The most prominent topic was the proposal to overhaul the city’s sexual harassment policy. The initiative, led by a council member and supported by the Human Resources Director, aims to bring Gardner’s policies in line with best practices from other municipalities. The Director detailed her process of reaching out to other cities to gather information and insights, intending to incorporate these into Gardner’s policies. A focal point of the discussion was the implementation of an electronic onboarding process for city employees. This system would facilitate easier acknowledgment of policy updates, streamlining the current manual process that poses challenges in departments like the Department of Public Works (DPW), where employees may not have regular access to city email.

The conversation also touched on improving evaluation processes within city departments. The Director highlighted the need for clear evaluation goals and the potential to link evaluations to compensation, although this aspect remains unresolved. The council agreed on the necessity of these policy updates and resolved to keep this item on the agenda for continued monitoring and development.

Another discussion involved the proposal to create a special committee for the Waterford Community Center project. The proposal aimed to ensure better oversight and community representation in the ongoing renovations and future operations of the center. Various council members expressed support for establishing the committee, emphasizing the importance of involving both city officials and community representatives. The discussion included suggestions for appointing a liaison from the stakeholders to represent their needs and ensure that decisions align with community expectations. The council showed a strong consensus on the need for a structured approach to managing the community center project, highlighting the potential benefits of having a centralized scheduling person to enhance communication and coordination among city departments.

Meanwhile, the council also addressed the complexities of municipal facilities management, a topic that revealed significant challenges due to fragmented responsibilities across departments. A council member voiced frustration over the confusion regarding accountability, particularly at shared sites like Stonefield, where different crews from the school department and DPW operate without clear oversight. The discussion raised the possibility of creating an organizational chart to clarify reporting lines and responsibilities within the city’s departments. The conversation also noted an upcoming vacancy in the building department, which could provide an opportunity to restructure facilities management and address these longstanding issues.

In addition to these main topics, the council considered several other agenda items. The Gardner Community Action Committee (CAC) received approval to modify their lease space at the Waterford Community Center. The CAC plans to construct a wall in their leased section to enhance security for public items, with the construction being timely due to ongoing renovations. The motion to approve this measure was passed unanimously.

Further, the meeting included discussions on the city’s health insurance payments and trust fund. An update revealed a current balance of approximately $1,438,042, with optimism expressed about the financial health of the trust. Despite pending reimbursements of about $462,704, claims over the monthly deposit were lower than in previous months.

Another item on the agenda involved a report from the Ronald Cormier memorial committee. The family of the late counselor requested to rescind a previous vote to name the council chamber in his honor, opting instead for a plaque in the chambers. The council agreed to rescind the prior vote and move forward with purchasing a plaque, with discussions on quotes and timelines to continue in the next meeting.