Leominster finance subcommittee approves supplemental appropriations, questions elevator and lighting costs at Gala Building

Leominster City’s finance subcommittee met at 6:00 p.m. and approved multiple supplemental appropriations covering facility repairs, public safety preparations and routine capital transfers while asking for more documentation on some cost items.

The subcommittee approved a $175,000 request for the Gala Building — presented in a letter from the mayor — to replace a failing elevator and participate in a state-sponsored lighting upgrade program. The mayor’s letter said a hydraulic piston developed a slow oil leak that led the oil pump to fail "causing smoke in the building and the potential for a fire," and recommended replacement for the 30-year-old elevator rather than a repair. The appropriation as presented included $90,000 for elevator work and $85,000 for the lighting upgrade, with the mayor’s office noting expected annual energy savings of approximately $17,000.

Members pressed for clearer contract documentation after the meeting record noted an initial contractor price near $87,000 and a purchasing-agent negotiation down to $70,000; one committee member asked why the mayor’s request still referenced the larger figure. The committee approved the Gala Building item with a recorded voice outcome reflecting a split on the precise amount requested and a 2–1 count noted in the transcript during discussion.

The subcommittee also approved a $250,000 transfer into the capital stabilization fund to begin funding a replacement for Engine 2, which the meeting record estimated at roughly $1 million when fully outfitted. Members discussed long lead times for apparatus procurement and said a FEMA grant is pending for future purchases, including an estimated $2.1 million ladder truck.

Other approved items included smaller, recurring or routine transfers: $5,600 from the cable access fund to upgrade the council chambers sound system; $25,000 to the council expense account (approved subject to a requested breakdown of legal versus conference costs); $67,200 to the school department drawn from fiscal-year rebates; and capital funds returned to the sewer and water departments totaling $725,156.74 and $868,821.15 respectively. The committee also approved $15,000 for the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center and $67,000 in library state-aid distributions.

Two items drew procedural notes: the Twin City Rail Trail maintenance payment of $8,000 was approved while one member recused herself because a building owned by her husband pays a city lease; and the committee ratified an emergency preamble to a $250,000 fire department overtime appropriation that the transcript records earlier as vote “801” with Councilor David Cormier abstaining.

Committee members said they will request a breakdown of the council expense overages and ask the mayor’s office for the state lighting program details before finalizing any related contracts. The subcommittee adjourned after ratifying the emergency overtime payment and completing the listed agenda items.

Quote highlights: "we all know that we've had some difficulties with the microphones here," the committee chair observed while introducing the $5,600 cable-access appropriation. Reading the mayor’s letter about the Gala Building, the chair quoted the emergency language: "the oil pump burned out, causing smoke in the building and the potential for a fire." The transcript shows members repeatedly requesting written backup for negotiated contractor pricing and program rebate details.

The subcommittee's actions will be forwarded to the full council as required; members said they expect to revisit paramedic staffing and detailed budgeting during the broader budget process.