Council votes $3M for middle school design phase

City Council · Meeting of June 9, 2026

WATERTOWN — The Watertown City Council voted to transfer $3 million to advance the new middle school into its design development phase. The 8-0 roll-call vote, with Councilor Theophilus Offei absent, follows architect AI3's determination that the phase will cost $2.92 million, with the balance covering contingency and Vertex project management services. City Manager George Proakis said the next step will produce a cost estimate from two independent estimators before the council decides whether to proceed.

Council President Mark S. Sideris separately previewed a proposed four-year contract extension for Proakis carrying a "2.5 percent COLA and a 2 percent performance, a merit adjustment," matching raises most city employees are receiving. The council also appropriated $3,944,015 in Community Preservation Act funds for fiscal 2027 and advanced a revised noise ordinance, including new 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekday lawn-maintenance hours, to a first reading.

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Source: the City Council meeting of June 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.