Government

Council Approves Adding $4.3 Million to FY23 Budget, Plans to Spend Most of Funds

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Watertown City Hall

Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget increased by $4.325 million when the City Council approved the budget amendment on Nov. 9. Most of the additional funds will go to help purchase the former Parker School or will go into the High School project stabilization fund. City Manager George Proakis gave the details of the budget amendment for the fiscal year that ends on June 30, 2023. The additional fund mostly come from accounts that came in higher than when the budget was approved last spring, Proakis said.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Catch Pair of Men with “Ghost Gun”

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Watertown Police DepartmentThe “ghost gun” recovered by Watertown Police during a traffic stop. The Watertown Police confiscated a “ghost gun” along with a high-capacity magazine and other items during and arrest made after making a traffic stop on Sunday, Nov. 13. Denis Amaral De Abreau, 20, of Boston, was pulled over after officers stopped his vehicle for speeding at 1:35 a.m. on Nov. 13.

Around Town

Watertown BioSafety Committee Shares How it Oversees Life Science Companies

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An illustration of the different BioSafety Level labs. Watertown has more than 60 life science companies, and more on the way, and they must go through the Watertown BioSafety Committee before they can start operating. Last week, the City Council got an update on what the committee has been doing in its first 2.5 years. The BioSafety Committee was formed as part of the Watertown Biotechnology Regulation, which was adopted by the Watertown Board of Health in 2019 and took effect in July 2020. Existing companies had to come before the BioSafety Committee within a year of the regulations taking effect, and new companies had to come before the committee.

Around Town

Watertown Ceramic Studio Holding Holiday Pottery Sale

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Watertown ceramic studio Indigo Fire will host the Fall into Winter Holiday Sale. Indigo Fire Watertown will be hosting a pottery sale on Sunday, Nov. 20th from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 79R Grove St., Watertown. Forty potters, will be selling lots of pots and more. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Sports

A Pair of Watertown Field Hockey Players Sign Letters to Play at Division I Colleges

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown High School seniors Lizzie Loftus, left, and Maggie Driscoll signed letters of intent to play college field hockey. For many years, well before they became members of the Watertown High School field hockey team, Maggie Driscoll and Lizzie Loftus grew up playing the game with one another. Last Friday, they continued their journey together by signing letters of intent to play in college. While both will be at NCAA Div. I programs, Loftus is headed to Brown, and Driscoll will play at Boston University.

Government

Two Proposed Life Science Buildings to Go Before Planning Board

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A rendering of the building proposed for 490 Arsenal Way, known as Linx II. The Planning Board will consider two life science buildings proposed to go on existing biotech sites in Watertown when it meets on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The first is at 490 Arsenal Way, where Columbia Massachusetts Arsenal Office Properties LLC seeks to build a 104,000 sq. ft.

Government

Public Notifications of Development Meetings to be Discussed by Council Committee

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The procedure for notifying the public about development projects will be discussed by the City Council’s Committee on Economic Development and Planning on Monday evening. The meeting will be on Monday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. in the Third Floor Conference Room in City Hall, and on Zoom. Ways to watch and partcipate:

The meeting will be televised through WCATV (Watertown Cable Access Television): http://vodwcatv.org/CablecastPublicSite/?channel=3

Join the meeting online at this link: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/83549340015

Participate by phone in audio using these numbers: (877) 853-5257 or (888) 475-4499 (Toll Free) and enter Webinar ID: 835 4934 0015

The public may comment through email: vpiccirilli@watertown-ma.gov