WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=HQW267uyPQc

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: HQW267uyPQc):
- 00:00:00: Budget Review Introduction; Termination Leave Explanation
- 00:05:41: Restructuring Savings; Mackie Park Closeout; Rear Main Project
- 00:14:14: Public Comment: Food Truck Festival Rear Main Street
- 00:19:03: Green Memorial Pool Demolition and Other Service Projects
- 00:24:31: Grant Funding Success: CDBG, Land Use, MassWorks
- 00:32:16: Budget Recommendation and Approval to Full Council
- 00:33:51: Mackie Park Project Resolution Completion and Approval
- 00:37:41: Discussion of Upcoming Community Development Projects
- 00:39:19: General Comments, Adjournment, Praise for Department


Part: 1

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so incredibly helpful, especially when the department takes the time to um cite all of those, you know, really put in their support for their budget and their reasoning. This is a really tough budget year. Last year was a really tough budget year. Um we have some deficits to

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make up in certain departments of the city. Um you know, it is tough to argue with a $7,600 um net decrease on your budget. um we don't see that in departments very often where they're like hey I'm doing less than last year because I I can and I can

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maintain level services or you know improve things or whatever. It's it's hard for them to be able to do that. So I think with the restructuring of the department clearly you were a huge part of that when you started because you had staff and then no staff and then new staff and all of the things. So um I

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think that's very unique to your department and the mayor would know better than I do is because he has direct contact with all the departments and all the nuances that go on with them every day. But uh I do think this is probably a unique situation uh for your department. But we've got to start from somewhere. Uh so having for you to

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submit all of the supporting documentation, I think it is worth us, you know, kind of going through if you want to just kind of high level each one of those areas. Um because when we go to the council and we have our overall budget hearing with the council, if there is any questions about this particular budget, councelor Heath and I

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will be able to justify that. I mean, obviously all this information is public. It's available to the council, but when it comes, this is why we do this in committee. It's because when it comes to everybody, you can't know everything about everything. So, we're able to report out on it. So, I think we should do that. Um, just one I I had, you know, just going through it

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preliminarily. Um, and thank you for submitting it as early as you did to us. Um, so that we would have the information ahead of time. Um, you know, I didn't really have nothing really stood out. Again, there wasn't that decrease. Um we

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because we worked so closely on a lot of these items that are in here from kind of your start, none of it was a huge surprise. Um just again though more so as a reminder for the public. Um so the termination leads item. Um so line 51551

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uh FY25 we have an actual of $46,97345 and then you know moving forward we have nothing. Can you just explain again what termination leave would mean in that case? >> Yeah, absolutely. So termination leave is what we pay out in terms of individuals paid time off that they're owed when they leave. Uh so right now how this is operated in the city's

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budget is that there is a consolidated line item in the mayor's unclassified budget that's uh got a certain amount of money in it. And if someone leaves uh we don't pay out sick time, but we pay uh vacation personal and sick incentive time. That's what's paid out of that account. Uh so to adequately track who's

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left what department when we get notification of either a resignation or a retirement or uh someone leaving service here with the city for any other means uh that amount is tallied up by the human resources department in an hourly basis then sent over to the auditor's department who assigns a

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dollar amount to the amount of vacation time or paid time off that's earned as a result of that and then that amount is transferred from the mayor's unclassified termination leave account into that department's termination leave account. So, it's specifically tracked as to what department and position it

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went to. Uh, but it's not in the upfront operating budget because we don't know who's going to leave in a given year. We may know that someone who is planning to retire in a certain amount of months, but we don't know if someone's going to get a new job somewhere else too if a new opportunity arises for them or if there's a termination or separation of service or things of that nature. So,

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that's why it's not directly pre-budgeted in the individual departments, but in the consolidated account. Uh, so we know that there's money available in there. We know it's a salary appropriation. So it can go from salary account to a salary account which termination leave is. Um but it's something that's just tracked in a

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different way. >> Thank you. And so and obviously this this is something that exists if it isn't needed or it comes up or whatever it is. And I just want to be really clear that termination is if there's a choice to leave or if there's um retirement or if someone is terminated

