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.

Government

Council Debates How Watertown Can Have a Voice in the 2024 Olympics

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If Boston hosts the 2024 Olympics, one of the biggest events on earth will take place just minutes away from Watertown, but right now the town is not on the list of towns participating in the planning. The Town Council wants to change that, but disagreed on how to do so. On Tuesday, the Town Council discussed whether to create a committee to plan for the Olympics and fight to get Watertown a voice in decisions being made about the Olympics. Councilor Tony Palomba, who first proposed the Ad Hoc Watertown Olympic Committee, said some of the events could be as close as Harvard University, and if they come he hopes Watertown can benefit from the games. “The fact that Watertown is such a unique place could be marketed to benefit us economically,” Palomba said.

Government

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Easier This Year, Starts Saturday

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The process has become easier for Watertown residents to dispose of items such as garden chemicals, motor oil and other automotive fluids, kitchen cleaners and other household hazardous waste. Disposing of household hazardous waste is free and Watertown residents no longer have to pre-register – just bring proof of residency. The town sent the following announcement and the first disposal day will be Saturday, April 18 in Lexington:

The Town of Watertown is pleased to announce the 2015 schedule for collection of Household Hazardous Waste Products. As in the past years, the collection will take place at the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility at 60 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates (which are Saturdays unless otherwise indicated):

April 18th
May 16th
June 20th
July 18th
August 15th
September 13th (this is a SUNDAY)
October 17th
November 7th

This event is free of charge to Watertown residents. Advanced registration is NO LONGER required; Watertown residents must bring identification or proof of Watertown residency to participate in a collection event.

Government

Road Work Will Close Major Intersection Near Watertown Square

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The intersection of Church and Summer streets will be closed this week for emergency repairs, announced the Department of Public Works. Beginning Monday, April 13, the Department of Public Works and its contractor D & R Paving, will be performing emergency road repairs. The work includes the section of Church Street from Winter Street to Summer Street. During the construction, the work area will be closed and there will be no access to Church Place. The emergency work will consist of removal of pavement by excavation, compaction, and repaving.