and calling the Monday, April 13th meeting of the year Board of Health to order. Who wants to read this week? >> Sure. She is such a good job at >> She's This tiny little paragraph always
>> Oh, I know. >> Looks like nothing. >> We should have like the Sherlock Holmes class here to read this with. >> All right. This meeting/hering of the airport of health will be held in person at the location provided on this notice.
Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while an option for remote attendance and/or participation via Zoom is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hering will not be
suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with a particular interest in a specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person
versus virtual attendance accordingly. This meeting will be live on Zoom. The public may access the proceedings by joining Zoom meeting ID number 9787728220 or by calling 9292056099. For additional information about remote
participation, please contact Samantha Benoi, administrative coordinator at S. Benoy at air.mma. us or 9787728220 extension 145 prior to the meeting.
>> Very nicely done. Thank you. >> Public input for you. >> Anybody? No. No. >> Okay. All right. Once again, no public interest. All right. First thing up then on the
regular agenda is Nishoba Associated Boards of Health presentation of services. Who would like to come present services? >> Um I just wanted we have one other person joining us, Katherine Witherro, virtual insurance services coordinator.
So just making sure that she's able to come on in. She hasn't tried to log in yet. >> Okay, I did send her the agenda, but let me see. >> Okay. >> All right. We can just get started and I'll keep an eye for Cal. Great. Okay.
>> Well, thanks for having us. >> Of course. Um we started last year coming to each of the boards just to provide a kind of an annual update of what's happening with the agency. >> Um obviously you have Bridget can take handle on most of the things you need to have done. So and she does it well. So
we just thought from the agent standpoint we should come and give you an update on the agency. So that's the purpose of a meeting tonight. >> Nice. >> Um >> Yep. >> I we've got that the screen up there. >> Um or if you want to follow along. >> I'm going to watch the one right in back
of your head. I didn't know that. I DIDN'T KNOW. >> SO, I'M NOT STARING at the top of your head. I'M LOOKING. >> YEAH. Don't be paranoid. Yeah. >> So, we just go to the the next slide. That'd be great. >> Um, >> so again, what we wanted to do just a
quick agenda for the meeting. Um, the state of the agency, just so you have an an understanding what's happening with us. We want to report on the public health excellence grant just so you know what we're doing with the grant. Um, we're going to talk about the three, four, and five are kind of tied together. So, the foundational public
health services is DPH's new model for public health in the state and we're going to kind of roll the work plan and sustainability initiatives and the community outreach and capacity building into that because those are really the the what we're working on to try to achieve that foundational public health
services. >> Uh, we'll talk a little bit about the contact tracing and case investigating grant which is coming to an end at the end of June. Um Jen will put a pitch in for communications and then we'll open it for questions and answers. Um again, if there's any questions along the way,
certainly let us know. I mean, it's it's your meeting. We just want to be able to come here and provide some updates for you. >> So, we could start with the uh the next slide there. >> Um I just want to talk a little bit about um again, as all the towns know, >> have to look at this. all the all the
towns, >> you know, kind of the budgets this year for all the towns and and agencies were pretty tough. U we were no different. Part of our budget assumptions this year was the loss of the town of Littleton. So, we lost that revenue. And when you
lose one town, you don't lose like one employee. So, it's not a one to one. So, there's still a little bit of um cost there. Uh the CT and CT and CTI grants, which I mentioned earlier, are ending in June. and that's been paying for a public health nurse um probably for the
past 3 years. Um we have asked for a 30% increase in the assessments and we've increased fees to try to make sure make sure we can you know maintain the staff that we have and maintain the second nurse. You know it's hard sometimes with numbers unless you have a comparison. So
I wanted to put a a little bit of a cost compar a service comparison in there. There are two sets of pots of money that really make up our budget. three right now with the public health excellence grant. One is the assessments that we get from member communities for the services we provide and that's the the
30% is being that that's the part of the uh is being increased. Um right now with the increase it the cost of the the district is $7.69 per person. Um, and if we add what we have budgeted
anticipating for fees, which is the 572, it gives us about $1341 a person districtwide to spend on public health. Um, public health excellence grant right now adds about $3.77. So that total is 1718 per person. And again
to put things into comparison um almost three years ago now the u the budget information um from the office of local and regional public health stated that the average statewide per person cost for public health was 1756. So we think
we're being pretty good with our budgeting. We think we run a pretty lean office. So, uh, again, the 30% we know is a big hit. Even though we're a small agency and it's kind of a small number in in your budget, it's still a large
increase for your your your board's budget. Um, so again, wanted to be able to explain why that was the case. just to kind of keep you updated on what's happening with our pension. At the beginning of this current um legislative year, which was about 18 months old now,
we had we had three bills filed that would um work to try to resolve this issue for us. Margaret Scarsdale, Representative Scarsdale submitted a bill. Um Senator Eldridge submitted a bill and the state treasurer's office submitted a bill. All of them were
pretty identical. Um, and would provide a change in the way we pay the pension. So instead of paying uh in rears in a rears, we'd be paying forward kind of like you do uh with social security and that. So you'd be paying on on an actuarial rate on your salaries going
forward. It also would allow for some relief of past um rearages. Um, right now the bill the treasurer filed has been kind of changed by we believe the kind of planning commissions who are
also in the same boat so that it just applies to them. U which wasn't very nice. We don't think um Senator Elers's bill moved out of the public services part of the legislature and it's gone to state senate ways and means. So that
one's still moving. Uh, Representative Scarsdale bill, I think, missed a deadline, so she's trying to get it back out of study so it can continue to move forward. So, we're crossing our fingers that something will happen with these bills this year. >> Um, but at this point here, we have not
heard. So, we keep monitoring. We keep >> kind of gently poking to make sure they know we're still here. >> Um, >> it's kind of the way it is at this point. We really could use that relief that that that the bills would provide. So, >> absolutely. Any questions on the budget
or the pension issue? >> What's the outlook on the bills? Do do you have any feel for >> So the um and that's why we're feeling pretty good. The bill that Representative Scarsdale submitted had about eight or nine co-sponsors. So we
were thought we thought that was going to do pretty well, but it missed some kind of deadline and got shifted into what's called study, which is kind of like dead for the session. >> Yeah. Um, so she was going to go talk to the committee chair for the public service committee to see if they could
kind of drag it back out of study and keep it moving forward. So >> So that was you had an audit. Was it last year that they >> is that an annual event? >> Was that the audit? >> Yeah, >> it is. >> So is when's it scheduled for this year?
