Watertown City Council
Tuesday August 8, 2023
Clickable Transcript Printable Transcript Agenda
The order of items in transcripts appear in the chronological order in which they were taken up. Some Agenda items may have been skipped.
6A
Joanne Callender from Eversource addressed a public session in the evening, describing the company's intent to secure a permitted site for the purpose of laying about eight feet of conduit. This infrastructure project aims to extend from post 63/16 located on Grove Street to a meter cabinet situated within the confines of the Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Show more... Show less
6B
Callender addressed the council, expressing gratitude and outlining a proposal for the installation of about 51 feet of conduit on Howard Street. The proposed installation aims to support the town's municipal parking lot by providing infrastructure for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and lighting upgrades.
Show more... Show less
6D
In this section, the discussion revolves around the installation of an 8-foot conduit from the pole on Paramount Place for a new retail site located at 532 Pleasant Street. The purpose of installing the conduit is to provide service to the retail location, indicating infrastructure work aimed at supporting the establishment's utility needs.
Show more... Show less
6E
Elise Loukas, a resident and member of the historical commission, unable to attend in person due to COVID, advocated for extending the demolition delay to a two-year maximum to encourage preservation of historic buildings. She highlighted that the commission has been judicious in its application of demolition delays, affecting only a small percentage of cases. Following her, Larry Field from the Town of Watertown outlined the efforts to rewrite the demolition delay ordinance in response to the community's needs, with the support of the Department of Community Development and Planning. The proposed ordinance aims to increase the demolition delay period, reduce the number of cases requiring public hearings through a preliminary review to filter out non-historically significant buildings, and address substantial demolitions through clearer definitions and criteria. Field emphasized that the ordinance seeks to balance the need for housing with the preservation of historic buildings, proposing a two-step process for assessing historical significance and allowing for flexibility through regulations that can be adapted based on practical application. He closed by expressing openness to answering any further questions from the council members.
Show more... Show less
7A
At a public hearing, officials discussed the first reading of an eminent domain proposal concerning the Mount Auburn Reconstruction Project, a roadway construction undertaking. They explained the necessity of temporarily acquiring slivers of land along sidewalks through eminent domain to facilitate the project, ensuring that property owners are adequately compensated and informed throughout the process. This project, funded by the federal government through MassDOT, aims to improve a two-mile roadway, with all temporary easements slated for a five-year duration to accommodate potential construction delays. Restoration efforts will ensure that all affected areas, whether grass or hardscape, are returned to their original state or better, with improvements to ADA accessibility along the corridor. Officials outlined that the property appraisal values have been communicated to residents, reflecting substantial figures due to inflation, and a second meeting is scheduled to address public concerns and finalize the eminent domain proceedings, allowing the project to proceed to the bidding phase in September.
Show more... Show less
7B
Proakis announced that Health Management Associates (HMA) has been contracted to conduct a study on health and human services for Watertown, following a competitive bidding process in which HMA emerged as the preferred candidate due to their comprehensive expertise. The project, initially budgeted at $90,000 for fiscal year 23, received a bid from HMA for $117,937, leading to a request for a $27,937 budget transfer from the city council reserve to cover the shortfall. Proakis expressed his intention to initiate the project soon and emphasized the importance of community engagement in the study process.
Show more... Show less
7C
Proakis expressed gratitude toward Watertown Savings Bank for their generous donation of $1,000, aimed at supplementing the SNAP funding for the farmers market. This contribution enables SNAP beneficiaries to receive a dollar-for-dollar match on their purchases, capped at $15 per market day. He emphasized that this initiative conforms to the stipulations of general law chapter 44 Section 53A, which mandates the city manager and the council's approval for the expenditure of gifts. Proakis concluded by seeking the council's support for the proposal.
Show more... Show less
8A
The committee, led by Chair Alisa Felton, met on June 26 and July 17 to discuss reappointments to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). Dennis Duff was interviewed for his reappointment, highlighting his extensive experience in town development and his vision for housing and community improvement, despite opposing a particular project due to its location and advocating for more quality applications for CPC funding. Mark Crichkiewicz was also interviewed for reappointment, emphasizing the progress in project pipeline and the amendment of processes to expedite funding, particularly for affordable housing projects. Both interviews underscored the candidates' commitment to community development and the legal constraints they operate under to fund projects. Each candidate was recommended for reappointment by motions that passed unanimously.
Show more... Show less
8B
The preliminary screening committee for the municipal policy analyst position, chaired by Councilor Caroline Bayes and including members John Gannon, Cole Gardner, and Secretary Vincent Prince Piccirilli, convened on July 25, 27, and August 1, 2023, to review 41 applicants. The committee conducted its proceedings in executive session under the provision that such a format would better attract qualified candidates, a condition allowed under general laws. After careful consideration, the committee unanimously selected Roslyn Inpink, Doug Newton, and Michael Pierce as the three finalists for the position. They recommended that a special city council meeting be scheduled for the full council to conduct final interviews with these candidates. This process and its outcome were efficiently reported by Councilor Piccirilli, praising the swift execution of the committee’s duties.
