Finance Committee approves $51,200 grant match for pedestrian bridge project.

Finance Committee · Meeting of March 10, 2026

GARDNER — Finance Committee advances FY2027 Capital Improvement Plan with three major capital appropriations. Chair Aleksander Dernalowicz led unanimous votes on a $51,200 free cash transfer to cover the city's match for a federal Mass Trails Grant funding design and engineering of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 140; $100,000 from Water Enterprise Retained Earnings for James Street Pump Station repairs covered by a federal earmark grant; and $105,000 from water surplus for construction oversight services on the same pump station project. The committee also unanimously approved acceptance of donations to the Executive Department and the 2025 Flowerpot Sponsorship Program.

City Assessor Christine Kumar reported 286 excise tax abatements totaling $39,992.79 since July 2025 and 13 pending supplemental bills. Human Resources Director Amanda Morse announced 24 senior and five veteran applicants for the VIPS volunteer program. Dernalowicz retained for further discussion the $3,588 Auditing Department transfer, LifeLine Services financial status, and the city health insurance trust fund balance.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of March 10, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.