City of Gardner City Council 10/05/2026

At the October 5, 2026, Gardner City Council meeting, the Council approved a change order for the Unit 1 turbine-generator overhaul. The change order, totaling $2,751,942, covers generator rewinding and repairs, turbine and compressor corrective work, and a required ninth-stage hook-pit modification; associated project costs will be included in the final bonding package. Staff said the repairs were identified after the equipment was opened for inspection and are needed to return the unit to service. A separate resolution authorized preparations for the November 2 sale of approximately $10.225 million in taxable Series 2026D general obligation bonds for electrical system improvements, including Substation 4, and approximately $46.285 million in tax-exempt Series 2026E bonds for the Hillsdale Lake water intake structure and Kill Creek expansion. Staff recommended proceeding despite rising interest rates, noting there was no clear indication that delaying the sale would reduce borrowing costs; the resolution was adopted.

During public comment, a resident urged the City not to sell or transfer Gardner Lake for $1, citing prior dam and spillway improvements of roughly $750,000 and concerns about public access and control. No action on the lake was recorded. The meeting also included proclamations for Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a citizen hero award, and project updates, including resurfacing of the Winwood Park basketball courts. No other procurement actions were identified.