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Several Watertown Students Injured in School Bus Accident

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A school bus carrying Watertown Public School students collided with a vehicle on Belmont Street on Oct. 19, 2022. Several students suffered minor injuries. Multiple students went to hospital after suffering injuries when a school bus carrying Watertown elementary school student got into an accident on Belmont Street on Wednesday morning. The bus had been carrying 44 students to the Lowell West campus at the former St.

Government

City Manager Wants to Prioritize Watertown Square Rejuvenation

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Charlie BreitroseImproving Watertown Square will be a priority for new City Manager George Proakis. During his preliminary budget presentation to the City Council, City Manager George Proakis said he has heard from a lot of people who want to see improvements made to Watertown Square. He wants to create a coordinated effort to improve the City’s downtown. Like the intersection at the crossroads on the Charles, improving the area requires looking at several prongs. During his first several weeks, Proakis said he has heard many opinions from many people about what to do with the Square.

Government

City Manager Commits to Building a New High School Without Sacrificing Education or Green Features

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of the main entrance to Watertown High School from Columbia Street. Watertown has plans to build a new high school which will create enough energy to cover the amount needed to operate the building, be equipped with state of the art equipment and technology, and will educate students for decades to come. Even facing climbing construction costs, City Manager George Proakis vowed that the new school will be built.

Watertown will get a significant portion of the new high school reimbursed —  $44.2 million — by the State through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The cost of the project approved by the state was $138.6 million, but since the approval in March the cost of construction has escalated. In July, the School Building Committee approved “value engineering” steps to use less costly materials and reduce the scope of the project to keep it on budget.

Government

City Manager Seeking Applicants for Residents’ Advisory Committee

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

City Manager George J. Proakis is seeking Watertown residents interested in serving on the Residents’ Advisory Committee.  

The Committee is being formed per the City Charter – Section 3-7 Residents’ Advisory Committee:  

“The city manager shall establish a Residents’ Advisory Committee to assist with recruitment, evaluation, and selection of candidates for appointment to multiple-member bodies. In making appointments to multiple-member bodies, the city manager shall seek to appoint individuals with relevant expertise or experience. The city manager shall work with the Residents’ Advisory Committee to establish policies and practices to actively encourage a diverse pool of applicants for multiple-member bodies. The city manager and Residents’ Advisory Committee shall recognize the importance of diversity in appointments, including, but not limited to, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity.”

Applicants should submit a letter of interest accompanied by a resume or other information concerning background or experience by Friday, November 4, 2022:  by email to citymgr@watertown-ma.gov or City Manager’s Office, 149 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472.

Around Town

City’s New Trash & Recycling Rules & Fees Start This Week

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Watertown DPWA curbside composting toter sits next to Watertown trash and recycling toters. The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown recently ratified the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan. This plan establishes the goal of a 30 percent statewide reduction in disposal tonnage between now and 2030. The Watertown Department of Public Works is implementing new programmatic changes that will allow Watertown to achieve the 30 percent reduction in our disposal tonnage based on a 2019 baseline. New programs and policies have been created to increase diversion of materials away from disposal through reduced consumption, reuse of existing items, and expansion of recycling programs. Thank you to all Watertown residents for your support and patience as we transition into these new policy changes.

Government

Watertown Election Officials: Confirm Your Voter Registration, Even if You Voted Recently

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The Watertown Board of Election Commissioners said that residents may have been removed from the voter registration list if they have not returned their City Census this year. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is just a couple weeks away. The return rate for the City Census was lower than previous years, and as many as one-third of voters may be removed from the list, according to an announcement from the Board of Election Commissioners. Residents can check if they are registered to vote on the Secretary of State’s website and providing their name, date of birth and zip code.

Government

City Auditor (Sort of) Retiring After Nearly 30 Years in Watertown

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Charlie BreitroseCity Manager George Proakis presented retiring City Auditor Tom Tracy with a model gazebo to represent one that will be built near City Hall in Saltonstall Park. When he joined the then-Town of Watertown staff in 1994, Tom Tracy was one of the young kids on the block. He continued to work as the Town Auditor, now City Auditor, for nearly three decades and will retire at the end of this week — mostly. While he will step down from full-time employment, Tracy agreed to come in a couple days a week to help the City until a new Auditor is hired, and to help the new person with the transition. Tracy has always been willing to lend a hand, City Council President Mark Sideris said at Tuesday’s Council meeting.