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Home My Public Portal AboutSpring 2020 City Manager NewsletterTown of Watertown Spring 2020 Newsletter Issued by Michael J. Driscoll, Town Manager Watertown Town Council Mark S. Sideris, President Vincent J. Piccirilli, Vice President Caroline Bays, At -Large Anthony J. Donato, At -Large John G. Gannon, At -Large Anthony Palomba, At- Large Angeline B. Kounelis, District A Lisa J. Feltner, District B Kenneth M. Woodland, District D Town of Watertown, Massachusetts 149 Main Street Watertown, Massachusetts 02472 www.watertown-ma.gov Coronavirus (COVID-19) The Town of Watertown Emergency Management Team continues to meet daily to monitor the developments in the outbreak of the coronavirus. We have used these meetings to keep an organized flow of information and to develop strategies to best respond to the needs of our community. We will continue to protect the health and safety of our residents and provide updates to the community through the Watertown Health's Department's web page. htips://www.watertown-ma.gov/965/CORONAVIRUS For more information, contact: Town Manager's Office Phone: (617) 972-6465 or email townmgr(awatertown-ma.gov Watertown Free Public Library While the Watertown Free Public Library is closed, we have a number of digital options available. Ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, music, and streaming movies are available through our platforms Overdrive, hoopla, RBDigital, and Kanopy. You will also find free access to the New York Times. We are increasing access to these materials to help keep wait times minimal. Due dates for all library materials have been moved to mid - April. Any fines accrued during this time will be waived. For more information on how to access any of our online resources and other information regarding the library closure visit www.watertownlib.org/coronavirus. Watertown Electricity Choice (WEC) The Town sponsored program for purchasing electricity was launched last September and if you have not already done so, please consider enrolling in WEC. Over eighty percent of Watertown residents are enrolled in the WEC standard program which provides 51 % clean, local renewable energy at a lower supply price (11.494 C/kWh) than the current Eversource basic rate (12.517 /kWh), which has only 16% clean energy. Together the Town's annual reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from WEC is the equivalent to the tailpipe emissions of more than 40 million miles driven in an average passenger car. Opting up to 100% Green gets you 100% clean local energy (12.718 /kWh), reduces GHG more, and also supports New England -based renewable energy projects. Please consider Opting Up to 100% Green. If you are not yet enrolled in WEC or wish to Opt Up, please visit WatertownElectricityChoice.com or call 1-844-278-9864. Property Tax Work Off Program This program allows for up to ten Watertown homeowners (seniors over 60 or veterans) a $1,500 deduction from their property tax bill in exchange for 125 hours of work for a Town department from July 1, 2020 until March 1, 2021. Participants must own and occupy the property for which the taxes are deducted. In addition, the applicant's skills must match those needed by the Town departments. Past participants have worked in Town Hall, Veterans Services, Library, Senior Center, Recreation and Public Health Departments. Call the Senior Center at (617) 972-6490 for an application and for more details. Office of the Town Manager • 149 Main Street Watertown, MA 02472 •617--972-6465 • watertown-ma. pov Watertown Community Preservation Planning Join the conversation. Take part in shaping the Watertown Community Preservation Plan and guiding opportunities for spending your tax dollars raised and deposited in the Watertown Community Preservation Fund. Help develop the goals and values that will inform project selection in the four Community Preservation Act (CPA) categories: affordable housing; open space protection; historic preservation; and outdoor recreation. Take our survey: watertowncpa.or_-/survey. Visit watertowncpa org to learn more, watch videos, and put your ideas on the map. For more information or if you have questions, contact: Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator: Phone (617) 715-8620 or email lhandy&watertown-ma.gov The Watertown Farmers' Market The Town of Watertown is pleased to announce that the Watertown Farmers' Market will be starting its 2020 season, Wednesdays, June through October, 2:30 to 6:30pm, Saltonstall Park on Main Street, next to Town Hall. Dates to be announced soon, for more details visit our website at: www.watertownmarket.com, Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/watertownmarket/ For more information, contact: Stephanie Venizelos, Community Wellness Program Manager: Phone: (617) 972-6446 or email svenizelos(awatertown- ma. og_v Saltonstall Park Concert Series The Town of Watertown is proud to bring another year of spectacular music to Saltonstall Park, every Wednesday, starting in June through August, 6:30pm to 8pm, dates and more details will be announced soon. Watertown Cable Access will rebroadcast the free concerts on the Public Channel Comcast 9 and RCN 15. For more information, contact: Town Manager's Office Phone: (617) 972-6465 or email townmgr(a,watertown- ma. gov Department of Public Works In the spring, bag your grass clippings for curbside pickup. See the pick-up calendar at http://www.watertowndpw.org/DocumentCenter/View/776/2020-Collection-Calendar-3pa?bidld. Even better, leave the clippings on the ground or compost them to make a natural fertilizer. But whatever you do, don't dump them in a storm drain or leave them on the sidewalk! Also, if you use too much fertilizer, the excess will just wash away in the next rain, polluting your local waterways. Wondering if you need fertilizer? Get a soil test. If you need to use fertilizer, use a slow -release, non -phosphorus fertilizer (look for "0" as the middle number). Want more tips? See www.mysticriver.org/stormwater Administration Building and Senior Center Summer Hours Beginning Tuesday, May 19, 2020 and ending on Friday, September 4, 2020 all offices in the Administration Building and Senior Center Summer hours of operation on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are 8:30am to 5pm; Tuesdays from 8:30am to 7pm and Fridays from 8:30am to 2pm. The Building Inspectors' Office is open at 7:30am until 5pm or 7pm, when all offices in the Administration Building are open. Further, since the Administration Building will be closed on Friday, July 3rd for the July 4th holiday, the hours of operation will be 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 2, 2020. Payments after business hours may be placed in the drop-off box located on Thaxter Street (between Library and Administration Building). Office of the Town Manager • 149 Main Street Watertown, MA 02472 •617--972-6465 • watertown-ma. pov