Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & Environment
Minutes: Monthly Meeting Mar 17, 2021 via Zoom
Attending: Diane Barlow, Chuck Dickinson, Nicole Gardner, Jacqui Gross, Tod Gross, Sue Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, Janis Hudson, Janet Jameson, Erik Kemp Benedict, Tyler Kemp Benedict, Marcy Murningham, Margaret Mullen, Susan Nye, Tony Palomba, Deborah Peterson, Pam Phillips, Arun Sannuti, Michael Shade, Jeanne Trubek, Jennifer Wolfrun, Abby Yanow
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SueEllen gave a land acknowledgement to the indigenous people who lived here before us.
WORKING GROUP REPORTS
Friends of Bees has been helping DPW create a pollinator garden at the DPW yard. They compiled a document with recommended pollinator plants on our website. Pam reported that the state has finally restricted neonics use to licensed professionals only as of July 1 as a result of a NOFA pressure campaign.
The Refugee Support Group now has its own banner to display once we are back to in person gatherings. They are moving ahead on a fundraiser featuring Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to providing food and supplies to families, they respond to crises among their families. They recently referred a Guatemalan family to a pro bono Harvard Law School team for legal help due to harassment.
Watertown Citizens for Black Lives is busy responding to two challenges: 1, fallout from a Town Council Subcommittee Meeting on Police where their planned presentation was cancelled one day before; 2, the School Department’s handling of complaints against a highly valued teacher who has been attacked for recent anti-racism work with students. The four groups that comprise the Watertown Joint Police Reform Group (WCBL, 2 Kingian Groups and Uplift W’tn) are meeting to decide how to respond to the Town Council/Policing Report issues.
Watertown Faces Climate Change has started to focus on new development in town and showing up at planning and developer meetings to push developers for net zero buildings and transportation initiatives to reduce car use. They are following the climate action plan and the T’s plan to replace 71 and 73 buses with partial electric buses.
The Pigsgusset Initiative has now been added to our webpage. They have monthly meetings the 3rd Monday of each month to discuss, explore and understand the erasure of indigenous people. They hope to make recommendations regarding the town seal. Through partnership with New Rep and the Library they have a presentation tomorrow night for an opportunity to speak with playwright and director of the New Rep’s upcoming play centering on local indigenous history. Over 100 people have registered.
PRESENTATION BY WATERTOWN FORWARD
Janis Hudson described Watertown Forward’s current initiative as a nonpartisan civic action group to increase the number of voices to the Watertown Charter Review. Their aim is to educate, engage, and empower through communication and information sharing. She noted that many feel Watertown has not done a good job of bringing all voices to the table. Janis explained that the Watertown Town Charter serves as a constitution for town government, distributing duties and powers ,and establishing procedures. it requires a charter review every 10 years. The current charter review committee is large – 15 members, including all 9 town councilors. They meet every other Tuesday.
She described Watertown Forward’s structure, which comprises a Steering Committee, Education Committee and Outreach and Engagement Committee. The latter is currently promoting discussion of the Charter Review by providing Recaps of the Biweekly charter meetings. These virtual “Charter Chats” take place after each CRC meeting. They promote discussion and sharing of thoughts and ideas, and provide outreach to different organizations and groups in the community to help them identify ways to get their voices heard. Their Platform of Ideas on the website is a repository of all ideas and suggestions that participants have made, categorized as follows :
- JEDI(Justice, Equity Diversity, Inclusion
- Transparency/Evaluation/Disclosure
- Balance of Power/Capacity
- Communication/Responsiveness
- Fiscal Responsibility/Civic Engagement
- Charter Review Process
- Preamble
Abby Yanow moderated a discussion of the values and principles that WCPJE members would like to see embodied in the Charter. Results above.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
On our website, find information about upcoming events: El Tremedal Concert, Water is a Human Right, End Endless Wars, Trees and Climate Change, and April 22 Public Safety Committee meeting to follow-up the March 12 meeting on Police.
ON YOUR MIND
For future meetings: Perhaps a “facing history” approach to Pigsgusset and WfBL issues. Updates on controversies and response regarding police, schools and racial justice.
NEXT MONTHLY MEETING April 21, 7:00 pm
Respectfully submitted, Deborah Peterson