Government

School, Town Discuss Reasons for Last Year’s Budget Freeze

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School and Town officials have been looking into why the school budget got in such bad shape that a spending freeze was put into place, and then why the schools ended up with a budget surplus. The budget appeared so out of balance in January that freezes were made on most purchases, including paper for classrooms. This move was made after Town Auditor Tom Tracy recommended the School Administration do so. Special education costs also came in higher that expected, and on May 20, 2014 Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald reported a $640,000 shortfall. A week later the deficit has been adjusted to $355,000 and by June 2 the “perceived deficit” was gone, according to a report by the Council’s Education and School Systems Matters Committee. In August, the School Department reported a surplus of $770,000.

Schools

Congresswoman Clark Visits New Class at Watertown School

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Congresswoman Katherine Clark recently made a special visit to Watertown’s Cunniff Elementary School to see a new program where special education and mainstream students work together in the same class. The inclusion class at the Cunniff, which started this fall, allows special education students to spend more time in with their classmates, and in some cases mean they do not have to go to specialized programs located outside of Watertown. In her latest email update, Clark references her visit to Watertown. “I had a great visit with students and teachers at Cunniff Elementary School in Watertown,” Clark’s email reads. “Cunniff’s mission is to provide a supportive and challenging learning environment to maximize academic achievement, social responsibility and lifelong learning by attending to the intellectual and developmental needs of all of our students.”

Police/Fire

Police Charge Man Who Drove Into Watertown Starbucks

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A 76-year-old man faces charges after an incident in the parking lot of the Watertown Starbucks during which he allegedly struck numerous cars and crashed into the building. Witnesses told police a car came into the parking lot of Starbucks on Mt. Auburn Street and while he backed into a space on the far side of the lot, he sideswiped a car, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. “Then he sped forward across the parking lot striking another vehicle,” Lawn said. “He went back into reverse and hit two parked cars.”

Government

Watertown Real Estate Prices Likely to Rise Again Next Year

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Last year, most areas of Watertown saw an increase in real estate values, Town Assessor Francis Golden told the Town Council, and the trend will likely continue. During his property tax presentation, Golden said 75 percent of neighborhoods appreciated last year. This resulted in an increase of property taxes of about 3.25 percent, he said (click here to read more details). Some of the additional value came from the new apartment complexes being built on the west side of Watertown, but a lot comes from appreciation of existing properties. Golden said Watertown has become a very attractive place to live.

Schools

Watertown Before, After School Program Fees Rising Jan. 1

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Monday night, the School Committee voted to raise fees for the district’s Before School and After School programs so they can qualify for state reimbursements. Starting Jan. 1, 2015, the rates for the Watertown Community Education Before and After School Out-of-School-Time Programs will rise. “We have to raise some of our rates to get the maximum voucher from the state,” said School Committee member John Portz. Programs that receive state reimbursement must charge a rate equal to or greater than the state subsidized rate for the same service, Portz said.

Government

Council Puts Firefighters’ Contract on Hold

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After years of negotiations, mediation and finally arbitration the Firefighters appeared to have a contract ready to be voted on by the Town Council, but the board instead decided to postpone the vote. The arbitration agreement would have ended nearly six years the Firefighters Local 1347 have been without a contract, and would provide 2.5 percent increases in Fiscal 2012 and 2013, along with other other increases. In total the town would have to pay $2.74 million in back pay and other incentives as a result of the arbitration. Town Manager Michael Driscoll proposed using $2 million from the Fiscal 2015 Town Council Reserve and the $739,759 from Fiscal 2015 Town Health Insurance Fund. The biggest increases come from:

$992,000 in base pay for the past three years
$955,000 for EMT certification – a 3 percent increase beginning in 2009
$244,500 for overtime for the past five years
$220,000 for longevity payments
$144,800 for holiday pay

Fire Union President Rob Mannix said that the firefighters gave up items in the agreement too.

Government

East Watertown Dog Park Gets Preliminary Approval

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A dog park in East Watertown took a step closer to becoming a reality when the Town Council voted to the include the facility in the new entrance to Filippello Park. The Public Works subcommittee considered three locations, including one at Arsenal Park and one on land owned by the Arsenal Project. They decided to go with the location near Grove Street in Filippello Park (see more details here). East End Councilor Angeline Kounelis said she has some concerns about the location of the dog park in the park. “The Grove Street area of the park is isolated,” Kounelis said.

Police/Fire

Car Drives Into Watertown Starbucks

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A driver drove into the Starbuck’s on Mt. Auburn St. Causing some damage on Sunday morning. According to WVCB TV there were two minor injuries but no one was taken to hospital. A building inspector has been called to look at the building.