City Budget

FY23 City Budget Includes New Positions for Police, Fire & Library; Organic Waste & Pest Control Programs

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Watertown City Hall

Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2023 City Budget is projected to drop by more than $1 million from FY2022, but will add several positions, including for the Police, Fire Department, and the Watertown Library. The budget also includes new initiatives related to curb-side composting and rodent control. Acting City Manager Tom Tracy presented the $174.79 million Watertown City budget for Fiscal Year 2023 to the Council Tuesday night. The budget would be a reduction of $1.79 million from FY2022. The budget includes funding for the three elementary school projects, as well as the new Watertown High School project, Tracy said, which will be done within the normal operating budget and won’t need a temporary tax increase though a Proposition 2 1/2 override.

Around Town

Board of Trustees Appoints New Watertown Library Director

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City of WatertownCaitlin Browne was named the Watertown Library Director by the Board of Trustees. Previously she served as the Assistant Director. The Watertown Board of Library Trustees voted to appoint Caitlin Browne the new Director of the Watertown Library. The decision was made Monday night after a 3.5 hour meeting in which the trustees debated between Browne and another finalist, Maria Palacio. The appointment is contingent on successful contract negotiations with the City of Watertown.

Government

Finalists for Watertown City Manager Will be Announced This Week

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The City Council will hold a special meeting where the finalists for the Watertown City Manager position will be announced. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall. During the meeting, the three finalists will be announced by Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm Associates, the City’s manager search consultant. Lynch will also discuss the next steps in the process of hiring Watertown’s next City Manager.

Entertainment

City Honoring Original Watertown Public Arts & Culture Committee, Remembering Former Member

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Charlie BreitroseThe Seeds of Change mural in Coolidge Square was a project sponsored by the original Watertown Public Arts & Culture Committee. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Public Arts & Culture Committee invites everyone to join them for a reception to honor the work of the former Watertown Public Arts & Culture Committee (WPACC) on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at 5pm in the Mastrangelo Council Chamber at the Watertown Administration Building, 149 Main Street. The former WPACC members who will be honored are Ingrid Marchesano, Aramais Andonian, Barbara Epstein, Barbara Ruskin, Deborah Peterson, and the late Janet Jameson. Also being honored for his role through the city is Director of Community Development & Planning, Steve Magoon. The former WPACC was instrumental in the creation and promotion of several public artworks throughout Watertown, including the Linear Path mural “A Bike Ride Through Watertown”, “Seeds of Change” in Coolidge Square, and “Tapestry of Cultures” at Baptist Walk.

Around Town

Congresswoman Clark’s Statement Marking 107th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide

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Congresswoman Katherine Clark

The following announcement was provided by the office of Congresswoman Katherine Clark:

Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark (MA-5) released the following statement to mark the 107th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which is Sunday, April 24, 2022. Last year, President Joe Biden declared that the Ottoman Empire’s killing of 1.5 million Armenians was an act of genocide, an official recognition that Clark has supported throughout her career in Congress. Watertown, in Massachusetts’ Fifth Congressional district, is home to the third largest Armenian community in the United States. “As we mark the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we recognize this dark chapter in our world’s history and renew our commitment to preventing atrocities of this magnitude from ever happening again. The Armenian Genocide is not an opinion – its facts are undisputed, and the legacy of this trauma cannot be erased.

Candidate Forum

Watertown Democrats Co-Hosting Forum for Governor, Lt. Governor Candidates

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The Watertown Democratic Town Committee sent out the following information:

The Arlington, Belmont and Watertown Democratic Town Committees are presenting a Candidates’ Forum on Sunday, April 24 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Confirmed participants are gubernatorial candidate Sonia Chang-Diaz and all five lieutenant governor candidates (Bret Bero, Kim Driscoll, Tami Gouveia, Adam Hinds, and Eric Lesser). 

Please send questions for the candidates using this form before Thursday, April 21. To attend, please register here.

Business

See What Developers May Do on the Former Russo’s Site

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JacobsA view of the four-story life science center proposed for the former Russo’s site at 560 Pleasant St. Preliminary plans for the former Russo’s property on Pleasant Street have been submitted to the Watertown Planning Department, and include a lab/office building, retail space, a parking garage, with publicly-accessible open space in between. Saracen Properties and BentallGreenOak submitted the plans on April 7, and the group will have a developer’s conference with Planning staff about the project on the 4.82-acre property. Plans show a life science center, retail, and publicly-accessible open space. The project will have at least one community meeting before going to the Planning Board for consideration.

Around Town

Watertown City Hall, Senior Center & Library Closings This Weekend

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

Hours at some of Watertown’s municipal buildings will be impacted by Good Friday, Easter and Patriots Day. The City of Watertown sent out an announcement saying that City Hall and the Senior Center will close at 1 p.m. on April 15 in observance of Good Friday. Both buildings will be closed on Monday, April 18 for Patriots Day. The Watertown Free Public Library will be closed on Sunday, April 17 for Easter, and on Monday, April 18 for Patriots Day.