Government

City Hall Annex at Parker Building to Temporarily Close

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City’s Parker Building at 124 Watertown Street will be temporarily closed from May 2-12, 2026, to undergo electrical service upgrades in the building. All City Departments who work in the Parker Building will be relocated to Watertown City Hall’s Lower Hearing Room (ground floor of 149 Main Street) during the temporary closure. Members of the community needing to communicate with the departments below can continue to reach them by phone, or by visiting the Lower Hearing Room during their normal operating hours, which can be found on the City’s website. Public Health

Inspectional Services Division

Zoning & Code Enforcement

Planning & Zoning

Information Technology

Public Buildings

The Watertown Food Pantry will be closed on their regularly scheduled days of May 5 and May 12, 2026, due to the service upgrades. To account for the closed dates, the Food Pantry will run a temporary schedule at their location in the Parker Building on:

Tuesday, April 28, 10am – 2pm (regular hours)

Friday May 1, 10am – 2pm

Wednesday, May 13, 10am – 2pm

Thursday, May 14, 10am – 2pm

Tuesday, May 19, 10am – 2pm (regular hours)

The City has communicated with all private tenants in the Parker Building, who will not be able to operate in the building during this closure.

Government

Council to Discuss Watertown’s FY27 Budget at 3 Public Hearings

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Watertown City Hall

The City Council will hold three public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget on May 6, 11 and 12 at 6 p.m each day. The meetings will take place in City Hall, will be televised by Watertown Cable Access, and will be available by Zoom (click here for links). See more details provided by the City of Watertown, below. In accordance with the Watertown City Charter and the Council Rules, the Honorable City Council will meet, as the Committee of the Whole, for the purpose of holding public hearings on the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year 2027. The public hearings on the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year 2027 will be held as follows:

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 – 6 PM

Constituent Services

Information Technology

City Clerk / Elections

Community Development & Planning

Health and Human Services Departments

Public Safety Departments

Non-Department Appropriations (Debt, Capital Projects, Etc.)

Monday, May 11, 2026 – 6 PM

Human Resources

Public Buildings

Library

Recreation Departments

School Department

Department of Public Works

Water & Sewer Enterprise Budgets

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 – 6 PM

City Council

City Manager

Auditing

Procurement

Assessing

Treasurer / Collector

Parking Lots & Meters

City Attorney

Department Heads will be available for questions at the above scheduled hearings.

Food

Restaurants Won’t be Allowed to Automatically Include Plastic Utensils Under New Ordinance

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Restaurants in Watertown will not longer be able to automatically include packets of plastic utensils with takeout or deliver orders. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

A new ordinance approved by the City Council prohibits restaurants from automatically including plastic utensils with takeout orders, however customers can request these items when they order or pick up their food. The Council considered the Skip the Stuff ordinance at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “Watertown Skip the Stuff ordinance is designed to reduce unnecessary plastic waste in our community,” said City Councilor Nicole Gardner. “Under this simple, common sense policy, restaurants and food businesses will no longer automatically include items like plastic utensils, straws and condiment packets with takeout or delivery orders.”

Government

Council President Outlines City’s Protections for Undocumented Immigrants, Does Not Favor an Executive Order

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City Council President Mark Sideris. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

After receiving questions about and requests to protect immigrants in Watertown in recent weeks, City Council President Mark Sideris emphasized the steps being taken by the City to provide safety and security, but said he does not favor the City Council passing a resolution or executive order regarding immigrants in Watertown. Sideris spoke during the President’s Report at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. After a resident was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 10, people reached out to Sideris and other elected officials. He stressed that he was speaking on his own behalf, not for the entire Council.

Elections

LETTER: Retired Judge Endorses Sen. Will Brownsberger

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To The Editor,

I am writing to enthusiastically support Senator Will Brownsberger’s re-election campaign and will be voting for him on Sept. 1. During my legal career, encompassing 20 years as a public defender and 24 years as a juvenile court judge, I have learned a lot about the legislative process and the importance of having an effective and forceful advocate who understands the issues and the needs of our community. Will has been in the forefront of youth and criminal legal reform efforts, and his voice is now needed more than ever. I work with a wide network of advocacy groups who realize the imperative of having someone who has the institutional history and credibility to get things done.

Government

Detailed Plans for Watertown Square Project to be Presented at Open House

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Save the date for the Open House on Watertown Square Implementation on May 20, 2026, from 3-8 p.m. at 9 Galen St. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Join the Open House! The City of Watertown invites you on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, between 3-8 PM to 9 Galen Street for the Watertown Square Implementation Open House!Stop in anytime between 3-8 PM to visit stations that will inform you more about the Demonstration Project and the Urban Revitalization Plan. 

Topics that you can engage with at the Open House include:

A detailed outline of the drafted Demonstration Project Plan, as presented by City Manager Proakis in April. Guided tours of Demonstration Project area with members of the project team.

Government

City Councilor Caroline Bays Hosting Annual Public Meeting

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Caroline Bays

City Councilor At-Large Caroline Bays will host her annual meeting on April 27, 2026 at the Watertown Library

Bays provided the following announcement:

“I wanted to invite you to my Annual Meeting,” Bays said. “After hearing questions about what Watertown can do about ICE in Watertown and also curiosity about the Watertown Square Area Plan, I decided it was a good time to hold my Annual Meeting.” Bays’ annual meeting will take place on Monday, April 27 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Watertown Free Public Library’s Lucia Mastrangelo Room. The Library is located at 123 Main St. in Watertown.

Government

Watertown’s Budget Maintains Programs & Staffing, But City Needs Legislature’s Help to Do So

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

Despite uncertain economic times, Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget will maintain the City’s program and staffing from the current year, but keeps staffing “headcount neutral.” The City will be in better shape than many communities in the area, City Manager George Proakis told the City Council on Tuesday night. Proakis presented the Fiscal Year 2027 Watertown Budget, which totals $226,212,930. The budget is 0.43% less than the revised FY26 budget. Pulling out of the other financial uses line (that includes using “free cash”) which fluctuates by year, the increase from FY26 to FY27 is 6.8%.