Council Delays Skip the Stuff Ordinance to April 28

City Council · Meeting of February 24, 2026

Watertown City Council postponed a vote on its Skip the Stuff packaging ordinance to April 28. The delay came after the Commission on Disability submitted a late amendment request that Council President Mark S. Sideris called "a little bit complicated," prompting him to send the ordinance back to the Committee on Rules and Ordinances.

The council separately voted 9-0 to let the city exceed its snow and ice removal budget for the rest of the fiscal year under state law, after back-to-back storms strained Department of Public Works resources. DPW Director Tom Brady told councilors crews treat roads even with "less than an inch of snow" because freeze-thaw cycles create "a frozen layer between the asphalt and your tire." The council also confirmed four board and commission reappointments and named Jason Merkin to the Traffic Commission.

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Source: the City Council meeting of February 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.