An open letter addressed to George Proakis, the City Manager of Watertown, has sparked concerns regarding the city’s planned renovation of the North Branch Library.
As financial strains tighten for Watertown, local residents are questioning the allocation of funds towards capital projects, specifically the proposed $1.5 million earmarked for the North Branch Library renovation.
During discussions regarding this budget item, Proakis noted that a favorable engineering study had been conducted to explore the feasibility of repairs needed for the building, which has remained unused for the last two decades.
This raised eyebrows among residents, prompting one individual to investigate the existence and findings of the study. The initial inquiry into City Council minutes from December 2010 hinted at considerations for changing the zoning of the public property, currently designated as Open Space, Conservation (OSC).
Attempting to locate the engineering study through official channels, the resident discovered an unhelpful response from the Watertown Clerk’s Office, which included only a schematic from 1941, rather than the requested modern assessment.
In an effort to clarify the situation, another public records request for information about requests for proposals (RFPs) and quotations (RFQs) associated with the feasibility study of the North Branch Library was submitted to the Clerk’s Office.
A seven-page document from the firm Simpson Gumpertz and Heger was revealed, which indicated that a structural evaluation had been completed in FY24 but was deemed exempt from the typical bidding process because it was not classified as a feasibility study.
This designation left the resident confused, prompting further research into Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30B, which mandates a formal quote process for contracts exceeding $10,000.
Surprisingly, there appears to be no exemption in the law for so-called “non-feasibility studies.” The key document from SGH outlines work that suggests evaluating structural viability for adaptive reuse as a preliminary step in conducting a feasibility study.
It raises critical questions about the legitimacy of the $25,000 transaction signed off by Proakis and the absence of accessible documents pertaining to the study’s findings.
Adding to the complexity, the November 2, 2023 document mentioned a final report due by December 18, 2023; yet, as indicated by the Clerk’s communication, there are no additional documents provided for public scrutiny.
This lack of transparency has stirred anxiety among Watertown residents who funded the study. Disturbingly, even members of the Watertown City Council appear uninformed about the report’s existence, with one Councilor reportedly expressing surprise when asked about it.
The letter poses critical questions that Proakis must address in order to uphold the obligations of governmental transparency and accountability.
First, does the handling of the North Branch Library report align with the standards of transparency that Proakis committed to as City Manager?
Second, is the procurement process related to the $25,000 study conducted in compliance with state law?
Third, what is contained within the study regarding the condition of the North Branch Library, and how accurate are the associated repair cost estimates given that 18 months have elapsed since the study’s initiation?
While questions one and three await clarity, the resident has initiated further inquiries to the Procurement Office and State officials regarding the contract’s legality. However, the crux of the matter remains that the local public, who funded the study, has yet to gain access to the actual findings of the report.
As residents watch the unfolding situation, many are left wondering how their local government can maintain public trust without transparency over significant documents like the North Branch Library study.
With calls for accountability growing louder, it seems essential for Proakis and city officials to release the report in order to preserve the integrity of the decision-making process surrounding the future of the North Branch Library.
image source from：watertownmanews