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from their position for other reasons. It it applies to all of it. It is it's a it's a benefit basically. Um because again that's something that you're not going to see necessarily all the time. It's going to phase itself out as as over time goes. Um but it is like one of those things that really I mean there isn't a lot of things that really stick

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out in your budget but that's one of those things where it's like oh that's this one thing this one time where did that come from? Where did that go? Well yeah people leave and this is what happens. It's also I think I think a tribute to the that is to the department whereas if it's retention we can keep people here and exercising the benefits

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while they're working for us and helping the city move along. Um especially your department brings in is one of the only departments that brings in money to the city and helps us with our costs and expenses. Um so that is also I think a unique quality to your department as well. But um it's one of those things

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that it's um with the restructuring of your department, what we've done to be able to make it efficient, hopefully we won't see that again for a long time. >> Hoping to keep it zeroed out that that you're exists uniquely as there were four positions that had left in that fiscal year. Well, and I think it also

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explains, it answers a question that if it is zeroed out, like once we get in a few years and there's no more there, and everyone hopefully is is happy, healthy, and the department's great, which is always, you know, is always the goal. I'm okay with that line sitting in there zeroed out like we've had no termination leave in the last 5 years. You know,

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it's one of those things where we plan for it's budgeted. I totally understand that, but it's a tribute to the department if you can, you know, keep people here and keep things running with um a group for a long time and who do a good job. So, um, okay. If you do want to do, like I said, just kind of a high

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level overview of the narrative that you submitted with it. I'll start kind of with the the $7,000 um decrease to our budget is largely thanks to the restructuring that we were able to accomplish over the last um last fiscal

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year um with Iris's new position economic development finance manager that allowed us to look a lot deeper at what those responsibilities of her position were and make the justification to EOHLC that a larger percentage of her

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um day-to-day work was under the um direct for the direct administration of those CDBG funds. Um so we wouldn't have been able to accomplish that without um that restructure. So wanted to start with uh the thanks for that and allowing

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the department uh the ability to to make that choice um in restructuring and the the support that we received uh with that. I'm sorry too with that too. That was also a $30,000 savings through benefits. >> And by combining those two positions and

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that is how >> in city budgeting, city government, in operations, that is how we get creative. Like people always say you have to be creative with it. That to me was a creative thing to do. And I think again it just it made it more your your department run the way that we really

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needed to run for the city. So, I just I know we said it at the time cuz it it's it's hard to do that when you're offering when you're going to increase a seller for selling chain and make a new position, but I just think that the way that we did that is something that will stick with me in the future if we need

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to um do similar restructuring or whatever it is. But, but it has worked. So, I just I just think it's worth pointing out that again. Thank you. >> Um in terms of accomplishments, very high level uh Mackie Park. Um, we've talked about that and I think every single meeting that we've we've we've

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been here and now it's it's um >> near it's it's it's it's closing out. Um, but the requirements for um ADA compliant uh structures, the ramp uh removal of the um bike racks that were

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placed um leading into the concrete uh um surfaces leading to the ramp. um the ADA compliant uh tabletop surfaces offering both recreational play as well as um passive um just regular seating

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tables. We call it passive use. Um but the funding uh getting that together and um wrapping up that project and send sending in the uh final response to the architectural access board to have that park be closed out uh under their under

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their toutelage and and guidance. Um, which they officially closed out at 8:35 this morning. >> Oh, great. >> Yes. >> Wonderful. >> Victor just sent the email. >> Yep. >> Okay. Good. We'll get there. >> Wow. >> This is the last time >> agenda

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>> happened while we're in the meeting. That's that's fantastic. >> That's a sign. >> It's not for nothing. It is all for um the rear main project. Um unless unless that's that's kind of it for Mac Park. We'll get more into it. Uh the rear main project, there were multiple

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issues that we faced um with that project. Uh the subsurface conditions, uh the timeline of of the grant funding, needing an extension, uh as well as kind of moving around uh the line items from like say um engineering and design, not

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utilizing all of those funds and moving it into um utilities and all the underground work that we've had. um you know things within the grant but not actually increasing the actual grant amount um or the cost um to the city outside of the 800,000 that we received

