Watertown

Watertown City Council

Tuesday September 12, 2023

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The order of items in transcripts is the chronological order in which they were taken up. Some Agenda items may have been skipped.

Section 1

The city council is holding a meeting that is being broadcasted and recorded by Watertown Cable Access. They are joined by counselor Gardener virtually. The council also votes to move a meeting due to conflicting schedules. The council then gives proclamations for the 70th anniversary of the Watertown Cooperative Nursery School and the Burnham-Manning Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1105. They then move on to a public hearing and vote on a petition for Cambridge Network Solutions to install and maintain underground and aerial grant of locations for telecommunication services. The Department of Public Works has set recommendations and conditions for this project.

Section 2

A loan order of $261,568 has been proposed to fund a centralized managed services plan for the city's IT cybersecurity program. This program is aimed at maintaining the security and continuity of the city's IT systems, with a focus on early detection and remediation of cyber threats. The program also allows for more focus on technology and innovation within the IT department, in line with the city manager's push to be "abnormal." This investment is seen as a force multiplier for the IT department, which has been working to upgrade infrastructure and increase staff in recent years. This loan order is part of the city's capital improvement plan and has been praised as an important step in promoting cybersecurity within the city.

Section 3

MAGOON - Sure. So as I understand it, the developer has agreed to construct these ways and then turn them over to the city for ownership and maintenance. I think the reason this is happening is that the developer has a design ready to go and they want to get moving on this. So I think they'd like to sort of get the city on board and then, you know, start getting the plans into the works. In terms of the biking, we have had discussions with the developer's engineer back and forth about the exact locations. I know there is a lot of concern with all the kind of driveway access areas that's gonna be at 85 Walnut Street, and I think there's 2 or 3 of them that the planning board approved, and this is going to be, it's gonna be a work in progress. The developer has agreed to work with us to kind of refine the locations of the bike paths and the ramps and the pedestrian ways to make sure they're safe and that they're not confusing to people because we don't want to create a dangerous situation. So we will be working with them on that. I think what they're proposing here is generally what they're expecting to install, but I think there will be some back and forth and we'll be working closely with them on that. SPEAKER1 - Thank you. I had one question. I think it was on the easement plan. I just wanted to make sure that the, it was a formatting issue, I can pull it up, but the easement in question 5, or unit 5, is that the easement for the sewer line? Okay. Is that actually a 20 foot wide easement? MAGOON - I'm not sure off the top of my head. I don't have that with me. SPEAKER1 - I can pull it up. MAGOON - I think this is the one that's gonna be titling a meter wide. SPEAKER1 - Okay. That was it. That was the question. MAGOON - Yeah. SPEAKER1 - Are there any other questions? Councilor Palombo. PALOMBA - Yes. Nobody's really answered my question yet. So are the bikes going to be on the sidewalk? Is that what's gonna happen, the pedestrian path? MAGOON - That is what's proposed today. Whether that's what actually ends

Section 4

The city of Magoon is discussing a public access easement that would allow people to access a property through a neighboring property. There are concerns about maintenance and potential penalties if the easement is not maintained. The city will also be installing a pedestrian and bike pathway from the property to a nearby park and street. In addition, there is a request to transfer funds from the human resources salaries account to contracted services, and a request to repurpose funds from a completed project to cover the installation of new bleachers and an ADA lift at the John A. Ryan Skating Arena. The rink manager explains that the new bleachers will have improved accessibility and seating capacity, and the transfer of funds is allowed without further action as long as there are no outstanding costs from the previous project.

Section 5

The city council held a meeting to discuss the qualities they desired in the hiring of a chief financial officer and a human resources director. They discussed the roles and responsibilities of these positions, as well as the desired characteristics and experience of the candidates. They also addressed issues of culture and employee satisfaction within the city. The city manager noted that the creation of a HR department was necessary to address these issues, and a search firm will be hired to help find qualified candidates. They also discussed plans to revise the HR ordinance and create an employee handbook.

Section 6

The Watertown city council discussed various topics at their meeting, such as the creation of a new HR department and the appointment of new members to the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust. They also discussed the need for the HR director to be able to serve as a change agent and improve the day-to-day experience of city employees. The council also mentioned upcoming events and projects, including the kickoff meeting for the Watertown Square process and the Fair in the Square event. They also announced the appointment of Colleen Doyle as the new HR director for the city.

Section 7

Miss Doyle is joining Watertown from Bedford where she has worked in various roles for 11 years, including as assistant town manager for HR and administration. Her responsibilities in this role included human resource functions such as collective bargaining, benefits administration, and employee wellness initiatives. She also led the COVID-19 return to work process, implemented a remote work policy, and oversaw a wage and classification study. Miss Doyle has expressed interest in focusing on HR in local government and will be responsible for building a new HR department and modernizing its operations in Watertown. She has a bachelor's degree in international studies and a master's degree in global studies and international affairs. A community zoom forum will be held on September 14 to discuss construction and demolition processes at Watertown High School's existing site, and a joint meeting with the planning board will be held on September 21 to vote on the comprehensive plan. The meeting is adjourned.