Bluebikes

Watertown Looks to Lease Electric Shuttles for Pleasant Street Connector

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Watertown TMAThe Watertown Connector started running the week of Labor Day. The shuttle goes down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and then heads to Harvard Square. It is open to the general public. The City of Watertown wants to go green by seeking funds for two electric vehicles for the recently launched shuttle running from the Westside to Harvard Square. The Council recently signed a letter requesting a three-year grant through the Community Connections program run by MassDOT to lease two battery-powered vehicles to replace the one gas-powered shuttle currently being operated.

Anthony Donato

In 4 Years Anthony Donato Left Mark the Council, Colleagues Remember a Sharp Mind, Kind Demeanor

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Councilor at Large Anthony Donato stepped down after four years. His final meeting was Dec. 14. In a relatively short time on the Council, Anthony Donato left his mark and was remembered by his colleagues as a sharp, detail oriented and, most of all, kind Councilor. After four years — two terms — Donato chose not to run for re-election as Councilor at Large.

Around Town

City Surveying Residents About Qualifications, Characteristics Desired in Next City Manager

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The process to hire the next City Manager for Watertown has begun, and residents can weigh in on what they think the most important qualifications and characteristics for the next chief executive of the City to have. They survey is being conducted online, and the City sent out the following message:

“Watertown residents, please participate in this citizen survey which is designed to help identify the desired experience and attributes of Watertown’s next City Manager. Your opinions will assist our recruitment consultant and the City Manager Screening Committee as they identify candidates and work to narrow the field to a small group of finalists to submit to the City Council.” The survey has five questions about the next City Manager:

Which professional qualifications are most importantWhich personal characteristics are most importantWhat challenges and opportunities are most critical for the City Manager to be able to addressThe most important thing a new City Manager should know about Watertown, andWhat other information the City Manager Search Committee should know in the search for a new City Manager

Access the public input survey by clicking here.

Government

The Voice of the East End Bids Farewell After 16 Years as a Watertown Councilor

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Retiring District A Councilor Angie Kounelis, right, with her mother Evangelia. After 16 years, Angeline Kounelis — Angie to most — represented District A for the final time as a Councilor on Dec. 14. She not only represented East Watertown, to many she spoke for them and was a trusted advocate for their needs. In the wake of her final Council meeting, Kounelis said she has been flooded with notes of thanks, congratulations and appreciation.

Around Town

OP-ED: Keep Health Care Workers in Mind, System Strained by More Than COVID

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston:

Please keep our health care workers in mind as you make decisions about what COVID risks to take over the coming weeks. As of Tuesday, December 14, there were 1411 people hospitalized with COVID in Massachusetts, of which 326 were in the ICU and 176 were intubated. That is well below the level in the first April 2020 surge when hospitalizations peaked at almost 4,000, yet for a combination of reasons, the hospital system is feeling a lot of strain. Steve Walsh, President of the Massachusetts Hospital Association testified at a hearing on December 16 about the state of the hospital system. He made the following points in his testimony:

Like many employers across the country, hospitals are having difficulty recruiting staff — nurses and behavioral health specialists are most in demand, but all hospital jobs are hard to fill.Caregivers are exhausted and burnt out — many are leaving for other fields or retiring.In the early days of COVID, it was possible to recruit travel nurses — acute surges were happening in only a few states.

Government

Upgrades to Softball Facilities Planned at O’Connell Field as Part of Hosmer School Project

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Ai3 ArchitectsA map of the proposed additions to O’Connell Field, shown in yellow. The white pathways are already in the plans. The athletic fields at O’Connell Field will likely be getting some upgrades as part of the construction of the new Hosmer Elementary School, but some neighbors are concerned about the loss of green space and other issues. At Wednesday night’s School Building Committee meeting, designers presented a preliminary design for upgrades to O’Connell Field, which runs along Mt. Auburn Street in front of the Brigham House and sits next to Hosmer’s playground.

DPW

More Than a Ton of Clothing Collected in First Month of Watertown’s Curbside Textile Collection

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown, working with HELPSY, the largest clothing collector in the northeast, has collected nearly 3,000 pounds of clothing during the first month of curbside pickup. By collecting unwanted clothing for recycling, thousands of pounds of unnecessary trash have been diverted from local landfills. This not only helps the environment but reusing and recycling textiles also saves Watertown money by reducing tipping fees or landfill maintenance costs. Textile pickups are ongoing and offered weekly. Residents can schedule online at helpsy.co/watertownma.

Elections

Council Approves Changes to Watertown Voting Precincts, Some Worried About Lack of Detailed Map

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

Some Watertown residents will be moved to a different precinct, and vote in a different location, after changes to the precinct boundaries were approved by the City Council Tuesday night. Precincts are changed every 10 years after the results of the Census are released. The changes were complicated by the fact that Watertown’s House districts also changed, with Precinct 9 moving from the 29th Middlesex (represented by Steve Owens) to the 10th Middlesex (John Lawn’s district). The Council had been scheduled to considered the changes at a previous meeting, but they found that the precincts didn’t match up for state and local elections, said City Council President Mark Sideris. “The first time we tried to do this there was going to be a situation where a constituent would have to vote in a city election in one place and a state election in a different place,” Sideris said.