Gardner building commissioner outlines staffing shortfalls, permit delays and GovWell pilot
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Summary
New building commissioner reported a roughly three-week permit review lead time and 2–3 day inspection waits, urged earlier department involvement in projects and recommended piloting GovWell for permitting and records scanning.
Melissa McDonald, Gardner's new building commissioner, told the City Council on Oct. 17 that the department is operating with minimal staff, producing longer permit review times and strained day-to-day operations. "The inspector's workload has resulted in approximately a 3 week lead time for permit review and 2 to 3 [day] wait for inspections," McDonald said, adding staff consistency remains a critical need.
McDonald said she hopes other departments will "loop me in earlier, particularly during the planning stages so we can identify issues proactively and keep projects on track." She proposed a council committee to provide regular check-ins for the building department and flagged a separate scanning project to digitize files and improve public records response.
McDonald recommended the council consider GovWell, a permitting and workflow platform. "This platform appears to be a strong fit for Gardner," she said, describing GovWell as offering built workflows, resident-facing inquiry tools and unlimited support that would reduce staff burden. She said she plans to visit a Norwood operation in early November to review implementation logistics and invited council members to join.
Councilors responding to McDonald's report encouraged patience while the new commissioner stabilizes operations; one councilor advised McDonald to coordinate changes through the mayor because the mayor is the department head. McDonald said additional maintenance support and a staffing plan remain top needs so she can focus on permitting and coordination.
McDonald also noted that some of her duties overlap with zoning board of appeals work and that she wants to help residents navigate a confusing process, including building maintenance requests and workflows she is developing with other staff. She asked for guidance on whether a council committee would be an appropriate place to provide regular oversight or support.
The council did not take formal action on staffing or the GovWell recommendation at the meeting.
