The Watertown City Council Newsletter for the meeting on Jan. 28, 2o25 was provided by the City Council.
Residents can view the recording of the January 28th meeting here.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Council President Mark Sideris began by reading a proclamation honoring Ingrid Marchesano on her retirement after over forty years of dedicated service to Watertown. You can read the full proclamation here. Ingrid has also served Watertown on several committees including the Watertown Arsenal Yards Development Committee, the original Public Arts and Culture Committee, and numerous other city efforts. Ingrid shared that she continues to reside in Watertown and looks forward to continuing to see the people she has come to know over the course of her career.
FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT APPROVED FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT BODY-WORN CAMERAS
The council voted unanimously to approve a five-year contract to provide body-worn cameras for our police officers to wear while on-duty. Because the contract is for longer than three years, it required approval from the council.
City Manager George Proakis noted that body-worn cameras protect both officers and the public, as well as that the police department has been in support of receiving body-worn cameras for a significant period of time. Officers will receive training on the proper use of the cameras.
IMPROVEMENTS TO PARKER ANNEX BUILDING APPROVED
The council also voted unanimously to approve architectural firm Ai3’s improvements to the Parker Annex. Because these improvements use proprietary specifications, Massachusetts law requires the council to approve their purchase. These improvements will include but are not limited to door locks, door hardware, and ceramic tile for the restrooms.
MANAGER INTRODUCES FISCAL YEAR 2026-2030 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
As happens annually, the city manager introduced a capital improvement plan for consideration by the council. A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a budget plan used to realistically fund the maintenance of relatively high-cost aspects of the city’s infrastructure over a period of typically a few years. Watertown uses a five-year capital improvement plan. This type of budgeting ensures that the useful life of buildings and equipment is extended and that repair costs to the city are kept manageable. Many communities wait until buildings and equipment are in such a state of disrepair that they need to be replaced at much greater expense.
A top priority in the Fiscal Year 2026-2030 CIP is repairs to the middle school. It also features funding for repairs to city hall and the parker annex, development of a downtown geothermal energy microgrid, and funding for the North Branch Library.
The full plan can be accessed here.
AVIAN FLU
City manager George Proakis noted that there have recently been reports made of deceased geese along the Charles River walkway. To prevent the spread of avian flu, residents are advised to report any deceased birds. If you find a deceased bird on the Charles River walkway, please contact the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) at 617-727-1058. If you find a deceased bird on city property or your own property, please call either 311 or our department of public health at 617-972-6446. Residents who own birds such as chickens are also advised to keep their birds out of contact with wild birds. It is also best practice for residents to keep their pets out of contact with wild birds.
REGISTER YOUR CELL PHONE FOR SNOW EMERGENCIES
It was noted by the manager that many residents are not receiving notifications of snow emergencies because they do not have a landline phone. This is particularly important to ensure that cars are removed from the street during times in which the winter parking ban has been lifted. To sign up for notifications of snow emergencies as well as other emergencies to your cell phone, please text WATERTOWNMA to 888-777. The manger emphasized that you will not receive regular messages from the city, only notifications of emergencies.
WATERTOWN HONORED BY MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION WITH WEBSITE AWARD
At the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s Connect 351 conference last week, Watertown was honored with the municipal website award in category 1 for communities with a population of over 35,000. This recognition celebrates excellence in customer service, functionality, convenience, and government transparency delivered through a municipal website. The manager thanked the entire team in City Hall devoted to the website for their continued hard work and dedication.
CONTACT THE CITY COUNCIL
To email the entire city council: citycouncilors@watertown-ma.gov
Council Clerk Brendan McCarthy: bmccarthy@watertown-ma.gov
Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton: dnewton@watertown-ma.gov