>> So it's happened and they've kind of they're still working through it. So it hasn't been we haven't received the actual audit yet. Uh we've received preliminary results. I don't know if they're waiting to see what the results of this is before they issue a final letter or not because last year is was had a kind of a warning to it. Yeah.
Yeah. And so >> how long can you continue doing what you're doing because the numbers don't match. >> Oh no. No. So right now what we're doing financial wise is that we part of our normal budgeting we
certainly collect and pay the employees portion of the pension. And we've been putting aside money at a rate we would hope the actu actuarial rate would be going forward. So we and and the money is in you I think the town uses Bartholomew to do their investments and
it's in an account with Bartholomew. So we've been trying to save wherever we can to try to match up that but you're right the bills are growing. I think the bill we got last year was $800,000. Um, so if the legislature doesn't pass these, that's going to go back to the
towns then, right? >> At this point here, this is a strange way to say this. We've been sent the bills, but not a demand, if you will, for it. Um, cuz I >> think you were required to do that though, too, right? >> What's that? >> You were required to send out the bill to the towns, right?
>> We we haven't sent it out yet because we're still we still got this legislation pending. Uh, and we're hoping that the legislation addresses that. um because we it's just untenable otherwise that that number will just keep growing. >> Yeah. >> Uh and so so right now I'm sure the the
auditor's letter will reflect the situation at the time that he issues the the the audit report. >> Yeah. >> Do you have any feeling for when that will be? >> Um I saw that I hadn't had a chance to read what the correspondent but he was
communicating with Terry Kunahan CFO today. So, um I think it's coming. I think because they typically the um auditor asks our attorney for a letter that essentially states that we have no pending leg um litigation. >> Thank you. Legislation litigation uh
against us. And so I I saw that request coming back and forth. So I think it's >> good luck. >> We're working on it. I I think again we're not the only one in there. There's um all of the planning commissions I
believe are in that same boat and some other entities. So >> I just think it's important that um realize what the impact could be if this doesn't get passed. >> Right. >> We've saved quite a bit of the money. You know, that's the the relief that's
in the the bill. So the bill would do two things. What it would change the way we pay, so no longer paying backwards, which is probably the biggest thing we need. Um but the second part of it is to kind of address some of that urages. So in in a perfect world if that passed it
would put us in a much better situation. Yep. So I I hear you. Yeah. Any other questions? >> Okay. Go to the next slide. >> I just want to we talked about the
public health excellence grant. I just want to let you know how we're using that. We're in our fifth year, I think, um, receiving the grant. The idea was to expand um, services at, you know, expand local public health's ability for services in town. We have used the money
primarily entire staff. Uh we have a communication education specialist, two health agents, part-time food inspector, and recently we were able to get a shared service coordinator, uh somebody to help us actually manage the grant. Um
we've also used the money to uh purchase inspectional software. So Bridget does her food inspections with the inspectional software. One of the nice things about the software and as opposed to just paper forms, you can actually sort through the inspections and see what what kinds of things you're seeing
in restaurants to try to make an impact. Um, see what violations are happening. So, it's it's been useful in that regard. Um, other goals in the the grant is to formalize training across all health departments in the state. Um the state feels that everybody who's you
served by a board of health should be served by staff or trained on the same standards. So they've they've developed a couple of these mass fit courses um that are more in depth than when I started in public health. Usually if you had a good health department, the
director sent you to an adjacent town to say, "Hey, go learn how to do this from somebody who knows." >> Um the state has now got training courses for both food and for housing. Uh they're tier three three tiers of training. Um Bridget and our other food
inspector are both tier three trained food inspectors at the state level. So we feel pretty comfortable that we're keeping up with the training. Um one of the the other things we have to do uh as part of the the grant is to put together a work plan with goals uh that we're
going to do for the coming year. So, we're pretty much on track for the goals that we set for last year. And part of that is try to meet some of the challenges of the foundational public health services. >> Yeah. So, if you want to take us to the next slide, please let me tell you a little bit about the foundational public
health services model. Um Oh, yeah. That's fairly readable, right? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um so the foundational public health services model um we introduced this to you guys for the first time last year when we came around and did these presentations. This is really the long
game for public health in Massachusetts if you will. Um Massachusetts has adopted the foundational public health services model and is working on getting um all local health departments kind of up to par with this model. Um so it's a
national model um that was developed by the public health accreditation board center for innovation in collaboration with a national network of public health experts and this was recommended for adoption by Massachusetts into the blueprint for public health excellence in 2019
um which is sort of what preceded the public health excellence funds that we are getting. The foundational public health services framework defines a minimum set of public health services that must be available in every municipality. While local public health is not directly responsible for
providing all of the services, they are responsible for ensuring that these services are available to their municipalities through other entities. So um the foundational public health services model consists of 13 domains. There are those bubbles across the top
in the blue and white graphic. Those are foundational areas. So you can also kind of think about that as public health programs, public health programming. And then across the bottom are eight crosscutting foundational capabilities as well. Um our next steps on this are
um well one that has already passed. Now we gave a presentation to the executive committee in the March 2026 meeting on um maternal child and family health as one of our domains that we're looking to improve. She'll explain a little bit more in the next couple slides. Um and
we have also embarked on a um a new overview kind of review of our services benchmarked against the foundational public health services. Um last year when we met with you guys we were going through a foundational public health
services shared services review. Um so this next process is kind of building upon that. But if you go to the next slide, I will show you some of the results from last year's foundational public health services review. So, in terms of the foundational areas, this is
the foundational areas kind of broken out and explained. I'm not going to read all this off to you. I know it's a ton of information. Um, you can certainly feel free to look at it on your own time, but I wanted to just call your attention to what I highlighted here in red and in green. Um, so based on this
bear of a process that we did last year on the foundational public health services, we learned that we are doing really well with communicable disease control and we want to continue to do really well with that. Um, and we could use some real improvement in maternal, child, and family health. So that is
something that we've been focusing a little bit more on. The other categories that are not highlighted, they were basically just like status quo. You're doing fine, keep doing what you're doing essentially. Um if you want to take us to the next slide, talk about the foundational capabilities a little bit
as well. So again, foundational capabilities broken out here. Um Neshoba as of last year was doing very very well with community partnership development. It's one of our strongest areas. We want to continue to be very strong in that area.
