Government

Town Council and Town Manager Will Appoint People to Community Preservation Committee

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After more than an hour’s debate Tuesday night, the Town Council decided who will appoint the four at-large members of the committee that will recommend how to spend the funds from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) after coming to a compromise, of sorts. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) was created when Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2017, and will send recommended projects to be funded by the CPA money to the Town Council for final approval. Five members of the CPC are required to be on the committee by the state statute, but communities can add other members. Watertown decided to have four at-large members, but the Rules and Ordinances subcommittee could not agree on how the four would be appointed. The group that put the CPA on the ballot, Invest in Watertown, pushed for the four seats to be appointed by the Town Council.

Community Preservation Act

Council Asked to Weigh in on Who Should Select Community Preservation Committee

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The Town Council will be asked to decide who should appoint certain members of the Community Preservation Committee – the Council itself or the Town Manager. 

The Community Preservation Committee will make recommendations on how Watertown’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) money will be spent. The Town Council ultimately approves the projects, which must fall into at least one of three categories – affordable housing, historic preservation and open space/recreation. Towns and cities can decide who will be part of their Community Preservation Committee, but five positions are mandated by the state statues: member of the Planning Board, a member of the Conservation Commission, a member of the Historical Commission, a member of the Housing Authority Board and a member of the Parks Commission. Those members are chosen by their respective board or committee. Watertown does not have a Parks Commission, so the Council’s Rules and Ordinances subcommittee decided Monday night to have someone who “acts in the capacity or performs like duties of the Board of Park Commissioners.”

Government

LETTER: Council Should Not Appoint Community Preservation Committee

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Editor,

In a recent letter, Patrick Fairbairn suggests an ordinance be created wherein the Town Council would interview, vet, and directly appoint the citizens who will make up the Community Preservation Act Committee while omitting some very important details and facts. To set the record straight, here are the facts and here are the issues. The draft ordinance Mr. Fairbairn referenced was created with the input and recommendations from Invest in Watertown. This group consists of the staunchest supporters and most active advocates for the CPA’S passage. This begs the question: Does prevailing on passage of the CPA Tax automatically make one an expert on the who, what, when, where, why and how our CPA money should be spent?

Letters

LETTER: Council Should Consider CPA Committee Proposal from Citizens Group

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To the Editor:

With reference to the article in Watertown News dated 22 March 2017 entitled “Subcommittee debating who should be on the CPA Committee”, I recommend that all concerned attend the next meeting of the Rules and Ordinances Committee for a more thoroughgoing discussion. At the above mentioned debate only the draft text presented by the committee chairman was distributed for public review. Another draft ordinance exists (see below), prepared by core members of the group who successfully promoted adoption of the Community Preservation Act in Watertown. Its text draws on concepts and practices that have proven effective in neighbor towns, with confirmation of best practices from the statewide Community Preservation Coalition. With the benefit of more information and further discussion preparatory to the Committee’s next meeting, all those attending the session can expect to be constructive participants.

Community Preservation Act

Subcommittee Debating Who Should be on the CPA Committee

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With the passage of the Community Preservation Act in November, the town must now create a committee to review proposals and recommend to the Town Council which ones Watertown should pursue. Monday night, the Council’s Rules & Ordinances subcommittee discussed a draft ordinance for the formation of the CPA Committee. The recommendation is to have a nine member committee, some of which are required by the state’s CPA law and others to be recommended for appointment by the Town Manager and approved by the Town Council. The CPA adds a 2 percent surcharge to Watertown property taxes which will create a fund that can be used on affordable housing, historic preservation and open space. The four required positions are:

a member of the Planning Board chosen by the board
a member of the Conservation Commission chosen by the commission
a member of the Historical Commission chosen by the commission
a member of the Housing Authority Board chose by the Board of Directors 

State law requires another position to be included on a CPA committee – a member of the Parks Commission – but Watertown does not have this board.

Elections

Election 2016: Issues with Early Voting, How Question 5 Appeared on Ballot

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The Nov. 8 election drew a huge number of Watertown voters, but there were issues with the presidential election that also featured the Community Preservation Act ballot question. Early voting proved popular with residents, and about 7,000 voters casted their ballots before election day. After filling out their voters would fold their ballots and put them in an envelope and handed it back to the staff at the Town Clerk’s office. The envelopes went to the precinct where the voter lives, and were put through the machine.

Community Preservation Act

LETTER: The Election is Over, Losers Should Accept Results Nationally and Locally

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To the editor,

On November 8, 2013 the 50 States and District of Columbia held elections for President of the United States. The results are in and at last count as many as 306 electors were won by Donald Trump.For the benefit of those who forgot their High School Civics, Article 2 of the Constitution makes it clear, the Sovereign State Elect the President. The State Legislatures are empowered to select Electors in whatever manner they see fit. There is no requirement that popular vote be held. In fact it was process where States slowly started adopting a popular vote.

Elections

LETTER: Rough and Tumble Campaign Over, Now it’s Time to Work Together

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To the editor,

As one of the most vocal opponents of the CPA during the campaign, I’d like to congratulate the proponents on their victory.  

There is no doubt that this campaign was heated.  Often times, hyperbole came from both sides. That’s what happens in a campaign. For those of us who have been involved in politics for years, it’s not surprise, nor do we find anything out of the ordinary. Politics is a blood sport during a campaign.