Business

Congresswoman Clark Appearing at Chambers’ Women in Government Event

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Congresswoman Katherine Clark

The following information was provided by the Newton Needham Regional Chamber:

We’re excited to announce our 4th Annual Women in Government event, this year in partnership with the Waltham Chamber of Commerce. Our guest speaker will be U.S. Congresswoman and Assistant Speaker of the House Katherine Clark who has served the Fifth District of Massachusetts since 2013, a diverse district comprised of 24 cities and towns that include Waltham, Weston and other parts of MetroWest. 

Rep. Clark will speak to her experience as a state senator, state representative, general counsel for the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services and policy chief for the state attorney general. Join us to hear first-hand about Rep. Clark’s journey to becoming the fourth highest ranking member of the US House of Representatives. We’ll also have time for a few questions. A conversation not to be missed.

Government

Charter Review Committee One of This Week’s Watertown Meetings

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Watertown Town Hall

Watertown has a shorter than normal list of meetings during Presidents Day Week. The list includes the Charter Review, Board of Health and the Community Preservation Commission. Charter Review

The discussion of potentially changing the Watertown Charter will continue on Tuesday, Feb 16 at 6 p.m. During the meeting, the Town’s consultants from the Collins Center at UMass Boston will present some examples of ways to change the charter that would address issues with the Town’s government that have been discussed at previous meetings. See how to tune in and participate by clicking here. https://www.watertownmanews.com/2021/02/05/charter-review-committee-debates-vision-for-town-ways-to-improve-government/

This Week’s Meetings

Tuesday

The Watertown Housing Partnership meets at 6 p.m. The agenda includes the HOME Annual Action Plan, the Watertown Housing Plan and other issues related to affordable housing.

Around Town

Three COVID-19 Deaths in Watertown, Number of Cases Declining

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Watertown’s COVID-19 cases continued to drop this week, but the Town saw three more COVID-19 deaths. The fatalities, reported by the Watertown Health Department in the Town Manager’s weekly COVID-19 message, were the first for the Town since the first week of 2021. Watertown had 133 cases reported over the previous 14 days in the Mass. Department of Public Health report of Feb. 11, 2021.

Around Town

Health Department Getting More Vaccine, Free COVID-19 Testing Continues

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Town officials gave a big “shout out” to the members of the Watertown Health Department for all the work they have done during the pandemic, including the recent free COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. This week, the first members of the general public, age 75 and older, got the vaccine from the Health Department, and Town Manager Michael Driscoll said more vaccinations will be done next week. The Town will also continue to offer free COVID-19 testing through the end of February. Town Council President Mark Sideris took time during Tuesday’s Town Council meeting to thank the Health Department. “I wanted to give a shout out to our Health Department, which has gone above and beyond for just about a year to make this community as safe as possible during the pandemic,” Sideris said.

Around Town

Town Upgrading Website, Social Media, Adding New Ways to Communicate with Public

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The landing page for the Town of Watertown’s cell phone app. Website upgrades, building social media presence and high-tech billboards are some of the ways which the Town of Watertown is trying to reach residents. Complaints about the ease of accessing information about local government has come from residents and elected officials alike. The website has been a particular focus of the dissatisfaction. The Town of Watertown added personnel specifically to work on technology issues, hiring Chief Information Officer Chris McClure in the fall, and the Town will soon be hiring another person focused on social media and the website.

Development

School Budget to be Presented, 2 Projects at Planning Board & Police Exam

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An illustration of the plans for the former Mount Auburn Club at 99 Coolidge Ave. A community meeting will be held Monday about the project. One of the first steps in the making of the Watertown school budget will be presented Monday night, a community meeting will be held about the redevelopment of the Mount Auburn Club site, and the Planning Board will discuss two major projects. Watertown Public Schools administrators will present the Fiscal Year 2022 level services budget at Monday’s School Committee meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. That budget shows how much it would cost to preserve the district’s current staffing and programs, with no additions or cuts. It is typically the first major step in the school budget process.

Government

Watertown Calls Snow Emergency for Sunday’s Snow Storm

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A Watertown Department of Public Works snow plow. Watertown’s Superintendent of Public Works Gregory St. Louis announced a snow emergency for Sunday’s snow storm. The Watertown DPW sent out the following announcement:

The Superintendent of Public Works is declaring a Snow Emergency effective 12:00 Noon, Sunday, February 07, 2021. Watertown is expecting approximately 6-8 inches of snow with additional storms forecasted for later this week.

Government

See What’s in the Charter Review Committee’s Poll

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The Charter Review Committee wants to hear from the public, and has posted an online poll about several issues that have come up during the group’s meetings. Questions include whether the length of Town Councilor terms should be extended, should the Town add a public information officer position, and should the town start a 311 service for a “one-stop” number that residents can call with their questions and concerns. Also, should the Town Council’s compensation be reviewed, should the Town Manager and Council President be required to hold at least two meetings a year where residents can come to get their issues addressed, and should the Town Council be able to hire an analyst to help Councilors with their work. The final question is: “Do you think a mayor-city council would be more responsive than our current government of Town Council and Strong Town Manager?” See the poll by clicking here.