Subcommittee recommends authorizing up to $6.91 million in borrowing for Gardner Middle School roof under MSBA terms

The Gardner City Council subcommittee on Oct. 1 recommended that the full council authorize borrowing up to $6,911,028 to fund the Gardner Middle School accelerated roof repair project at 297 Catherine Street, language required by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) as part of the reimbursement process.

The mayor told the subcommittee the MSBA requires the city to authorize the full project estimate to remain eligible for MSBA reimbursement. "This is the loan amount for the full project," he said. "This is just authorizing us to spend, to find ways to spend this money, up to this amount that they have said we need the authorization for in order to complete the project." He clarified that the authorization does not itself take out a loan; actual borrowing will depend on the final bid amounts and available local funding.

Director Michael Hock, who is overseeing the project, said MSBA language must remain identical to the authority's template to maintain eligibility for reimbursement and that the estimate includes feasibility work and contingencies. The mayor and director noted the city already has approximately $1.2 million previously appropriated for the project; the $6.9 million figure reflects the MSBA's total project estimate and the need to authorize that amount in the order.

A motion to recommend adoption of the authorization order to the full council was made by Councilor Mack and seconded by Councilor John Lott. The subcommittee recorded a roll-call vote and recommended the authorization be sent to the full council for final action.

Ending: City staff and the director will report back with bid results and the council will consider final borrowing decisions once bids and reimbursement schedules are known. The MSBA reimbursement rules mean the authorization amount and language must match MSBA requirements to preserve eligibility.