Four recently elected City Council members take the oath of office Wednesday at Johnson Hall Opera House. From left are Marc Cone, Russell Greenleaf, Timothy Cusick and Debra Kimball; at right, Gardiner City Clerk Kathleen Cutler recites the oath. Ethan Horton/Kennebec Journal

GARDINER — One newcomer and three incumbents were sworn in to the City Council Wednesday evening at Johnson Hall Opera House, as was Mayor Patricia Hart, who ran an uncontested reelection bid last year.

At-large incumbents Timothy Cusick and Russell Greenleaf were sworn in for another two-year term on the council, while Marc Cone, their fellow at-large councilor, was sworn in for his first term. Cone also ran last fall for an open Maine School Administrative District 11 seat, but lost.

Ward 1 Councilor Debra Kimball was also sworn in for a full term after winning an uncontested reelection bid in November. She was appointed to a partial term in June following the death of longtime Councilor Terry Berry .

Cusick, who will serve his fifth term on the City Council, began his post-inauguration remarks by honoring Berry. He said it was Berry who convinced him to run for a seat on the council in the first place.

“My old friend Terry Berry talked me into this a long time ago,” Cusick said. “He had always been a steadfast friend and colleague, and he wanted me to run another term, and I said, ‘OK, Terry.’ So, here I am.”

In her inaugural address after she was sworn in for her third two-year term as mayor, Hart said she was proud of the decadeslong effort to restore Johnson Hall, which reopened last spring, and of the resilience downtown Gardiner showed during and after the devastating flood of December 2023. She said she was especially thankful for the employees of the downtown Hannaford location, which was heavily damaged and was closed for 100 days following the flood.

“We are fortunate to have area stores in neighboring communities to take us and our grocery lists in to meet our shopping needs,” Hart said. “In a short 100 days, in true Gardiner spirit, our local Hannaford employees worked seven days a week to bring the store back, and it’s better than ever.”

The City Council’s first official vote of the year was unanimous: Robert Peabody was confirmed as Gardiner’s new city manager. Peabody will start Feb. 3 with a salary of $125,000.

Peabody, a Bath native, was Bridgton’s town manager from 2014-24, when a divided Bridgton Select Board chose not to renew his contract. Before he worked in Bridgton, Peabody was Rockport’s town manager for almost a decade.

In a short speech after his confirmation, Peabody thanked the City Council for its faith in him and said he looked forward to working with residents.

The City Council’s first regular meeting of the year is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Gardiner City Hall.