Disability panel sets August vote on rec funding

Commission on Disability · Meeting of July 15, 2026

WATERTOWN — The Watertown Commission on Disability weighed funding adaptive outdoor recreation programs after a pitch from All Out Adventures, a Northampton nonprofit. Recreation Department staffer Lauren Hegarty Tetri and All Out Adventures' Karen Foster described cycling and kayaking events costing $3,000 to $3,500 per day, requiring a 25 percent nonrefundable deposit to book. Chair Kim Charlson said the commission could fund two events in 2027 and will vote on an amount at its August 19 meeting, after the Recreation Department submits a written proposal.

Foster said "we're a very small nonprofit" with four full-time staff that must cover its costs upfront. Separately, the commission voted 6-0 to accept its June minutes and 6-0 to accept a treasurer's report showing a $167,036.39 balance, and heard that Watertown Public Schools' Director of Student Services, Kathy Damaris, is resigning amid special-education concerns.

In the full story:

• ADA Coordinator Transition
• All Out Adventures Adaptive Recreation Proposal
• Infrastructure and Accessibility Project Updates
• Senior Center Newsletter Accessibility
• Accessible Voting Equipment Letter
• World in Watertown Disability Awareness Event
• Minutes and Treasurer's Report
• Special Education Update
• New Business: Snow Clearance Roundtable and Micromobility
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,882 words

Source: the Commission on Disability meeting of July 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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