Government

Mt. Auburn Street Repairs Move a Step Closer

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Mt. Auburn Street could be repaired and redesigned in the near future, as the state gave approval to the project to move into the design phase. MassHighway gave project review approval for the proposal, said Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee, and now the town must start designing the project. “We need to finish surveying work and we will have public meetings and start designing it,” Mee said. Mee said he hopes to have the first of multiple meetings “within a few months.”

Government

Watertown School Budget on Tap This Week

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On Tuesday, Watertown school officials will make their case to the Town Council for their Fiscal 2015 budget request. The School Committee and school administrators will present their budget at the Budget Hearing on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Town Hall. Their budget will be heard after the Water/Sewer Enterprise. There is a significant gap between the request from the Schools, which asked for a $6 million, 16 percent increase. While the Town Manager’s budget includes a $2.26 million, 6 percent increase.

Government

U-Turn on Watertown Street Repair Projects

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The road repair plan for the summer of 2014 hit a roadblock, so the Department of Public Works will focus on a new set of streets. The new set of streets to be repaired are short in number, but some of the longer ones in town: Arlington Street, Orchard Street and School Street. The streets will be repaired with the mill and overlay method, which grinds up the top layer of asphalt and lays down a fresh layer. The work will extend the life of the road by 7 to 15 years, said Councilor Cecilia Lenk, chairman of the Public Works Subcommittee. The original list included these streets: Fifield Street, Avon Road, Alden Road, Salisbury Road, Priest Road, Loomis Avenue, Duff Street, Barnard Avenue, Lincoln Street, Dexter Avenue, Katherine Road and Cushman Street.

Government

See Highlights from the MBTA GM’s Visit to Watertown

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Beverley Scott, the general manager of the MBTA, got the full Watertown experience this week when she toured the town and spoke with residents and the Town Council. Residents had plenty to say – some complaints and some requests – for Scott. The head of the T rode the 71 bus into town. Then Town Councilor Aaron Dushku picked her up and along with State Rep. Jonathan Hecht and resident Joe Levendusky, they visited Arsenal Street. The group tried to get over to the other booming area – Pleasant Street – but traffic and time did not allow, Dushku said.

Government

Funding Retirement System Will Save Money Later, Won’t Help Schools Now

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The Fiscal 2015 budget includes $12 million to fund the shortfall in the retirement system, but in a few years it will reap $32 million in savings. Like all communities in Massachusetts, Watertown has an unfunded liability in its retirement benefits and the difference must be made up. The town now funds about 68 percent of the benefits, and needs about$53 million to fully fund it. The town had been working toward funding the shortfall by 2022 by paying in about $10 million a year, but last year the Watertown Retirement Board – at the request of the Town Council – voted to accelerate the funding of the shortfall. Each year from Fiscal 2015 to 2018 Watertown will pay an additional $1.575 million toward funding retirement benefits – meaning the town will pay in $12.2 million in Fiscal 2015 and keep adding until it pays $16.9 million in Fiscal 2018.

Development

Town Seeks Comments on Draft of Watertown Comprehensive Plan

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A draft of the master planning document that will influence the way Watertown will be built up (or not) has been created and town officials seek input from residents. The document is a long one, with 220 pages and hundreds of recommendations. The plan has sections on land use, transportation/circulation/parking, housing, economic development, open space/recreation, natural resources, historical/cultural resources, public services/facilities, energy and implementation of the plan. Work started more than a year ago on the document, and the consultants – Vanasse Hangen Brustlin – held public forums to get input on what kind of Watertown people want to see in the future. The Town Council’s Economic Development and Planning Subcommittee recently discussed how to get input and a schedule for approving the plan.

Government

Historical Commission will Hand Out Preservation Awards

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People and groups who have preserved Watertown’s history will be honored in June. Several awards will be handed out at the Historical Commission Awards Ceremony will be held on June 5 at 7 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Ave., in Watertown. The event is free and open to the public. The Richard E. Mastrangelo Memorial Award will go to the Watertown Community Mural Committee for the creation of the mural in Linear Park (the path between Waverley and Whites avenues. Pam Piantedosi will be presented the Citizenship Award for her work on the documentary “150 on Main Street – The History of the Watertown Police Department DVD.”

Around Town

Drop the Puck at the Newly Remodeled Casey Park

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No you aren’t hallucinating if you see a hockey rink with a full set of boards at Watertown’s Casey Park.The Southside park has nearly completed a major overhaul, which included resurfacing the basketball and tennis courts, new lights and installation of a street hockey rink. Come winter, a sheet of ice can be laid down on the rink so people can skate and play ice hockey. “We had three tennis courts but they were unusable – they were underwater when it rained,” Centola said. Two of the tennis courts were improved and the third was turned into the new rink. Players can jump on the concrete or ice through a door in the boards, and sit on benches along the side of the rink.