Show more... Show less
8C
The Economic Development and Planning Committee of the Council held a meeting on July 10th to discuss public comments and recommend updates to the draft comprehensive plan of June 26, 2023. The meeting included a presentation by Phil Shaving from Stantec, outlining revisions made to the initial draft based on public and online feedback. Following public commentary from various residents, the committee proposed eight significant amendments to the draft plan focusing on enhancing mental health resources, celebrating diversity, improving pedestrian safety, and expanding recreational use of the Charles River, among others. These changes also included adjustments to strategies for maintaining infrastructure, supporting accessibility, and conserving residential areas while maintaining their character. After discussion and consideration of these proposed amendments, the committee voted unanimously to adopt the updated comprehensive plan incorporating these eight recommended changes. The meeting concluded with an action item to integrate these amendments into the plan, with revised language circulated for clarity and editorial purposes.
Show more... Show less
8D
On July 13th, the Committee on Economic Development and Planning, chaired by Feltner, convened to discuss updates to Watertown's cannabis post-community agreements, aiming to align with recent state law changes impacting Host Community Agreements (HCAs) with cannabis operators. The meeting, which included remote participation, had city officials and the assistant city manager in attendance. They reviewed legal memos and the existing agreement with Bud's Goods and Provisions as examples. The state's legislative updates necessitate that the previously negotiated 3% impact fee be directly tied to the operation's impact, with documented costs. Discussions proposed moving away from revenue-based impact fees towards a fixed $20,000 annual fee to fund substance abuse programs. This proposal, agreed upon in principle by the three cannabis operators in Watertown, also includes contracting a social service provider for broader substance abuse counseling. Financial updates indicated over $855,000 collected from cannabis taxes and impact fees in the fiscal year, with decisions on these funds' utilization pending. Additionally, any HCA amendments would require a release of claims concerning previous impact fees, with separate legal documents for each amendment suggested for clear delineation of terms. The meeting concluded with the adoption of an action item and was adjourned after a comprehensive discussion of the proposed updates and their implications.
Show more... Show less
8E
The Committee on Economic Development and Planning convened on August 2nd via Zoom to conduct interviews for positions on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and Planning Board. Samuel Adama, an academic coach with a background in architecture and education, expressed his interest in joining the ZBA as an alternate member, highlighting his commitment to considering the community's sentiments in design. Christopher Heath, an attorney specializing in municipal land use and environmental law, sought reappointment as a full ZBA member, emphasizing his dedication to the community and careful consideration of various inputs in decision-making. Lastly, Pace Whitney, a professional engineer with experience in civil and coastal engineering, aimed for reappointment to the Planning Board, advocating for a fact-based decision-making process and suggesting improvements such as developing procedural guidelines and ensuring adequate review time for materials. The committee unanimously agreed on three action items related to the appointments, concluding the meeting.
Show more... Show less
9A
The agenda item discussed by Sideris involved a referral to the committee on public works regarding the winter parking ban, prompted by requests from city council members. Sideris noted that the previous winter's low snowfall raised issues about parking availability but acknowledged the long-standing challenges posed by the ban. He raised a concern that addressing the parking ban separately might contradict efforts to finalize the city's comprehensive plan, which includes evaluating on-street parking policies and winter parking bans in the context of public safety and demand. Sideris suggested that the issue should be a top priority after adopting the comprehensive plan, inviting further discussion.
Show more... Show less
10A
Proakis addressed the council, emphasizing the requirement of the Watertown home rule charter for the city manager to seek the council's advice and input on department head hires. He requested to send three positions - human resources director, chief financial officer, and police chief - to the committee for discussion, underlining the ongoing nature of the hiring process and his need for the council's recommendations and advice before proceeding to interviews.
Show more... Show less
10B
Proakis reported to the council that the city's consultant, Ralph Tellas, has finished a study on the HR department, delivering a comprehensive report that assesses the current state of HR and suggests strategies for improvement. He expressed gratitude to Tellas and Emily Monet for their excellent work in compiling insights on how the city's HR strategies can evolve. Proakis outlined that the report recommends various adjustments to the HR department's structure and emphasized his plan to familiarize the future HR director with the report to use as a guideline for managing the department. Before implementing the report's suggestions, Proakis seeks to involve the new HR director in determining the necessary steps, which might require council approval, especially concerning staffing needs identified in the study. He also requested the committee's recommendation on integrating the hiring of the HR director with the report's implementation strategy.
Show more... Show less
10C
Proakis expressed gratitude to the President for considering the reappointment of Kelly Gallagher to the traffic commission, with a term ending on May 5, 2025. Gallagher's candidacy was favorably received by the resident advisory committee, which subsequently recommended her reappointment to Proakis.
Show more... Show less
10D
Proakis recommended the appointment of Swati Bizhois, Matthew Hanna, and Barbara Epstein to the Public Arts and Culture Committee for terms ending on November 15, 2025. These three candidates were reviewed and endorsed by the resident advisory committee before Proakis forwarded their names for approval.
Show more... Show less