Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/government/page/42/)
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashThe City of Watertown is working on creating a rodent control plan. A City Council committee will discuss the problem of rats and other rodents in Watertown at a meeting on Oct. 24. The Committee on Human Services will discuss the problem and what can be done about it with members of the Health Department and the Department of Public Works. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Oct.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall
The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
City Manager George J. Proakis is seeking Watertown residents interested in serving on the Residents’ Advisory Committee.
The Committee is being formed per the City Charter – Section 3-7 Residents’ Advisory Committee:
“The city manager shall establish a Residents’ Advisory Committee to assist with recruitment, evaluation, and selection of candidates for appointment to multiple-member bodies. In making appointments to multiple-member bodies, the city manager shall seek to appoint individuals with relevant expertise or experience. The city manager shall work with the Residents’ Advisory Committee to establish policies and practices to actively encourage a diverse pool of applicants for multiple-member bodies. The city manager and Residents’ Advisory Committee shall recognize the importance of diversity in appointments, including, but not limited to, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity.”
Applicants should submit a letter of interest accompanied by a resume or other information concerning background or experience by Friday, November 4, 2022: by email to citymgr@watertown-ma.gov or City Manager’s Office, 149 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472.
It seems that politicians never have enough money and work hardest to come up with easy ways to get it. In addition to the taxes we already pay, and the $7 million Watertown has received from the lottery as Unrestricted General Government Aid in fiscal year 2022, there never seems to be enough money. In their latest “how can we get more money” scam, politicians have targeted people with taxable income over $1 million. Apparently, those people aren’t paying their fair share. Be careful when issues are framed in an ‘us vs them’ context.
The Watertown Board of Election Commissioners said that residents may have been removed from the voter registration list if they have not returned their City Census this year. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is just a couple weeks away. The return rate for the City Census was lower than previous years, and as many as one-third of voters may be removed from the list, according to an announcement from the Board of Election Commissioners. Residents can check if they are registered to vote on the Secretary of State’s website and providing their name, date of birth and zip code.
Charlie BreitroseCity Manager George Proakis presented retiring City Auditor Tom Tracy with a model gazebo to represent one that will be built near City Hall in Saltonstall Park. When he joined the then-Town of Watertown staff in 1994, Tom Tracy was one of the young kids on the block. He continued to work as the Town Auditor, now City Auditor, for nearly three decades and will retire at the end of this week — mostly. While he will step down from full-time employment, Tracy agreed to come in a couple days a week to help the City until a new Auditor is hired, and to help the new person with the transition. Tracy has always been willing to lend a hand, City Council President Mark Sideris said at Tuesday’s Council meeting.
The following announcement was provided by City Councilor Tony Palomba:
Please join me and staff from the Department of Community Development and Planning for a program titled “Planning and Zoning in Watertown.”
This very timely presentation, given the ongoing development in town, will take place on Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in the City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 149 Main St.
This is a hybrid meeting with remote participation by zoom at https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/88996463499. There is no need to register ahead of time. WCA-TV will broadcast and record the meeting. After a few words about the ongoing Comprehensive Plan Review process, we will discuss the role of zoning as a tool for planning, the mechanics of the zoning process, and the role of the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Most importantly the staff will present two case studies, one of a residential development and one of a commercial development, of how a developer’s proposal moves through the permitting process. There will also be time for questions.
City of WatertownThe City of Watertown has entered into an agreement to purchase the former Parker School building on Watertown Street. For more than 70 years, public school children were educated in the building at 124 Watertown St. Now, more than a century after it was built, the former Parker Elementary School will once again be owned by the City of Watertown. This time, instead of public school pupils, it will be house city employees. On Tuesday night, City Manager George Proakis told the City Council that the City has an agreement to purchase the former elementary school on the south side of Watertown.
Watertown City Manager George Proakis. Watertown City Manager George Proakis, who started his new position in August, will be holding a pair of meet-and-greets where he will be available to speak with residents and members of the public. Proakis will hold the first Meet and Greet with residents on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022 from 6-7 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 149 Main St. The event precedes that evening’s City Council Meeting (the agenda includes the FY 2024 preliminary budget overview).