Gardner City airport manager outlines wildlife fence, fuel and maintenance priorities as budget stays flat

Airport Manager Isabelle told members of the Gardner City Airport Commission on Tuesday that a MassDOT aeronautical and wildlife assessment at the municipal airport found wildlife hazards that likely will require a new fence and follow-up engineering work, and she urged commissioners to prioritize a small set of maintenance items now that the city budget is expected to remain flat.

The assessment included a wildlife survey and an aeronautical facilities review conducted in 2024, Isabelle said. “I had to sign a document that the state needed for the Mass aeronautical study,” she said. The airport manager said the study team walked the runway and taxiway, measured edge drop-offs and documented animal activity; she said a future fence on the west side of the runway would likely need to be about 10 feet high.

Why it matters: the assessment could lead to construction or mitigation measures paid in part by state or federal programs but requiring coordination with engineers, permitting and local spending. With the city’s near-term budget holding “flat,” Isabelle told commissioners the airport must pick a narrow set of immediate priorities to request funding for in the next budget cycle.

Most important facts

Isabelle said the MassDOT-linked study included a wildlife component and an…