Government

Council President Lays Out Watertown’s Accomplishments & Future Challenges at Inauguration

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City Council President Mark Sideris gave his inaugural address on Jan. 2, 2026. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown’s elected officials face some key decisions that will impact the future of the City, including the future of Watertown Square and whether to build a new Middle School, said City Council President Mark Sideris, who also talked about the keys to successful governing of the City.

Letters

LETTER: Watertown’s Trash Pickup is Broken

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The New Trash Pickup Rules Don’t Work

Three years ago, Watertown significantly changed the rules around trash pickup. Previously, we could get rid of most things easily by putting them out with the trash. Now, the system is to call Republic to schedule a pickup for bulky “burnables” such as old furniture, and they charge a variable amount per item determined by Republic based on size and shape. They won’t take them otherwise. Similarly, so-called “white goods” such as electronics and small appliances must also be scheduled with Republic, and mattresses need to be scheduled with yet another different service. On top of that there is a means-tested discount on pickup fees available to some subset of households if they provide sufficient documentation (for trash pickup??!?).