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for the unexpected bond proceeds to do that subsurface work. Um so with the intention of having that complete for uh now July 10th uh of this year um they're getting prepared for

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paving out there. They've done work with almost all of the uh main street businesses in preparation for that project uh to uh formalize all of the uh utility uh hookups for for those main street businesses uh on the back side of

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their basement units. um and getting ready for Nat Grid to come in, remove the poles, form hook up um those underground conduit units, install the install install the conduits, hook up to the main street businesses, and um

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remove those overhead poles. Um, so looking forward to that project being completed because that has been um probably my number one priority has been the rear main project because I know how much it means to the downtown, the businesses, the residents. One of the

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the main complaints that we get is the parking availability. And the one of the main comments I get is what is going there? And so I'll just take a moment to to reiterate as as I have um it's going to be uh non-metered parking available

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to the public. um overnight with a green space, um water feature, kind of like a third space for people to go to um and be a lot more inviting for people who want to visit the downtown uh for the downtown's employees, for their local

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businesses, the business owners themselves, the residents who live in the uh apartment units in downtown. Um by and large, that's the number one thing that we hear from them. And so we're very happy to provide that um parking access as well as formalizing

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the uh utility road behind Main Street businesses to provide better access for uh um trash pickup, oil deliveries, as well as uh paving it so that it's easier for snow removal in the winter cuz I know in the past years we've they've

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faced some pretty significant challenges with um receiving those deliveries and we've done our best to to meet them and and uh um make sure that those these past winters have been as um least disruptive as possible. So looking

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forward to that being done. North Central Pathway, we formalized um the first phase of of that pathway through uh the paving of Crystal Lake Drive uh up to the pathway itself. And the pathway phase has been completed. The

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25% design of the remainder of the pathway has been largely completed. the only there's only one um existing comment which is for Pearly Brook um reservoir and the stream crossing of which National Grid is going to be the

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ones um we we had the um call yesterday actually and a site visit with Mass D to visit the site um to review the conditions and to reiterate to National Grid that they need to provide stabilization to the site and they

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reiterate ated that they have an engineer um specifically designing the uh replacement um box cover that they're going to be putting in place. >> So National Grid was there on Mass E was there at the same time. Mass. We had the

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site visit with Mass D and then later in the day we had a call with between mass DOT national grid time bond uh who is the engineer who is had uh completed the 25% design and myself where and Justin uh the conservation agent to reiterate

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the sentiments from mass D on the site conditions. >> Right. Okay. Thank you. So that they understand that that culvert needs to be replaced >> and it's on their dollar >> and it is on their dollar. Great. Thank It is not going to be the responsibility of the city to do that replacement. >> That's great. That changes things in our

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>> It makes it honestly this this this project will be completed in with National Grid largely. I I keep saying setting the red carpet for us. They're expanding the actual pathway. They're clearing a lot of the the greenery that needs to be cleared as part of their

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A1B2 project because they understand that this is going to be for their right of way um if they need to get access to the substation. uh between Park Street and 140. Uh this is going to be their formal pathway um when emergencies arise. So they know that we're symbiotic

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uh in this in this >> the war counselor as well. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm happy for it. However, >> I already know what's going to happen. But I do want to um go ahead and ask a couple questions just before we go any further. Um >> National Grid has been way more

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responsive than they have >> Yes. >> in the recent. That's definitely great. Um, and I wanted to comment on the uh rare main streets looking beautiful over there. Um, drove by it just the other day. Looks great. Um, you know, as a kid, I lived right there above the Blue

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Moon Diner. Um, one of those little trashy apartments. Um, at the time it I think they're really nice now. I know someone lives in there, but at the time it was really bad. But, um, you know, I had a bad nephew or cousin who uh set the woods on the fire in the back over

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there where they they're not there anymore. So, >> so when I go by there, I get little flashbacks and I see how beautiful it looks. >> So, the question I had is, >> are we going to have the food truck fest back there this year? >> I'm happy to answer that. Uh, if that's

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okay. Um, if the progress is substantially sufficient by the time that the July 12th food truck festival comes around, then the goal would be to have the ribbon cutting and food truck festival for remain at the location at the same day. Right now, the food truck festival

