Watertown

Watertown City Council

Tuesday September 26, 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

SPEAKER1 - Good evening, Mr. President and members of the City Council. My name is Joanne DiDomenico and I am here representing Eversource Energy. We are requesting approval for a grant of location in Main Street to install and maintain approximately 154 linear feet of conduit from manhole MH10696 to the property line of number 166 Main Street. This work is needed to provide reliable electric service to our customers in the area. We have coordinated this project with the City Engineering Department and have received their approval for this work. According to the City of Watertown's policies and procedures, this petition was advertised in the Watertown Tab and the Watertown Sun newspapers, abutters were notified by certified mail, and a public hearing was held on September 27th, 2021. We have also provided a plan of the proposed work for your review. We are asking for your approval of this grant of location so we can move forward with this necessary project. Thank you for your time and consideration. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Joanne. Are there any questions or comments from the council? Seeing none, can I get a motion to approve the grant of location? So moved. Is there a second? 2nd. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I. Opposed. The motion carries. SPEAKER1 - The next item on the agenda is a public hearing and vote on a petition from National Grid for consideration of a grant of location on Walnut Street for a gas main replacement project. Is there anyone here from National Grid? Please, present your request. SPEAKER2 - Good evening, Mr. President and members of the City Council. My name is [Name] and I am here representing National Grid. We are requesting approval for a grant of location on Walnut Street for a gas main replacement project. This work is necessary to ensure the safety and reliability of our gas service in the area. We have coordinated this project with the City Engineering Department and have received their approval for this work. According to the City of Watertown's policies and procedures, this petition was advertised in the Watertown Tab and the Watertown Sun newspapers, abutters were notified by certified mail, and a public hearing was held on September 27th, 2021. We have also provided a plan of the proposed work for your review. We

Section 2

02:30| it includes everyone regardless of what country you come from, regardless of your immigration status, regardless of whether you're a homeowner or a renter. And so I hope that the commission will be able to really work closely with the school department and make sure that the school department is using, diverse materials in their teaching and their curriculum. I hope it will work with the police to make sure that the police are not targeting, certain groups in Watertown. I also hope that the commission will be able to work with the landlord association and make sure that everyone who goes to rent in Watertown is treated very fairly. We have to be able to work with, the residents, also in Watertown to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and respectfully. So I hope that when it comes time for it to be agenda, I hope that you will vote, for it. This is a very timely now. I'm a bit concerned that there is a clause in the ordinance that says, that you must be a resident of Watertown. I don't agree with that. I think that in fact, if you look at the recent diversity study that was done, there are very few people of color in Watertown. In fact, it's 80% white. So I'm not sure that just having people who are residents of Watertown is going to get us to the point that we need to be to be able to address all of the issues that are facing, that will be facing us in the future. I do think that we should be able to have people who come from other areas, who work in Watertown, they shouldn't be excluded. So I hope that that would definitely be amended. And I also hope that there will be a very diverse group of people who are on this commission and that it's a very diverse commission in terms of race and ethnicity. And I hope that the city council will also support this commission, not only with the ordinance, but also with the budget. Thank you. SPEAKER1 - Next is Adele. ADELE - RESIDENT - Hi. I'm Adele Miller. I live in Watertown. I'm a parent of a child, who goes to school in Watertown. And I'm very excited to see this move forward. Thank you very much for all the work that's been put into it so far. And I just wanted to lend

Section 3

The content discusses the creation of a Human Rights Commission that will provide resources and support for individuals who have experienced discrimination or unequal treatment in the city of Watertown. It also addresses concerns about the commission potentially handling complaints, with the city attorney suggesting that it should instead focus on being a resource and referring complaints to appropriate entities. The council discusses potentially rewording a specific section of the ordinance to clarify the role of the commission in regards to complaints.

Section 4

The City Council is discussing a proposed ordinance for a Human Rights Commission in Watertown. Some council members have concerns about the specific role the commission would play in addressing discrimination complaints and whether it would be appropriate for the commission to handle these complaints. The discussion also touches on the need for a professional HR department in the city and the potential impact of mishandling complaints on civil rights. Overall, there is disagreement about whether the commission's role should be limited to providing resources and information or if it should also have the ability to address and investigate discrimination complaints.

Section 5

The town council discussed the role and responsibilities of the Human Rights Commission. Some councilors suggested making changes to the proposed ordinance in order to address concerns raised by the city attorney. Ultimately, the council voted to move forward with the ordinance without any changes. The council also considered a loan order for HVAC improvements at the middle school and accepted a gift of funds to offset expenses for the fair on the square.

