All right. Good evening everyone. This is the East Long Meadow Board of Health meeting on June 17th, 2026. The Board of Health is recording. Is anyone else recording? Okay.
I'm going to call this meeting to order and the we're hosting this meeting tonight via Zoom webinar pursuant to a number of executive orders that have suspended certain provisions of the mass open meeting law.
And with that, are there any other announcements? Okay. First order of business is to approve the minutes of the meeting held on May 14th, 2026. And so, do we have a motion or
edits to those minutes? >> I motion. To approve as written. >> Thank you, Katie. I can second that motion. So, motion to approve the minutes as written for May 16th, 2026.
Christine Johnston, I. Dr. Katie Jobbins? >> I. >> Rebecca Torchia? >> I. >> All right. Moving on. Renee, is there anyone here for public comment? >> No, there's not. >> All right. So, the next order of business
business at hand and this is updates from Tammy on shared services, trash and recycling, and the health department. >> Okay. It's been a super busy June. I feel like there must be six
six weeks in June, not four. [clears throat] And we're on week 28. Let's see. So, right now the shared services program is the ball is rolling. We
were able to contract with a public health consultant B and me and they're going to they're providing um shared service coordination, which is all of behind-the-scenes stuff. And they're also providing strategic planning um for uh how to aim the direction of
our collaborative. Um this is great. It like I'm glad that they're on board. It really is lightening the load for me right now because there's a lot going on. I mean, we still have a lot of work to do with the shared services, but this really
helps, especially like So, we have very a very short amount of time to spend this year's funds and trying to figure out where what to buy, where to buy it from um is a big task, and so they're they're
kind of helping us on that end. Um Renee has been amazing dealing with um being able to put everything together for them so they know our practices and SOPs here, and um uh so things can get smoothly, and then
we can spend as much of our funds down before June 30th. Um there's also quite a bit of like deliverables for work plan that we're having to get done. Um last week we had a really nice strategic planning retreat um with the four communities. Um and it was just a
really good way to kind of start the this collaborative and start like thinking about the work. Um Kind of got to know the communities about better and then realize like it now like realize that
they're a great group for us to like share information and share knowledge um with, and I'm really glad that we got to do that. Um and we're right now we are uh we're still waiting on some of the IMAs from the other communities before we actually
get staff. Um hopefully by the end of this by the end of next month we'll have them all signed. I hope. Um and so also I just wanted to warn you guys about uh so part of the strategic planning processes you might
be asked to complete a survey or be part of uh informal work group or focus group. Um that hasn't been determined yet, but if you see uh if you see any emails from BMA, don't put them in your spam file. They're >> [laughter]
>> They're they're just trying to reach out. But I'll give everybody a heads-up before that that part of the process starts. Um that's my update on on the shared services. Uh do you guys have any questions? Anything you want to
add? Lovely. Lovely. Uh also one of the things that came out of the um out of the strategic planning day was that all of a sudden everybody hated the name Common Ground Health Collaborative. Not everybody, but
like a good portion of the room. Uh but we ended up doing a little more digging and having doing surveys and everything like that and it's still the Common Ground Health Collaborative because I would not want to have to go through the process of redoing all the paperwork again.
Um anyway, so that's shared services. Um trash and recycling program updates. Um this has been uh very busy uh couple of weeks with the
impending um the impending demolition of the school, the high school, and the new and kind of putting out the new new school online. Um pretty much, you know, the a lot of departments trying to get rid of things like, you know, hazardous
materials and sharps um and just our department helping them figure out places to get rid of that stuff. Um today Liz our recycling coordinator, I think she may have walked through every room in
the high school to make sure that all of the items that we've purchased for trash and recycling and composting don't get demolished. Um I'm going to have to like get her something really nice for all the work that she did today. And she went above and beyond trying to figure
out where all of our trash cans, compost bins, everything are in the buildings. Um but it's kind of exciting to like start fresh with a new uh new building. Let's see. Uh and then because she was so busy today I wasn't
able to get the numbers for the Earth Day event. Uh usually we'd have them by now. Uh let's see. We're uh the Green Team e-recycling and dehumidifier event is this weekend on Saturday uh 9:00 to 3:00 at Mountain View.
And we also have household hazardous waste day scheduled for August 22nd. Um the registration is live for that and it is required because they'll only take up to uh I think 150 cars. So we need to have everybody registered for that. Um >> Can you talk about the first one again?
Sorry, I couldn't hear what you said. So what the first one was the >> the Green the Green Team is the e-recycling event that we have. It's bounced around the last couple years because uh initially it would be at the high school. Um last year we tried Birchland. Traffic-wise didn't really work well. So
now it's at Mountain View. That one doesn't need You don't need to be registered to go to. But you do need to register for the household hazardous waste day. Um which that's up on Facebook and it's up on our website for anyone interested.
