Watertown Common Council Meeting | November 2, 2026

The Watertown Common Council meeting on November 2, 2026, included discussion of the 2027 budget, capital spending, and procurement procedures. The council approved a resolution establishing proposed Tax Incremental District No. 10 on the city’s south side. The district’s plan identifies potential eligible costs such as roadway, sidewalk, and shared-use-path improvements, and projects about $60 million in new development value; approval makes those costs eligible for future action but does not authorize individual projects. The council also approved a resolution concerning an EMS building company contract; the transcript does not state the contract amount. Members debated a proposed $557,000 reduction to annual street funding amid discussion of the city’s infrastructure backlog and borrowing, but the transcript does not capture a clear vote on that proposal.

Police Chief Dave Brower reported that the city’s existing Flock automated license plate reader camera had been reinstalled at no charge and that installation of 10 additional cameras was planned before year-end. Council members questioned whether the three-year contract for the 10 cameras, totaling approximately $95,000–$96,000, complied with purchasing rules concerning committee approval, attorney review, and authorized signatories. A motion to move $36,000 from police maintenance contracts to contingency—effectively pausing funding for the cameras—failed, leaving the budget allocation unchanged. The council also discussed a proposed $14,792 contribution to the Thrive ED economic-development program, but no final action on that proposal is clear in the transcript.