Government

Public Invited to Share Ideas About Renovation of Filippello Park

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The Grove Street entrance of Filippello Park will be renovated, and town officials want to hear from residents about what they would like to see in the renovated area. A public community meeting to discuss ideas for the renovation of the Grove Street entrance at Filippello Park will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 7-9 p.m. at Town Hall in the Town Council Chambers. Part of the entrance used to be the town’s recycling center, but that has moved to Green River Way on the Westside of town. One of the ideas that has been considered is building a dog park in that section of the park.

Development

Public Input Wanted on Proposed Changes to Pleasant Street Zoning

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The Town Council wants to hear from Watertown residents and others about proposed changes to the Pleasant Street Corridor District. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m. to gather input from residents about the proposed changes. A number of changes have been proposed for the area on the Westside of town. The major change would be creating three sub-zones within the Pleasant Street Corridor.

Elections

LETTER: Council Candidate’s Ideas for Unused Branch Libraries

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Watertown’s two branch libraries have been vacant since closing in 2006.  During the past decade, two separate re-use committees have struggled to find appropriate utilization for the decaying buildings. Any re-use of either branch library will require heavy reconstruction, and costs for proposed uses by outside groups have been estimated to exceed the return on investment. Some have indicated that selling one or both of these buildings is the only solution, while others point to the former Parker School as a reason to maintain ownership. Along with the former Police Station building, I believe that Watertown has the potential for an innovative approach to managing and revitalizing these vacant sites, which takes into account other challenges our local economy is already confronted with. For example, re-use should address job creation, the rise in out-of-district educational costs, and attempt to make health care costs more affordable.

Elections

LETTER: Another Councilor’s Response to the Fire Union’s Questionnaire

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Dear Mr. Mannix and Members of IAFF Local 1347:

Thank you for reaching out to the candidates in the upcoming town elections regarding their position on the outstanding Watertown Firefighters contract. I must respectfully decline to complete the enclosed questionnaire on this issue prepared by the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) given the lawsuit filed by IAFF Local 1347 on March 19, 2015 against the Town of Watertown in which I was named as a defendant. My record as a District B Councilor and life-long Democrat clearly indicates my support for the Town’s 12 unions and the collective bargaining process. During my tenure as District B Councilor, I have consistently supported policies and budgets that will provide salaries and benefits to all the Town’s union employees commensurate with those in our peer communities. I take extremely serious the Council’s role as the fiscal authority for Watertown; and in that role, I was one of 8 Councilors who voted against the non-binding arbitration decision on Dec.

Government

Selection Process for Watertown’s Next Police Chief Revealed

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Watertown’s next Police Chief will be chosen from among the ranks of the current Police Department, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said when he revealed the selection process. On Tuesday night, Driscoll told the Town Council about his plans to replace recently retired Edward Deveau. He said the town will use the Civil Service process, and the finalists will be chosen using an assessment center as the only ranking device. During an assessment center, the candidates are asked to react to real world situations in an oral exam. “I spoke with the (state) Human Resources Division and the most popular method  used was the assessment center as the sole ranking device,” Driscoll said.

Around Town

LETTER: Councilor’s Response to Fire Union’s Candidate Questionnaire

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The following letter is District A Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis’ response to a Candidate Questionnaire sent to her by Robert Mannix, President of Watertown Fire Fighters Local 1347 (see the Fire Union Letter and Questionnaire below):

Dear Mr. Mannix:

Please be advised, on 03/19/15, Thomas A. McManus, Kevin MacDonald, Stephan Ciara and Watertown Fire Fighters, International Assoc. of Fire Fighters, Local 1347, the Plaintiffs, filed Civil Action No. 15-1551 in the County of Middlesex, Trial Court of Massachusetts, Superior Court Dept. The Defendants are the City of Watertown; Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll, and nine individually named City of Watertown Council, inclusive of myself. On the advise of my legal counsel, because of the aforenoted litigation, I am precluded from replying to the 08/03/15 Candidate’s Questionnaire.

Elections

Town Council Changes Date of the Watertown Preliminary Election

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Watertown’s Preliminary Election has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 17 so that it does not conflict with the Jewish high holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Originally, the preliminary election was to be held on Sept. 15, which is also the final day of the Jewish New Year celebration. Town Manager Michael Driscoll said that the town was contacted by the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office warning town officials of the conflict.

Government

Residents Share Horror Stories of Rats, Town Looking for Solutions

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A packed room of worried and upset residents packed the Coolidge Apartments Auditorium Thursday night to share horror stories about rats in the the East End of Watertown and push town officials to solve the sudden influx of rodents. Several of the 50 plus people at the community meeting said they had seen rats themselves, and many others have neighbors who spotted the critters.  

Maplewood Street resident Vahe Kebabjian got an up close look at some rats. “Saturday morning I was mowing the lawn and boom, there was one. It jumped three feet in the air,” Kebabjian said.