The City Council approved 36 items from the Capital Improvement Program for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, including road repairs, some money for the Middle School project, park projects, and requests from the Fire and Police departments.
The Council’s Committee on Budget and Fiscal Oversight met twice in February to review the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). On March 10, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the 36 recommendations, as well as asking the City Manager to keep the capital spending under 8% of the total Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget.
The projects include $7.5 million in loans to fund road and sidewalk replacements. The list includes Cottage Street and other roadways in the summer of 2027, Forest and Springfield streets in the summers of 2026-28, and Riverside Street the summer of 2027.
Park projects that received funding include Sullivan Park construction and designing Victory Field Phase III, which includes the field house and elevator.
The Fire Department will receive funding to replace Engine 3, which was purchased in 2013, as well as new outer gear for firefighters and HVAC/plumbing. Funds for improvements to the East End Fire Station as well as to replace the emergency generator and for other repairs at the Fire Headquarters.
The Police Department’s training simulator computer system will be replaced, and the HVAC for the firing range will be updated.
Councilor Nicole Gardner asked for clarification about the item in the CIP for a $10 million placeholder for the proposed Watertown Middle School project.
“I just have had some residents come to me a couple of different times saying this decision has already been taken. It’s a done deal,” Gardner said.
Council President Mark Sideris said the decision is not final with the Middle School, and that the City hired designers to do detailed studies of how much a new school would cost.
“I do feel that the City Council was very clear when they said, proceed with a design to get a better idea of cost,” Sideris said. “So I think the committee here was trying to recognize that if that did move forward, there was a placeholder to begin the next phase of that project.”
Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli said the item says it would “keep the proposed FY27 loan order of $10,000,000 as a placeholder until the City Council reaches a decision to fund the project and proceed with construction.”
Gardner said it would be more clear if it said “until the City Council reaches a decision whether or not to fund the Middle School project.”
“I think that’s I think otherwise, it suggests that we will make that decision, and we might make it in 10 years, and I don’t know that we’d want to keep the loan order,” Gardner said.
City Councilor Lisa Felter asked why so many items from previous years were on the list. Seventeen of the 36 items had been approved in prior Fiscal Years, but had not been completed. The oldest dated back to Fiscal Year 2023.
City Manager George Proakis said the number of older loan orders had been cut down.
“Upon my arrival four years ago, we had loan orders that were going back 7, 8, 9, 10 years, and (now) there are a lot fewer of them that go back,” Proakis said. “And they go back fewer years.”
He added that some of the leftover items were pieces of larger projects that remained to be completed. In other cases, the project was removed from the CIP.
“Our intention, just to be clear, is that if an old loan order is still in here, it’s because we intend to still do it,” Proakis said. “And if there was one that we weren’t going to do, or we funded out another way, or we found a way through without doing it we pulled it off. So in a lot of cases, we pulled things off because we’ve done them in the last year, which is the most important, best reason to be pulling them off the list.”
Piccirilli noted that there were 51 recommendations last year, compared to 36 this year.
“I do want to give the administration some credit for actually getting a lot of those older projects done,” he said.
The 36 Capital Improvement Program conceptual recommendations for Fiscal Year 2027 (See more details in the CIP memo by clicking here)
1. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY23 $400,000 proposed loan order for Information Technology, consisting of: a) Infrastructure Improvements @ 300,000 b) Permitting and Transparency Dashboards @ 100,000 Also cancel the prior recommendation to proceed with FY23 proposed loan order for Information Technology, for Document Scanning @$100,000
2. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY24 $288,432 proposed loan orders for Information Technology, consisting of:
a) Infrastructure Improvements @ 138,432
b) Permitting and Transparency Dashboards @ 150,000
Also cancel the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY24 proposed loan orders for information technology, consisting of:
• Document Scanning @ 200,000
• MUNIS System Enhancements @ 150,000
• Parker Annex Technology @ 500,000
3. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY24 $190,000 proposed loan orders for the Fire Department, consisting of:
a) Main Station Interior Repairs @ 100,000
b) Main Station Emergency Generator Replacement @ 90,000
4. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY24 $2,100,000 proposed loan order for connector roads/longer street projects, in accordance with the Public Works Committee report approved by the City Council on December 13, 2022 for reconstruction of Forest and Springfield Streets in summer 2026 to 2028.
5. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY25 $350,000 proposed loan order for Information Technology, consisting of:
a) Infrastructure Improvements @ 200,000
b) Permitting and Transparency Dashboards @ 150,000
Also cancel the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY25 proposed loan order for Information Technology, consisting of:
• Document Scanning @ 200,000
• MUNIS Financial System Enhancements @ 100,000
• Parker Annex Technology @ 200,000
• Digital Equity and Broadband @ 250,000
6. Cancel the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY25 $693,000 proposed loan order for the Police Department, consisting of:
a) Replace Training Simulator Computer System @ 93,000
b) Firing Range HVAC Upgrade @ 600,000
7. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY25 $650,000 proposed loan order for the Public Buildings Department for the roof replace/solar & Solar Canopy at the DPW parking lot.
8. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the School Department’s FY25 $95,000 proposed loan order for District security systems enhancements.
9. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY25 $40,000 proposed loan order or transfer of funds for the Skating Rink Enclosure Soffits/outside walls.
10. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY25 $500,000 proposed loan order for Mt Auburn Street Non-participatory funds.
11. Confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY26 $300,000 proposed loan order for Administration Building Additional Roof/Masonry.
12. Confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY26 $550,000 proposed loan order for Information Technology, consisting of:
a) Infrastructure Improvements @ 200,000
b) Permitting and Transparency Dashboards @ 150,000
c) Document Scanning @ 200,000
13. Confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY26 $747,000 proposed loan orders for the Fire Department, consisting of:
a) East End Fire Station HVAC/Plumbing @ 126,000
b) East End Fire Station Painting-Carpet-Lighting @ 121,000
c) Firefighter Protective Outer Gear @ 500,000
14. Confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY26 $440,000 proposed loan orders for the Public Buildings Department, consisting of:
a) Inventory Equipment @ 150,000
b) Add EV Stations @ 90,000
c) DPW Garage Fan & Doors @ 200,000
15. Confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the School Department’s FY26 $317,000 proposed loan order for School Improvements for consisting of:
a) Phillips School Masonry Repairs @ 222,000
b) District security systems enhancements @ 95,000
16. Proceed with the proposed loan orders for local road construction projects, in accordance with the Public Works Committee Report approved by the City Council on December 9, 2025, as follows:
a) The FY26 $2,875,000 proposed loan order for local road construction in the summer 2027 for Cottage St and other roads.
b) The FY26 $2,300,000 proposed loan order for connector roads/longer street projects for reconstruction of Forest and Springfield Streets in summer 2026 to 2028.
17. Confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY26 $1,100,000 Streets & Sidewalk proposed loan orders:
a) Underground Ducts for Utilities for $300,000
b) Ornamental Street Lighting for $300,000
c) Mt Auburn Street Non-participatory funds for $500,000
18. Proceed with the FY27 $2,441,000 City Buildings proposed loan orders:
a) $641,000 for Parker Building ADA/Code Update Requirements
b) $1,450,000 for Parker Building Roof Design/Replacement
c) $100,000 for Phillips Building Roof Repairs/Replacement
d) $250,000 for General ADA Upgrades per KMA Audit
19. Proceed with the FY27 $800,000 Open Space Improvements proposed loan orders:
a) $675,000 for Sullivan Park construction
b) $125,000 for Victory Field Phase III- Field House & Elevator Design
20. Proceed with the FY27 $450,000 Information Technology proposed loan order:
a) $200,000 for Document Scanning
b) $250,000 for Cybersecurity Enhancements
21. Proceed with the FY27 $1,425,000 Fire Department proposed loan orders:
a) $1,250,000 for Engine Truck replacement, 2013 Engine 3
b) $175,000 for Replacement of 2 Cardiac Monitors
22. Proceed with the FY27 $170,200 Police Department proposed loan order for Mobile Data Terminal System Replacement
23. Proceed with the FY27 $230,000 Public Building Department proposed loan orders:
a) $60,000 for Vehicles & Snow Equipment
b) $100,000 for EV Stations c) $70,000 for DPW Garage MAU Replacement Design
24. Proceed with the FY27 $160,000 Senior Center proposed loan order for the senior center shuttle bus.
25. Proceed with the FY27 $1,600,000 Department of Public Works proposed loan order for Vehicle Replacements:
a) $100,000 for Animal Control Vehicle #120
b) $95,000 for Fleet Pick-up Truck #C5
c) $335,000 for Heavy Duty Dump Truck #40
d) $675,000 for Electric Street Sweeper #21 e) $130,000 for Cemetery Dump Truck #70
f) $95,000 for Cemetery Utility Vehicle #C7
g) $170,000 for Parks & Forestry 4×4 Landscape Dump Truck #78
26. Proceed with the FY27 $1,400,000 Department of Public Works proposed loan orders for Improvements:
a) $400,000 for City Hall Parking Lot Repairs & ADA Improvements
b) $100,000 for Parker Building Parking Lot Expansion
c) $100,000 for Adaptive Traffic Management
d) $300,000 for Ornamental Street Lighting
e) $500,000 Mt Auburn Street Non-participatory funds
27. Refer to the Public Works Committee, for policy guidance, in accordance with Resolution 2013-76 Watertown’s Ongoing Capital Project Budget Guidelines, the FY27 $3,000,000 proposed loan order for local road construction projects (highway & sidewalk) in the summer of 2027.
28. Proceed with the FY27 $2,400,000 proposed loan order for connector roads/longer street projects for reconstruction of Riverside Street in summer 2027, in accordance with the Public Works Committee Report approved by the City Council on December 9, 2025.
29. Proceed with the School Department’s FY27 capital appropriation request for projects as shown in the CIP as follows:
• $230,000 for various items to be funded with tax revenues, consisting of:
i. $75,000 Cunniff Retro-commissioning Study/Repairs (years 6-7)
ii. $30,000 District update food service equipment
iii. $125,000 District interior painting
• A FY27 proposed loan order for $95,000 for District security systems enhancements.
30. Revise the prior recommendation for the Watertown Middle School new building project, which is proposed using the most recent cost estimate of $112,239,426, a figure which does not include potential savings from purchasing the modulars at Moxley Field: Continue with the design contract to produce bid documents by the end of 2026 to obtain an actual cost, with periodic cost estimates to be presented to the City Council, and keep the proposed FY27 loan order of $10,000,000 as a placeholder until the City Council reaches a decision to fund the project and proceed with construction.
Water/Sewer Enterprise Fund CIP
31. Re-confirm the prior recommendation to proceed with the FY19 proposed Sewer Enterprise Fund loan order for $394,000 for a Heavy-duty Crane.
32. Confirm the FY26 Water & Sewer Enterprise Funds proposed MWRA loan orders:
a) Sewer Inflow & Infiltration Local Financial Assistance Program (I&I) for $1,320,000 consisting of a $990,000 grant and a $330,000 interest-free loan.
b) Local Water System Assistance Program (LWSAP) $500,000 interest-free loan to replace outdated unlined cast iron water mains.
c) Lead Loan Program (LLP) $300,000 interest-free loan to replace lead service lines.
33. Proceed with the FY27 Water & Sewer Enterprise Funds proposed MWRA loan orders:
a) Sewer Inflow & Infiltration Local Financial Assistance Program (I&I) for $1,320,000 consisting of a $990,000 grant and a $330,000 interest-free loan.
b) Sewer Inflow & Infiltration Local Financial Assistance Program (I&I) one-time interest-free loan for $1,290,000.
c) Local Water System Assistance Program (LWSAP) $500,000 interest-free loan to replace outdated unlined cast iron water mains.
d) Lead Loan Program (LLP) $300,000 interest-free loan to replace lead service lines.
34. Proceed with the FY27 Sewer Enterprise Fund proposed loan order for $780,000 for Sewer system improvements.
35. Proceed with the FY27 Sewer Enterprise Fund proposed loan order for $100,000 for Sewer Siphon Rehabilitation Design & Construction.
36. Proceed with the FY27 Water Enterprise Fund proposed loan order for $255,000 for Hook Lift (vehicle #59).