Gardner City — The Economic and Community Development Committee voted April 4 to keep in committee an order (item 11510) to create an economic development and finance manager in the Community Development and Planning Department and a paired ordinance (item 11511) to add the job to the city’s nonunion compensation schedule.

The position would combine the duties of the department’s budget/project manager and its economic development coordinator into a single role, Director Stevens told the committee. "The position itself is a combination of both the budget slash project manager, which is more of a financial standpoint for the department, as well as the economic development coordinator, which is a more, I would say, like, front facing," Stevens said. He added that he would supervise the new hire and that combining the roles would create savings that could be used for specialized professional services if needed.

Committee members said they supported the idea in principle but wanted additional information before final approval. Councilor Tyra asked whether a formal review of department structure had been done, noting previous questions about whether the two separate roles had sufficient workload when held separately. "Communication has been at the forefront of my mind in terms of restructuring how my department runs," Stevens replied, describing efforts to reduce siloing through weekly team meetings and one-on-ones.

Members discussed training and succession: the committee was told that a former budget project manager, Katie Medina, has agreed to return on contract to train a new hire on Intelligrants, the federal grant reporting software used for Community Development Block Grant and other federal programs. Councilor Perez and others emphasized the need for a robust onboarding plan and asked staff to document recruitment experience from nearby HR offices; Stevens said he had contacted Fitchburg and Leominster to gather hiring information.

The committee also requested a market check on pay. Committee members referenced a $75,000 figure for the position in the packet and asked Stevens to provide a high-level comparison of the proposed salary and responsibilities with neighboring communities before the committee’s next meeting. The committee set an April 22 committee meeting to revisit both items and directed staff to bring the requested salary analysis and any responses from neighboring towns.

Motion and disposition: A motion to keep item 11510 in the Economic and Community Development Committee was made by Councilor Tyra and seconded by Councilor Heath; the motion passed on a voice vote. A separate motion to keep the companion ordinance item 11511 on the committee calendar for the April 22 meeting was made by Councilor Keith, seconded by President Tyra, and passed on a voice vote.

Why it matters: The combined role would centralize responsibility for project finance and external-facing economic development efforts, including signatory duties on financial documents and federal grant reporting. Committee members said the change is intended to improve internal communication and project continuity after past turnover and project delays.

Next steps: Staff will collect and present a regional salary comparison and report back on responses from Fitchburg and Leominster at the committee meeting on April 22; the committee kept both items in committee pending that information.