Government

Homeless Advocates Call for More Affordable Housing in Area

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More affordable places to live in are will help relieve the growing problem of homelessness in and around Watertown, said participants in the forum called “The Many Faces of Homelessness.” The community forum, held at Belmont’s St. Joseph’s Parish, was organized by the TriCommunity Coalition to end Homelessness – a joint effort by groups in Watertown, Belmont and Waltham. Watertown has a good stock of affordable housing, with 745 affordable units under the Watertown Housing Coalition, said executive director Brian Costello. It can take several years to get into the housing, Costello said, and and getting worse.

Government

Town Council Marks Armenian Genocide, Rebukes Turkey’s Denial of Events

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The Watertown Town Council passed a proclamation that not only recognized the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, but also rebuked the Turkish government for denying that the events in 1915 were a genocide. April 24, 2015 has been declared Armenian Martyr’s Day to mark the anniversary of the genocide, in which more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed. The Council’s proclamation, passed unanimously at their meeting on April 14, not only recognized the anniversary but also said that the Turkish government’s denial that the events were a genocide “deprives the Armenian people of a right to their history, reparations for their losses, and a return of their ancestral Armenian lands.” The entire proclamation is below:
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS: The first genocide of the twentieth century occurred in Armenia on April 24, 1915, where the systematic and deliberate extermination of more than one and one half million Armenians was carried out; in addition to the deportation of countless others; and,
WHEREAS: One Hundred Years ago, Armenians were forced to witness the premeditated murders of their families and the loss of their homeland; and,
WHEREAS: The truth and facts that the Armenian Genocide actually occurred continues to be denied to this day by the Turkish government, which deprives the Armenian people of a right to their history, reparations for their losses, and a return of their ancestral Armenian lands; and,
WHEREAS: On April 24, 2015, we will proclaim and recognize the anniversary of Armenian Martyr’s Day to remember this horrific event and its victims;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the City known as the Town of Watertown, hereby commemorates and remembers the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015 and requests the Citizens of Watertown to give due observance of this day

Government

See When You Can Speak With State Rep. Jonathan Hecht

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If you have a question about state government or a issue you need help with, you can discuss it with State Rep. Jonathan Hecht. Rep. Hecht will hold office hours on Wednesday, May 6 from 5-6 p.m. in study room No. 3 in the Watertown Public Library and on Friday, May 8 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the small conference room on the third floor of Watertown Town Hall. Constituents are invited to meet with Rep. Hecht to discuss pending legislation or any other issue of concern to them. Anyone unable to attend these office hours can call Rep. Hecht at 617-722-2140 to schedule an appointment at another time.

Government

Hear About the Mt. Auburn St., Orchard/Common Streets Projects

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Two major road projects in Watertown will be coming down the line, and town officials will hold an informational meeting about the renovations of Mt. Auburn Street and the Orchard Street/Common Street area. 

The Town Council’s Public Works Committee will hold the informational meeting will share the latest details of the two projects on Thursday, May 14 from 7-9 p.m. at Tufts Health Care’s Cafe Room, 705 Mt Auburn St. in Watertown. Public works staff and engineers will be present to explain the design concepts, and there will be plenty of time for questions by residents, said Councilor Cecilia Lenk, chairwoman of the subcommittee. Mt.

Government

See Details of the Firefighters Suit Against the Town of Watertown

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The Watertown Firefighters are not going away quietly after the Town Council rejected an arbitration panel’s award, and have filed suit asking the court to have the Council’s vote voided, bring the vote back for another vote and make the vote only based on the town’s ability to pay the contract. The suit, which was filed in Middlesex Superior Court on March 19, contends that the Town Council illegally met in executive session (closed to the public) to discuss the contract. An that members exceeded their authority by not just voting on the town’s ability to pay the contract but whether it is comparable to other union’s agreements. Local 1347 – the Watertown fire union – wants to court to void the Council’s vote, require the Town Manager to resubmit a request to fund the arbitration award, and when the vote is retaken, they seek to have only the town’s “unencumbered funds” considered when decided if the town can afford the contract. Watertown firefighters have been without a contact since June 30, 2009.

Elections

Watertown Democrats Electing Delegates for State Convention

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Democrats in Watertown will be holding a caucus in the Watertown Savings Bank Room of the Watertown Free Public Library on Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m. to elect 24 delegates and five alternates to the 2015 Massachusetts Democratic Convention, where Democrats from across the commonwealth will gather to meet fellow activists and hear from elected officials. The convention will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. “This convention will be unique as we build on experiences from many competitive elections these past few years and look to strengthen the party for the future,” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman, Sen. Tom McGee. “Caucuses are an important step in growing our party engagement at the local level.” The caucus is open to all registered Democrats in Watertown and the Democratic Party warmly welcomes first-time participants. Delegates will be divided equally between men and women, and all ballots will be written and secret.

Development

2 Documents that Will Shape Watertown’s Future Will be Discussed Soon

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Two documents that will have a major impact on Watertown’s future will be discussed in public meetings. 

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing to continue discussion of the Design Guidelines & Standards. This document includes proposed changes to the Watertown Zoning Ordinance and will add new rules for major residential and commercial developments in town (find out more here). The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chamber. The Town Council and the Planning Board will get together for a public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan. This document sets out a vision for the town’s future in several categories, including land use, transportation, housing, economic development, open space, natural resources, historical and cultural resources, public services, and energy.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Councilor Wants a Community Forum on Watertown Shootout, Manhunt

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With the recent release of a comprehensive study of the response to the Boston Marathon Bombing and events that followed in Watertown that was critical of some of the actions of law enforcement, a Watertown Town Councilor wants to have a review of the shootout and manhunt. Councilor Susan Falkoff said she read the Boston Globe’s recent editorial called “What went wrong in Watertown.” The story detailed some of the shortcomings of the response by law enforcement, and said, “despite good intentions, the presence of hundreds of officers in Watertown put lives at risk and did nothing to assist the search.” At Tuesday’s Town Coucnil meeting, Falkoff said she wants to get some answers about what happened in Watertown on April 18 and 19, 2013. “The citizens of Watertown remain grateful for the work of the police, but the report states that the best practices were not followed,” Falkoff said.