Letters

LETTER: Why We Need More Trees in Watertown

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The Washington Post yesterday included an article about how climate change is worsening right now during the pandemic. It is not stopping for us to fight the pandemic or for anything else. Despite a temporary clearing of smog, the writer says, “the romantic vision of nature “healing” itself was always an illusion … carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are the highest they’ve been in human history, and possibly higher than in the past 3 million years. The specter of man-made climate change looms all the more ominously over a planet in the grips of a viral pandemic.” The authors go on to talk about “giant plumes of Saharan dust that wafted over the Atlantic …

Around Town

Public Invited to Help Create Principles for Watertown’s Community Preservation Process

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The Community Preservation Committee is determined not to let the COVID-19 pandemic slow progress toward awarding the first set of projects, but before that can happen they have some work to do and are seeking the public’s help to do so. The next step is a Webinar on Tuesday, June 30 from 6-7 p.m., which is being held in lieu of the second public forum. (See more information about the webinar and how to register below). In January, the group had a public forum to hear what types of projects residents want to see the Community Preservation funds used on. They also did an online survey and held focus groups in March just before for the shutdown, and had planned a second public forum in April but that had to be cancelled, said Lanae Handy, the Community Preservation Coordinator.

Around Town

Watertown Cable Show Finds Out the Latest with the Community Preservation Committee

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In the latest episode of Watertown Cable show Inside Watertown, Elodia Thomas, second from right, and Lanae Handy (right) joined hosts John Airasian, left, and Charlie Breitrose to talk about the Community Preservation Committee. Two people deeply involved in Watertown’s Community Preservation Committee were the guests on the latest episode of Watertown Cable’s Inside Watertown. Elodia Thomas, chair of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), and Lanae Handy, the CPC’s Community Preservation consultant, joined co-hosts Charlie Breitrose and John Airasian at the Watertown Cable Studio, recently. They talked about the latest happenings with the group who recommends how the town’s CPA funds are spent. The CPC recently held its first public forum (see video here), where attendees learned about what the CPA funds can be spent on, and then had the chance to gave ideas for projects they would like to see in Watertown.

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Wants to Hear from Public

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The following information was provided by the Community Preservation Committee:

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) in Watertown raises funds through a 2% percent surcharge on local property taxes and a variable annual distribution from the MA Community Preservation Trust Fund. There are four eligible project funding categories: community housing; open space; outdoor recreation; and historic preservation. It is mandated that 10% of funds generated annually must be designated to each category. Please note funding for open space and recreation is a combined category. Up to 5% may be used for administration and the remaining 65% may be allocated among the project categories.

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Invites Public to Interactive Forum

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The Community Preservation Committee invites the public to find out more about the Community Preservation Act during an interactive public forum. Attendees can share their ideas to help the CPC plan to spend the CPA funds on affordable housing, open space/recreation, and historic preservation. The event will be held Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 from 7-9 p.m. at Tufts Health Plan, in the Mt. Auburn Rooms North & South, 705 Mt.

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Looks to Get Process Rolling

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The committee chosen to oversee the money raised by the Community Preservation Act in Watertown will be hiring a consultant and a part-time coordinator to educate the public and help figure out how the money will be distributed. Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2016, and the property tax surcharge brings in about $2 million a year, plus the state will chip in matching funds (19 percent in Fiscal Year 2019). The money can be used on a variety projects, but they must relate to at least one of three areas: affordable housing, open space/recreation or historic preservation. At least 10 percent of the funds must be spent on, or saved in a fund for, each of the three areas. Elodia Thomas, chair of the Community Preservation Committee, said that she hopes that residents will become excited about the possibilities for the Community Preservation Act funds.

Community Preservation Act

Community Preservation Committee Scheduled to Meet for the First Time

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Watertown Town Hall

The first meeting of the Community Preservation Committee will take place on Feb. 21, 2019. The committee was formed after Watertown voters passed the Community Preservation Act in November 2016. The CPA raises money through a 2 percent surcharge on local property tax bills, and the funds can be used in three areas: recreation/open space, affordable housing and historic preservation. The Community Preservation Committee will look at potential places to use the Community Preservation funds and will propose a list of projects.

Government

Community Preservation Committee Appointees Announced, Must Get Council’s Approval

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Watertown Town Hall

The Community Preservation Committee will soon have all of its members, and be ready to start overseeing how to spend the funds collected from the Community Preservation Act. 

Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2016. The money raised from the 2 percent property tax surcharge can be spent on three areas: affordable housing, open space/recreation, and historic preservation. The Community Preservation Committee will make recommendations for how the money will be spent, and the plan must be approved by the Town Council. In June 2018, the Town Council approved an ordinance which spells out how the Community Preservation Committee members will be appointed. The nine-member Committee will be made up of five spots required by the State CPA statute to be on the board, and four members appointed by the Town Manager.  

On Tuesday night, Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced the four people he seeks to appoint to the Community Preservation Committee.