Waltham Mayor Tallies Pandemic Year, Council to Return In-Person March 1

WALTHAM — February 22, 2021 — Waltham Mayor McCarthy and Council President Brasco declare city strong after pandemic year, marking 119 resident deaths. At a special remote meeting of the Waltham City Council on February 22, Mayor Jeanette A. McCarthy delivered a department-by-department State of the City address, reporting that the housing division processed more than $1.46 million in combined city and Community Preservation funds for rental assistance to 500 households, with $1.19 million in additional CARES Act funding in process and another $600,000 expected. The school department provided 60,243 breakfast meals and 84,413 lunch meals to students from March through June 2020. City Auditor Paul Centifanti was credited with achieving $6.5 million in savings on the Waltham High School bond authorization, while the high school construction's bulk blasting phase is scheduled to continue twice daily through mid-August. Council President Paul J. Brasco announced the council would return to in-person sessions on March 1, calling the city "the watch city, the city to watch," and listed the Furnald School, new public safety facilities, affordable housing, and the Route 128 corridor among the council's shared legislative priorities.