Connie Henry

LETTER: Town Council Candidate Hosts Listening Session

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Town Council candidate Connie Henry, right, held her first listening session in District D.

The Committee to Elect Connie Henry held the first Listening Session for District D residents on July 19th. Connie Henry, a candidate for Town Councilor, District D, values the opportunity to learn and listen from as many residents as possible early in the campaign and to provide a space for dialogue between neighbors. The event used a ‘World Cafe’ model with each of four stations (backyard tables!) focused on important topics: Development and Traffic, Green Spaces and the Environment, Education and Public Safety, and Equity, Inclusion and Communication. As they visited each station, participants generated ideas, concerns, and hopes and discussed them with one another, writing and drawing on large poster boards. It was a productive -and fun- evening.

Election 2021

Deadline Approaching to File to Run in Watertown Election, Possible Opening on Town Council

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown Town Hall in the 2020 Massachusetts Presidential Primary. The deadline for submitting papers to run in the Town Election is approaching and as of July 22 there are not enough At-Large Town Council candidates for the number of seats. 

While three of the four district councilor seats have contested races, only three of the four councilor at-large incumbents have taken out papers to get signatures to run for re-election. 

In District C and the Town Council President election, so far only the incumbents have taken out papers. 

The School Committee has had six people take out papers for the three spots, including two incumbents. Current member John Portz announced he will not be seeking another term. 

Five people have taken out papers to run for the three spots on the Board of Library Trustees, including two incumbents. Trustee Michael Hanlon is running for District A Town Councilor. The deadline for getting nomination papers into the Town Clerk’s office with signatures is Tuesday, July 27 at 5 p.m. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov.

Government

See the Description of Watertown Included as Part of the Ad for Town Manager Search Firms

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The Town of Watertown is a diverse, growing community with a strong commitment to education, green energy goals with active and engaged residents, according to the description of the town created by the Council subcommittee overseeing the search for the next Town Manager. Tuesday night, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Town Manager Search created the community description to go into the request for proposals (RFP) going out to potential manager search consultant firms.

The meeting was the first step of many to come in the process of hiring the new Town Manager, said Town Council President Mark Sideris. On July 15, the Council decided to have an outside firm help with the search. Sideris said this type of search is a specialized one, and he did not believe that the Town’s Personnel Department could do it on its own. He added that he wants to spend the money required to get a quality Town Manager.

Government

New Plan for Arsenal on the Charles Approved by Planning Board, Millions in Mitigation Projects to be Done

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Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesA view of Building 2 with a pedestrian plaza in front. It is one of the new additions to the Arsenal on the Charles proposed by Alexandria Real Estate and approved by the Planning Board. The owners of the Arsenal on the Charles complex got approval for changes to the master plan, including three new buildings, and the owners will pay millions in mitigation funding. The plan had been criticized for the number of trees that would be lost in the projects, but the approved plan saves some of those originally slated to be removed. On July 14, the Planning Board gave approval for the amendment to the master plan proposed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

Government

Town Council to Hire Consultant to Assist Search for New Town Manager

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Watertown Town Hall

For the first time in more than a quarter century, the Town Council will be looking for a new Town Manager, and they will get some help in finding the Town’s next chief executive from a consultant. Town Council President Mark Sideris gave the first details about the Town Manager search at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting. “The manager’s search is going to be a multi-step process,” Sideris said. “This is something that no body on this council has ever dealt with. We have been fortunate to have our manager for more than 29 years, here.

Government

Water & Sewer Rates to Increase for Watertown Residents; Council to Examine Issue

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Water and sewer rates will increase in Fiscal Year 2022, but not as sharply as this year’s rate hike. Tuesday night, the Town Council approved the Water and Sewer rates, which include a 3.2 percent increase for both water rates and sewer rates. During the last water and sewer rate adjustment, rates went up by more than 8 percent. Town Auditor Tom Tracy said last year’s large increase was part of a plan to rebuild depleted reserve accounts for the Water and Sewer operations. Both of the accounts operate as enterprise funds, which are independent of the Town’s Operating budget and are self-sustaining using payments from water and sewer customers.

Government

City or Town of Watertown – Charter Review Committee Weighs in on That & Other Proposed Changes

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Typically, Watertown is referred to as a town, but it has a city-form of government. The group proposing changes to the Town Charter looked at officially changing the name to the City of Watertown. The Charter Review Committee also looked at a range of areas in the document that defines how the town’s government works, including how the Town Auditor should be supervised and disciplined, what information should be included on the Town’s website and how many councilors it takes to call employees to appear before the Town Council. City or Town

Watertown was founded in 1630, and for most of that time was known as a Town. In 1980, the Town voted to change from a town form of government, with a Town Meeting, to a city form with a council and manager.

Charter Review

Join the Charter Chat on the Final Stages of the Watertown Charter Review

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The Town of Watertown is reviewing and proposing changes to the Town Charter, which spells out how the municipal government works, and the process is nearing its end. A group of residents will host a virtual Charter Chat on Sunday, July 11. Watertown Forward has organized discussions of the Charter Review during the course of the process. This week’s chat will be on Sunday from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Watertown Forward sent out the following information about the Charter Chat:

The next Sunday WF Charter Chat will focus on what’s next in the process and on how to continue improving communications and public engagement. Specifically, this Charter Chat will:

• Bring folks up-to-date on the results of the CRC’s work (what is being proposed and what is deferred for action by ordinance or other means) and what comes next (review by the Town Council and approval by voters in November);

• Hear from Chris McClure, Tony Palomba and possibly other guests on ideas about how to keep residents well-informed about the proposed Charter changes, the Town Council’s vote and the November ballot.  There will be time for questions and discussion about transparency and communication in general. 

See how to join the Charter Chat by clicking here.