Stormwater Panel Elects Hammett Chair, Two Others

Stormwater Advisory Committee · Meeting of June 18, 2026

Watertown's Stormwater Advisory Committee elected new officers and flagged unmarked green infrastructure around town. Members unanimously elected Nancy Hammett as chair, a resident member identified only as Warren as vice chair, and Katie Swan as clerk, satisfying requirements under the city's new Administrative Code. Former chair David Stokes, now leading Watertown Cable Access's board, told the committee the town's Spring Street rain garden has "not a single sign" identifying it, and said a similar rain garden at Beacon Park has become overgrown.

Assistant Director for Public Utilities Sean Harrington said Dexter and Templeton streets are getting new stormwater best-management practices to capture runoff. Warren separately urged the committee to weigh in on combined sewer overflow policy, noting public comments to the Legislature are due September 30, saying "shame on us if we don't go that extra little bit to clear up this issue."

In the full story:

• Roll Call and a Reconstituted Committee
• Approval of May Minutes
• Seventh-Grade Stormwater Walk: An Outreach Case Study
• Outreach Gaps: Unmarked Rain Gardens and Fading Signage
• Ongoing Stormwater Projects: Dexter and Templeton BMPs
• City Administrative Code: Electing a Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk
• Planning Ahead: Regulatory Outlook and Priority-Setting
• Combined Sewer Overflows: A Regional Policy Concern
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,950 words

Source: the Stormwater Advisory Committee meeting of June 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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