Government

Council Update: City Logo Not Going Ahead, Capital Projects Funded, Support for Community Media Bill

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On April 22, 2025, the City Council voted to approve funding for capital projects, heard from the City Manager about the City logo, heard about the re-organization plan, set limits for revolving funds, and supported a bill on Beacon Hill about Community Media Programming. See the highlights of the meeting provided by Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton. City Council Newsletter 

Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on April 22, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here. President’s Report

The council president informed the council and the public that four visioning sessions have been held discussing what might be needed in designing the middle school which have been very informative.

Government

Council Update: FY26 Budget, Hometown Hero, Police Dog & More

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On April 8, 2025, City Council heard the City Manager’s FY26 budget presentation, recognized a hometown hero, heard updates on BERDO, the referral of the Demolition Delay Ordinance for review, and met the new Watertown Police dog. See the highlights of the meeting provided by Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton

City Council Newsletter 

Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on April 8, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here.  

Mary Barry Honored as a Hometown Hero

Mary Barry, a lifelong resident of Watertown who served as a volunteer in the food pantry for over thirty years, a Parent Teacher Association member for twenty years, among many other roles such as Town Meeting Member, Brownie Girl Scout Leader, and Election Worker in Precinct Three, was honored with a proclamation at Tuesday’s council meeting as a Hometown Hero. 

Mary spoke after receiving the proclamation and expressed that she wishes the rest of the world could be more like Watertown. The full proclamation can be read here.  

Manager Presentation of FY26 Budget

The significant majority of Tuesday’s meeting consisted of City Manager George Proakis presenting his FY26 budget to the council. The presentation given by the manager can be viewed here, and his full FY26 budget can be accessed here. 

The submitted budget contains expenditures totaling $223,660,433.

Government

City Council Update: Police Removed from Civil Service, Memorialization Committee Approved, Arshile Gorky Honored

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The City Council took a number of actions at the Feb. 25 meeting, including purchasing the former Sterritt Lumber site, removing the Watertown Police supervisors from Civil Service, honoring an Armenian artist and immigrant, and approving a Memorialization Committee. See more details in the City Council Newsletter provided by the City of Watertown. City Council Newsletter 

Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on February 25, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here. 

Purchase of 148 Waltham Street

The council voted unanimously to approve a purchase & sale agreement of $9.2 million for the property located at 148 Waltham Street.

Government

City Will Add New Position of Human Services Director

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City of WatertownThe Parker Annex Building is the recommended home of the City’s new Health and Human Services Department. A new position will be added to the City government, the director of Human Services, after the City Council approved implementing the recommendations of the Health and Human Services Assessment report. On Tuesday, the Council unanimously approved the recommendations, and the Human Services Director position has been posted on the City’s Employment webpage. The Council also approved transferring $38,000 from the Council Reserve to fund the new position for the rest of the fiscal year. Rob Buchanan, Principal at Health Management Associates (HMA), presented the recommendations of the assessment to the City Council’s Committee on Human Services at a meeting on Feb.

Government

Council Newsletter: CPA Projects Approved, Memorialization Committee, Intersection to be Named for Gorky

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Watertown City Hall

The Watertown City Council voted on using Community Preservation Act funds on two projects, naming an intersection for an Armenian immigrant and artist, and discussed creating a Memorialization Committee. See more in the City Council Newsletter provided by the City of Watertown. City Council Newsletter: February 11, 2025 Meeting

Residents can view the recording of the February 11th meeting here. 

President’s ReportCouncil President Mark Sideris thanked the Department of Public Works as well as other city staff for their handling of last weekend’s snowstorm.He expressed gratitude for residents who have signed up for alerts through Everbridge and encouraged more residents to do so. This will ensure they receive notices of snow emergencies and other emergencies in the city on their cell phones. Residents will not be contacted frivolously, only for emergencies.

Around Town

East Watertown Intersection to be Named for Armenian Immigrant and Artist Arshile Gorky

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Arshile Gorky painting at his sister Akabi’s house on Dexter Avenue in Watertown, c. 1922. (Unknown photographer. Collection of the Arshile Gorky Foundation). An intersection in East Watertown will be named in honor of an Armenian artist who made his home in Watertown for several years. On Tuesday, the City Council voted to name the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Hazel Street for Arshile Gorky.