Development

City Council to Hold First Discussion of Watertown Square Project, Including a Parking Garage

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The proposed Demonstration Project in Watertown Square — which includes a parking garage, a residential building, retail space, and green open space — will be discussed by the City Council on Aug. 10 at the Watertown Library. See more information provided by the City of Watertown, below. The City Council, sitting as the Redevelopment Authority, is hosting a hybrid meeting to have an initial discussion regarding the Demonstration Project plan. We encourage you to join and participate in the meeting.

Government

Bodywork Businesses Shutdown by City, One Had “Items of Sexual Nature”

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Public Health Department, in collaboration with the Watertown Police Department, Zoning & Code Enforcement Team, Inspectional Services Division, and with assistance from the FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation — Human Trafficking Task Force, conducted inspections of bodywork establishments in Watertown on July 22, 2026, resulting in closure of multiple businesses due to violations of the City’s rules and regulations. These inspections were carried out in accordance with the City of Watertown’s rules and regulations governing bodywork with the goal of ensuring compliance to safeguard residents and businesses in Watertown, as well as protect against human trafficking. This joint operation was conducted at four establishments, resulting in all locations being shut down. One of the locations, Thai Body Spa (12 Belmont St.), was shut down due to items of sexual nature present, no Certificate of Occupancy, and no bodywork permit. The other three locations were closed down for failing to acquire appropriate certifications, including a Certificate of Occupancy and/or bodywork permit.

Letters

OP-ED: Comparing the Watertown City Manager’s Salary to Other Top Administrators & Mayors

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

And If Comparisons Were Made (A Quick Comparison of Administrator Salaries for 37 Massachusetts Cities and Towns)

This is a followup to “Answers and Questions about City Manager’s New Contract”

See: https://www.watertownmanews.com/2026/06/24/letter-answers-and-questions-about-city-managers-new-contract/

I received quite an array of comments to my letter, “Answers and Questions,” but one very simple response got me thinking. One resident said quite simply when referring to Mr. Proakis’ new salary, “That’s too much.”

I thought, is it? We were told that this “compensation package” fell within the range of other administrators from other municipalities. It was in the middle of the pack. I thought that I’d put that remark to the test.

Elections

State Auditor Endorses Candidate for State Senate

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Daniel Lander. The following announcement was provided by Daniel Lander for State Senate:

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio endorsed Daniel Lander’s campaign for State Senate, providing significant momentum to Daniel Lander’s campaign against the architect of the broken status quo on Beacon Hill as the campaigns head into the last six weeks. A former State Senator herself, DiZoglio has spent her career fighting for transparency on Beacon Hill. As Auditor, DiZoglio led the successful statewide ballot campaign to audit the state legislature. Despite receiving overwhelming support from more than 70% of voters, Senator Brownsberger and his colleagues in Senate leadership have spent the past year and half trying to block the legislative audit.

Around Town

Library Hosting Art of Cast Aluminum Class for Ages 10-18 Taught by MassArt

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

On July 31 and August 1, tweens and teens ages 10 – 18 are invited to create custom cast aluminum art at the Watertown Free Public Library! This event is made possible by MassArt, Eutectic Arts, and the Massachusetts Libraries Board of Library Commissioners. Here’s how it works: under the guidance of MassArt 3D Arts faculty and Eutectic Arts Founder Marjee-Anne Levine and current MassArt students, participants will carve their own design into a “scratch block” (a pre-formed mold made of resin-bonded sand) and watch as the design is cast in metal. Aluminum will be melted onsite on the Library lawn and poured into the scratch blocks created by each participant. Within minutes, the metal will solidify and be cooled and finished by the MassArt team.

Business

Explore Watertown Square Businesses During WBC Walk & Talk

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Business Coalition:

Join the Watertown Business Coalition and Live Well Watertown for an engaging Walk & Talk through Watertown Square on Thursday, July 23 at 5 p.m. Enjoy a community walk while exploring local businesses, meeting new people, and making meaningful connections in the heart of Watertown. During the walk, attendees will hear from the City’s Economic Development and Planning Team (Erin Rathe and Erika Jerram) as they discuss the Watertown Square Area Plan and the future vision for one of the community’s key business districts. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit WBC member businesses, hear directly from local owners, and learn more about the business community that makes Watertown Square unique. Whether you’re a business owner, resident, or community member, this is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and experience all that Watertown Square has to offer. The Route (as of June 11):

1) Start at The Residence at Watertown Square, 20 Summer St.

Elections

Candidates for Congress Appearing at Forum Hosted by Watertown Group

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The candidates running for the Massachusetts 5th Congressional District seat will appear on a virtual forum sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment. See details provided by the group, below. Meet the candidates in the Democratic Primary for Representative of CD5 in Congress: Katherine Clark, Jonathan Paz, and Tarik Samman. Attend our Candidates Forum on Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. on Zoom to hear what they have to say and to ask them questions. 

The primary is Sept.

Police/Fire

Watertown Company Will Pay Nearly $4.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

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The following announcement was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts:

EyePoint, Inc., formerly EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (EyePoint), has agreed to pay $4,678,981 to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) to induce the ASCs to purchase its drug, DEXYCU. This scheme, the government alleges, violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act. 

The government contends that EyePoint’s unlawful scheme took two forms between January 2019 and March 2023: illegal payments from EyePoint to ASCs through an “Assurance Program;” and illegal payments from EyePoint to ASCs via the provision of free DEXYCU samples. The company, headquartered in Watertown, Mass., has admitted and accepted responsibility for the following facts. First, through its “Assurance Program,” EyePoint covered ASCs’ costs when federal insurance programs denied coverage of the drug, either by paying the ASCs cash or by providing them with free replacement DEXYCU. Second, EyePoint gave thousands of free samples to ASCs and the ASCs used the no-cost DEXYCU on patients whose commercial health insurance would not pay for the drug.