Around Town

Council Thanks Retiring Watertown Library Director with Proclamation

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Watertown Free Public LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. Watertown’s Library Director is retiring after more than a quarter century overseeing one of the most popular features of the City. To express their gratitude, the City Council passed a proclamation honoring Leone Cole. Under Cole’s leadership, the Watertown Free Public Library underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2006, preserved Watertown’s historic books, documents and photos, and increased funding by more than 200 percent. During her 27 years, Cole also increased support for Project Literacy (which teaches immigrants English and helps them apply for citizenship), added the Hatch Makerspace, and started the path toward adding a bookmobile to the Watertown Library’s offerings.

Business

Restaurants Can Apply to Serve Alcohol at Sunday Brunch; Licensing Board Given Power to Impose Fines

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Restaurants in Watertown will be able to apply to serve alcohol with Sunday brunch after the City Council approved adopting a change to the liquor licensing rules. At the same meeting, Councilors approved giving the Watertown Licensing Board the ability to impose fines and give warnings to holders of liquor licenses. The change approved at the Feb. 8 Council meeting will allow alcohol to be served on Sundays and certain legal holidays from 10 a.m. to noon. A couple restaurants recently asked (and about 10 have asked over the past couple years) if they could get approval to serve alcoholic drinks during brunch, said Noelle Gilligan, the head clerk in the Town Clerk’s Office.

City Council

Residents, City Employees Named to City Manager Screening Committee

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Watertown City Hall

The group that will review the applicants for Watertown’s new City Manager will include two residents and two employees appointed by City Council President Mark Sideris. The Screening Committee will look at the applications and narrow down the candidates for City Manager to finalists, who will be forwarded on to the City Council. The members will have a chance to interview some of the candidates. The Screening Committee will also include three City Councilors: Sideris, Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli and Caroline Bays, who chairs the Personnel and Town Organization Committee. The interest in serving on the screening committee was high, Sideris said.

City Council

Council Approves Job Description for Watertown’s Next City Manager

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The City Council made tweaks to the description of what Watertown is looking for in its next City Manager, and will soon use it to advertise the position. The job description calls for a salary of $200,000 or higher, with preference for someone with knowledge of Massachusetts municipal laws and operations, with good communication skills and strong personnel management and project management skills. The draft of the job description was presented to the Council by Bernie Lynch, the consultant hired by the Council to assist in the search. The description also includes information about Watertown, and background of the previous manager, Michael Driscoll, who retired after working in the Watertown Municipal government for 45 years, the last 29 as Town and City Manager. Also, it included descriptions of the local government, education, the economy, and Watertown’s recreation and open space amenities.

Government

Council Delays Vote on Airbnbs to Discuss Short Term Rental Regulations Further

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown’s City Hall. After hearing from concerned residents during Tuesday’s meeting, and in letters and emails, the City Council decided that Watertown’s regulations on short-term rentals (i.e. Airbnb) need more refinement. The issue has been discussed for a number of years and a set of draft regulations came before the Council Tuesday night. Currently, short-term rentals are not allowed in the Watertown Zoning Ordinance, however dozens of homes and rooms — if not more than 100 — can be found on websites such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Draft Ordinance

The proposal would allow three types of short term rentals: entire homes, a unit in a multi-family home, or a bedroom in a residence (up to three bedrooms in a home can be rented but the owner must be in one of the other bedrooms), said Acting Deputy City Manager Steve Magoon.

Around Town

Council to Consider Rules for Airbnb & Other Short Term Rentals at Upcoming Meeting

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Watertown City Hall

The Watertown City Council will hold a public hearing on Jan. 25 to discuss regulations for short-term home rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Currently, such rentals are not allowed in Watertown, but dozens are listed on the Airbnb site. The Council has held multiple meetings over the past few years about short-term rentals, and in June 2021 they recommended that the Planning Board support a set of rules for short-term rentals. The Planning Board considered the rules and sent them back to the Council for final approval.

City Council

Residents Share the Qualities They Want in Next City Manager, Consultant Outlines Process

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Watertown City Hall

Residents shared a long list of qualities and qualifications they would like to see in Watertown’s next City Manager during a community forum hosted by the City Council and the manager search firm. The focus was getting input from residents during the Ad Hoc Committee on the Town Manager Search forum on Wednesday, which lasted more than 90 minutes. Residents also got a chance to pose questions about the search process to Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm Associates. During the forum, Lynch said he expects the Watertown City Manager position will get a lot of interest from qualified candidates. Qualities and Qualifications

A variety of qualifications were suggested by participants, including having strong financial management experience, good communication skills, and being a good manager of department heads and employees.

City Council

Watertown Councilors, School Committee & Library Trustees Sworn-In at City Hall

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Charlie BreitroseMembers of the Watertown City Council take the oath from City Clerk Janet Murphy on Monday night. Most years, the swearing-in of Watertown’s newly elected officials is part of an inauguration ceremony in a large venue with many guests, but with COVID-19 the 2022 event was an intimate affair. The winners of the November 2021 election were sworn in by City Clerk Janet Murphy in the Council Chamber in City Hall Monday night. Charlie BreitroseAfter her swearing-in, Library Trustee Sara Keary poses with City Manager Michael Driscoll, left, and City Council President Mark Sideris. Some family members were on hand for the ceremony, but the Chamber was not full even when eight City Councilors took the oath.