Government

Watertown Community Preservation Plan Released, Committee Wants Public’s Reactions

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A shot of the cover of the Community Preservation Committee’s Draft Five Year Plan, released in late April. Watertown has several million dollars to spend on projects to acquire land for open space and outdoor recreation, create affordable housing and preserve the Town’s historic structures and resources. The Committee that will make recommendations on how to spend the money recently released a draft of the plan that will guide which projects will get funded. Last week, the Community Preservation Committee made the draft of a five-year plan available for the public to read (see it here). The Committee wants to know what Watertown residents think about the plan, and will host a meeting on May 20 at 7 p.m. to gather input.

Homepage Featured

Police Log: Man Scammed Out of Nearly $250K, Shoplifter Caught in Home Depot Parking Lot

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

None

Incidents

April 21, 8:31 a.m.: An Oliver Street resident reported someone had opened a Sprint cell phone account in 2015 in his name, but he did not know about it until his credit was impacted in 2020. Someone got access to his personal information, including his Social Security Number, in order open the account. There was a balance of $376 on it. The account has been closed, and the resident is working with Sprint to sort out the issues.

Around Town

Watertown Teens Take to Streets on Earth Day to Call Attention to Climate Change

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Sunrise WatertownSunrise Watertown marched on the streets of Watertown on Earth Day to bring attention to climate change. The following piece was provided by Sunrise Watertown:

Fifteen months ago, Sunrise Watertown convened with the intention of hosting a 2020 Earth Day event for the community. Little did we, or anyone, expect, our plans would come to a screaming halt at the hands of the pandemic. Nevertheless, we reworked our ideas by hosting a virtual Earth Day event; We invited community members to make signs to post pictures with, sign our petition to enact a Massachusetts Green New Deal, and watch some of the videos we had created through Zoom. Since then, we have gone on to meet with Massachusetts Senators, town councillors, and a whole host of other people willing to help us fight for a livable future.

Council Vacancy

Council to Create Process to Appoint Person to Fill District D Vacancy

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Watertown Town Hall

A vacancy in the District D Council spot will be filled by someone appointed by the remaining members of the Town Council. The opening was created when West End Councilor Ken Woodland resigned in early April to take a job that would not allow him to serve on the Council. This week, the Council discussed options for how to fill, and whether or not to fill, the open seat until the November Town Election. Because the vacancy occurred during the second year of the two-year term, the Council can appoint a replacement with a vote of six of eight members. They could also vote to hold a special election (also requiring a six-vote majority), said Town Attorney Mark Reich from KP Law.

Homepage Featured

Community Foundation Offering High School Internships, Adding New Ones Focused on Philanthropy

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For the seventh year, the Watertown Community Foundation will help high school students from Town get internships, and in 2021 it will launch a new type of internship where interns will learn about philanthropy by serving on a board. The Community Foundation will welcome up to 18 interns this year. Most will be summer internships with local businesses and groups, and two will be the year-long internships where students will join the Foundation’s board. Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director Jan Singer said she believes the WCF will also benefit from the new program. “It’s definitely a two-way street,” Singer said.

Angeline Kounelis

Long-Time Watertown Town Council Member Will Not Seek Re-Election in November

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District A Councilor Angeline Kounelis will not be seeking re-election in 2021. A fixture on the Watertown Town Council will be stepping down at the end of her eighth term. East End Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election for the District A seat. She was first elected in 2005. Kounelis sent out an email to her colleagues and to her constituents saying simply: “Just a note to advise: I will not be seeking re-election to the position that I currently hold as the District A, East End, Town Councilor.

Police/Fire

Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Accredited by Mass. Fire Service Commission

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Watertown Fire DepartmentWatertown Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson. The following information was provided by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission:

The Massachusetts Fire Service Commission granted accreditation to Assistant Chief Ryan Nicholson of the Watertown Fire Department on March 18, 2021 who has demonstrated the required fire service experience, education, and certifications for accreditation. This accreditation is granted through the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission, a gubernatorial appointed board that has established a process for uniform credentialing for the level of fire chief. Palmer Fire Chief Alan Roy, who serves as chair of the commission says, “The program establishes requirements based on education, training, and experience in areas relevant to serving as fire chief. It establishes benchmarks for training in fire and emergency service management so that chiefs may be better prepared to serve their department and their community.” The applicant’s documentation is reviewed by a subcommittee of the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission to determine if the individual has attained a minimum level of credits for education, training, and experience.

Fiscal 2022 Budget

Town Budget: Watertown Will Pay for New High School Without Tax Override, Fund to Buy Land to be Created

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Ai3 ArchitectsA view from Columbia Street of what the new Watertown High School could look like. The new Watertown High School will be built without a tax increase from a debt exclusion, Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced during Tuesday night’s presentation of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget. The FY22 budget will total $164.43 million, which is an increase of $976,720 — or 0.6 percent — above the current fiscal year. The budget includes a $1.5 million increase in State Aid from FY21, but does not include an expected $10 million that Watertown will receive as part of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act in FY22 and FY23. High School Funding

Driscoll saved the announcement of the high school project funding to the end of his budget highlights.