Um and we learned from that process. We had some work to do in assessment and surveillance. Um I will say on assessment and surveillance since we did our community health needs assessment last year we've actually buttoned this part this piece up pretty nicely. Um so
if you want to take us to the next slide I can talk a little bit about what we have been doing um to continue doing what we do well well and to improve the things where we could use a little bit of work. So we brought our town nurse hours back at the beginning of this
year. Um, we have a fully staffed uh, public health nurse department now. Susie Thompson and Sandy Richard, a dynamic duo. They're amazing. >> Um, we have a new menu of public health educational programs that we refreshed and relaunched toward the beginning of the year. Uh, that includes a new
program called Baby on Board: The Essentials for Firsttime Expecting Parents. We're continuing the adult grief support program which is fully funded by donations. I'm continuing to do adult mental health first aid certification courses. Usually try to do
three or four of these across the region in the year. Um been offering that to municipal employees and volunteers who may often be the front-facing people who interact with adults having mental health or substance use challenges. Uh we're offering overdose education and
Narcan distribution. I'm a trained um Narcan trainer. I can teach people how to use it. We've been tableabling at community events. Uh this is important to mention because last year with our um decreased staffing, we had to do a lot of um unmanned tables at events. So
we're making a real effort to have sort of a forwardfacing um in-person presence at community events. Of course, um we completed our community health needs assessment last year. We used that to uh launch our
health equity partnership micro coalition right here in air at the library. Um, this coalition is open to all Nshobo boards of health communities. It is funded for, I think, another two years by the Health Foundation of Central Mass and we've been doing this in partnership with the Health Equity
Partnership of North Central Mass. If I don't have enough community organization names in there for you, let me know. I can throw a few more in. Um, so again, open to all NOVA boards of health communities. We know that public health issues do not respect town lines. Um,
and those four working groups that make up the micro coalition are informed by the top four needs of our community health assessment. So, youth, mental health, healthcare, access, social isolation, digital equity, and aging, um, and holistic community planning were
the four working groups. Those working groups have meetings coming up and we're looking to have an our third full coalition meeting in June. We're also working on a community health improvement plan, which if you think about the needs assessment kind of tells you what the needs are. The community health improvement plan lays out your
plan to address those needs. So, we've contracted with the same consultant that we did the needs assessment with for that process. Um Trish was kind enough to join us for one of those chip exercises. Was really interesting in Townsend at the library.
>> Um we're focusing on building more partnerships as always. is we're just putting a little bit more weight into maternal child and family health partnerships right now. So, organizations like Mach and Luck for example. Um, and then we're continuing to keep our eyes out for grants for
either us or our partners to apply for to improve health in the region as well. I think that's it for that slide. And as I mentioned, this grant that we have for the contact tracing and case investigation came out of CO. Um, and
when CO kind of came to an end, this money comes from the federal government through the state, they allowed us to keep using it and and it's what has essentially funded um our second public health nurse for the past two years. Um, we've also used it as Jenna mentioned to
do the community needs health assessment and the money is also being used for the chip planning that's happening. Um, we used it to increase or not increase but enhance the uh database that we have. There's no electronic medical record
system for public health nurses. Our visiting nurses used to have one, but at a public health level, nobody makes it. I don't think there's any money in it. So, we had an access database that was built for us. it was a little clunky. We used some of this money to hire somebody to come and make it, you make it better,
improve it. So hopefully this time next year, we can provide you a much more robust reporting of the actions of the public health nurses. Um so again, all in all, it's been a very good grant to have where we are, like all grants are to see it go.
>> Yeah. >> All right, next slide, please. Last but not least, communication. Um, as you all know, you have a wonderful health agent here in town who um is available to the community during the week and to you guys for any questions and concerns. Um,
we're always looking at ways to enhance our engagement and diversify communications. We know communication preferences are very diverse and that they can also change over time. Um, so if there's ever anything that we could be doing differently or better to communicate with you all or your
community members, please don't hesitate to let us know. Um, I just sent you guys an email before I ran over here w with an idea for how to diversify our communication. So, let me know what you think when you see that. Um, yeah, and if there's ever anything we can do to
make it easier for you guys to make it to our um, executive committee meetings. We know that they're kind of late at night, but um we've tried to hybridize those. Possibly moving in a fully remote direction. Who knows? We'll see. >> Hopefully. >> Um yeah. So, anything, you know, open
door policy for me always. So, if there's ever anything I could be doing better, let me know. And I think that is it. >> Look at that. So >> if you have any other questions or
>> once the contact tracing money goes away, is there like anything available coming behind that or is that just once it goes it goes? >> Yeah, once it goes they they had the Department of Public Health had some meetings to try to help folks try to adjust to the loss of that money. >> Yeah.
