The week ahead: Beginning the process to redesign Waltham’s fire headquarters
Waltham has since 2018 been planning a complete redesign of its fire, police, and Department of Public Works headquarters at 155 Lexington St.
Over the past year it made significant progress: the City Council this summer saw final proposals for a new DPW office on the Fernald campus and a police headquarters building at the site of the current 155 Lexington St. public safety complex.
At this week’s City Council committee meetings, councilors will take the first steps to begin designing the separate fire headquarters building: At the Long-Term Debt Committee, councilors will vote on whether to authorize a $462,755 loan for the purpose. Its Committee of the Whole will also hear a presentation from Tecton Architects on the planned Lexington Street complex as a whole, which will house both the fire and police headquarters and include office space for the city’s 911 dispatchers.
Below is a chronological rundown of other city meetings scheduled this week, Oct. 19 through 23.
Meeting details
Click on a meeting’s name to get more information about its purpose and agenda for the week.
Monday, 10 a.m. — Council on Aging
Location: Conference room at the William F. Stanley Senior Center, 488 Main St.
The Board of Trustees for the city’s Council on Aging, which provides services and advocacy for older Waltham residents, is slated to meet this week.
Monday, 6 p.m. — City Council committees
Location: Council Chambers and Hoover Committee Room at Waltham City Hall, 610 Main St.
In addition to the new fire headquarters, the council’s Committee of the Whole will consider appointing two new people, Marcia MacClary and Richard Pizzi Jr., to the Council on Aging.
The Finance Committee will vote on whether to accept grant money for road safety and for installing new electric vehicle chargers in public lots; the Economic and Community Development Committee will discuss bus and transit expansion options with Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy; the Licenses and Franchises Committee will vote on two license renewals; the Public Works and Public Safety Committee will discuss two National Grid projects; and the Ordinances and Rules Committee will discuss raising wages for election workers, as well as ongoing special permit applications for a Sweetgreen fast food location and a Moody Street boutique hotel.
Tuesday, 4:45 p.m. — Retirement Board
Location: Hoover Committee Room at Waltham City Hall, 610 Main St. and over Zoom.
The Retirement Board oversees Waltham’s retirement plan for its municipal workers, including policy, investments and overall finances.
This week, the board will review its pension fund investments, review its second quarter budget, discuss tax depreciation and discuss new hires and retirements.
Wednesday, 7 p.m. — School Committee
Location: James J. Cannon Lecture Hall at 617 Lexington St.
The Waltham School Committee, elected by voters and chaired by Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, makes policy and oversight decisions for the Waltham Public Schools.
This week, the committee will consider amending the contract for the district’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, Chad Mazza. It will discuss district-wide policy and training changes; consider new positions; and go over the district’s finances from fiscal year 2026. Additionally, it will consider school improvement plans for Waltham High School and for MacArthur and Stanley elementary schools.
Thursday, 7 p.m. — Conservation Commission
Location: Over Zoom. An agenda and link for the meeting will be provided on the commission’s page on the city website at least 48 hours in advance.
The Conservation Commission reviews construction on or around wetlands and other environmentally protected areas in Waltham to ensure it complies with Department of Environmental Protection standards.
Update (Oct. 20): A previous version of this article misspelled Marcia MacClary’s name.
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