City Services
Gardner Departments
Where a Problem Actually Goes
Most of what a city does never reaches a vote. A water main, a restaurant inspection, a building permit, a snow route: those are department decisions, made by staff who were appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. That is why a service problem goes to a department first and to an elected official second. Every line below is a real desk with a real phone, and the city publishes its whole staff directory at gardner-ma.gov.
| Public Works | Dane E. Arnold, Director | 978-630-8195 |
|---|---|---|
| Police | Eric McAvene, Chief of Police | 978-632-5600 |
| Fire | Gregory F. Lagoy, Fire Chief | 978-630-4051 |
| Health | Lauren Saunders, Director of Public Health | 978-630-4013 |
| Assessor | Christine Kumar, City Assessor | 978-630-4004 |
| Auditor | Karen Butler, Auditor | 978-630-4005 |
| Treasurer and Collector | Jennifer Dymek, Treasurer and Collector | 978-630-4008 |
| Engineering and Survey | Rob Oliva, City Engineer | 978-630-8195 |
| Veterans’ Services | Niqui Laviolette, Director of Veteran Services | 978-630-4017 |
| Council on Aging | Michael Ellis, Senior Citizens Director | 978-630-4067 |
| Purchasing | Joshua Cormier, Chief Procurement Officer | 978-632-0426 |
| City Clerk | Records, licences and voter registration, Room 121 | 978-630-4058 |
| Building | Permits and inspections | 978-630-4007 |
| Community Development and Planning | Zoning, planning and grants | 978-632-3800 |
| Conservation Commission | Wetlands and open space | 978-991-5844 |
| Parks and Recreation | Fields, playgrounds and programs | 978-630-8195 |
| Human Resources | City employment | 978-630-4001 |
| Animal Control | Animal control facility | 978-630-4950 |
Where a department publishes no head in its own staff listing, the phone is printed and no name is claimed. The city’s full directory is at gardner-ma.gov.
Who Hires the People Who Run These Departments
In Gardner the answer is two offices, not one. The Mayor appoints every department head, and the City Council confirms the appointment. For each one the Mayor must file a signed certificate with the City Clerk stating that the person is a recognized expert, or is specially fitted by education, training or experience, and that the appointment is made solely in the interest of the city. Removing a department head takes the same two offices: the Mayor proposes it and a majority of the Council has to approve, and the person removed is entitled to the reasons in writing and to a hearing.
Four officers sit outside that arrangement entirely. The City Clerk, the City Treasurer, the City Auditor and the City Collector of Taxes are elected by the City Council to three year terms. If you want to know who signs off on the city’s money and its records, those four answer to the Council rather than to the Mayor.
Emergencies and Urgent Numbers
- Emergency: 911, for police, fire and ambulance.
- Police, non-emergency: 978-632-5600.
- Fire, non-emergency: 978-630-4051.
- Public Works after hours for a highway, water, sewer or tree emergency: 978-632-5600.
- Heywood Hospital: 242 Green Street, Gardner. 978-632-3420.
Some decisions are made by volunteers on a board, not by staff.