Government

Watertown Democrats Holding Caucus to Elect Delegates for State Convention

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Registered Democrats in Watertown will be holding a caucus at the Watertown Savings Bank Room of the Watertown Free Public Library on Saturday, February 3 at 1 p.m. to elect 24 delegates and five alternates to the 2018 Massachusetts Democratic Convention, the Watertown Democrats announced. This year’s state convention will be held June 1-2 at the DCU Center in Worcester, where thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to endorse Democratic candidates for statewide office, including Constitutional Officers and a Gubernatorial candidates. “At our 2018 convention, the delegates selected by Watertown Democrats will take part in deciding which statewide candidates will be on the primary ballot this September. The caucus is a great opportunity for people who want to get involved in the process,” said Watertown Democratic Town Committee Chair Steve Owens. The caucus is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Watertown, and the Democratic Committee welcomes first-time participants.

Government

State Rep. Jonathan Hecht Holding Office Hours Twice in January

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State Representative Jonathan Hecht will hold office hours twice in Watertown this January. Constituents are invited to meet with Representative Hecht at the following times and locations:
Friday, January 19
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Watertown Town Hall
149 Main St, 3rd Floor hallway
Monday, January 22
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Watertown Free Public Library
123 Main St, 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.

Development

Town Council Splits on Zoning Change for Self Storage Facilities

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A change in the number of parking spots required for a self-storage facility in Watertown received the Town Council’s approval Tuesday night, but concerns over whether such a facility was wanted in town and where it should go led to some votes against the zoning change. The proposal called for changing the formula for determining the number of spots needed at a storage facility from one spot for every three storage units, to two spots per every 10,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area. Steve Magoon, Assistant Town Manager and Director of Community Development and Planning, said under old standard a 50,000 sq.

Donald Trump

Former Watertown Council President Wants Trump to Commit His Own Money to Building Border Wall

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Former Town Council President Clyde Younger wants to make sure that Watertown taxpayers, and all Americans, are not left on the hook for paying for a wall along the border with Mexico. He proposed a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to commit half a billion dollars of his own money toward getting the project started. Younger brought his resolution to the Town Council Tuesday night. He noted that the national debt is projected to grow by trillions of dollars over the next decade, and that there are less costly alternatives to protecting the United States’ southern border. While he proposes that the President use some of his own money, Younger’s resolution to the U.S. Congressional Budget Committee adds that the money would be matched by taxpayers money, with a condition.

Caroline Bays

LETTER: Open Letter from Town Councilor About Kneeling During Pledge of Allegiance

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Dear Watertown resident,

I wanted to say a few words to you before the town council meeting tonight. As many of you know I knelt during the Pledge of Allegiance at the inauguration. I did so because I can not say “with liberty and justice for all” while that is not true in our country. People of color throughout our nation do not experience the same rights and privileges as white Americans. From the disproportionate punishment young children experience in schools to the disproportionate arrests, convictions, and sentences adults receive in the criminal justice system, people of color live with discrimination and persecution that people who are white do not experience.

Government

Town Councilor Dattoli Holding Office Hours Tuesday Evening

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Town Councilor At-Large Michael Dattoli announced he will be holding office hours on Tuesday, January 9th. 

Office Hours begin at 5:00pm in the Trustees Room at the Watertown Free Public Library.  Councilor Dattoli can be contacted by phone at 617-999-5333 or email at michaeldattoli@gmail.com.

Coolidge Square

Discuss Plans to Redesign Mt. Auburn Street in East Watertown at DPW Open House

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Find out about plans to redesign Mt. Auburn Street through the business district of East Watertown and share your thoughts at a meeting hosted by the Watertown Department of Public Works on Jan. 30, 2018. The Watertown DPW sent out the following announcement:

COOLIDGE SQUARE OPEN HOUSE  for a Mount Auburn Street Project Update
Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2018  
Snow Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018*
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: The Apartments at Coolidge School – Auditorium 319 Arlington Street, Watertown
Visitor parking is available in the front of the building and additional spaces are behind the building along the fence. All other spots are for residents only.

Government

Town Council President Sees Development, Communication & Schools as Priorities for New Term

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As the new Town Council term begins, Watertown Council President Mark Sideris looked toward the next two years and said that some of the major focus will be on traffic, development and communication with the public, as well as the upcoming school building projects. Newly elected Town Councilors, School Committee members and Library Trustees were sworn in by Town Clerk John Flynn on Tuesday night at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. After his swearing in, Sideris addressed the audience in the theater at the Arts Center. Development has been a big issue for several years, and Sideris said he would like to take a new approach at looking at new projects in town, from those completed, to those under construction and projects just getting started. “I will be working with the Community Development and Planning Department to coordinate a field trip to visit the sites that have been developed,” Sideris said.