>> Um and it was just kind of the same old ideas. Look for grants, look for that, look to regionalize. So we >> we do those things already. So again, part of that increase that we're asking for was to make sure that we didn't lose the public health nurse.
>> Again, what what people think about what the nurses may do is often a clinic or nurses hours, but there's so much more they do than communicable disease reporting behind the scenes. If you've got situations on unhealthy living, >> y >> they allow us to have us, the board of
health, have a more humane face on the way you deal with those things. You know, one of us inspectors goes into a house like that, it's an enforcement situation. >> Yeah. >> A public health nurse goes in and she can assess the health of the person. She can get a kind of eyes on the situation uh to give us a better sense of it and
then in turn we can work with you and that person hopefully to find a better end to just a regulatory situation. So, um we find they're really really important and occasionally we get situations where they're doing you know TB case management um which is one of
those >> that was actually that's one of the interesting things that came out of our enhancement of the public health nursing database. It was only partially enhanced when we did this most recent annual report. But if you look at the public health nursing page, you can see the little pie chart on there does a really
good job breaking down even compared to the year before. so much more granular in terms of what their activities were. We were able to pull the information that our nurses had done 128 home visits for three tuberculosis cases and this is
law. This is law in Massachusetts that we have to be providing this service. >> So it's extremely intensive. >> That's right. Two two required things that boards of health do in the nursing area, the communicable disease reporting and TB case management. So, and that's
what it means to to do the management. >> Is that for like medication compliance? Is that why there's so >> directly observed? >> They have to go watch and take their meds and >> work with the the TB clinics to make sure they're getting to their appointments, >> work with the TB nurse at the state to
make sure that >> Y >> and uh sometimes it's it takes all kinds of skills to make sure that you're getting the person to take the drugs. At at some point in time, one of our patients didn't show up where they were supposed to. So the nurse showed up to
the house and says, "Oh, we thought you'd forget." It's like, "Nope, here I am." >> Well, again, it's one of these things you really want to make sure they're getting that >> that medication regime >> as the state. >> Yeah. >> Are there certain So TB is a kind of
separate thing. Are there among the other communicable diseases are there only certain ones that need to be traced or >> so there's a set of regulations that the nurses work with and and how they handle each one of them but another broad category of those are the food service
kind of the food food born illness type right and so you know if they get a report of a person who's working in a restaurant who's got a communical you know infectious disease they're involving us they're working with that person to make sure that person stays out of it. So, that's kind of how it ties into other things we do.
>> A couple of years ago, we had um a situation in a condominium complex where somebody had cryptosperidiosis. Um it's, you know, waterborne parasite and they had been swimming in the pool at the condo. So, all of a sudden, it's like I never heard of this before. So,
we shut the pool down, have the pool company come in, >> super chlorinate the pool, kept the people out of the pool. I mean it's just I would all the years I've worked here it's like I've never heard that. So >> yeah, you don't know what's going to pop up, >> right? So but that's that's how the the public that case communicable disease
component fits into different aspects of what we did. >> Yeah, I got you. >> I mean the co was probably the most vivid and visible one that we've had in a long time. But um there's these little bits and pieces of things that happen as well. >> Well, who knows? Measles is coming back. Who knows? We're going to be tracing all
kinds of new things, old things, >> and new again. >> So, what other agencies are there in the state that resemble the show? >> So, kind of two ways to look at this. Um, you've heard the term shared service
arrangement. That's a pretty broad term. It can be anything like us, who is an organization that's more like a regional school district. you guys have voted to join and and create a district to a group of communities who through an IMA intermunicipal agreement have decided to
share services. Most of the ones in the state are now done through an IMA. >> Really? >> Um there are probably I'm guessing I don't know half a dozen eight uh actual health districts like ours. >> There's one in the kind of Monty gear. There's one out in the western part of
the state Lee Lennox and one other community. There's one down south in like a Kushnet New Bedford. >> Um, >> yeah, there's a Quabin District is another one. So, >> those are the ones I know of. I think
the state would like them all to move towards >> to to our model. >> No, to actually actual districts. >> I've had some conversations >> with the folks who are thinking about that and it's I think ours still works because it started at the inception
years ago. Yeah, that's right. And people just kind of used to it. >> Um I don't know how you would fit >> in in, you know, Massachusetts almost fiercely independent with home rule. How you would kind of >> Yeah. >> do with a number of boards of health
what you guys did back 100 years. >> Yeah. >> So you're not alone completely. >> Not completely. >> Yeah. There's a handful of small districts I guess out there. So >> the last question I have is space.
>> Yes. >> No. >> Is that an issue >> for us? >> Yeah. >> Not yet. >> Uh we have the other building behind us that we had bought. >> Yeah. The synagogue. Um >> and I crossed my fingers we didn't have any ice dams that blasted
>> roof rake best I could. So fortunately we still have some space in that building. Um, in our building, we're pretty tight as far as um, so if we needed to overflow, we do have >> probably half that that building that we could probably expand into if we need to. Yeah. >> Yeah, that's good.
>> I didn't like the heating bills this year, but >> who did like next year either? >> I know. I know. Well, we've done as much as we could do as far as heating system and insulating ducks and dropping the ceiling. I don't know if you've ever been there, they used to have a rounded ceiling almost to the roof. >> We we dropped the ceiling to try to keep
some of the heat >> in the space. Yeah, there's probably no insulation above that. >> Oh, no. No, that's right. Cuz it was it kind of matched the roof line. Just kind of rounded it. So, >> yeah. >> So, >> wow. >> But,
>> well, I don't know if there's anything else or >> No, not for me. All I can say is a huge thank you. >> Again, we appreciate the opportunity and we appreciate the support >> and your partnership. Right. >> We're so lucky to have you. >> Yeah. You'll always have it. That's for
sure. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> You guys are good. >> All right. If you think of anything else, certainly let us know. You know how to stop by or contact. >> Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you so much for coming. >> Thank you for having me.
