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LETTER: Questions About New Position on Traffic Commission

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Democracy?  I know you’re out there somewhere…

This is not a letter that I could even imagine having to write, but here goes. When I looked at Tuesday night’s agenda for the City Council meeting, I noticed an unusual item. Then I started getting phone calls. Other people were curious about this item as well. So I got curious. Why would there be a sudden change to the structure of the Traffic Commission without any visible input from them?

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OP-ED: Importance of Setting New Years Resolutions for Older Residents

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By Andrea Forde

A new year brings new resolutions that can lead to improvements in daily habits as well as health benefits for many older Americans.  

In fact, according to a 2020 study, older adults who engaged in healthy lifestyle choices such as physical activity, not smoking, not heavily drinking, following a healthy diet, and taking part in mentally stimulating activities, had a 60 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. For people who are already suffering from chronic conditions, setting simple and realistic goals that are manageable with their health challenges is important.  

As you consider changes and goals for 2024, here are five achievable resolutions that can help kick off the new year on the right foot.  

Pursue an active lifestyle.  

Staying active is an admirable goal to have every year.

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LETTER: Thoughts on the Residential Snow Ordinance from a Former Councilor

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Greetings Councilors:

Many of you already know my thoughts on the proposed 2024 Residential Snow and Ice Removal Ordinance. In 2012, I voted a well thought out and vetted: “No.” I listened to the residents and the many scenarios of circumstances that were brought before the Committees. One of my comments was as follows:

“… something we need to work on as a community, but mandating it, I don’t think is appropriate …”

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LETTER: 2024 New Year’s Resolutions For the City of Watertown, Part 3: And on the Bright Side

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My 2023 Thank You’s to Our City Council. Thank you, Council President Mark Sideris for your availability to residents and for standing up for the integrity of Watertown Square. Thank you Councilor Gardner for your work on the ARPA funding process. Thank you Councilor Palomba for your advocacy regarding developer linkage fees for affordablehousing. Thank you Councilor Feltner for supporting the need for more resident involvement in the development planning process and raising the bar on planning for our City parks.

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LETTER: Part 2: My City of Watertown New Year’s Predictions & Ninth City Resolution

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

These are my opinions, based upon hundreds of conversations, attending numerous City meetings, and making thousands of observations over the past few years. I hope that they can stimulate conversation and help busy Watertown folks focus on some of the current issues. Things to be on the lookout for in 2024, if these City resolutions are not taken to heart by our City Councilors:

1 – Expect the assault on residents’ quality of life to continue:

Short-Term Rentals. That’s where your neighbors are allowed to run an informal hotel business out of their homes right next door to you. (And the City gets to collect a fee).

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LETTER: Part 1: 2024 New Year’s Resolutions for the City of Watertown

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And How the Heck Did We Lose Our Post Office?? By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Dear City Officials,

I’ve taken this opportunity to write this resolution list as a service to you, with explanations for each resolution. It’s based upon my observations and the hundreds of conversations that I’ve had with residents over the past two years. I hope that you won’t find this extremely annoying, but what can I say? I hope that you’ll also find it helpful and motivating for this new year.

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LETTER: Council to Consider Allowing Short Term Rentals, Resident Opposes Them

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For three + years residents have been attending City Council meetings and calling City Councilors to address concerns about allowing short-term rentals (STRs) in our city. STRs are rental periods of 31 days or less in various types of properties. We are grateful that the topic is coming up on the agenda finally, but could the timing be any worse? With the Watertown Square Charrette meetings occurring this next week, the Council meeting is now on Monday, November 27, when typically Council meetings are held on Tuesdays. How many people are going to pay attention to the day change, especially right after a long holiday weekend?

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LETTER: Watertown Affordable Housing an Inside Story, Part Three

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Has Watertown already fully or partially complied with the MBTA Law? How can I get involved in making Watertown Square a more attractive and vibrant city center? Watertown has been a leader, along with Boston, Cambridge and Everett in permitting more than half the multifamily housing units in the Greater Boston area, according to “Greater Boston Housing Report Card”…The Boston Foundation. Watertown is cited in a 2019 Boston Globe article entitled “NIMBY? Not These Cities and Towns.” As a matter of fact, Watertown may have already complied with its housing zoning mandate for the MBTA Law, because, in reality, that is the point of the MBTA Law … to zone for more housing.