city presenter told the Public Service Committee that all conservation department line items are unchanged except the conservation agent salary and wages, which are budgeted for an 82% increase to reflect expanded duties. The presenter noted the increase reflects recent workload and the time Justin has spent addressing conservation commission","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City engineer proposes pay split with water, sewer and flags $40,000 MS4 consulting cost

City staff outline step-based pay schedule after reviewing last year’s flawed salary study

Conservation agent salary line set for 82% increase in Gardner City proposed budget