Elections

Council Seeks Applicants to Fill Westside District Seat, Must Agree Not to Run in Fall

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Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council decided to appoint someone to fill the vacancy in the District D seat, which represents the westside of Watertown. Applicants must agree not to run for the seat in the November Town Election. The seat became vacant when Ken Woodland stepped down after taking a job that does not allow him to serve on the Town Council in April. The Council debated whether or not to even fill the seat, and other details, such as whether the person would be able to run for re-election in the fall. Councilor John Gannon asked how the Town could enforce the rule that the person could not run for the seat in the Town Election.

Government

Recommended Charter Change Would Allow Council to Hire Staff, Committee Looks at Requiring Open Forums for Councilors

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown’s Town Hall. The Town Council should be able to hire its own staff or consultants without having to ask the Town Administration for funding, the Charter Review Committee decided Tuesday night. Also, Tuesday, the Committee recommended changing the Charter, which spells out how the Town’s government operates, to add more details about how the Town Council sets policies. Hiring Staff

The members of the Charter Review Committee agreed that the Council should be able to hire assistants, but they disagreed on the best way to specify it in the Charter, and how much detail should be included. One of the proposals presented by Michael Ward, the consultant from the Collins Center, was to specify hiring an analyst, with a second recommendation which would enable the Council, by passing an ordinance, to hire more staff that it deems necessary.

Government

Council Backs Bike/Pedestrian Path Extension On Arsenal St., Keeps Open Off-Road Option

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After looking at three options, one was eliminated, and two were moved forward with one chosen as the recommended route. The recommended route would be to continue the path along Arsenal Street, which currently goes along the north side of the street from School Street to Irving Street. It would continue west to Taylor Street and then go along Taylor, cross Mt. Auburn Street and then go along Baptist Walk, through the municipal parking lots in Watertown Square to link with the path near the Watertown Library. The cost estimate for the project is $1.3 million, according to VHB, the project designer.

District D

Process for Filling Empty Council Seat Delayed Due to Error in Voting Process

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The Town Council heard a proposal for how to fill the vacant District D Town Council seat, but could not make a vote due to an error during the subcommittee meeting held the previous week. One of the rules changes made by the Governor impacting remote meetings requires all votes to be made by roll call. During the May 5 meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on District D Vacancy the group made a unanimous vote to recommend a process for filling the seat that became vacant when Ken Woodland had to resign to take a job that does not allow him to serve on the Council. However, the vote was not done by roll call — with each committee member being called upon and voicing their vote. Town Attorney Mark Reich, from KP Law, said that the vote should have been made by roll call, and added that since the plan was not put on the May 11 Council Meeting’s agenda as an action item the Council might be in violation of the Open Meeting Law if the it took a vote to approve the plan.

101 North Beacon St.

Town Council Delays Vote on Electrical Service to New Building, Wants to Avoid New Pole

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Embarc StudioThe new building at 101 North Beacon St. has 28 condos in three-stories. Developers have not been able to get electricity to the building, an await a decision from the Town Council which has said it prefers not to have a new utility pole installed as part of the project. For the second time, the Town Council voted to table the vote on a proposed petition to put in a new utility pole on Irving Street to supply power to a new residential building on North Beacon Street. The petition submitted by Eversource is asking to install a new pole about 18 feet north of another pole on Irving Street, just south of North Beacon Street.

Government

Town Council Will Hear About Department Budgets at 4 Budget Hearings

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Watertown Town Hall

The Town Council will hear about the budget for each municipal department as well as the Watertown Public Schools during the Fiscal Year 2022 budget hearings, which begin May 17. Four budget meetings are planned, and the Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the FY22 budget on June 8. Unlike most years, the department heads will not be presenting PowerPoint slideshows about their department in 2021, said Council President Mark Sideris. The Department heads will be available during the hearings to answer the Council’s questions. The Town of Watertown provided the following information:

The Fiscal Year 2022 General Fund Budget, as proposed, totals $164,430,000.

District A

Library Trustee Mike Hanlon Announces Candidacy for District A Town Councilor

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Mike Hanlon. Mike Hanlon, an elected member of the Watertown Library Board of Trustees, has announced his candidacy for East Watertown District A Town Councilor. Hanlon provided the following statement:

My wife, Joyce, and I are longtime residents and homeowners of Coolidge Avenue having lived in Watertown for over 25 years. We have appreciated living in a community that is rich in tradition and deep in so many cultures where people are so respectful and friendly. I understand the importance of the quality of life for Watertown residents and it has been a wonderful experience to have been elected to four terms (a total of 16 years) as a member of the Watertown Free Public Library Board of Trustees.

Government

OBIT: John Flynn, 63, Served as Watertown Town Clerk for 26 Years

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Long-time Watertown Town Clerk John Flynn. John “Jack” Flynn, who served as the Town Clerk of Watertown for more than a quarter century, died on Friday, May 7, 2021 after a brief illness. He was 63 years old. Born in Cambridge, he served as Deputy City Clerk and Principal Budget Analyst for the City of Cambridge before becoming Watertown’s Town Clerk in 1995. He retired in 2021.