Five Year Capital Plan Includes Middle School Project, Other Projects Pushed Back

Rebuilding Watertown Middle School is the largest addition to Watertown’s five-year capital plan, and funding the $84 million project will require moving other projects to future years. The plan also includes projects that occur year after year, such as street and sidewalk repairs. City Manager George Proakis presented the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026-30 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the City Council on Jan. 28. The plan includes a grand total of $273 million, about $57 million more than the FY2025-29 CIP mostly due to the addition of the Middle School project.

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.

City Council Newsletter: Police Body Cameras, Capital Improvement Plan & More

The Watertown City Council Newsletter for the meeting on Jan. 28, 2025 was provided by the City Council. Residents can view the recording of the January 28th meeting here. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Council President Mark Sideris began by reading a proclamation honoring Ingrid Marchesano on her retirement after over forty years of dedicated service to Watertown. You can read the full proclamation here.

Watertown Public Schools Partners With Regis College to Enhance Staff Development, Recruitment

Regis College and Watertown Public Schools announced the establishment of a strategic partnership that will support school employees with unique employee development programs, employee recruitment through access to Regis graduates, collaboration opportunities with Regis faculty on product development and research, discounted tuition rates, and use of the Regis campus facilities. 

“An enduring priority for Regis College since it was founded is to expand access to higher education opportunities,” said Regis College President Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN. “The strategic partnership with Watertown Public Schools will support faculty and staff interested in earning a bachelor, masters or doctoral degree that will enhance classroom instruction for students. This partnership is designed to provide employees of Watertown Public Schools a collaborative, flexible, and convenient way to earn college credits and advance their career through education at a discounted rate with mentorship from accomplished faculty with real-world experience.” 

“Supporting the professional growth and career goals of our employees while diversifying our workforce is a key priority for Watertown Public Schools,” said Aisling Bucci, Recruitment and Cultivation Specialist for Watertown Public Schools. “Our new partnership with Regis College provides valuable opportunities and pathways for our teachers, staff, and the next generation of educators. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our employees, students, and the Watertown community as a whole.” 

This agreement includes discounted tuition for Regis online and hybrid degree programs for school employees and their families, a flexible transfer policy for adult degree completion, and customized academic consulting to align educational programs with corporate goals.

Mt. Auburn St. Project: Drainage Installation Work at Arlington St. & Bigelow Ave. Continue

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Newport Construction is continuing to complete the drainage installation work between Arlington Street and Bigelow Avenue on the eastbound side. You can expect to see construction crews in this area from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week ending on Feb. 7, 2025. Traffic Impacts

There will be lane shifts and a potential lane closure during this work, which may also impact street parking in the immediate work area. Currently we do not anticipate any detours.

Familiar Architecture Firm Picked to Design Watertown Middle School, Committee Concerned with Budget & Getting “A Team”

Watertown Middle School

A familiar firm has been selected to design the new Watertown Middle School, but members of the School Building Committee had concerns about getting the firm’s “A Team,” and whether the City can afford to build the kind of school they want for the students of Watertown. Wednesday night, the School Building Committee selected Ai3 Architects to do the feasibility study for the new middle school. The firm that designed Watertown’s three elementary schools and the new high school. Ai3 was one of four finalists, and narrowly got the top ranking by the nine members of the committee. Each firm presented ideas for how they would approach building the school.