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is still planned for here at city hall. That way, if something happens over there and progress is delayed, we have the same location with it. I would rather start at city hall and move it to Rear Main Street rather than move it to someplace that's not ready for it yet and then have to move it back to here. Um I feel like there's just a difference

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in vibe for lack of a better term in that types of uh situation. So uh to be determined based off of progress at the site, but I think having that would be the goal in the end. >> It's getting people to a space and utilizing for something and seeing

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really what it's for I think is is a good plan and food check was a good, you know, for it. The space wouldn't actually be fully open for the public following the end of the food truck festival. There is about 3 weeks of work happening um outside of the rear of the

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actual parking area. Um the formalization of and the additional conduit going uh next to Priscilla's Candy Shop um that actually provides the electrical service for the parking area. So we don't want to have overnight parking without there being any lighting

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um in the park. So it would be uh the ribbon cutting as the park would be uh completed itself and then closure of the park for another three weeks following the food truck festival uh for that electrical service to be provided to the site. >> And you know I think that's something we

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want to consider is we want to send we don't want to send a mixed message. So like if it's not worth having a food truck festival there, just don't do it. Like because it's like and now they're closed, you know? It it even mess messaging has to be very very clear that this is like a one time thing, but please note and we can do that. You

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know, the city can provide that. I just would be very careful >> as well. Um but it makes sense to try to do it. Just get people over the space. >> I just I I do have to make one comment um towards that. I'm I'm really excited about this that us four will be able to

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go ahead and go see how that's going to go. Someone else in the room will not be able to be there because they are retiring. However, I cannot wait. I will send you a picture of it. >> But looking forward to the project being completed. It is it is the one that I am

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truly most looking forward to and will feel the most amount of satisfaction and I think will give the citizens the most amount of uh >> pride in the city following its completion. I think in the direction that we were going before you had become

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responsible for what you inherited coming into this position, I have absolutely no confidence we'd be where we were quite frankly if your department hadn't done what it did to get together, overhaul, get on that. And I mean all, you know, a lot of these projects are where they're at. That is the most that

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is the most progress we've had in that project since we've since phase one was an apple in somebody's eye. You know what I'm saying? Like this is unbelievable. As soon as the pavilion went up, >> but I mean you've set the bar and you know your department has done that. And also you also

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>> by the city doing this it makes it show people that this this is possible. Oh no, there's answers to these questions. There's solution to these problems. You you just have to have the right team in place to able to do it and we have the right team and that's something also I think the city should be proud of because they fund that team. So a lot of

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a lot of that team but also the projects as well and you know we go and get funding from other places. So, let's continue with that. I do want to say on the budget, I think this will down the road on some project updates you probably won't have to go into as much cuz we're kind of doing it now, but let's get through budget. >> Uh, green memorial pool and bath house

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demolition. Uh, that project has been largely completed. They're just doing some regrading on the site. Uh we were able to save some money on not doing the loming and seating because we're moving directly from that unexpectedly uh into the construction of the pavilion of which we're still finalizing uh the

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design but are in the final steps of um that being the case. It's it's un it's unique that we would not have the design completed for a project like that. But as as I've said in other meetings, I mainly I think in the CDBG uh steering committee, it was unexpected for the

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funds to be moved for the pavilion construction um because they were originally intended for the school street school demolition, but are looking forward to getting that project underway. Uh but just wanted to uh explain why the th those funds were not going to be utilized uh for that

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project. Um but it are intended to be complete um I think in the next in the next couple of weeks. Uh the CV >> So to be clear that wouldn't delay the regular opening of the pool. >> Correct.

