Appointments committee recommends four mayoral appointments; library and animal-control resignations noted

The Gardner City Council appointments committee on April 1 recommended confirmation of four mayoral appointments to local boards and commissions and heard reports of two recent staff resignations.

The committee recommended that the full council confirm the mayor’s appointments of Laura Witter to the zoning board of appeals (term ending Jan. 22, 2028), Eric Flint to the planning board (term ending Jan. 7, 2028), Nicholas Summerhays to the conservation commission (term ending Feb. 13, 2028) and Emma Chapman to the Board of Health (term ending Feb. 27, 2028). Committee members voted “aye” on each recommendation.

Those confirmations matter because the appointments fill multiple vacancies that had required temporary 60‑day appointments for some candidates and because the Board of Health recently moved from a three‑member cap to a larger membership under a revised city ordinance, creating an additional seat to fill.

Laura Witter (identified during the meeting by the appointee as Lori Weeda) told the committee she has worked on zoning boards previously and said the existing Gardner board has been “very kind and welcoming.” Mayor Nicholson praised her work, saying he had been “very happy with Miss Weeda’s work on the zoning board of appeals” and that her explanations to applicants had been “thoughtful.” The committee voted to recommend confirmation of the mayor’s appointment to the full council.

Eric Flint, who is serving as a conservation planner for the city of Worcester and has held a 60‑day temporary appointment on Gardner’s planning board, said he moved to Gardner in October 2022 and described his background in wetlands regulation, land‑management planning and reviewing engineered site plans. He told the committee his professional experience allows him to “bring value” to the planning board. Committee members voiced support and recommended confirmation to the full council.

Nicholas Summerhays, who said he has been a Gardner resident since February 2016 and works as an IT project manager in government contracting, described attending three conservation‑commission meetings during a temporary appointment and said he could apply his experience with documentation and compliance to the commission. The mayor had previously given Summerhays a 60‑day temporary appointment to avoid quorum problems while vacancies were being filled; the committee recommended confirming the full term.

Emma Chapman, described by the mayor as having more than nine years of health‑care experience, said her work is “rooted in operations” and highlighted recent efforts to improve patient access at her practice. She told the committee she led a project to “develop a new patient access team” that reduced physician workload and “improved access throughout our health system,” an experience she said she would bring to the local Board of Health. The mayor noted this appointment is the first submitted under recently revised city ordinances that permit a larger board membership.

Separately, the committee received two personnel updates: the library director is evaluating how to redistribute duties after a 10‑hour‑per‑week staff member resigned, and an animal‑control officer, Cheryl Slack, submitted a 30‑day notice and will retire after nearly 20 years with the city. The mayor said Slack’s retirement was anticipated but the timing was not specified; he noted Slack had cited a desire to step back and also purchased a new dog shortly after submitting her notice.

Votes at a glance

- Item 11474 — Mayor’s appointment of Laura Witter to the zoning board of appeals (term exp. 01/22/2028). Committee motion to recommend confirmation: passed (ayes recorded). The appointee introduced herself in the meeting as Lori Weeda and described roughly six months of service on the zoning board of appeals to date.

- Item 11476 — Mayor’s appointment of Eric Flint to the planning board (term exp. 01/07/2028). Committee motion to recommend confirmation: passed (ayes recorded). Flint said he has served the 60‑day temporary appointment and described professional experience in conservation planning and wetlands regulation.

- Item 10501 — Mayor’s appointment of Nicholas Summerhays to the conservation commission (term exp. 02/13/2028). Committee motion to recommend confirmation: passed (ayes recorded). Summerhays said he attended three commission meetings during a temporary appointment and emphasized his familiarity with compliance and documentation.

- Item 11508 — Mayor’s appointment of Emma Chapman to the Board of Health (term exp. 02/27/2028). Committee motion to recommend confirmation: passed (ayes recorded). The mayor told the committee this is the first appointment submitted under a recently revised ordinance expanding possible Board of Health membership.

Budgetary or regulatory implications were not acted on during the meeting. Committee members noted that ties under Robert’s Rules — which the Board of Health follows — are treated as no votes; the mayor emphasized that expanding the board’s membership was handled by ordinance and that an even‑numbered board temporarily is addressed by standard procedure until a fifth member is appointed.

The committee’s recommendations go to the full Gardner City Council for final confirmation. The meeting record shows the committee convened with Chair Heath, Councilor Haglund and Councilor Kuzecas present and closed after the committee recommended confirmation on all four measures.