Government

Staffing for Second Watertown-Run Ambulance Approved by City Council

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The Watertown Fire Department got approval to run a second ambulance after the City Council approved funding to staff the ambulance on Tuesday. The vote came a couple weeks after the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight heard a presentation from Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson and members of the City administration. That meeting was the second hearing on adding a second ambulance. Nicholson said when calls are handled by the contracted ambulance run by Pro EMS, it takes longer to get to calls, and the City is losing reimbursement for the transportations to hospital when the outside ambulance handles a call. Additionally, he said that Watertown’s paramedics are overworked, morale is low, and several have left the WFD.

Government

City Council Will Hear from Department Heads at Three Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Hearings

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Watertown City Hall

The City Council will hold three hearings on the Fiscal Year 2025 Watertown City Budget beginning on Tuesday, May 20. See more information provided by the City below. In accordance with the Watertown City Charter and Council Rules, the Honorable City Council of the City of Watertown will meet, as the Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of holding public hearings on the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2026. Department Heads will be available for questions at the above scheduled hearings. Under this schedule, it’s anticipated that the City Council will take formal action on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Elections

Candidate Papers for Watertown’s 2025 Election Will be Available in Early June

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown City Hall. The General City Election will be Nov. 4, 2025. Residents planning to run for elected office in Watertown in 2025 will be able to take out papers in the beginning of June, and will have to get the signatures to the City Clerk by mid-July to run in the 2025 City Election, which will take place on Nov. 4.

Environment

Lt. Gov. Recognizes Watertown as Part of Inaugural Group of Climate Leader Communities

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City Council President Mark Sideris speaks with Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll at the Climate Leader Communities event held in Watertown on May 2. (Courtesy of the DOER)

Watertown’s efforts to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases were recognized by the State on Friday. The Healey-Driscoll Administration held the celebration of the state’s first 19 certified Climate Leader Communities outside the “crown jewel” of Watertown’s green efforts: the net-zero energy high school now being constructed on Columbia Avenue. The Climate Leader Communities program encourages municipalities to lower municipal emissions, maximize the efficiency of buildings and transportation, and slash energy costs. CLC certified communities can apply for grants of up to $1.15 million for projects that reduce municipal emissions.

Government

Community Preservation Committee Hosting Annual Public Hearing in June

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The Community Preservation Committee will host its annual Public Hearing on June 26, 2025. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Don’t miss the CPA Annual Public Hearing hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). You may also join the hearing and meeting remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. Save the Date: CPA Public Hearing, Thursday, June 26, 2025, 7 p.m..

Government

City Councilor Tony Palomba Will Hold Two Annual Meetings

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Tony Palomba seeks re-eleciton as Town Councilor At-Large. City Councilor At-Large Tony Palomba announced he will host a pair of meeting with the public. See the announcement below. Please join me at one of my Councilor Annual Meetings.  Each councilor is required to hold at least one community meeting annually. This is required of our City Charter. I have chosen to hold two meetings in order to give the residents of Watertown a couple of options. 

The meetings will be on Wednesday, April 30 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM and again on Thursday, May 1 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Both meetings will take place in the Mastrangelo Room on the second floor of the Watertown Free Public Library. There is no formal agenda nor will there be a formal presentation.

Government

Fair Housing in Watertown Meeting Planned After Study Found Housing Discrimination

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The Human Rights Commission & Affordable Housing Trust are hosting an event in response to the recent West Metro Homes Consortium report which found housing discrimination present in Watertown, as well as in every other community surveyed. See the information provided by the City of Watertown. Join us at the Fair Housing in Watertown Meeting on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. virtually via Zoom, at: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91712481602. (The public may also join the virtual meeting audio only by phone: 877-853-5257 or 888-475-4499 (Toll Free) and enter Webinar ID: 917 1248 1602)

Sophia Suarez-Friedman of the Wayside Multi-Service Center will talk about what she has learned helping individuals and families find housing in Watertown. Elizabeth Brusie and Cliff Cook will co-moderate and discuss steps the city can take to combat housing discrimination.

Government

Council Update: City Logo Not Going Ahead, Capital Projects Funded, Support for Community Media Bill

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On April 22, 2025, the City Council voted to approve funding for capital projects, heard from the City Manager about the City logo, heard about the re-organization plan, set limits for revolving funds, and supported a bill on Beacon Hill about Community Media Programming. See the highlights of the meeting provided by Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton. City Council Newsletter 

Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on April 22, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here. President’s Report

The council president informed the council and the public that four visioning sessions have been held discussing what might be needed in designing the middle school which have been very informative.