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>> No. Yeah. There'll be there'll be no delay. >> I would say that when I was the council I was like everything's in work too. >> There's no delay to the opening of the pool because of this project. We're actually looking to have the the pool

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regain the area that we had taken uh for the demolition. Um so that actual temporary fence being removed and the formal uh black fence being reinstalled um along that area. >> Awesome. Cuz the fence is barely there. >> Yeah, I know. Just

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>> it it was a rough winter and the fence is showing it. >> Yes. um CDBG social service projects. We've done a lot in terms of uh making sure that we're utilizing all of our CDBG funds that we have available to us um

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outside of our admin funds um to going towards social services when it's not being utilized by our our uh projects. Um so in total um three of our four FY24 projects have been completed uh with the remaining one in progress submitting

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their final invoice. uh that being um I believe for the uh uh high school uh their athletic program uh but they have submitted most of their invoices. So just main accomplishments high level 121 low and moderate income middle and high

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school students received scholarships to wave their athletic program fees. 1,131 gardener residents uh received food hearing or other emergency assistance. 24 people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness received short-term rental assistance and 55 uh people who

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were assisted through domestic violence prevention training or assistance provided uh to victims or survivors of domestic abuse. Um please ignore the ordinance that's misplaced. It was meant to go uh further down in where ordinance reviewed um is more uh appropriate. But

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those are the highle uh statistics in terms of the uh funds that we directly provided to uh social service providers like voices of truth um the gardener CAC um the gardener uh athletic program uh

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and others uh of what services that they've been able to provide with the funds that we were able to distribute to them. Um so I'm very those numbers mean a lot to me. Um so I'm very happy to see um those and are looking forward to um

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as uh many in this room are are aware formalizing the CDBG uh especially the social service um pipeline in terms of making it more clear of what's expected for uh their invoicing for their um

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distinction of who they're providing services to of which ones which what services that we can actually uh provide those those fundings amounts for. Um and uh we've just gotten positive feedback

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from the social service providers uh in that regard. So looking forward to having that be the process under uh the um administration of assistant director uh's work and the amazing work that she's done over the past year and just continuing that into future uh fiscal

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years. Can I just make one comment on that right there? I just want to say thank you cuz for someone that grew up low income, homeless, you know what I mean? I relied on these services. So, like it um you know, it's just great to hear, you know, and um you know, that's

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that's all I just want to say. It's great job. Thank you. >> Um I'm not really going to go too much into the conservation uh commission. They've had a couple order of conditions filed through D. Um a couple of determinations of

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applicability, uh emergency certifications for um emergencies for a lot of the Beaver Dams uh being breached, certificates of compliance uh being filed, and then the planning board having a good few um site

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plan review decisions move through. Most recently last night, the Walmart fueling facility moving through. So looking forward to seeing that. And then finally uh the ordinances reviewed um uh over the past year. Uh largely what I would I want to highlight is the grants that

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we've received during FY25. The thing that makes the uh the budget sing. Um for us >> we have our $850,000 uh FY25 CDBG mini entitlement grant uh which is used for uh towards phase 5 of

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the downtown revitalization revitalization plan upgrades to Waterford uh community centers uh electrical fire protection system as well as amounts uh to local service organizations uh gardener CAC MVAT GEM gardener athletic program and voices of

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truth being uh of them. Uh next is the EA uh land use planning grant for the amount 32,000 expanding the scope of the master plan and incorporating a housing production plan of which actually last night um in the middle of the planning board meeting that we had last night we

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had received the final draft of that plan uh as well. So looking forward to having that grant uh the scope of that grant finalized and that housing production plan to expand on what we've already uh had adopted uh now for the master plan.

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>> Fantastic. our FY26 Mass works program for the amount of 1,480,000. Modernizing the aging overhead utility in infrastructure in South Gardner along East Broadway uh in South Guard uh in South Gardner. Uh that's to also improve

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the roadways, pedestrian safety, uh enhance ADA accessibility, and provide streetscape improvements uh consistent with our downtown revitalization efforts. We just want to make the city a more cohesive between uh South Gardener and and what we have available in downtown uh for the improvements that

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we've seen here. Um as well as uh last two uh the FY25 real estate technical assistance grant. Uh this was for a citywide uh municipal surplus property plan um that repositions vacant and underused publicly uh owned parcels uh

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as catalyst for for redevelopment. Um, I would really really recommend because they did a full inventory of every all 20 I think 12 municipal parcels that the city owns. A lot of them are um utilized

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for municipal use uh water conservation um or just have some sort of restriction on them for uh w waterershed or um wetlands protection. Um there's there's a wide variety of uses. There's there's actually um there are quite a few that

