The City Council information approved the five-year capital plan, heard an update on the use of lights at Victory Field, an update on the City Logo, and the City’s American Disabilities Act self-evaluation. See the newsletter provided by the City of Watertown:
City Council Newsletter
Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on March 11, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here.
Capital Improvement Plan approved
The City Council voted unanimously to approve the FY26-30 Capital Improvement Plan as discussed and amended by the Budget & Fiscal Oversight Committee over the course of three separate meetings. Total capital spending for FY26 will be $38,049,000, which is 17.9% of the total projected FY26 budget. This figure is made larger than usual by the program’s “building for the future” investments into public schools, which total $23.2 million. The bulk of this is a $14.7 million to upgrade the middle school.
The full Budget & Fiscal Oversight Committee report can be read here. The full FY26-30 Capital Improvement Plan from the city manager which was reviewed and amended by the subcommittee can be read here.
President’s Report
The Council President explained that the School Committee is going through a robust budget process throughout which it has worked very hard with the superintendent to narrow a large gap in the budget to meet the expectations of the community.
He thanked the superintendent, her staff, and the School Committee for their diligent work in ensuring that our students’ needs are met within a responsible budget.
Update on purchase of 148 Waltham Street
The council had a first reading on an amendment to the FY25 budget to fund the purchase of 148 Waltham Street. This is the former site of Sterritt Lumber. The council had previously approved a purchase & sale agreement of $9.2 million for the property.
Acceptance of two gifts from Watertown Savings Bank
Watertown Savings Bank has generously donated $1,000.13 to support the costs of signage for this year’s Watertown Porchfest as well as $3,660 to the Watertown Farmers’ Market Winter/Spring SNAP CSA Program. Assistant City Manager for Community Development & Planning Steve Magoon explained that the Porchfest signs will be distributed to locations where performances will take place.
Transfer of funds for police personnel
The council voted unanimously to transfer $82,000 to cover costs of police personnel. City Manager George Proakis explained that this is to fund collective bargaining agreements and is largely for retroactive pay.
Parks & Recreation Committee report on lights at Victory Field
The Committee on Parks & Recreation met on February 13th to discuss the lights at Victory Field in response to concerns from residents that the lights are too bright and on until too late at night. It was noted that the lights at Victory Field are particularly bright so as to allow for the filming of games at night.
Recreation Director Ernie Thebado explained that the plan is to eventually replace all halogen lights such as those at Victory Field with LED lights, which will give residents more control. Particularly, LED lights would allow for zones in which lights can be turned on or off as well as the ability to dim the lights. The recreation director agreed that the following options would also be investigated:
1. Redirecting people to the field at Buckingham Browne and Nichols (BB&N) school from December 1st to April 1st.
2. Requiring people to request time for free play at Victory Field in advance.
3. Turning on lights only on one of the two zones in the Victory Field stadium at night.
4. Changing/reducing the hours of operation for the lights, particularly during low demand times such as December 1st to April 1st.
5. Further investigation into the costs of having lights on at Victory Field until 10:00 PM.
The Parks & Recreation Committee will have another meeting to discuss this matter on Thursday, March 27th at 5:00 PM.
Update on city logo
The Personnel & City Organization Committee met on February 12th to discuss a possible city logo. It was noted that some residents expressed concern as to the process of the proposed logo’s design. At the meeting, City Manager George Proakis explained that the administration began working with a graphic designer to develop a cohesive, recognizable brand strategy that includes a color palette, fonts, and a logo which would offer the potential for department-specific branding. He noted that the logo would compliment but not replace the existing city seal. He also noted that wayfinding signs at city borders which help people find landmarks such as the library and city hall are ready to go up. These signs use similar colors to the proposed logo.
Ultimately, it was agreed that the administration will explore options for logo development and a public process to ensure broader participation moving forward. The next step will be to develop a proposed plan, budget, and timeline for further action.
Watertown conducting self-evaluation and transition plan for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Watertown is developing a self-evaluation and transition plan for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This is meant to ensure that all residents and visitors have access to all facilities, programs, and services. A survey to gather input can be accessed at this link and will be open until March 24, 2025. Residents who prefer to fill out a paper copy of the survey can request one from Veterans Service Officer and ADA Coordinator Patrick George at 617-972-6416. The survey is also available in Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
Remembrance ceremony for Firefighter Joseph A. Toscano
City Manager George Proakis announced that a remembrance ceremony for Firefighter Joseph A. Toscano will be taking place on Monday, March 17th, the eight-year anniversary of Firefighter Toscano giving his life in the line of duty battling a house fire on Merrifield Ave. The remembrance will take place at the corner of Bigelow Ave. and Merrifield Ave.
Please note that since the manager’s announcement, the time of the ceremony was moved to 1:00 PM.
Other notes from the City Manager
The city manager also shared the following pieces of information:
On Wednesday, March 19th from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM the Commander’s Mansion will be hosting a workshop on empowering women in leadership. This event is sponsored by Cambridge Savings Bank in collaboration with the Watertown events team and Watertown Business Coalition. Registration is available at this link.
On Saturday, March 22nd from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Watertown & Belmont’s Animal Control teams will be collaborating on their annual rabies clinic. This will take place at the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech Street in Belmont. The cost is $10 per pet in the form of cash or check. Residents must bring proof of residency and proof of previous vaccinations. All dogs must be leashed and all cats must be in a carrier. Please contact animal control at 617-972-6446 with any questions.
March 11th (3/11) is “National 311 Day!” The city manager took the occasion to thank the outstanding 311 team who have answered 4,912 calls with an average response time of 15 seconds as well as responded to 1,850 emails just in their first nine months of operation.