Gardner City COA flags utility, overtime shortfalls and approves tech grant equipment spending

The Gardner City Council on Aging board accepted minutes and the treasurer's report at its April 7 meeting, and heard that overtime and energy costs have pushed the senior center over budget for the fiscal year.

The board's treasurer, Terry (Treasurer), told members the center's overtime line is over budget but said she expects to cover the shortfall through year-end payroll adjustments and internal line-item transfers. "Overtime is ... over the budget but that will be rectified by the EFT for the end of the fiscal year," Terry said. She warned that rising energy and utilities costs — the single largest unexpected expense this month, about $4,000 — could force the board to seek an amended or supplemental budget if projections do not improve.

The treasurer's report also included program and grant accounting details: a $200 donation increased the gift fund balance (reported as about $90,008.46), the revolving fund spent about $3,009.96 in March, and a $2,400 allocation from a grant paid stipends to facilitators of support groups. Terry said the center received an Amazon refund (about $152.64) that was reclassified in accounting rather than netted against the prior month's expense. She also noted a projected small return of unspent tech-grant funds: "There is not a lot to report on that. . . all of our expenses have been incurred, with the exception of $1,471," she said, adding that the center will return that balance to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts per grant terms.

On technology spending, board members were given specifics about purchases and reclassifications under a multi-part technology grant. The center has bought Chromebooks (with internet service), a Meetboard (an interactive screen), owl cameras for improved audio/video, mobile production cards and additional laptops and wireless access upgrades. The board was told Zoom licenses were purchased for each facility and for the Meetboard units; two licenses per facility were bought to allow larger meetings, and an additional license was required for the Meetboard itself. Because the grant term required expenditures by the end of the grant period, staff reallocated money from planned tech-trainer stipends and intern lines into equipment purchases after the trainers could not be hired before the grant deadline.

Staff said the first draft of the final grant report is complete and the center will submit the final report by April 30; the center's presenter said the grant period ends at the end of May (reported as "5.30"). The board was told the equipment is being installed and tested and that the new hardware will expand remote programming and meeting production capabilities.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept minutes of Feb. 11, 2025: moved and seconded; approved by voice vote. - Motion to accept minutes of March 3, 2025: moved and seconded; approved by voice vote. - Motion to accept the treasurer's report and finance actions described: moved and seconded; approved by voice vote. - Motion to adjourn: moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.

The treasurer emphasized there is limited flexibility in some overhead lines and that if utilities continue at current rates the board could need to ask the city for an amended budget or supplemental appropriation. She recommended staff will prioritize internal transfers that are allowable (salary-to-salary and administrative-to-administrative transfers) before seeking outside adjustments.