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are there were a total of seven that we actually moved forward with with this grant um and are in the final steps of uh figuring out how we market them uh for when we put those out to a public bid. But we already have had some some interested parties come to an open house

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that we had uh last week. Um devel local developers and developers actually that I had not uh had any interaction with previously who had uh some questions about about that plan who posed some interest in potentially uh putting in uh a bid for when those go out. I mean, I

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would say that this type of grant, you know, $50,000, this is the grant that can keep on giving like this the amount of work that goes into doing that inventory and and you know, citing those things, getting that information to the city where then we can use it to have an open house and, you know, bring people

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in to see what how they can repurpose it and we can get those on the tax roles. And I mean, that is >> that is a huge part of economic development. um it's you know helps your commercial tax base and all those things. So this type of grant like this

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grant could pay for itself over I mean not pay for itself but it could multiply um over and over again and and that's the type of thing where I'm so glad that we have the mechanisms we have in place to get these grants or to apply for them because they just pay for themselves over and over again when it comes to

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that like opportunity cost there. Um, so this is this is huge. And also when people come to these open houses and they look at these properties and they see that, you know, we have these things available that like word of mouth. I mean, it'll just get out there because they know other people who develop things that they might not be the one

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for a great fit, but they might know someone and that it is, you know, for that didn't make it that day. So I came this this type of thing is very very exciting. And then it goes into the development of the city. Not only does we're going to get some money back, but we're going to develop some of these these spots that need some development

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and not that not on on us to do it. So, this is very exciting. >> We'll uh I'll I'll try to I'll keep it to the budget, but I will say we're already thinking about future uh iterations of of this specific grant and how we can capitalize on it for uh ADU development. Actually, >> that's awesome.

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>> Um >> and this was from where where did that grant come from? >> The community. >> One stop. >> I think it was a state grant. >> Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. >> Uh same with the the last bless you. Um the FY25 vacant storefront grant for the amount of 50,000 which is being used to

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uh t provide tax credits to local businesses. Uh there was a bit of a delay with the administration of this of this grant because it was being restructured um internally by uh the uh executive office of economic development of which they had finally bless you

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>> um finalized uh that restructure mid-March. Um and so we did have one applicant uh over with uh coffee and creamer uh an ice cream shop opening up um actually right down the street.

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Yeah. And um so we're looking forward to assisting them with all the work and money that they put into re revitalizing that storefront. Um and are looking forward to applying for future iterations of this grant so we can continue that work cuz there were other applicants who weren't able to get

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applications in time for their quarterly uh deadline. Um because these grants are now submitted on beha actually submitted by my department. Um, so either myself or Iris sit down with the applicant themselves, go through the questions, answer them, uh, help them answer, uh,

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any ones that they might not have a clear answer for. Um, and then, um, it's reviewed quarterly by EOED, um, through a uh, uh, I think a subcommittee that they have within their department.

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>> And who submits? So, all the grants we just went over, who submits who's submitting those applications? are is your department submitting those applications? our department along with uh the mayor's office and Keller partners um assisting

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and I don't believe I have any other grants but I mean the amount that we we bring in every year is 20 to 20 plus times what our budget

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amount is or 10 to 10 to I think over 10 times what our budget amount is of what we bring in usually every year in terms of grant funding >> in in dollars. What would that be? >> Um, >> for the public watching and for us to be able to

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>> back >> quick math, I would say >> you can give us >> $2.4 million. >> I was going to say this this here is about $2.4 million. I did the I added up just now because I was like I want the total amount. So, I mean that speaks for

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itself. Like you said, >> we're lucky that we get to exist uniquely in terms of being a department that brings in money. >> Well, it's it's a great goal and right it's it's not the point of every single department for sure, but it is of yours and the fact that you can do that is great and it's also kind of like what can we get next year? You know, how much

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you know what we did? What can we do? It's it's a great metric. So, um thank you for that. Is there anything further on the budget? >> No. >> Any further questions, Catherine? >> Um no. He just he just makes it look so easy. kind of switch

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>> some late nights. Some late nights make it make it look easy. >> Certainly worth it. So, um we did So, um so with that, we're um there's really no I mean there's really no motion on the

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budget item. I mean, I would I would recommend approval to the full council. Um not that that's something that we do during our budget meetings necessarily, but um I would recommend that to the full counsel. So, um I don't know is I don't know. I just when we come to the

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council meeting, that would be my recommendation to the council when the council president gets there. >> Well, this is a motion that I'll second that. >> Yeah. So, I'll make a motion to recommend pass to full council. >> Seconded by councelor Keith. Any discussion? >> All those in favor say I.

