Government

Watertown’s IT Department Receives Grants from Mass. Community Compact

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The City of Watertown provided the following announcement:

The Watertown Technology Department is proud to announce the award of $457,965 in Massachusetts Community Compact Grants in Fiscal Year 2023. The Community Compact Cabinet was established by the Baker-Polito Administration in January 2015 as one of its first actions after taking office, with the goal of strengthening the state’s partnership with cities and towns and to allow the Administration to work more closely with municipal leaders. Led by Lt. Governor Polito, the Cabinet champions municipal interests across all executive secretariats and agencies, and develops, in consultation with cities and towns, mutual standards and best practices for both the state and municipalities. Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Community Compact Programs and Announces $7 Million in Fiscal Year 2023 Grants | Mass.gov

Watertown is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this amazing program and excited to complete the projects funded for FY 2023. The Watertown Technology Department received awards in three categories:

•    Best Practices

•    Information Technology

•    Municipal Fiber

The Best Practices program is based on voluntary, mutual Community Compact agreements that individual cities and towns have entered into with the Commonwealth.

Schools

Construction Underway at Temporary High School Site at Moxley Field

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Public Schools, and was part of the Superintendent’s Update:

Construction activity is picking up at Moxley Field, the temporary Watertown High School site beginning next school year. Crews are preparing the property for the installation of the modular buildings, which is expected to begin in January. The new modular high school will house the entire Watertown High School population while the new school building is under construction. Construction is taking place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Deliveries to the site will not be permitted during Middle School morning dropoff and afternoon pickup to minimize disruption in the neighborhood. You can watch the most recent community forum on the Moxley construction efforts here and view a detailed presentation on the project timeline below.

Government

Watertown’s First Deputy City Manager Has Experience in Medford, Somerville

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Emily Monea

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

City Manager George J. Proakis is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Emily Monea as Watertown’s new Deputy City Manager. Ms. Monea has most recently served as Acting Chief of Staff to Mayor Luengo-Koehn for the City of Medford, supporting the Mayor in daily leadership and management of the City, focusing on HR modernization, recruiting, complex employee matters, and labor relations. Prior to that she was the Chief of Staff to Mayor Curtatone for the City of Somerville and later became the Transitional Director of the Mayorʼs Office of Innovation and Analytics (SomerStat) supporting the transition of Mayor Ballantyne into office. While serving as the chief administrative officer for a city employing over 1,000 employees and serving over 80,000 residents in four square miles, Ms. Monea managed day-to-day operations while leading medium- and long-term strategic planning and organizational change. Ms. Monea partnered with senior staff to effectuate the Mayor’s legislative and policy agenda; to develop accompanying strategies for City Council and community engagement; and to align financial, legal, HR, and operational strategies, including oversight of the City’s $270+ million operating budget.

Schools

Former Watertown Teacher Earns Statewide Award for Work in Weston Schools

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Phil Oates

Phil Oates, a former Watertown Middle School teacher and interim principal at Lowell School, received an honor from the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association for his work as assistant principal at Weston Middle School. He lives in Watertown. The Weston Public Schools published the following announcement:

We are thrilled to announce that our own Mr. Phil Oates has won the MSAA Assistant Principal of the Year Award for 2023! Please join the entire WMS community in congratulating Phil on this amazing accomplishment. The Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association announced today that Mr. Philip Oates, Assistant Principal of Weston Middle School, has been selected as this year’s Assistant Principal of the Year. Phil has served at the Middle School for the past six years. Phil graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Sciences in Mathematics.

Government

City Petitions Legislature to Extend Age Police Officers Can Work Road Detail Shifts

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Charlie BreitroseA road after being milled and prepared for overlay of new asphalt.

The City of Watertown seeks to expand the age that police officers can work a detail at road construction projects up to the age of 70. Currently, the State caps the age of detail officers at 65, said City Manager George Proakis, but some communities have expanded that age to 70. With many road projects going on through the year, Watertown has trouble filling them with its own officers. With other communities allow older officers this creates some inconsistencies, Proakis said. “Because we are not able to fill all our details we often find ourselves requesting officers from other communities to come fill details in Watertown,” Proakis said.

Around Town

Restaurant Closing After More Than 2 Decades Serving Italian Dishes in Watertown

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Porcini’s restaurant will close in mid-January after over 20 years serving diners in Watertown. The owners for the restaurant on School Street put up a “Closing Letter” on the restaurant’s website announcing the decision. They cited difficulties of doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons for the decision, in which they thanked their loyal customers and dedicated staff. The letter reads: “It saddens us to have to announce today that Porcini’s Italian Restaurant will be permanently closing our doors after 23 years of service on Saturday, January 14, 2023.” The past 3 years have been devastating to our business, as we have struggled through the results of the COVID pandemic.

Government

State Legislature Allowing Watertown to Charge Developer Fees to Fund Affordable Housing

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Wikimedia Commons / ChensiyuanMassachusetts State House. City officials will be able to charge new developments a fee that would go toward creating affordable housing in Watertown after receiving approval from the state level. The City Council requested special legislation to be passed that allows them to charge linkage fees of up to $18 per square foot for commercial projects over 30,000 sq. ft. that require zoning relief.