Election 2015

LETTER: John Airasian on the Election, The Council and the Fire Issue

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Dear Editor,

I cannot emphasize enough how important I believe it is to re-elect the following seven incumbents:

Mark Sideris, Council President; Councilors at Large Susan Falkoff and Aaron Dushku; District Councilors Angeline Kounelis – District A, Cecilia Lenk – District B, Vincent Piccirilli – District C and Ken Woodland – District D.

Like everyone I am happy that the fire issue is now behind us with he adoption of a revised, more equitable agreement for the town and the residents. However, I think there are a few more things to say and also a lesson for all of us to learn. Everyone knows and appreciates what a fine job the Watertown Fire Department does. And everyone has a friend or neighbor on the department. So it is not surprising they had some support in the community.

Elections

Two Forums Coming Up for Watertown School Committee Candidates

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Come learn about the five candidates for Watertown School Committee at two upcoming candidate forums. 

The five candidates are incumbents Eileen Hsu-Balzer, Julie McMahon and Michael Shepard, and challengers Candace Miller and Kendra Foley. They are running for three seats in the Nov. 3 Town Election. The first will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Room.

Elections

See Who Won the Democratic Presidential Straw Poll at the Faire on the Square

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Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was the choice of Faire-goers for the Democratic nomination for President in the Watertown Democratic Town Committee’s annual straw poll at Saturday’s Faire on the Square. Sanders won 42 percent of the nearly 200 votes cast, while former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came in second with 34 percent. The poll was held at the Democratic Town Committee’s booth at Watertown’s annual Faire on the Square, Saturday, September 26, 2015. Participants were asked to choose between the likely candidates in the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary. Coming in third place with 18% of the vote was Vice President Joe Biden, who has yet to declare his candidacy. Other candidates receiving votes were former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley with 2 percent, and former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee with 0.5 percent each.

Dog Park

Dog Park Group Worried by Preliminary Drawing of Park Redesign

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The town recently released a drawing of plans to renovate the entrance to Filippello Park, but proponents of a dog park did not like one feature – the size of the dog park. The entrance off Grove Street will be renovated after the Watertown Recycling Center moved from there to the westside of town. In December, the Public Works subcommittee voted to place the second town-run dog park at Filippello Park. The first one was built at How Park on Pleasant Street. At Tuesday’s Town Council meeting Deb Whitman, a member of the Watertown Dog Park Task Force expressed her discontent with the proposal.

BYOB

Watertown Restaurants Will Soon be Able to Offer BYOB

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Watertown diners will have the option of bringing their own alcohol to some of their favorite restaurants after the Town Council adopted the bring your own bottle ordinance on Tuesday. People will have to wait several months, at least, before they can start bringing wine or beer to enjoy with their meal. The Council passes an amendment that delayed the start of the ordinance until April 1, 2016. The ordinance met some resistance on the council as well as from others. The vote was 6-3 to approve BYOB, with Councilor President Mark Sideris, and councilors Steve Corbett and Angeline Kounelis voting “No.”

Fire Contract

Now that Fire Contract is Settled, It’s Time to Repair Relationships

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When the Town Council voted to approve the new Watertown firefighters contract the standing-room only room remained subdued, with only muffled congratulations exchanged by members of the Fire Department. 

More of a relief than a celebration, it demonstrated the trying times that accompanied the 6-year-plus contract impasse – particularly the 9 months since the arbitration award was rejected. Town Manager Michael Driscoll called the contract fair and fiscally responsible. Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli said he could now vote for the contract because it did not contain a 3 percent raise in years when other town unions took no raises. Councilor Aaron Dushku said he realized the Council’s decision to reject the arbitration award angered people, but he thinks the new contract is fair. “It is a compromise we made,” Dushku said.

Fire Contract

See How the New Fire Contract Compares to the Arbitration Award

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Firefighters had to wait more than six years, plus nine months since the arbitration award was rejected, but they have a new contract approved by the Town Council Tuesday and a healthy raise. The amount in the contract may seem much larger than the arbitration award – $4.68 million vs. $2 million – but there are some key differences. First of all, the new contract is for seven years, while the arbitration award funding included four years. The additional years accounts for nearly $2.6 million of the $4.6 million difference.

Fire Contract

Watertown Firefighter Contract Approved by Town Council

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The Watertown Firefighters have a contract after more than six years after the Town Council approved the agreement Tuesday night. 

The unanimous vote to approve the agreement negotiated by town officials and the Local 1347 Fire Union comes nearly nine months after the Town Council rejected an arbitration award that would have settled the contract impasse. The agreement covers seven years, from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2016. The firefighters will receive 19 percent in salary increases, but did not receive an increase for the first two years. That is in line with the agreements other town and school unions made during that time. In all the contract will cost the town $4.675 million, said Town Manager Michael Driscoll.