Government

City Manager: Next Watertown Square Meeting a Key One, Discusses How MBTA Communities Zoning Works

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The Watertown Square Area Plan meeting on April 4 will not be the last meeting in the process, City Manager George Proakis told the City Council Tuesday, but it will be an important point in the redesign of the intersection and the City’s effort to meet the MBTA Law requirements. Proakis also explained what the zoning changes would and would not do. The next meeting in the Watertown Square Area Plan process will be held at 66 Galen Street on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. Proakis said this will be the sixth meeting held by the City in the process and it will be a key one. “This particular meeting is important for us. We will be presenting one idea for where to move forward on streetscape, one on where to move forward on zoning,” Proakis said.

Government

City Offices, DPW, Senior Center Closing Early on Good Friday

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The City of Watertown announced that some municipal facilities will close early on Good Friday. The City release said:

Please be aware that the Department of Public Works office is open at 7:00 AM and closes at noon, and City Hall and Senior Center are open at 8:30 AM and are closed at 1 PM, in observance of Good Friday on Friday, March 29, 2024.

Government

Councilor Emily Izzo Announces Date of Annual Public Meeting

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Emily Izzo, District D City Councilor. All City Councilors hold an annual meeting to meet with the public, and District D City Councilor Emily Izzo announced the date of her meeting. See info below. District D City Councilor Emily Izzo’s Individual Annual City Councilor Meeting is Monday, April 8, 2024 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Watertown Police Station, 552 Main St., Watertown, MA.

Government

City Seeks Residents to Serve on Blue Ribbon Committee on City Council Salaries

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Watertown City Hall

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City Council is seeking individuals who live in, work in, or own property in Watertown to apply to serve on the Blue Ribbon Committee to examine the salaries of City Councilors. The Blue Ribbon Committee’s duties will be to study the salary received by City Councilors and the Council President for their service and make recommendations on a methodology and process for salaries to be set going forward, including a recommendation for the 2026-2027 Council salary. The committee will receive staff support from Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton. The committee’s final recommendations will be presented to the City Council no later than at the December 10, 2024 City Council meeting. The committee’s recommendations must be decided on by the Council by June 2025.

Government

State Sen. Will Brownsberger Seeks Summer Interns

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

The following information was provided by the office of State Sen. Will Brownsberger:

The Office of Senator Will Brownsberger is accepting applications for part-time, unpaid internships for the summer of 2024. Internships are reserved for residents of the Suffolk and Middlesex District. Applications are due Monday, April 8, 2024. There are two types of opportunities available:

General Office Internships are designed for applicants in the early stages of exploring policymaking and government who are seeking opportunities to learn more and refine their interests. Legislative Internships are designed for those who have already gained some experience and are looking to delve deeper into a topic of interest.

Government

Save the Date: Next Watertown Square Area Plan Public Forum

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Attendees at the Feb. 29 Watertown Square Area Plan meeting hear from consultants working on the project. (Photo from City of Watertown)

The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Square Area Plan project team invites you to attend our next Public Forum on Thursday, April 4, 2024, beginning 6:30 p.m. at 66 Galen St., Watertown, MA 02472 (note different location than previous public meetings). If you plan on attending the public forum in person, please RSVP so we can properly prepare the venue. 

During this public forum, the project team will present feedback from the previous public meeting (which you can rewatch here: http://vodwcatv.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/3049?site=3), and introduce a proposed design scheme to move to next steps. 

More details on what to expect at this forum will be shared in the coming weeks. If you are unable to attend in person, a broadcast link will be shared in the coming weeks to view the discussion online. 

We encourage all interested members of the public to join and provide feedback!  

RSVP Here: https://forms.office.com/g/nEkynPFmyv

Government

City Manager Submits Nominees for Watertown Human Rights Commission

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Starting with a pool of 28 applicants, City Manager George Proakis selected a group of nine people which is “very diverse with a very interesting mix of backgrounds” to nominate for Watertown’s first Human Rights Commission. The changes to Watertown’s Charter approved by voters in 2021 included the creation of a Human Rights Commission. More than two years later, the inaugural group of commissioners were submitted by Proakis to the City Council on Tuesday. “This one has been a complicated and long process to get us to this point,” Praokis said. The City Council adopted the ordinance to create the Human Rights Commission in September 2023, and in December 2023 Proakis sent out notice that he was seeking applicants for the Commission.