The Appointments Committee of the Gardner City Council on Sept. 24 voted to recommend that the full council confirm a series of mayoral appointments and reappointments to several city commissions, including multiple seats on the airport commission and reappointments to the cemetery and municipal grounds commissions.

The committee recommended confirmation of reappointments and new appointees the mayor presented: a long-serving airport commission member the mayor said was first appointed in 1982; reappointments of David Urquhart and James Woods to the airport commission; a new airport commission appointment, Alan Constantino; reappointments of John Adicki and Denise Merriam to the cemetery commission and municipal grounds commission; the appointment of Chuck LeHaye to both the historical commission and as an additional member of the cemetery commission; and the reappointment of Jeff (Jeffrey) Glenn to the golf commission.

Why it matters: These commissions oversee ongoing operations and maintenance that affect city services and facilities — including airport operations and projects, cemetery upkeep and municipal grounds, historic burial-ground preservation, and the municipal golf course enterprise.

Mayor's remarks and appointee backgrounds
The mayor introduced each appointee and highlighted experience relevant to the post. The mayor said one airport appointee has served continuously since an initial appointment by a prior mayor in 1982 and described that tenure as “a vast amount of institutional knowledge” for airport operations. The mayor also described airport projects under way, including runway reconstruction and vendor and tenant coordination, when presenting other airport commission reappointments.

Appointees introduced themselves in turn. One airport commission appointee summarized a professional background in aviation and aerospace work, saying he had “worked for two major airlines” and with Boeing on the 747 program. David Urquhart identified himself as having business experience in the community and having served on the airport commission since January 2022. James Woods told the committee he has been involved with the airport since 1984 and has served as commission chair. Alan Constantino said he owns a hangar at the airport, holds a pilot license and expects to retire from the Department of Corrections in the coming months.

On cemeteries and municipal grounds, the mayor characterized John Adicki and Denise Merriam as long-serving local volunteers with decades of service; Adicki said he first served on what was formerly the Recreation Commission before continuing on municipal grounds and cemetery matters since the 1990s. The mayor presented Chuck LeHaye as a long-time member of the historical commission who helped lead restoration of an old burial ground; LeHaye described earlier work restoring gravestones and mapping burial plots.

On the golf commission, the mayor presented Jeff Glenn, identified himself as a local CPA and long-time golf-course member; the mayor noted the golf course currently has strong membership and a healthy enterprise account and described the golf-commission seat as nonmonetary but carrying a family membership valued at $2,000 a year per city ordinance.

Votes at a glance
- Item 11628: Recommendation to confirm the mayor’s appointment of an airport commission member (long-serving appointee first appointed in 1982) — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11629: Recommendation to confirm the mayor’s appointment of Andre/ Greg (airport commission) — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11630: Recommendation to confirm the mayor’s appointment of David Urquhart to the airport commission — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11631: Recommendation to confirm the mayor’s appointment of James Woods to the airport commission — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11633: Recommendation to confirm the mayor’s appointment of Alan Constantino (new) to the airport commission — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11634/11635/11636: Recommendations to confirm John Adicki and related municipal-grounds and cemetery appointments — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11637/11638: Recommendations to confirm Chuck LeHaye to the historical commission and as a member of the cemetery commission — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.
- Item 11639: Recommendation to confirm Jeff (Jeffrey) Glenn to the golf commission — committee vote: motion to recommend passed by voice vote.

Process notes and next steps
Committee motions to recommend confirmation were typically made by Councilor Haglund and seconded by Councilor Kacinskas (as recorded during the meeting); the committee presented the slate to the full council for confirmation. Several appointees were invited to be sworn in at the next council meeting or to coordinate with the city clerk for swearing-in if they cannot attend.

Clarifying details
- Municipal-grounds stipend: committee discussion noted that municipal-grounds commissioners receive $750 annually and the chair receives $1,000 annually; the cemetery commission position is unpaid.
- Golf commission compensation: by city ordinance adopted in 1976, golf commission members receive a family membership (taxable value cited in the meeting as $2,000 per year).
- Airport work: committee discussion referenced a recently undertaken runway reconstruction project at Gardner Airport and the commission’s involvement in coordinating with vendors and tenants.

Ending
The committee repeatedly praised long-serving volunteers and described the roster of nominees as bringing institutional knowledge to city commissions. The committee recommended that the full Gardner City Council confirm the slate at an upcoming council meeting so appointees may be sworn in and begin their roles.