Charter Review Committee

Charter Review Committee Debates Vision for Town, Ways to Improve Government

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Watertown Town Hall

This week’s Charter Review Committee meeting covered a range of topics, from a vision for Watertown to how the charter could be changed to make the government more accountable and responsive to the public, and even the debate of keeping the Town Manger type of government or changing to a mayor. At times the discussion became heated, both between committee members and even members of the public participating in the virtual meeting. The biggest question before the group of 15 (nine Town Councilors and six members of the public) will be taken up directly in upcoming meetings. Town Council President Mark Sideris said the merits of mayor and strong manager forms of government will be on the agenda of the next meeting, and future ones. Tuesday’s agenda called for reviewing the panel discussions with at the two previous meetings with elected officials from other cities and towns.

Around Town

MassDOT Grant Funds Watertown Bluebike Station, Other Improvements

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A Bluebike station in Watertown Square was paid for by a state grant. Watertown received a grant from the Mass. Department of Transportation to build a Bluebike station in Watertown Square and make other road and sidewalk improvements. The $280,218 grant was part of the third round of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program. The bike share station is next to the entrance to the Charles River Path in Watertown Square.

Government

Watertown’s Too Tall Parking Meters to be Fixed

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New parking meters, like this one, will be installed in Watertown’s Municipal Parking Lots. They will accept credit cards as well as coins. Watertown’s new parking meters are high tech, and residents have found that they have to reach much higher to put in payments in some of new ones than they did with the old ones. WBZ Channel 4 came out to Town and reported that one of the meters measured 5-foot-7, according to the news station’s report. A Watertown resident posted a photo on Facebook showing a meter on Mt.

BB&N

Sale of Grove St. Land to BB&N Closes, Demolition Delay on Shick House Approved

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The historic Shick House is on property sold by the Mount Auburn Cemetery to Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, and may be torn down. [UPDATED Feb. 3, 2021. The year that the Shick family purchased the house was 1914]

The sale of the land on Grove Street from the Mount Auburn Cemetery to Buckingham Browne & Nichols School closed last week. The Cambridge-based private school plans to build two athletic fields and a field house on the property, which is also the location of the historic Shick House.

Government

Council Round Up: Zoning Change Request, Sec. 8 Housing Conversion & Upcoming Meetings

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The Town Council approved the conversion of some Watertown Housing Authority units to Section 8, and got a request to change the zoning of a parcel near Watertown Square. This week’s meetings included an informational session about the plans for the Arsenal on the Charles, an discussions of changes to the Watertown High School project, and the Charter Review Committee will discuss mayor vs. manager forms of government. The Town Council met on Jan. 26, when they heard the $467.8 million five year Capital Improvement Plan, along with the following items:

The Town received a request to change the zoning of the parcel at 64 Pleasant Street, where Sasaki Associates is located, to allow life science labs to operate there.

Government

See the Watertown Town Government Organizational Chart, with Links to Departments

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Watertown’s Town Hall. Figuring out how the Town of Watertown’s government operates can be a challenge, but a recently created organizational chart can help. The following chart was created by residents Marcia Ciro and Elodia Thomas. Each board or department has a link to click to get to the page on the Town of Watertown’s website. The chart is also color coded to show how each position, board or department is appointed or hired.

Government

Town’s Capital Budget Includes Nearly $300 Million for School Construction

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Watertown’s five-year capital improvement plan calls for $467.8 million in projects and equipment purchases, and the Town maintained the top bond rating — which recently paid off with several million in savings. More than half the funds in the Fiscal Year 2022-26 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) will go toward the reconstruction of Watertown’s schools, said Town Manager Michael Driscoll when he presented the CIP to the Town Council on Tuesday night. The CIP went down $56.35 million from the FY 21-25 plan. The reconstruction and renovation of Watertown’s three elementary schools will cost $89.5 million, and $200 million has been budgeted for the reconstruction of Watertown High School and related costs. The CIP calls for borrowing $157.18 million for street and sidewalk repair projects.

Comprehensive Plan

Council Round Up: Closing Little Greenough, Dispensary Moving, Public Arts Master Plan

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The Town Council supported having the state explore closing “Little Greenough Boulevard” on weekends to allow people to use it for recreation during the spring summer and fall. The proposal began with a resident petition calling for closing the street between Arsenal and North Beacon streets. The idea came from people who enjoyed using the area along the Charles River when it was closed during the spring and summer of 2020 during the pandemic. On Jan. 12, the Council voted to approve sending a letter to ask the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to do a pilot program, and to evaluate traffic data in the area to see if longer term or weekend closure of “Little Greenough” is feasible.