DPW

See the Latest Designs for Mt. Auburn Street at Meeting Hosted by DPW

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The latest plans for how Mt. Auburn Street will be renovated will be on display at a Department of Public Works meeting on May 14, 2018. The Town of Watertown is redesigning Mt. Auburn Street with a “Complete Streets” approach, which seeks to to improve safety and better accommodate all users: vehicles, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians. The meeting will be similar to the one held in February, but while that meeting focused on Coolidge Square, this one will encompass the entire length of the Mt.

Arsenal Yards

Council Roundup: Councilor Opposes Planning Board Appointee, Tower at Mall, Trees & Green Schools

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The Town Council approved a new member of the Planning Board at Tuesday’s Council meeting, but the candidate did not receive unanimous support. 

Jason Cohen, who has been an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, was appointed to the Planning Board to replace John Hawes, who recently stepped down after more than two decades on the board. Cohen, is an architect, has served on the ZBA since 2015, has lived in town since 2001 and has two children attending Hosmer Elementary School. Professionally, he works primarily on large multi-unit housing projects, but during his interview with the Economic Development & Planning subcommittee he said he is interested in larger urban planning issues that come before the Planning Board, including approving projects on Arsenal Street and Pleasant Street. Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis said she could not support Cohen because she believed he did not consider all input from residents when considering a case. She pointed to the proposal for the medical marijuana facility at 23 Elm St., and the ZBA meeting in May 2017.

Government

Two Chances to Meet With State Rep. Jonathan Hecht in May

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The following information was provided by Rep. Jonathan Hecht’s office:

Representative Jonathan Hecht will hold office hours twice in Watertown this May. Constituents are invited to meet with Representative Hecht at the following times and locations:

Monday, May 14, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main St, Watertown, 3rd Floor hallway

Monday, May 21, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Watertown, Raya Stern Trustees Room

Anyone unable to attend these office hours can call Representative Hecht at 617-722-2140 to schedule an appointment at another time.

Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

Town Adding Several New Positions in Proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

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Next year’s proposed Watertown Town Budget includes funding for a few new positions, including an environmental planner, a forestry supervisor, positions at the Senior Center, and an additional police officer. A new department, shared by the Town and Schools, will be formed, and money has been set aside to start the reconstruction of four Watertown Schools. Town Manager Michael Driscoll presented the budget, his 26th in Watertown, to the Town Council on Tuesday night. The Fiscal Year 2019 budget will be $139.55 million, a $6.997 million increase over the current Fiscal year, or 5.28 percent. It includes a 5 percent increase in the education budget, 2.5 percent more for Municipal Departments, and adds more than $1 million to the budget for Public Safety — Police and Fire.

Government

OP-ED: State Legislature Looks to Make New Rules for Stun Guns After Court Ruling

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{State Sen. Will Brownsberger wrote this post about the State Legislature’s response to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s recent ruling that lifted the ban on stun guns in Massachusetts}

A recent SJC decision is forcing the legislature to replace the current ban on stun guns. We were prepared when the new decision came down. Current Massachusetts law prohibits the use of electrical weapons:
“No person shall possess a portable device or weapon from which an electrical current, impulse, wave or beam may be directed, which current, impulse, wave or beam is designed to incapacitate temporarily, injure or kill, except: . . .

Bus Lanes

Traffic Patterns Changing to Speed Up Buses on Mt. Auburn St. During Pilot Program

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Some changes to traffic patterns on Mt. Auburn Street will be tested during a Bus Priority Pilot in effort to speed up buses on the roadway through Watertown and Cambridge. A community meeting will be May 1, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Tufts Health Plan (705 Mount Auburn St., Watertown) to discuss the Bus Priority Pilot, but Watertown Department of Public Works officials gave some details prior to the meeting. The pilot will test ways to get buses down Mt. Auburn Street faster, Shuman said, because so many people use public transit to commute.

Government

Some Major Changes in Final Draft of Community Preservation Ordinance, but it Keeps the Spirit

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A Town Council subcommittee approved the final draft for the rules on establishing the committee that will oversee the money brought in by the Community Preservation Act. The final draft eliminated some major portions of the previous version, but kept the main priorities. Tuesday night, the Council’s Rules and Ordinances Committee voted to send the draft to the full Town Council, which includes the changed ordinance and the separate policy for appointing the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) members who are selected by the Town Council. Each year the CPC will send to the Council a list of projects to be funded by the CPA funds. The state’s CPA statute allows the money, which comes from a 2 percent property tax surcharge, to be spent on affordable housing, open space or historical preservation.

Government

Stormy Winter Pushes Watertown’s Snow Plowing Costs Nearly $700K Over Budget

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The string of snow storms over the winter of 2017–18 has busted Watertown’s snow plowing budget by close to $700,000. Last week, the Town Council approved an increase to the Snow and Ice Removal Budget for Fiscal Year 2018. The Town budgeted $1,170,000 for snow and ice removal, but Town Manager Michael Driscoll said that has been well exceeded. “Given the amount of events, and the amount of snow, we are asking for $624,734 to be added to the Fiscal Year 2018 Snow and Ice Removal Budget,” Driscoll said. Town Council President Mark Sideris said he hopes that the approval of the additional snow and ice removal funds is not premature, given the whacky weather thus far in April.