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Watertown City Council
How the Watertown City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 9 councilors: a Council President and 4 councilors elected at large, and one from each of the city’s 4 districts (A to D). Elected November 2019. At its first meeting, January 14, 2020, the council again chose Vincent J. Piccirilli, Jr. as Vice President; Mark S. Sideris is Council President. John G. Gannon (at-large) joined the council. Kenneth M. Woodland (District D) resigned in spring 2021 (announced April 13, 2021) after taking a state job; on June 8, 2021 the council voted to leave the seat empty until the November election, so the council had 8 members until Emily Izzo, elected in November 2021 to finish the term, joined on November 23, 2021. The minutes call the body the Town Council until November 2021 and the City Council from November 23, 2021. Covers 46 meetings, January 14 to December 14, 2021.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the City Council do? It is the city’s lawmaking body. It passes local laws (ordinances), votes on the yearly budget, and approves borrowing and zoning changes.
The council hires the city manager, who runs the city day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Your Watertown ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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From the agendas Watertown posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Councilors
PresidentMark S. SiderisCouncil President · Council President (elected at large) · at 46 of 46 meetings
Vice PresidentVincent J. PiccirilliVice President · District C · at 46 of 46 meetings
Caroline BaysCouncilor · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetingsAnthony J. DonatoCouncilor · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetings
Lisa J. FeltnerCouncilor · District B · at 46 of 46 meetings
John G. GannonCouncilor · At-large · at 45 of 46 meetings
Emily IzzoCouncilor · District D · at 2 of 2 meetings · from Nov 2021Angeline B. KounelisCouncilor · District A · at 46 of 46 meetings
Anthony PalombaCouncilor · At-large · at 46 of 46 meetingsKenneth M. WoodlandCouncilor · District D · at 28 of 29 meetings · until Mar 2021"At X of Y meetings" counts the roll call at the start of each meeting in this record. Councilors who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: every full City Council meeting with minutes on the city’s meeting portal, from January 9, 2018 through September 8, 2026 (207 meetings: 183 regular, 20 special, and 4 joint meetings with the Planning Board, where only the City Council’s own votes are shown). Watertown is “the City known as the Town of Watertown”; its council was called the Town Council until voters approved charter changes, including the new name, on November 2, 2021. The minutes say City Council from November 23, 2021. Council committee meetings, Committee of the Whole budget hearings and sessions where the council met as the Watertown Redevelopment Authority are not loaded, and committee votes reported in the minutes are not shown as council votes. Minutes files on the portal also contain the agenda, the documents and a roll-call tally sheet for each vote; MassVoter reads the minutes pages and uses a tally sheet only where the minutes do not say how each councilor voted (noted on each vote). The January to September 2023 minutes, and the signed last page of most minutes since late 2023, were posted as scanned images; MassVoter read those pages with text recognition. Not here: minutes the city has not posted for several special and joint meetings (including the special meetings of June 23 and 24, 2020, July 27 and December 1, 2021, January 4, May 2 and May 23, 2023, April 30, 2024, January 21, 2025 and May 12, 2026, the joint meetings with the Planning Board on June 13, June 27 and July 16, 2024, and an executive-session-only meeting on May 25, 2023); MassVoter is asking the Council Clerk for them. Watertown’s minutes record each motion with its mover and seconder and say whether it carried “unanimously in a Voice Vote” or “in a Roll Call Vote”. A unanimous vote shows every councilor present voting yes (or no, when a motion “failed unanimously”). Split votes name the councilors on each side (“passed 7 (…) – 2 (…)”, or in older minutes “All Councilors voted in the affirmative except for Councilor X”); MassVoter shows each councilor’s vote when the names add up to the councilors present, and the count only when they do not. Councilors who arrived late are left out of votes taken before they arrived; when the minutes do not show whether a vote came before or after a late arrival, MassVoter shows the result only. Councilors who recused are left out of that vote. Elections of the Vice President show the result only, with a note. We will ask the Council Clerk to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where councilors disagreed
Most council votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one councilor voted no or abstained, newest first.
