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.

Around Town

Volunteers Wanted to Place Flags on Veterans’ Graves for Memorial Day

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In honor of Memorial Day, flags will be placed on the graves of Watertown veterans. The Watertown Veterans Services Office seeks volunteers to help place the flags. Watertown will hold its annual Flag Marker disbursement at Veterans Gravesites on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 beginning at 5 p.m., said Watertown Veterans Agent Patrick George. “Volunteers are encouraged to participate in this honorable event and may join us at Ridgelawn Cemetery or Saint Patrick’s Cemetery,” George said. Due to the current COVID restrictions, participants will be required to wear masks and maintain social distance.

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.

Around Town

Half of Watertown Residents Vaccinated, Cases Down, Number of Deaths Reaches 40

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Even as the rate of COVID-19 continues to drop in Watertown, three more COVID deaths of Town residents were reported last week. Vaccinations are on the rise, with more than half the Town fully vaccinated, and now children age 12 and over can get one of the vaccines. On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced all industry and capacity restrictions will be completely lifted on May 29. The mask mandate will be lifted in most places, but still be required in public transportation, health facilities and K-12 schools and early education schools. Statewide, 3.2 million residents have been fully vaccinated, according to the Mass.

Homepage Featured

Police Log: Vehicle Stolen from Construction Site in Town, Perfume Stolen from Beauty Store

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

None

Incidents

May 3, 3:41 p.m.: The owner of a work vehicle left in Watertown was informed that the vehicle had been involved in an incident in Walpole. The 2005 Ford pickup had been parked at a construction site on Howard Street on April 30, and the following day Walpole Police stopped the vehicle and found that the driver did not have a driver’s license and it was towed. At the time, Walpole Police did not know the vehicle had been stolen. When they realized it was stolen they contacted the owner.

Environment

Tree Planted for Arbor Day First of 100 Planned Around Watertown in 2021

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Trees for WatertownTeam members from Hartley Greymont tree service company and Watertown Department of Public
Works help to install the new Dawn Redwood tree planted at the Lowell School on Arbor Day, 2021. The following piece was written and submitted by James Briand of Trees for Watertown Watertown:

Tree Warden Gregory Mosman celebrated Arbor Day last week with the planting of a magnificent Dawn Redwood at the Lowell School, assisted by Steven Kendall representative of tree service provider Hartney Greymont and former Deputy Tree Warden for the City of Boston. Joining Mosman and Kendall were volunteers Marbin Sanchez and Jon Quinn, and David Andrad of the Watertown Department of Public Works. The tree planting was recorded by Trees for Watertown board member Jessica Grimsby, who is preparing a short how-to video to encourage residents to plant trees on their own property. Next year Arbor Day will turn 150 years old.

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.