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.

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.

Police/Fire

Fire Damages Apartment in Large Complex South of the Charles River

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A fire started in an apartment in an apartment complex on Watertown Street on Wednesday, but was doused before it spread within the unit or to other apartments. The Watertown Fire Department received the fire alarm at 1:31 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire began in the kitchen area of a unit in the Watertown Square Apartments, located at 20 Watertown Street. No one was home when the fire began, but it was discovered by an alert employee, said Watertown Fire Capt. Eric Allen, the WFD’s Fire Investigator. “There was a maintenance worker that was on the roof of the building that saw smoke coming out of one of the vents,” Allen said.