>> It's nice to see you guys. >> Right. So presentation discuss. Um, is there anything else from Bridget that >> did she leave anything for us to review? Okay. So, that's probably the end of the
showa. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah. And even the call log and we can talk about that later, but the call log didn't look. Yeah. Like there was a whole lot. All right. So, moving along. Old B. Old basement. Where did I get old basement?
>> We were talking about old buildings. >> Old buildings. I don't know. Somebody turned that into a basement. Old business. >> So, the opioid abatement funds, I have not heard anything. I send updates. I'm assuming it's because it's kind of time,
you know, town meeting time of year. Um, I think that what we should do though probably is like maybe move forward with contacting some people on our own and you know then at least do the footwork.
Are you um >> so the this whole question is about the Trish needs a an alternate on for the uh abatement funding committee. They're looking for an alternate from each town.
So we, you know, she talked to some other people and from other towns. Some people have fire, some people have police. Um, and then we had a couple of names of people from um doing the survey
on how the funds should be spent. >> So we've got a total of, you know, like probably four or five people that we could contact. Um, and I think unless you know there's
anybody else that we're like really missing, I I think police, fire, and um, of the volunteers, Cindy Lavin, who of course has a lot of good connections to the community. Um, Hillary, who's a mental health practitioner and was in the drug court,
um, I think has some kind of nice skills there, too. So, >> yep. Um maybe what we could do did you you had a meeting was it >> we have today. >> Okay. >> With um Riverbend and Oh yeah.
>> They went over some of the grant um >> processes that they're doing with Rise. >> Yeah. >> And it was just an initial, you know, you didn't really talk about I was nervous that they would say >> introduce everyone from each town and say, you know, who's your alternate? And
I was freaking out thinking, but it wasn't anything like that. It was more or less a presentation by those guys >> and going forward they're going to have another one on the 27th and they're going to have more information for us. >> Um
>> about basically it's to hire everyone has to vote on this to hire a peer recovery coach >> and then they put that out there. Um the RFP
had the and it wasn't hosted yet, right? According >> not >> okay >> not that >> but my only concern and I know that we've talked about this is it open for questions until the 17th which is Friday.
>> So after that I mean it doesn't close there's not a deadline. That's a question if people want to exactly >> look at it. >> Um so hopefully it it can get on there so people anyone that's interested can look at it. >> I'll send them another email just asking
if we can at least post it so that if people have comments and it because it's open till Friday you said >> 17th I believe was the um >> all right >> was that that was just for the if people had questions and then there were deadlines. There was a couple of dead uh
different deadlines that were there, but um I' I'd also like to get a sense of can we just go ahead or can I just go ahead get permission to go ahead and contact the two people that we thought would be
a good fit or do I not do I I don't want to step on toes? >> Nope. Just I think we need to I mean we can't just sit wait for the powers to be. So yeah, I would say stop it. >> And after reading into this, the alternate is it's not a big deal. It's
not it's more or less if there's if it comes down to a vote because they're very strict about this money and this funding and voting piece comes into play that if if the person that is >> representing our town isn't there, then the alternate basically is just there to
vote after meeting. It's not a It's not a a timeconsuming. Um Okay. >> So, I just wanted them to know that so that when we reach out to >> Yeah, that's a good >> That's a good thing to have. >> Yeah, I would say let's you know, we can
go ahead and start doing that just to sort of gauge interest to Okay. You know, see of of those four sources. Um, >> and then I'll send another email to see if we can possibly get any feedback.
>> I just didn't want to go ahead and and contact people and say, "Hey, are you interested?" and then have >> When I spoke to Cie about it, she did say that, you know, she didn't think that this wasn't >> it's not a big deal. >> Yeah. It was like not going to be a big deal.
They just want to make sure they're going by. Yeah. You know, because it's it's a lot of money. You want to make sure it's spent in the right place. >> Yep. It is. And at at this point, I think what we need to do is kind of talk to people, engage our interests, and then we can update them as to what we've
got because who knows, maybe some of the people are no longer have the time or you know, maybe other departments, police, fire maybe too stretched and say >> it's not really, like I said, it's not that time consuming to have the alternate because they're basically it
be a quick conversation with >> me or whoever else steps into that position like, "Oh, yeah. Well, here's the discussion and the notes from the last meeting and you want to read over it. >> So, okay. >> Okay. >> Are you comfortable contacting? >> Yeah, I can I can contact um
>> kind of see if there's any interest. Are they still interested in doing it? >> Yeah. And Sam sent us the contact information. >> I don't but I don't know. Um >> I don't want to contact two people and then have both people say yes and then, you know.
>> Yeah. So, should we have a further discussion about who? >> Well, yeah, we probably should. And the other option we have too is whether or not we want to do something similar to what the other towns have done and like open it up to a working group where like
for your representation, even you and the alternate, do we have other voices in the community kind of giving >> you feedback as to what they think? I just don't know how much um I don't want to say interest because I know when you
talk about this stuff there seems to be a flurry of interest when it's it's a hot topic but >> I mean we only got two responses from the survey as far as >> I know I know >> well maybe you know what we could do for
right now since we're primarily looking for the alternate is to like maybe contact police and fire >> and you know see if one of them is willing to or interested in the alternate position. And then the other names that we have, maybe we could think
about using for like if we're going to do some kind of a either advisory committee or >> group opinion. But if the like the immediate need is to get somebody named as an alternate, we probably would get a
faster >> response if we go police and fire, >> right? Yeah. I would just send email to each one of the chiefs and say this is what >> is anyone at the moment interested? >> Yeah. In >> Yeah. Yeah. Would someone on your staff,
you know, you or someone on your staff be willing to do this? It's like low um time. Then you only have to contact two people and they can fight it out to see which one of them gets the prize. >> It's not a good prize. >> All right. So, that's what's going on.
