Government

Council Approves Borrowing $198 Million for State of the Art, Green Watertown High School

By |

Ai3 ArchtiectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School will look like (note the colors have not been settled). The City Council approved borrowing $198 million to construct the new school. School and City officials hailed the City Council’s approval of funding to build the new Watertown High School as an important step not just for the students of Watertown, but the community as a whole. Tuesday night’s approval of the borrowing of $198.8 million opens the way for the final planning and construction of a state-of-the-art, and energy efficient building to be constructed on the site of the current school. The figure covers the cost of construction, plus the creation of temporary swing space at Moxley Field.

Government

Watertown Receives Some Strong Candidates for City Manager, Screening Committee to Narrow Pool

By |

Watertown City Hall

The pool of candidates applying for the Watertown City Manager position includes some strong applicants, according to the consultant hired to help with the process. The Ad Hoc City Manager Screening Committee met Thursday night to start the process of reviewing resumes of the applicants for City Manager. They are being assisted by Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm Associates, who said the number of hopefuls is pretty typical. “In the end we had 23 candidates apply for the position, which is consistent with where we are with many of our communities: somewhere between 20 and 30 candidates,” Lynch said. City Council President Mark Sideris, the chair of the Ad Hoc City Manager Search Committee, said there are also some who will not likely make the list.

City Manager

City Manager Candidate Screening Committee Meeting This Week

By |

Watertown City Hall

The committee screening candidates for Watertown’s next City Manager will review the process for how hiring process will proceed. The Ad Hoc City Manager Screening Committee will meet vitually on Thursday, March 17 at 5:30 p.m. At the meeting the City’s consultant, Community Paradigm Associates, will review the process. After the presentation, the Committee will go into executive session to begin evaluating the candidates. The Ad Hoc Screening Committee includes: Mark Sideris (City Council President) – Chair, Vincent Piccirilli (City Council Vice President), Caroline Bays (Chair of Personnel and City Organization Committee), Steve Magoon (Acting Deputy City Manager), Deanne Galdston (Superintendent of Schools), Daniel D’Amico (Resident), and Felicia Sullivan (Resident). The public can join the virtual meeting online: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/86093009517

The public can also join the virtual meeting audio only by phone: (877) 853-5257 or (888)475-4499 (Toll Free), and enter Webinar ID: 860 9300 9517 #

Comments can be sent by email to: cbays@watertown-ma.gov

Around Town

State Sen. Will Brownsberger Seeks Applications for Summer Internships

By |

Wikimedia Commons / ChensiyuanMassachusetts State House. The following information was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger:

The Office of Senator Will Brownsberger is accepting applications for part-time, unpaid, summer 2022 internships. All applicants must have a permanent residence or attend school in the 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District (which includes all of Watertown). 

Legislative internships offer a variety of professional experiences, including policy research, constituent services, and legislation and budget analysis. Daily seminars on different aspects of state government are scheduled by the Senate. Internships require a commitment of 8-20 hours a week for a minimum of five weeks, with possible added research work outside of scheduled hours.

Climate & Energy Plan

Resident Comments Wanted on Watertown Draft Climate & Energy Plan

By |

A draft of the Watertown Climate and Energy Plan has been released and City officials seek input from the public about the document. The plan has been titled “Resilient Watertown,” and it details the City’s strategies to address climate change. The plan is the product of meetings, workshops and surveys, according to the introduction by Acting City Manager Tom Tracy. The City Council’s statement reads, in part: “The Plan identifies opportunities for lasting improvements here in Watertown, by reducing climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants and improving quality of life for all residents in the face of extreme events and prolonged stressors.” The plan seeks to help the City prepare for the impact of severe weather events.

Government

Watertown Health Director Thanked by Congresswoman Clark for Work During Pandemic

By |

Congresswoman Clark’s OfficeCongresswoman Katherine Clark met virtually with health officials from around her district, including Watertown Health Director Larry Ramdin (bottom, second from right). The following announcement was provided by the office of Congresswoman Katherine Clark:

Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark (MA-5) invited public health officials from across Massachusetts’ Fifth District — including Watertown’s Health Director — as her virtual guests to the State of the Union address on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. She met virtually with her guests ahead of President Biden’s address to thank them for their selfless work throughout the pandemic and discuss how the American Rescue Plan’s investments in local government, COVID-19 mitigation, and public health generally helped to keep their communities protected and safe. 

“Throughout the pandemic, our incredible town and city public health officials have continued to put community before self, risking their own health to protect their neighbors from COVID-19. This is an opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to these officials and all our health care heroes,” said Assistant Speaker Clark. “President Biden and Congressional Democrats knew that these local officials would be on the frontlines of the crisis, and that’s why we put health care investments at the top of our agenda in Washington. Only weeks after President Biden was sworn into office, we enacted the American Rescue Plan.

City Council

City Wants to Change Location of Required MBTA Multifamily Zone

By |

Watertown City Hall

Legislation recently passed on Beacon Hill requires communities with MBTA service to create an area where dense housing projects would be allowed in locations near transit hubs. Watertown officials say, however, the area of the City designated by the state does not make sense and should be moved closer to the center of town. Each of the 175 MBTA communities must designate an area of at least 50 acres where multi-family projects with up to 15 units per acre would be allowed by right, so the City could not deny approval based on density. These zones are supposed to be within half-a-mile of a transit station. In Watertown’s case, the bus hubs in Watertown Square and the Watertown Yard do not qualify because they do not have a building available to passengers, acting Deputy City Manager Steve Magoon said at the Feb.

Board of Health

Indoor Face Mask Requirement Lifted by Watertown Board of Health

By |

The indoor face mask requirement in Watertown was lifted by the Board of Health on Wednesday night. The latest face covering mandate was put into place on Dec. 22, 2021 when COVID cases were on the rise when the Omicron variant hit the area. Watertown reached a peak of 1,131 active cases on Jan. 19, and they have declined since then, said Watertown Health Director Larry Ramdin.