City Manager’s Update on Winter Parking Ban; Demolition Delay Review Request & Watertown’s Federal Grants

Watertown City Hall

Following the multi-hour meeting about Watertown’s Winter Parking ban, City Manager George Proakis updated the City Council about next steps and urged residents to sign up for the City’s alert system. Also, Council President Mark Sideris requested a review of Watertown’s Demolition Delay Ordinance, and Proakis provided information on Federal grants received by the City. During the Jan. 28, City Council meeting, Proakis tried to summarize his presentation at the Jan. 21 special Council meeting on the request to remove the Winter Parking Ban.

District A Councilor Nicole Gardner Hosting Annual Meeting with Public

Nicole Gardner, District A Councilor. All City Councilors must have an annual meeting to meet with the public according to the recent changes to the City Charter. District A City Councilor Nicole Gardner announced the date of her meeting. See info below. District A City Councilor Nicole Gardner’s Annual Councilor Community Meeting is Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from 7-8 p.m. at the Coolidge School Apartments, 319 Arlington Street.

See the First Watertown City Council Newsletter

Watertown City Hall

The City Council put out a summary of recent meetings in the first Watertown City Council Newsletter. See the piece provided by the City Council below. January 14, 2025 City Council Meeting & January 21, 2025 Special City Council Meeting

Residents can view the recording of the January 14th meeting here and the January 21st meeting here. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

On behalf of the city and the council, Council President Mark Sideris thanked and congratulated Marsha Osmond upon her retirement after more than two decades of service to Watertown in the manager’s office. He noted that Marsha has been incredibly helpful with events such as inaugurations and other celebrations.

City Staff: Removing Winter Parking Ban Could Have Broader Impacts; Council Wants to Study Further

Residents packed the City Council Chamber to discuss removing the Winter Parking Ban. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Tuesday night’s discussion of whether to eliminate the Winter Parking Ban in Watertown turned into a larger discussion of parking permits, housing, and how the City communicates messages like snow emergencies. The City Council held a special meeting to discuss a petition signed by more than 800 residents calling for the removal of the overnight parking ban in the winter months in Watertown. Many of those residents came to meeting, packing the City Council Chamber, spilling out into the hallway and down the stairway. Plus, more than 130 joined remotely on Zoom.

LETTER: The Origins of the Latest Assault on the Watertown Winter Parking Ban

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

This will be a short one. About 10 months ago, this appeared on Reddit:

Watertown Winter Parking Ban update

TLDR: Watertown Councilor Tony Palomba is working to petition and amend the winter parking ban. Email him at councilorpalomba@gmail.com to sign the petition, share your feedback, and learn more. “Hi Folks, I am sending this email to those of you who have contacted me regarding the Winter Parking Ban (Ban) at some point in the last year and a half. My apologies of the long delay in coming up with a way to get this important issue in front of the City Council for a public hearing and vote.

Council to Consider Ordinance Proposed to Make Large Buildings be Net Zero by 2050

Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

Watertown will explore creating an ordinance requiring buildings to reduce their carbon emissions and will base it on similar ordinances adopted by other communities in Massachusetts. Work has already begun on drafting a Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance, or BERDO, with a proposed ordinance having been submitted by the Watertown Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee (WE3C). City Manager George Proakis told the City Council on Tuesday that creating a BERDO would “implement a key part of the City’s Climate Plan.” The Resilient Watertown Climate & Energy Plan was passed in 2022. “I have often said (the plan) has many ambitious but achievable goals to address our climate crisis and establish a process in our climate resiliency and climate adaptation, and we’ve worked very hard to do that in a number of different ways,” Proakis said. “What that plan did is also provide strategies to reduce carbon emissions for buildings and called out the necessity for building performance standard ordinance.”

Woman Honored for Her 40+ Years Working for the City and Her Upcoming Retirement

Surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues, Ingrid Marchesano celebrated her upcoming retirement from the City of Watertown after more than 40 years. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The City Council Chamber was packed with people recently, not for a government meeting but to celebrate a woman who has dedicated nearly half a century working for the Town (now City) of Watertown. Jan. 28 will be Ingrid Marchesano’s final day working for the City of Watertown. Before she left, on Dec.

City Council to Discuss Winter Parking Ban at Special Meeting

Watertown City Hall

The City Council will discuss whether to continue the Winter Parking Ban after receiving a petition signed by more than 800 residents. The public an provide input at the special meeting scheduled later this month. The City sent out the following information:

A Special City Council Meeting to discuss the Winter Parking Ban has been scheduled for January 21, 2025 at 6 p.m. This is a Public Hearing that has been scheduled following the City Council receiving a petition asking for the Winter Parking Ban be lifted. The Hearing will be held in the City Council Chamber in Watertown City Hall at 149 Main Street. The Hearing’s agenda will be posted soon.