We're going to have uh meetings are like the regular meetings are more towards the end of the month, right? >> This is I don't know how many times a year they're going to do um more meetings now that we're a cohesive group
and OAC. >> Yeah. >> Um like today was like I said with Riverbend, they were talking about the grants. They're going to come back to us on the 27th, which is because they they had conversations they wanted to share
today, but they didn't want to make them public at the meeting because there were things pending with grant money and they said they would definitely have >> um more information on the 27th because they were meeting with UMass Memorial and some other organization. >> Okay. because there were there were
conversations about um the peer recovery po uh coaches that go into the EDS because most of them are down in >> l >> because Riverbend >> the six recovery peer recovery coaches they have now cover that area. So once
we get some grant money and I'm thinking when UMass when we finally get one >> our we got to be able to get a peer recovery coach that goes there >> that might make >> and a good fit >> have a a space where they can meet with people.
>> So that's all coming. >> Okay. Awesome. >> Okay. >> All right. Works for me. Thank you very much. Um, and then as Jenna was just mentioning, >> yeah, that's coming up, >> the health equity. So, I I did write
down the days and times of those >> and I got to verify. I think I can do which one did you do last time? I did. >> I did the one over in towns and I went
um the one that Jenna was at. that kind of like gave everybody an idea of um where they were and that's where that where that slide showed the the pink of the the mothers and babies. That was a discussion trying to get that up and running.
>> That makes sense that that would fall under like healthcare access. All right. Um, >> that one is on a Monday 2 to 2:30, which is bad for me because I've got a standing
meeting on Mondays. That one is coming up on May 11th. If you're interested in taking that one, >> the holistic community planning, >> let's see, that's a Thursday,
so I can probably do that one. I mean, we can kind of coordinate and see whose schedule is. >> Yes. >> Take a look at the emails and um >> like see what she sent. Of course, if you're interested in attending one, you we we're not going to hold you back, Steve.
>> And they're all Zoom links. Feel free to volunteer. >> Easy to sit in on. Um >> Yeah. Yeah, they are. >> So, yeah. The only one that I didn't I didn't um attend so far was the one with the um the the young people.
>> Oh, the youth mental health. >> Youth mental health. Because I I gravitated more towards, you know, the um >> Yeah, I got you. And I might be able to do that one. That one's on a Friday, the 15th of May. So, I might be able to do that one. And the >> Oh, that's the youth. Oh, I see.
Healthcare access. That's the one that we were working on when it had the representatives from UMass count and talk about >> it's evolving and what it's going to look like in brought and holistic um aging. Yeah, those three I was trying to
b back and forth between and I didn't put the youth mental health in mind. >> Well, if we split them up, we can >> okay, >> you know, at least maybe attend or you know, listen in on their next >> Yeah. your next thing. All right. Well,
we'll figure out take a look at your schedule. I'll take a look at my schedule and we'll see what Yeah. how we can attend that one. And of course, if Steve wishes to attend one, we will not discourage you. >> I don't do well at those things.
>> I like I like going to them because um you're listening to everybody else's in the different towns and all of a sudden someone will go, "Oh, did you think about this? >> We should contact." and and you're like, "Oh, wow. That's a great idea." >> I kind of like that, too. Yeah. They're
actually not that bad. They're they're not like droning presentations. >> It's not like dry sauce. >> Yeah. It's kind of a >> yeah it's like >> group participation discussion kind of >> and that's where I found like I I didn't know about the airlift they were there
they've already started that down there at the library with the um >> the uh healthc care where you can go down and uh tell health with your doctor I didn't know they had already started that a lot of seniors didn't >> don't know about it. >> Yeah.
>> So that's another thing with that second group meeting is like how do you get that information to those people? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> That's cool. >> That's the thing that I kind of struggle with too. It's like how do you get >> that information out there because everybody, you know, as Jenna was
saying, everybody kind of consumes their information in a different way. Some people like email or they like to >> look up their own postings or >> and I know Harvard was always so much on top of things. they
had like this whole healthc care um that the paramedics could go and do visits at the house and blah blah blah all this stuff and I'm and I'm saying wow that's a great program and then one of the I don't know if it was the chief or one of the paramedics in Harvard said well it
would be a different model in air because you guys are kind of tied up and I'm like that's right >> yeah we're too busy making run to the yeah >> but they don't have that same problem because they're not a shared Yeah. >> So, >> yeah.
>> But yeah, it sounded good in theory. >> Yeah. See? >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Okay. >> All right. We'll figure that one out when we get to something. All right. Call log. >> Oh, yeah.
