Government

Town Councilor Welcomes Residents at Office Hours

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Town Councilor At Large Susan Falkoff will hold office hours where Watertown residents can come ask questions and make comments about the town’s government. The office hours will be held on Thursday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown. If it is a wonderful summer evening, Susan will sit with you at a table out front of the library. Otherwise, she’ll be in the café. You can also check out the bluegrass band Southern Rail from Saltonstall Park with a concert that goes from 6:30 to 8 p.m. as part of the free Summer Concert Series.

Government

LETTER: Former Council President Reacts to Firefighter Contract Dispute

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Editor,

I am writing regarding the Bullet Points [see below for full text] presented by the Town Manager, on June 9, 2015, that was clearly crafted by Kopelman and Paige and accepted by eight of nine of the Watertown’s Town Council regarding the role of the Council. Clearly the Town Council is the duly elected appropriating body of the “City, Known as the Town of Watertown.” Interestingly, either by omission or deliberate, the Town Attorney, or should I bluntly state, The Manager’s Attorney fails to include in the Manager’s discourse that the Town Council is also the elected Policy Making Body for the Town. It is my impression that the Councilors may not be as knowledgeable of the Charter as one would expect and/or are shielding themselves behind a permeable shield that is easily penetrated. In the many years I served on the Council/School Committee, we provided policy guidance and direction to the Town Manager and School Superintendent on matters of collective bargaining with our valued public servants.

Government

Town Manager Appoints a Provisional Police Chief to Replace Deveau

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With Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau retiring, the Police Department will be led by an provisional Police Chief. Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced last week that he has appointed Capt. Raymond DuPuis to serve as provisional chief until a new one is appointed. DuPuis will start his new role on July 8. DuPuis has been in the department since 1983 and was in the same Police Academy class as Deveau. Currently, DuPuis is one of two captains on the Watertown Police Department and leads the bureau of field operations.He oversees the Patrol and Traffic Divisions as well as the Public Safety Dispatchers.

Food

Subcommittees to Ask Council to Adopt BYOB in Watertown

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The Town Council will consider whether to allow restaurants to offer a “bring your own bottle” option to diners after joint subcommittees voted to recommend a set of rules for BYOB licenses. 

The licenses would be available to restaurants that do not have a liquor license. Also, the Joint Rules & Ordinances, Economic Development, and Public Safety committees recommended that the restaurants must be full service, which means they have a “full wait staff, sit down and eat-in dining services for the vast majority of patrons,” according to the recommended ordinance. A BYOB license could cost $1,000 a year, and would be issued by the town’s Licensing Board. They would to be available to a restaurant which has had a suspended or revoked liquor license. The restaurants must also carry alcohol liability insurance.

Around Town

Watertown Man Leading Effort to Stop Taxes for Hosting Olympics

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Watertown’s Steve Aylward will be the co-chair for an effort aimed at preventing taxes being charged for Boston to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. On Sunday, the Coalition to Stop Taxes for Olympics announced that Steve Aylward will be the Co-Chairman of Tank Taxes for Olympics ballot initiative. Aylward was Co-Chairman of the ballot initiative for the successful Yes on 1 campaign. “I am pleased that we are building this coalition with Steve Aylward. He is an extremely hard worker and a outstanding advocate for the taxpayers,” said Evan Falchuk, Chairman of Citizens for a Say in the announcement.

Government

Council Subcommittee Working on New Snow Shoveling Rules

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The snows of winter may have melted, but snow shoveling and plowing remains a hot topic with the Town Council. 

On Tuesday, July 7 the Budget and Fiscal Oversight and Public Works subcommittees will meet to discuss a funding source for the enforcement of the current snow ordinances as well as any future changes that may be made to these ordinances. They will also determine how to effectively enforce a possible new residential snow ordinance. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Town Hall in the Town Council Chamber.

Development

Design Standards and Guidelines Get Final Approval With Some Dissent

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After more than nine months of work, Watertown’s new Design Standards and Guidelines have been approved, but not without some concerns. Before Watertown began working on the design guidelines and standards, developers only really knew what they could not build on a piece of land, said Assistant Town Manager and Community Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon. The standards and guidelines were one of the recommendations of the town’s Comprehensive Plan, passed last week. They were also the result of a push for something to deal with the development boom in town. The new standards and guidelines will give developers an idea of what the town would like the project to look like, said David Gamble, the town’s consultant in drawing up the standards and guidelines.

Development

Mixed Reactions to Hotel Proposed for Eastside of Watertown

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The Zoning Board of Appeals heard a split view of the hotel proposed to be built on Elm Street, with most of the those opposing the project living on or near the East Watertown street. The five-story hotel which would have more than 100 rooms would go right next to the back of Target in the Watertown Mall. The layout of the hotel on the property has changed so at the building now sits near the street, instead of having a parking lot in front. Also, some of the parking has been put underneath the building. Also part of the project would be removal of contaminated soil from the site, which used to be home to Atlantic Battery Company and had been a hazardous site monitored by the state Department of Environmental Protection.