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>> I. No. Motion passes. Um so, this wouldn't necessarily be just for the public watching as well. This isn't when we do our full budget review. This isn't necessarily one item on the agenda. It's the whole budget is on the agenda when it comes to it. Um if there's any questions, comments from the council,

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councelor Keith and I would be able to address and and answer those questions based off of our conversation today and our review of the budget. Um this is true of all s committees and all of the different departments that they oversee. Um I have no concerns. It was pretty straightforward. Um it's a great place

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to start. Hopefully we can have um a nice conversation about this next year and um but for the time being I would if it if the question were asked during the council meeting I would say that we would recommend the passage of this budget with no changes or no amendments.

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Okay. In subcommittee item 11454 a report on the investigation of the Mackie Park project. Um because of the nature of the previous item we did address this but can we get a high level >> we don't have printouts as we received it while we were in this in subcommittee

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uh but we did receive the response from the architectural access board saying um on September 17th 2025 a complaint was filed with this office regarding the above premises of uh 57 to 67 uh Parker Street in Gardener. After reviewing all

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the information, the board finds that the complaint has been resolved due to the following action. Acknowledges the board acknowledges receipt of photograph submitted by the responded and upon review and consideration determines that the materials provided constituent constituate sufficient evidence that the

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path and of travel provides a minimum clear width of at least 36 in following removal of bike racks. Accessible tables are provided and the stone dust surface has been compacted in accordance with the proper specifications. Accordingly, the the cited conditions have been brought into compliance with the applicable applicable requirements of

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521 CMR. Any persons agreed by the above decision may request an adjudicary hearing before the board within 30 days or receive the decision by filing an attach request. Um so that is the closure of the uh the actual term is

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decision of the board case resolution. Uh so that the item is closed and resolved. >> Thank you. Do we have anything further on Mackie Park? But so we can officially say Mackie Park is complete, approved, and the project is closed.

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>> Yes. >> The amount of excitement that this group has only can really exist in this group even though it could resonate throughout the city, I would say. Um, so what I would maybe suggest then what we do to we can remove this item from the agenda. Um, but I do think

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maybe we should um have an item on the um the upcoming full council agenda. >> I will send the resolution notice from the architectural access board uh to the subcommittee. >> Yes. Yes. So I would send that to um >> well because we just got the information

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today. So I would say we would have something on the next full council calendar which is on Monday. Um, let's get an item on there to the clerk's office >> by today. By 12:00. >> By today, 12:00, >> you know, include the council president and just be sure that it it goes on the

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it'll it'll can go under our committee and um I think the document will speak for itself. But I think just having a full package and this one last um council um sorry this one last item on the council agenda and this full package of

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the council packet all together with the clear resolution in the end um is would be helpful to any council who need who had any question from anybody in the public um asking about the project. Here's the complete situation. Um so good job. Thank you very much.

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>> Pat your cell phone. >> Appreciate it. be happy for the city today. This is this is excellent. >> It's a great day. >> Um glad to know that that email exists and came in today and really we expected it to, you know, within the next we knew that it would because the work that had been done. So, um really looking forward

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to having a full season on Mackie Park this year. It's going to be excellent. Me, too. Thank you. Um, okay. So, that item then I would say um I would make a motion to um put an item on for I'd make a motion for this item to be on the full

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council agenda um with the completion of the project. >> Second. >> Any motion made by councelor, seconded by councelor Keith. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I suppose

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no motion passes. Um item 11746 upcoming community development projects. We did talk about current projects here. Um if we'd get some high level info on any upcoming projects. I don't expect there's a big long narrative on anything every meeting, but if there's anything you wanted to add, please go ahead.

