MassVoter.com← Watertown City CouncilWatertown City Council · 2024–2025 Council · Regular meeting
November 12, 2025
12 recorded votes, 12 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · Meeting video · City meeting page
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Note on these minutes: Page 8 of the minutes file is a scanned image (usually the signed last page, with the adjournment); MassVoter read it with text recognition (OCR).
Present: Caroline Bays, Lisa J. Feltner, John G. Gannon, Nicole Gardner, Emily Izzo, Anthony Palomba, Vincent J. Piccirilli, Mark S. Sideris
Absent: John M. Airasian
Every vote, in order
Minutes from City Council Meeting October 18, 2025
Adopt the minutes from the meeting of October 28, 2025
Minutes from City Council Meeting October 18, 2025 Councilor Piccirilli moved to adopt the minutes from the meeting of October 28, 2025 and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Public Hearing and Vote on a Petition from NSTAR DBA Eversource for a Grant of Location in Cross Street, westerly...
Approve the petition for a grant of location: Public Hearing and Vote on a Petition from NSTAR DBA Eversource for a Grant of Location in Cross Street, westerly from pole 38/1, approximately 60...
Councilor Piccirilli moved to approve the petition for a grant of location and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Public Hearing and Vote on a Petition from NSTAR DBA Eversource for a Grant of Location in Alden Road, westerly from...
Approve the petition for a grant of location: Public Hearing and Vote on a Petition from NSTAR DBA Eversource for a Grant of Location in Alden Road, westerly from pole 178/3, approximately 256...
Councilor Piccirilli moved to approve the petition for a grant of location and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Public Hearing and Vote on a Petition from NSTAR DBA Eversource for a Grant of Location in Mount Auburn Street...
Approve the petition for a grant of location: Public Hearing and Vote on a Petition from NSTAR DBA Eversource for a Grant of Location in Mount Auburn Street, northerly from pole 98/90...
Councilor Piccirilli moved to approve the petition for a grant of location and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Public Hearing and Vote on a Proposed Loan Order that the sum of $2,200,000 is appropriated to pay the costs of...
Approve the loan order: Public Hearing and Vote on a Proposed Loan Order that the sum of $2,200,000 is appropriated to pay the costs of construction and oversight of roadway, sidewalk and utility...
Councilor Piccirilli moved to approve the loan order and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Roll Call Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Public Hearing and Vote on a Proposed Order Allocating the Property Tax Levy Among or Between Property Classes for...
Adopt the maximum commercial shift allowed – 175%: Public Hearing and Vote on a Proposed Order Allocating the Property Tax Levy Among or Between Property Classes for Fiscal Year 2026
City Assessor Earl Smith presented the classification presentation – attached and linked here: Fiscal Year 2026 Tax Classification Hearing Key points included: • A recommendation to engage in the maximum shift of 1.75% • Total property value was about $13 billion o Over $9.4 billion in residential (up from about $9.1 billion last year) o About $3.673 billion in commercial (down slightly from $3.690 last year) • New growth came in at a respectable $3,530,622 – which is down from terrific new growth in the past three years ($7,745,192 on average) • The multifamily and single-family condominium markets look strong moving forward • The FY26 levy is calculated by adding: o FY25 Levy Limit - $168,575,918 o 2.5% - 4,214,398 o FY26 New Growth – 3,530,633 • FY26 Levy = $176,320,938 The new single tax rate is calculated by dividing the total tax levy by the total assessed value o Total tax levy - $178,320, 938 o Total assessed value - $13,113,904,400 • Singe Tax Rate = $13.45 With no shift between the classes: o Residential class pays $126 mil • o Commercial class pays $ 49 mil With recommended max shift of 1.75: o Residential class pays $89,896,263 o Commercial class pays $86,424,675 • Watertown residents compare similarly to most surrounding communities in terms of tax split, and favorable to almost all surrounding communities in terms of residential tax bills after residential exemptions • Average residential tax bills are equal to where they were three years prior because of th
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Roll Call Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Adopt a residential exemption of 35%: Public Hearing and Vote on a Proposed Order Allocating the Property Tax Levy Among or Between Property Classes for Fiscal Year 2026
Councilor Gannon moved to adopt a residential exemption of 35% and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Roll Call Vote..” (Motion: Gannon, second: Feltner)
Resolution Approving the Acceptance of Gifts of Tangible Person Property in the form of six picnic tables from Home...
Accept the gift: Resolution Approving the Acceptance of Gifts of Tangible Person Property in the form of six picnic tables from Home Depot
Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept the gift and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion passed unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Committee on Education and School System Matters Report regarding its meeting on October 28, 2025 - Izzo, Chair...
Accept the report: Committee on Education and School System Matters Report regarding its meeting on October 28, 2025 - Izzo, Chair ACTION ITEM: To recommend the City Council approve the...
Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept the report and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Approve the action items: Committee on Education and School System Matters Report regarding its meeting on October 28, 2025 - Izzo, Chair ACTION ITEM: To recommend the City Council approve the...
Councilor Piccirilli moved to approve the action items and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in a Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Committee on Rules and Ordinances Report regarding its meeting on October 7, 2025 – Gannon, Chair
Accept the report: Committee on Rules and Ordinances Report regarding its meeting on October 7, 2025 – Gannon, Chair
Councilor Piccirilli moved to accept the report and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record a unanimous voice vote; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion carried unanimously in Voice Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
Recess Or Adjournment
Adjourn
RECESS OR ADJOURNMENT Councilor Piccirilli made a motion to adjourn and Councilor Feltner seconded.
The minutes record this vote as unanimous; every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“The motion was adopted unanimously in a Roll Call Vote..” (Motion: Piccirilli, second: Feltner)
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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