Business

Bluebikes Opens New Station at Arsenal Yards, Officials Say Bike Share Has Had a Good Start

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The recently installed BlueBike station outside Arsenal Yards. Bikeshare company Lyft Bluebikes opened its latest docking station at Arsenal Yards with some fanfare last week. It is the fourth in Watertown with three more planned, and Town officials say they have already drawn a lot of interest. The first Bluebike station in Watertown opened in August, as part of a five community expansion, which also included Newton and Arlington. Three of the Town’s stations in are on public land, but four will be located on private property, said Laura Wiener, Watertown’s Transportation Planner.

Elections

Early Voting for Presidential Election Begins Saturday Oct. 17

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Watertown residents can head to Town Hall beginning Saturday to cast their ballot in the Presidential Election. This election, there will be 14 days of early, in-person voting at Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown. COVID-19 social distancing measures will be taken in the voting areas, including plexiglass between poll workers and voters, pens only being used once and voting booths being spaced at least 6 feet apart. Early voting dates and times are listed below. Ballots have already begun to stream into the Watertown Town Clerk’s Office.

Government

Marijuana Dispensary’s Community Agreement Approved by Council

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The Town Council approved the Home Community Agreement with the third and final recreational marijuana dispensary in Watertown on Tuesday night. Sira Naturals seeks to open a dispensary at 48 North Beacon St. in the building where containing Anthony’s Florist and, on the Arsenal Street side, where Escort Limousine. The agreement is the third approved by the Town Council. Cities and towns cannot deny all recreational marijuana (also called adult use) dispensaries, but they can limit the number to 10 percent of the number of liquor licenses.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Urges Voters to Support Questions 3 & 4

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This November, voters in the 29th Middlesex district are encouraged to vote YES on 100% Renewable Energy and YES on Transparency, which will be Questions 3 and 4 on the ballot in this district. Climate science demands that we enact sweeping changes to our energy economy in the next 10 years to avert climate catastrophe. A commitment to 100% renewable energy will put us on the right track. Transparency of committee votes is key to realizing this goal. Bills committing MA to 100% renewable energy have been killed in committee repeatedly over the past 6 years, and, without committee vote transparency, we don’t even know who is responsible for their failure to come to a vote. Please join me in voting YES on 100% Renewable Energy and YES on Transparency to put Massachusetts on the right track to be a leader in climate change solutions. Richard KalishPleasant Street, Watertown

Government

COVID-19 Will Impact Watertown’s Budget, Property Tax Revenue Will Grow

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Watertown’s Town Hall. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt in the Town of Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget (which starts July 1, 2021) but a recent real estate deal will help relieve some of the pain. This year’s budget is the 29th that Town Manager Michael Driscoll has led in Watertown, but he is dealing with a new challenge when making the FY 2022 budget. As part of Tuesday’s budget presentation to the Town Council, Driscoll had a list of budget issues for FY 2021 and FY 2022. “There are 61 bullets on this page.

Charter Review Committee

6 Residents on Charter Review Committee Revealed, Consultant Will be Hired

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The 15 members of the Charter Review Committee met for the first time Tuesday night, including the six residents appointed to serve on the group that will make recommendations for how to change the document described as the Town’s constitution. An overview of charter reviews was presented during the virtual meeting by attorney Lauren Goldberg of KP Law, who said the amendments to the Watertown Home Rule Charter could be as minor as changing the wording and fixing grammar and as major as changing the form of government (such as having a mayor or going to a Town Meeting) or changing the way members of a board are selected from elected to appointed. Depending on the magnitude of the change, Goldberg said, the final approval may only need approval of the Town Council and approved by the State Legislature for a small change or having a ballot measure to be approved by Watertown voters for big alteration. The committee will get help during the review from the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass-Boston, which studies municipal governments in Massachusetts and across the country. Town Council President Mark Sideris said that he hopes to have someone from the Collins Center at the next meeting, on Oct.

Around Town

Video Available for First Meeting of Group Following the Town’s Charter Review

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Watertown Forward, a group that seeks to bring information to residents about the Watertown Town Charter, held its first meeting on Oct. 3. For those who missed it live, the video of the meeting is available to watch online. The Charter Review Committee will begin meeting Tuesday. The review happens every 10 years, and looks at the document that defines how the Town’s government works.

Development

Developers Discuss Project on Galen Street, Traffic & Transit Improvements

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A view looking south from Galen Street of the proposed life science building at 66 Galen Street. Developers of the parcel on Galen Street that includes for former Colonial GMC dealership, say their project will bring millions in property taxes with the new biotech space, and also improve traffic in and around the Galen Street area. Residents remain worried that the gridlock will continue, or move onto side streets. Boston Development Group hosted a virtual community meeting on Oct. 1 to present the planned building, and ways they want to improve the traffic and public transportation in the area.