Dec 14Vote to appoint someone to fill the vacancy on…Motion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to vote to appoint someone to fill the…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Vote to appoint someone to fill the vacancy on the Library Board of Trustees
Councilor Piccirilli moved to vote to appoint someone to fill the vacancy on the Library Board of Trustees;
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Dec 14Apoint MelansonHeath to conduct the Fiscal 2021 Audit and…Motion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to apoint MelansonHeath to conduct the Fiscal 2021…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Apoint MelansonHeath to conduct the Fiscal 2021 Audit and to complete a Request for a Proposal for audit services beginning with the Fiscal Year 2022 Audit
Councilor Piccirilli moved to apoint MelansonHeath to conduct the Fiscal 2021 Audit and to complete a Request for a Proposal for audit services beginning with the Fiscal Year 2022 Audit;
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Dec 14Accept an easement for highway purposes at the southwest…Motion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept an easement for highway purposes at…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Accept an easement for highway purposes at the southwest corner of the intersection of North Beacon Street and Irving Street and to authorize the City Manager to execute the acceptance…
Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept an easement for highway purposes at the southwest corner of the intersection of North Beacon Street and Irving Street and to authorize the City Manager to execute the acceptance of said easement;
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Dec 14Amend his to motion that the Council should accept…Motion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to amend his to motion that the Council…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Amend his to motion that the Council should accept the pedestrian access (stone dust path) easement across 580 Pleasant Street along the Charles River and to authorize the City Manager…
Councilor Piccirilli moved to amend his to motion that the Council should accept the pedestrian access (stone dust path) easement across 580 Pleasant Street along the Charles River and to authorize the City Manager to execute the acceptance of said easement except that the citation of Paramount Place as being a Private Way shall strike out the words “Private Way”;
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Dec 14Consideration and Action on the 2020 Re-Precincting PlanPassed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Consideration and Action on the 2020 Re-Precincting Plan
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..”
Dec 14Approve the re-precincting map as presented: Consideration and Action…Motion: As there was concern that a motion had not been made,…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Approve the re-precincting map as presented: Consideration and Action on the 2020 Re-Precincting Plan
As there was concern that a motion had not been made, Councilor Piccirilli moved to approve the re-precincting map as presented;
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Palomba)
Dec 14Appropriate the Transportation Network Company funds as follows: a)…Motion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to appropriate the Transportation Network Company funds as…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Appropriate the Transportation Network Company funds as follows: a) $8,000 for the City of Watertown’s annual 2022 TMA dues b) $20,000 for a portion of the Bluebike operating costs c)…
Councilor Piccirilli moved to appropriate the Transportation Network Company funds as follows: a) $8,000 for the City of Watertown’s annual 2022 TMA dues b) $20,000 for a portion of the Bluebike operating costs c) $37, 482 for a portion of the Pleasant Street shuttle operating costs Councilor Feltner seconded the motion.
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a roll call vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Dec 14Endorse the letter of supportMotion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to endorse the letter of support;Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Endorse the letter of support
Councilor Piccirilli moved to endorse the letter of support;
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a voice vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Dec 14Accept all three proclamations: Acceptance of ProclamationsMotion: Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept all three proclamations;Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
December 14, 2021: Accept all three proclamations: Acceptance of Proclamations
Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept all three proclamations;
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a roll call vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Nov 23Adopt the residential tax shift to 159.1528% and to…Motion: Councilor Piccirilli then moved to adopt the residential tax shift to…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
November 23, 2021: Adopt the residential tax shift to 159.1528% and to adopt a maximum residential exemption of 30%
Councilor Piccirilli then moved to adopt the residential tax shift to 159.1528% and to adopt a maximum residential exemption of 30%;
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously on a roll call vote..” (second: Palomba)
From the Watertown City Council’s official minutes, posted on the city’s meeting portal (linked from the City Council page on watertown-ma.gov). We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Watertown News (watertownmanews.com) candidate Q&As, candidate letters and articles that name each councilor; Mark Sideris photo by Charlie Breitrose. The city’s website has no councilor photos.
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