Government

City Manager Hosting Meet & Greet for West Side Residents

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The following information was provided by Councilor Emily Izzo:

City Manager George Proakis will be having a Meet & Greet for residents of District D. This will be taking place on Thursday, Nov. 3 from 6-8 p.m. in the Watertown Police Station Community Room.  

This will be a great opportunity to meet our new Manager and introduce yourself, as well as discuss any questions or concerns for the West End of Watertown! Hope to see you there!

Government

OP-ED: Residents First Watertown Biosafety Committee Leaves Her With Questions

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I noticed that the Biosafety Committee was meeting on October 6th and decided to “zoom in,” curious to know what it was all about. Besides the many buildings being erected all over the City, this seemed like it would be the next step: how does the City vet our new corporate neighbors? This seemed like the place to find this out. On the agenda were three companies:

Arcaea, LLC (155 Arlington Street), which works on cosmetics

AutoIVF, Inc (200 Dexter Ave.). which, obviously is in the IVF business

Abata Therapeutics (100 Forge Road…Arsenal Yards), which was working on diabetes 1 and multiple sclerosis.

Government

Early In-Person Voting Begins This Weekend in Watertown

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The City of Watertown announced the start of early voting on Saturday, Oct. 22 at City Hall. It continues until Friday, Nov. 4. The City of Watertown sent out the following information:

Watertown registered voters, In Person Early Voting for the MA State Election is October 22 – November 4, 2022, in the Philip Pane Lower Hearing Room Ground Floor, Watertown City Hall 149 Main Street, Watertown.

Comprehensive Plan

Local Businesses Discuss How City Can Help Make Their Future Bright

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown Business Coalition hosted an event called the Future of Business in Watertown at Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Bigelow Chapel. From left, WBC Co-Presidents Doug Orifice and Bob Airasian introduced Cemetery President Matthew Stephens. As Watertown looks at how to plan for the future with the Comprehensive Plan update, businesspeople shared a number of concerns and wishes for how the City could help them thrive. More than 50 people gathered at Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Bigelow Chapel Wednesday night to discuss the future of business in Watertown in an event hosted by the Watertown Business Coalition. Steve Kearney from Stantec, the City of Watertown’s Comprehensive Plan consultants, asked people what they would like the see to help businesses in the future.

Government

City Manager Wants to Prioritize Watertown Square Rejuvenation

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Charlie BreitroseImproving Watertown Square will be a priority for new City Manager George Proakis. During his preliminary budget presentation to the City Council, City Manager George Proakis said he has heard from a lot of people who want to see improvements made to Watertown Square. He wants to create a coordinated effort to improve the City’s downtown. Like the intersection at the crossroads on the Charles, improving the area requires looking at several prongs. During his first several weeks, Proakis said he has heard many opinions from many people about what to do with the Square.

Government

City Manager Commits to Building a New High School Without Sacrificing Education or Green Features

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of the main entrance to Watertown High School from Columbia Street. Watertown has plans to build a new high school which will create enough energy to cover the amount needed to operate the building, be equipped with state of the art equipment and technology, and will educate students for decades to come. Even facing climbing construction costs, City Manager George Proakis vowed that the new school will be built.

Watertown will get a significant portion of the new high school reimbursed —  $44.2 million — by the State through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The cost of the project approved by the state was $138.6 million, but since the approval in March the cost of construction has escalated. In July, the School Building Committee approved “value engineering” steps to use less costly materials and reduce the scope of the project to keep it on budget.

Government

Rodent Control Plan to be Discussed at Council Committee Meeting

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Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashThe City of Watertown is working on creating a rodent control plan. A City Council committee will discuss the problem of rats and other rodents in Watertown at a meeting on Oct. 24. The Committee on Human Services will discuss the problem and what can be done about it with members of the Health Department and the Department of Public Works. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Oct.

Government

City Manager Seeking Applicants for Residents’ Advisory Committee

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

City Manager George J. Proakis is seeking Watertown residents interested in serving on the Residents’ Advisory Committee.  

The Committee is being formed per the City Charter – Section 3-7 Residents’ Advisory Committee:  

“The city manager shall establish a Residents’ Advisory Committee to assist with recruitment, evaluation, and selection of candidates for appointment to multiple-member bodies. In making appointments to multiple-member bodies, the city manager shall seek to appoint individuals with relevant expertise or experience. The city manager shall work with the Residents’ Advisory Committee to establish policies and practices to actively encourage a diverse pool of applicants for multiple-member bodies. The city manager and Residents’ Advisory Committee shall recognize the importance of diversity in appointments, including, but not limited to, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity.”

Applicants should submit a letter of interest accompanied by a resume or other information concerning background or experience by Friday, November 4, 2022:  by email to citymgr@watertown-ma.gov or City Manager’s Office, 149 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472.