>> So, it wasn't too bad. The only really kind of new one is um >> Yeah. >> Rats and trash. the trash. >> I think we need to do something with these people. They did not do um they
don't have a permit right now, right? >> Or >> they kind of do >> chickens. >> Yeah. So, they have chickens. >> Um >> we had had This is like the third year in which we've had calls about the rats. >> Julie and Bridget have been out. Uh this
past year, they did all their paperwork. Everything was fine, but there were supposed to be extra inspections and then I don't I don't know what happened there. >> Okay. >> Um, so it's the neighbor who lives nearby. Um,
which interestingly enough, the neighbor on their other side also has chickens. Never has rats on that side. Always has rats from this side cuz the woman who's in the middle. >> Yeah. >> Um, they're covered in trash. So, I did contact Bridget and Julie and I did tell Mike because trash is
>> Mike's problem. >> Yeah. >> Um Mike's been out. There is a problem. He's going to contact them that way. >> Okay. >> Um Julie has also been out. She contacted earlier this morning. Um she didn't see any rats, but is going to try
and get in contact with them. Hey, what's going on? Uh one of the issues we run into with this house is whoever's there works the night shift. So, they're a little funny for contact. >> Um, but we're going to work on that. >> Bridget, I remember that discussion
>> and I don't know where they quite left that cuz that was >> not that long ago. So, >> okay. Cuz that what I'm thinking what we probably want to do is, you know, check it with Bridget and Julie, but if
they're going to submit their permit application, I think we need to talk to these people. about our expectations for her. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> That's funny though. They're not on the other side. It's hot. And they um I know
originally when like when we originally had the rat complaint and they had just gotten chickens, they were using the wrong kind of feed cover or something and and just didn't they ended up attracting them and it was sort of a we're so sorry. We didn't realize
Julie helped them. >> Yeah. Yeah, I it feels like it just they don't >> Yeah. And that may be getting to be a problem again if Yep. might be just like storage of It really sounds like a storage, >> but we talked about that, right? About
when they come in permits that >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Like so read this. >> Yeah. It is probably the difference in how they're >> Yeah. storing their food. >> Yeah. But um there's there's obviously other things going on. So >> yeah,
>> that's why the poor woman, she just didn't want her name listed. I don't I don't blame her, but she was she was almost in tears and she's like, I'm going to have to put my house up for sale like a >> That's crazy. Yeah. I mean, they're not they're not her chips.
>> No, >> you know, you shouldn't have to put up with >> So, we'll go for that. Um >> this was really the only thing that made it for the call log. There's like a wires cross somewhere. I've gotten so many calls for sharps collections. >> Really? >> Sharps go to Nishoba.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Town of all the town of air town hall does not accept sharps. >> Yep. >> Um please bring them to Nishoba. >> Is it only the show or do you know police and fire? >> Take them or it's just the show. >> I thought it was just
>> you get the container right from the container from Nova. Yeah. Please don't leave bags of sharps in my office when I'm not there. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. All right. Well, that's good. At least people are calling to >> Yeah, they're calling >> do it the right way. So,
>> they're calling, so I'll take it, I guess. >> Okay. Oh, that sounds good. >> Um, minutes of match night. I looked at those and they look okay to me. Were
you okay with them? Treasure. Did you have any edits? Okay. Then if you want to move >> I make motion to accept the minutes from Monday, March 9th. >> I second. All in favor? >> I
>> I All right. Accept those over with. So these can go back to you. Um so the only outstanding thing from that was um so the the last little final edits that
I sent back to you. The only thing that um well two things actually. So the one thing that I didn't do anything with was I didn't put anything any language in there about um you know we had said that we would encourage people to use safer
rodenticides but that you know we weren't going to >> actually say anything in the regulation about it. It's you know we could have information that's >> found this is from our rodenticide people and >> this is a list of other options. >> Yeah. Perfect.
>> So I was going to just >> Yep. Send it >> send it out. And this one's a This one's like from the state, so it's it's not like they made it. It's >> There was something on the air page yesterday that somebody posted about
quickly calling your state rep because it was coming up >> for both. >> Yes. Yes. So, there's the at least one bill. I kind of think it might be two that I think there's a House bill and a Senate bill at this point. And so it
would like ban the really bad rodenticides on a statewide level. Um what happened in the open meeting was that um somebody had asked about the rodenticides and putting something in there about not using like the really
bad ones and you know we just said that I mean we have to allow the possibility of using it if the situation demands it. And that's similar to um there's a um
there's a town meeting warrant item that I don't know. Do you know Sam? Is that like definitely going to be on or >> I don't. >> Okay. And that that's also going to be like town level banning the use of
those. So I kind of felt like let's not bake anything into our the regulation itself. So >> does our regulation say anything about antibiotics in >> No,
>> it's it's a public health issue. >> Antibiotics in >> feed for chickens. >> Ah, interesting. >> No, it does not say anything about that. Purdue stopped using antibiotics in
their chickens in 2016 >> because it causes mutations in the bacteria resistant to the >> Yeah, I do believe that. >> Can you do you know how that works? like can when you buy chicken feed can you have choice with or without or
>> I don't know but from what I've read it's a major major issue >> and you know maybe it's something we should talk to or Julie about. >> Yeah. >> But should the town not allow people to put
>> antibiotic based food for chickens? >> Yeah. And that's another one that's kind of like with the rodenticides too. the same thing. >> How do you enforce it? >> You know, that's the that's the difficult part of it. >> You tell people that if something happens
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Well, you know what we could certainly do is with the information that goes out to people is to, you know, include something in the >> encourage antibiotic. >> Yeah. M >> do you know if there's a good um
like have you seen anything maybe that the state gives out or that >> DP thing on Sunday >> so you could go back to >> the PBS station in Boston. >> Yeah. Um but there was two different
>> um specialist physicians that were um in infectious diseases >> and just it made my head spin in terms of the significance of this. >> Yeah, it's huge. >> Oh, I think we're doing a great job of breeding some really really good
bacteria with all the stuff that we do like resistant to everything in the world. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Huh? >> I didn't even think of that. >> Yeah, I didn't either. You know what? I I don't mind doing a quick um That's
kind of I like doing weird research stuff. Let me see if I can find anything cuz if I'll make it quick if we can find something to, you know, like send out to people. >> Go to What's the PBS station in Boston in
>> uh uh W GBH? >> GBH. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm kind of looking like for u like maybe a one pager like the thing that I found from D on >> it was on their Sunday. It was one of the programs. >> Yeah, I'll see if I can link into some
>> I wouldn't have thought of that, Steve. I know. I know. We think about it when you talk about like Purdue or chicken in the >> Well, they had the CEO Purdue was one of the people that was on the >> the program. >> So, they stopped it that long ago. >> 2016.