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>> There is only one other item that wasn't discussed and that is the raise grant. Um, we did receive the response from uh the Federal Highway uh and ways uh administration that uh they would not accept our on call engineering contracts

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as a acceptable procurement process uh to meet their guidelines uh for the grant. Um, so we had to, um, over the course of the past, uh, two weeks draft up new, uh, RFQ documents, uh, for a

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fresh, uh, bid process uh, for that grant. So those were just sent um on Monday to um FHWA and Mass DOT for their review to ensure that it meets all compliance uh necessary for uh this

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grant requirements uh so that it's ready to go out to bid. >> Okay. Thank you for taking that um direction and getting on it and starting the new process that needs to happen. But now we have the information that's how we can move forward. Uh, councelor Keith, any questions on that?

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>> I have no questions. >> I have no questions on any of the of the other upcoming projects or anything else that we've discussed before either. Um, if there any other comments, questions on the topic of the meeting. >> Um, I do have a comment.

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>> You only have that one project. You're going to be bored soon. What are you going to do >> there? There's the north central pathway, the other half of the rear main project, and the GR keeps me plenty plenty busy as well. >> Um, again, sorry you set the bar.

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>> I know. I know. >> Um, really excited to see this stuff moving forward. Um, and you know, I think again, it's all been for something and really excited to see see that continue. We have a great team there. Um, you know, this is how this is supposed to work and we're keep it being

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the example of that. And you do answer hard questions when things come up. you know there are it it is hard to have relationships with some of the um stakeholders that we have to work with when it comes to our projects or um you know come to the community want to do certain things and I think that you have

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shown that we will address them and we'll work with them um because that's one of the things that your department particularly helps the city benefit from is those relationships you have to show that we're open to things that go here but and things that want to come here and develop the city but also we have to be reasonable with what that means for

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gardener what makes sense to come here in the way that it needs to come here. Um we we have to maintain that um that that role because that really is our role where it isn't just a free-for-all. It's what's what's the planning? What's the plan? What makes sense? Um so let's continue to do that. Anything else on

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any other topic of meeting? >> Um I do I do have a comment before we adjourn. Um I just want to say I appreciate the response time. Um you're on it. like you go ahead and you talk about it and then next thing it's not

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just you talking about it, you're on it. You're getting it done and we're able to get to the point of receiving an email. Uh what 50 minutes ago that gave us a great um update and and it's good like this meeting is actually really refreshing because there's going to be

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some tough conversations coming up about budgets and it's been this is throughout the whole United States uh Massachusetts in general. um because I can't speak for other states, but you know, there's a lot of tough conversations. So, for you to go ahead and we can have these type

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of conversations where you're like, "Hey, we're saving things and such and deductions and all that." It's it's it's kind of refreshing. So, I just want to say thank you for everything you're doing. Um I can't wait for the work that we go ahead and we're going to be doing uh later on. Um, I appreciate the mayor

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for going ahead and even putting you into this position and I can, you know, you came in and you assembled a team like the Avengers and they were here >> and you guys came in here and you guys, you know, it's, >> you know, driving around the city is looking good and we can see the work.

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So, great job. >> Thank you. I echo the counselor and I um you know look forward to future and what we can do um certainly in tough budget times, economic times, whatever it is when you

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can go through the city and see where we have done work that helps the the public and that helps us as well um have the morale that we need to know like okay things are difficult but we don't have to we're managing what we're doing as best we possibly can. we're we're

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leveraging all of the resources that we do have in the best ways possible. So, I I certainly echo the the counselor on that. Um, and you know, we it's it's great to have um when there are tough things that come up or you know, there are hiccups or things like that, we know we can have the conversation. Everything

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isn't perfect and lovely all the time for sure. Um we run into snags and problems, but it's how you work through them and get to the other side. We just have to continue doing that. Um, and so no one gets complacent and that's that's when things go the way they're not supposed to. I think there's no question

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in your department in in my mind right now that like everything keeps chugging along. Everybody keeps moving and and knows that like we're not sitting. We've got to keep going. That's how we've gotten the success that we have. We have so um to what we can do with this next year. Um with that being said, anything

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further? Okay. I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> So move. >> Second. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Those oppos? No. Motion passes. >> Thank you everyone. >> Thank you. Thank you.