Section 6

So, the content is about a city council meeting where they discuss implementing a new provision in their local law. The first part of the content includes a discussion among council members on a motion to accept a gift and expenditure of funds for a project. The second part includes a presentation by the city manager on a new provision in state law that will allow city boards and officers to set fees without going through the city council for approval. The final part includes a discussion on another new provision in state law that will allow the city to impose a lien on properties for unpaid fees and fines. There is some confusion among council members about whether fines can be included in this provision, but the city solicitor clarifies that recent interpretations of similar provisions have included fines.

Section 7

At a meeting of the Gannon-Sideris Council, there was a discussion about the use of ARPA funds. The committee agreed to use a four-point scale to evaluate proposals and invited public input. They also decided to have each committee member score the proposals independently and then meet to deliberate and make preliminary recommendations. There were concerns raised about the amount of public input and the urgency of certain needs in the community. Ultimately, the committee voted unanimously to approve the detailed process for evaluating proposals and developing recommendations for the city council.

Section 8

The BFO committee is discussing how to move forward with accepting proposals for use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. They decided to have meetings with proposers in 15-minute time slots and to have the council participate in these meetings. Some members suggest the full council should participate in the meetings rather than just the BFO committee. The committee also discussed the process for scoring proposals and decided to use a four-point scale and to post the proposals online for public feedback.

Section 9

23 Would also like to see the chief have a strong relationship with the schools. Councilor Piccirilli said he would like to see a chief who is a good listener and open minded. Councilor Piccirilli said he was in favor of an internal candidate. The chair asked if the committee could be provided with the survey results. Mr. Proakis said he would like to review the survey before releasing the results. Councilor Bays offered the following, one, an internal candidate and two outside candidates, someone who has experience and someone who is receptive to change. She said an internal candidate does not have to be the status quo. Mr. Proakis said he would like an inclusive search with internal candidates because the department has some good officers. Mr. Proakis said he would like to have a candidate who can build consensus. He said he is looking for a candidate who can also execute and knows how to work in the political environment while implementing change. The committee then discussed the possibility of a citizen advisory board. Mr. Proakis and Councilor Izzo said they would be in favor of such a board. Councilor Piccirilli said he was not in favor of such a board. Mr. Proakis said he would be open to 5 to 7 people on the board. Councilor Bays said she would be open to fewer people. Councilor Piccirilli said the police department takes a lot of complaints seriously. Councilor Izzo said she did not see this as an indictment of the police department but more as a community engagement opportunity. Mr. Proakis said he would be open to more community engagement but did not see the need for a citizen advisory board. He also said there are other ways to involve the public, like the use of focus groups. Councilor Piccirilli said it was important to involve the public. Councilor Bays said she was in favor of an advisory board because it would help the department with its culture. Councilor Izzo said she would like to see an advisory board of no more than five people with a liaison to the city council. Councilor Izzo said she would like a list of qualifications for the advisory board and not just people who complain about the police department. Mr. Proakis said the city council could pass a resolution to create an advisory board. Councilor Izzo said an advisory board would be a way for the police department to be proactive. Mr. Proakis said the new chief could use

Section 10

The City Council discussed various topics at a recent meeting, including a report from Councilor Piccirilli, who offered a list of three major categories for the Watertown Police Department (WPD). These categories include a commitment to providing exceptional service, best management practices, and keeping Watertown safe and welcoming for all. Councilor Airasian also offered recommendations for the well-being and safety of WPD officers. Another topic discussed was the reappointment of Kelly Gallagher to the Traffic Commission. The City Manager also announced that City Clerk Janet Murphy will be leaving her position and discussed plans for transition and future hiring. Additionally, updates were provided on the easements for construction on Mount Auburn Street.

Section 11

The Watertown rotary club is hosting a free senior citizen cookout on Sunday, October 1st from 12 to 3 pm at the Sons of Italy. The event will feature hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and prizes. The Indigenous People's Day event will take place on Sunday, October 1st from 1:30 to 5 pm at the Hosmer School. It will include music, displays, resources, and food from the chef at Branch Line. The ribbon cutting for the Lowell School will take place on Tuesday, October 3rd at 4 pm. The Economic Development and Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 27th at 6 pm in the lower hearing room to discuss revising requirements for community meetings for large projects.

Section 12

During a speaker's meeting, one person thanks the group and asks for any remaining announcements. They then move to adjourn and it is seconded and passed.