Around Town

Watertown Reaches Two Milestones in COVID-19 Cases; Residents Urged to Remain Vigilant in Stopping the Virus’ Spread

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With the number of COVID-19 related deaths in Watertown went over 20 this week, and the number of cases surpassed the 300 mark, Town Council President Mark Sideris encouraged residents to remain vigilant in efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Town Manager Michael Driscoll gave the latest Coronavirus numbers for Watertown at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting: 331 confirmed cases, 148 have recovered, and the town has 22 COVID-19 related deaths. The numbers rose from 298 cases and 19 deaths as of May 7. Sideris said that the virus has already taken too high a toll in Town. “Our deepest sympathies go out to all people who have lost family members, never mind only in Watertown, but across the country and across the world,” Sideris said.

Government

Arsenal Park Renovation Plans to be Presented at Town Council Meeting

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A drawing of the proposed renovation for the eastern section of Arsenal Park, near the Arsenal Yards development. The proposed renovation of the eastern section of Arsenal Park will be presented to the Town Council Tuesday night in a meeting to be held online. Project designers from CDM Smith will present the plans for the $1.6 million project during the May 12 Council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. The agenda item is an informational presentation, and no vote will be taken. The meeting will be televised and the public can join by computer or phone (info below). The section of the park being discussed is Phase A, which is the section of the park that abuts the Arsenal Yards property.

Around Town

UPDATED PHONE NUMBER: Watertown Library Starting Curbside Pickups This Week!

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Watertown Free Public Library

The Watertown Library building remains closed, but its collection will be open to be borrowed using curbside pickup beginning May 11th. The library sent out the following information:

The Watertown Free Public Library will offer curbside pickup of library items for Watertown residents while the library is closed, starting the week of May 11. 

“The library is a lot of things to a lot of people,” said Library Director Leone Cole, “we often talk about how the library is more than just books, but to some people, those books are a lifeline. We know people are struggling mentally and emotionally and we hope that doing this will offer respite and a little extra energy for everyone to stay committed to physical distancing until it is safe to live our lives more publicly again.” 

Curbside pickup will not be “library business as usual”–only items that are currently available in the library can be checked out, no holds can be placed for items at other libraries or items that are already checked out, there’s a limit of five items, and only Watertown residents are eligible for the service. “We’d love to be able to do more,” Cole said, “but it just isn’t possible at this time. We’re working with extremely limited staff and we want to be safe and cautious about how we do this.” 

Placing Orders: Starting Monday, May 11, Watertown residents can call the dedicated curbside pickup line at 857-228-8308 to place an order.

Government

Board of Health Considering Loosening Face Covering Order, Town’s COVID-19 Fatalities Grow

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The Watertown Board of Health will consider amending its emergency order requiring face coverings in Town to match the order made by the Governor. On April 30, the Board of Health adopted an Emergency Order that requires people to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth at all time in public places, indoors or out. Two days later, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a statewide order that requires the wearing of face coverings in places where social distancing is not possible. The state order included inside all retail store such as grocery stores or pharmacies, as well as, on public transportation. The order, however, allowed for people not to use face coverings when outside if people are able to social distance.

Elections

Watertown Rep. Lawn Co-Sponsors Bill to Ensure a Safe 2020 Election

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State Rep. John Lawn of Watertown, who represents the 10th Middlesex District. Watertown State Rep. John Lawn is lead co-sponsor for a bill that would call for the state to mail absentee ballots to all voters, would require towns to take safety precautions during early voting and extends the deadline for accepting absentee ballots. The bill, HD.5075, is called “An Act ensuring safe and participatory 2020 state elections in response to COVID-19.” Lawn, who is co-chair of the the Joint Committee on Election Laws, filed the bill with Second Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Michal Moran, of Boston, on Wednesday. In an announcement about the bill from Common Cause Massachusetts, Lawn said:

“COVID-19 presents an unprecedented challenge to our election administration.

Around Town

Tracking COVID-19 Deaths, Tracing Contacts of People Testing Positive is Tricky for Watertown Officials

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Details of the cause of death from the death certificate of a Watertown resident. Like many aspects of COVID-19, figuring out the exact number of deaths related to virus in Watertown is complicated and confusing. This is just one issue the Town of Watertown is facing, along with trying to trace contacts of people with active cases of the Coronavirus. The officially confirmed number of fatalities in Watertown, as of May 5, is 17 residents — up from 12 the previous day. When looking at the death certificates in the Town Clerk’s Office, as of May 4, 18 people who live in Watertown, or whose last known address was in Town had COVID-19 as one of the causes of death.

Government

Traffic Death Rate in Mass. Doubled in April, Despite Fewer People on the Roads

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The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is reporting that the rate of fatalities on Massachusetts roadways doubled in April: with 50 percent less traffic recorded on major highways, 28 individuals died in crashes, compared with the month of April 2019 when there were 27 deaths on roadways in the state.  The high fatality rate last month, underscores the importance of not exceeding the posted speed limit, wearing a seatbelt, driving sober, and obeying the hands-free law. “Our traffic and safety engineers continuously monitor roadways across the Commonwealth and have identified a dangerous trend that has led to the doubling of the vehicular fatality rate in Massachusetts for the month of April,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver.  “During the pandemic, everyone in the Commonwealth has sacrificed and used disciplined actions to keep themselves, their loved ones, and our community safe.  We ask that all residents use this same dedication to safety and reduce their speeds when driving.”

“Reduced traffic volume is no excuse for excessive speed,” said Jeff Larason, Director of Highway Safety for the Executive Office of Safety and Security. “We’re reminding everyone to drive responsibly, wear a seat belt, and watch the road for cyclists and pedestrians.” Stacey Beuttell, Executive Director of WalkBoston, added, “With the stay-at-home advisory still in place, everyone should expect to see more neighbors walking, rolling, or running in the street as they try to maintain six feet of physical distance on narrow sidewalks. If you are driving, be prepared to yield to people walking and drive slowly. Empty streets are not a license to drive faster. Please consider every street a shared street and stay safe.”

Building Inspector

Town Accepting Building Permit Applications, Will Approve When State Reopens

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In preparation for when Massachusetts lifts its COVID-19 shutdown, the Town of Watertown will begin to accept building permits. Watertown Building Inspector Peter McLaughlin sent out details of how builders can submit plans on Monday afternoon. In mid-March, the Town stopped construction in Town and announced it would not accept applications for new projects as part of efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. A week later, the State issued a ruling that allowed some construction, such as residential projects, so some projects could continue construction in Watertown, but the application process remained halted. The latest order from Gov. Charlie Baker extended the State of Emergency, which includes halting of some construction, until May 18.