>> Cool. But it's common to use antibiotics. >> Yeah. Just like beef, too. >> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I think there's more antibiotics in our >> Yeah. >> food supply than Yeah. We really want there to be. Does that end up in the
eggs, too? >> So, the eggs, they actually vaccinate the eggs. They punch a hole in the I learned a lot of stuff in this. >> Oh my god, this sounds fascinating. It >> is. Hm. Huh.
If the but if the chickens eat the feed with the antibiotics, >> then the excrement has the antibiotic and the excrement, >> but it causes the resistancy for the bacteria bacteria. >> Yeah. Yeah. You're just building this really Yeah.
>> Yep. You're building this really strong bacteria. Interesting. >> That's a pretty good one. I'll see if I can find something that we can just send out for people though. >> So, I did come I have a couple of >> one pages to add this year like the rat
poisons. Yeah, >> this is the nice one you found about avian clo. >> Yeah. >> Uh and then the show's lovely. >> Oh, yeah. The rat the rat sheet or whatever she whatever Bridget calls it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Preventing rats.
>> All right. All right, let me see if I can find something for um >> and then I did just update the applications, which the information is all the same. I just >> Okay, >> I put the if you're getting a new one. >> Yeah. >> At the front, not the back. >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> If you're like if you're a new person and then this is a one pager for renewals because 99% of their stuff the same. Just tell us if you did anything different. >> Yeah, that makes sense. Yep. And uh that one does have the late fee mentioned on it.
>> Okay. Very good. >> Yeah. So on the late fee um so we got some good public input and one of the things on the late fee was that you know they thought there should be maybe a grace period or and so we said all
right. What we ended up agreeing on was instead of the I think it was gonna be $50 the late fee, we said your first offense was $25 and then I made it for your you know like one offense within a 5year period because gez even on your driving record speeding tickets
eventually drop off. So um so that's now in there. So then if it's like your second late in five years then you got to pay the $50. Um, then the other thing had to do with access to property. And I had gone out on a limb and taken
something that I saw from one of the other towns whose regs I was looking at, but said that the health agent, the animal inspector, they they could go on the property to inspect at any time. And I mean, I know Bridget doesn't do that.
they don't go on people's property without, you know, some some kind of authorization. And people really didn't like that idea. So, >> we said, "Okay, that makes sense." So, I think the way I worded it was, "Well, we're going to give notice ahead of time," which is kind of the practice
anyway. Only thing I wasn't sure of is whether we need to notify the property owner, the permit holder, or both if they're different. Anybody meetings on that. We need to
come on the property to inspect. >> Oh. >> So, what if it's if they're one and the same, it's easy. But what if they're a renter? Do you also need to notify the landlord or >> the landlord has to sign the permit? >> Okay, there we go.
>> So, I would imagine both. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Then just go with it that way that we're we're going to notify the property owner. >> Yeah. So, one of the on the permit, if you're renting your residence, you must have your landlord's approval. >> Perfect.
>> And yeah, >> I asked for the landlord's signature and or a letter. >> Okay, fantastic. So, then do we have is that enough information that we could use to contact the landlord? You get
like a phone or email or >> Yes, I usually get that. Uh, in all honesty, funny. >> Um, I had one for one year and then they covered the chickens where they moved. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Um, and I did add this year preferred contact method. So, please tell us.
>> Oh, that's nice. Yeah. Okay, that's good. >> If you would prefer. >> So, yeah. So, that's that was the change that we made after the public hearing was to just say we're going to notify you ahead of time and then it's the, you know, permit holders responsibility to arrange for the inspection in a timely
manner or something like that. So, okay, then if you want to just take out the comment that's that's in there and >> Yep. I'll clean those up. >> Should be ready to go. Send them out. >> All right. Fantastic. Okay. So, that's it for minutes and chickens. Um,
any bills? Any man? >> One bill. >> It's a bill. So, we can pay Julie to be the >> Oh, yeah. Let's definitely do Um, so her uh stipen for the year is $2,759.
>> All right. If someone wants to make a motion, >> I'll make a motion that we pay the animal barn inspector for FY26 $2,759. >> Second. All in favor?
>> I >> I didn't hear you. Is that an I? >> You said it before I could. So, >> yeah, but we all voted. >> I think Steve was an I. >> Seconded the motion.
>> Oh god. This is the 13th. Yeah. All right, that is good. Um, any other mail we need to deal with today? >> No, I haven't really gotten any besides the usual stuff. Yeah,
>> haven't really got any mail. >> All right, that's good. >> And upcoming meetings and dates. I mean, I don't think there's anything outside of the things that we're tracking unless something comes up
between now and then. >> Uh the only thing is so the next meeting is obviously in May. It's the second uh Monday in May. Uh the first Monday in May, the week before I will be out of town. Okay.
>> So, I may coordinate with you for post. >> Okay. All right. >> So, it's the second Monday in May. >> Yeah. What's going to be When is the date for the 11th? >> I'll just put down second Monday. I'll find it. >> May 11th. >> Okay. Yeah, if you need something before um
>> Yeah, I'll just coordinate with you. >> Yeah, >> that's about that. >> Just be the agenda >> or um worst comes to worse, uh Heather Hamson offered to at least just send it in for me. >> Okay, great. Fantastic. Anything else? Anything that you want on
the upcoming agenda, give me a chance. Are you guys happy with this meeting time and day still to still work for you? >> I'm retired. >> Yeah, it works for me. >> One that's not. >> Yeah. But, you know, it's early enough
that it's like I just work until it's daylight. So, yeah. Yeah. Now it's a little bit more energized than when we used to pull up and it was getting dark and >> I know. Yeah. At least there's hope. >> Yes. >> For summer.
>> All right, that works. Anybody else? >> We journ. >> All right, sounds good to me. I second. All in favor? I >> I. We are Jared.