Um That is that for trash and recycling. Um you know, it's summer. Uh, we have compost uh, bins available and rain barrels for anybody who wants them at a discount price that I can't think of at the top of my head that's
something like 40 or 60 dollars. Um, uh, call us up, email us up or stop by Monday through Friday 8:00 to 4:00, but not this Friday cuz town hall's closed. Um, let's see. What else is going on? Oh, oh, and Liz
is also doing the um, the Oh, it's something for teachers. Um, at the end of every school year she does these collections of gently used uh, school supplies and give them to underprivileged or underperforming
schools, I think. Um, so that's going on, too, right now. Uh, let's see. Health Department uh, updates. Um, any of the how open housing complaints that we've
had, I believe, um, uh, they're going according to uh, the 30 days that we set the last month. So, it looks like all that will be wrapped up by the end of each of their 30-day period.
Um, so we don't have to worry about that anymore. Um, we have had a record number at this time of year of temporary permits, um, with all the different events that we've had the um, Summerfest
going into the farmers market, which there's dozens and dozens of vendors at the farmers market. Um, a lot of businesses now are having like food truck Fridays. Um, the carnival celebration is being sort
of split up into two events um, that week because the um, the company that normally does the carnival is double booked. So they are getting the last half of the week and the town I think in conjunction with the
rotary is taking the first half. So it's sort of going to be like two different two different sort sort of events. So lot to do with lot lot of permitting inspections lot of permitting going on right now. A lot of inspections going on next week.
So that's kind of neat though that it there's just kind of a turn of like there seems to be a lot of events going on a lot of staying local lot of celebrating be Sal Meadow. Also I high volume of
nuisance complaints um since Alex has been back from leave. I don't I feel every day I look at her desk and she's filling out. We have our our our complaint forms are hot pink. They're like they stick out in the file. There's always one open on her desk. So
that's been keeping definitely keeping her busy. um So our newer our newest ACO Katie Music she is finishing up her last month of animal control academy. So by the end of this month we will have two messages
certified ACOs on call. um which is great because uh animal call animal calls also feel like they've never been they're never been more than now.
Let's see. um We still we we we let's see we we posted the position for our open public health nurse position the first week of June.
And we're looking we have some candidates we're looking maybe next week to do uh to do interviews. So hopefully we can get somebody quick. Um cuz, you know, whenever there's a gap in something, that gap seems to want to get filled, so
I don't want any crazy disease emergencies happening before then. Um let's see. Uh I don't really have much uh to say on the topic of what of kind
of communicable diseases or disease control because the only information that's coming from the Department of Public Health to local public health right now is FIFA, FIFA, FIFA. Um I we probably get five to eight emails a day
about the World Cup. Um which not the closest largest scale event for us would be MGM. Um so we don't really kind of that that doesn't hit our radar, but
pre pre-everything started starting their warning. I I'm sure that even at the hospital level like we might start seeing things like enhanced um numbers of, you know, measles cases, things like that. So, um
fingers crossed we have healthy activities in the local area. Um >> [clears throat] >> but that's that's my list. That's everything. What else? Um Try to think. Nope, that
It's keeping us busy. End of fiscal year, wrapping that up. There's only uh less than 2 weeks left, and then can't wait for July 1st. >> [snorts] >> Thanks for the update, Tammy. Any
questions, Rebecca, Katie? No. Anything else we should be using our time to talk about tonight? >> Um Mhm. You seen anything fun at the hospitals, Katie?
>> Um thankfully >> Continue to knock every time we say something like this. >> [laughter] >> Like Um >> No, but I think obviously like we talked about it's the summer, so no standing water, mosquitoes, all that
good stuff. Just being using deep, sunblock, washing your hands still. >> Yeah, we're seeing it's I think normally this time of year a lot of the um a lot of the information coming from Department of Public Health to the local
public health is very um Yeah, we're talking about arbovirus-related diseases. Um you know, sun protection, but they're I feel like they're so inundated with people that we're not receiving anything other than um other than the unhealthy
heat alerts and the information that go along with the unhealthy heat alerts. And that's that's something that I would really love to be able to kind of work kind of one-on-one with um you know, our uh different departments to kind of maybe
talk about having some protocols in place. Because at this point, like it's you know, it's best practice practices, but to be able to just say this is our property, we shut down at this, you know, this temperature or this wet bulb temperature,
um I think would be a great thing to have. So, it's something that I've been working on and hopefully we'll be able to uh move forward with that because it's not going to get colder every summer. We say that this is like the nicest week
ever, but [laughter] after 90° but that um haven't really so far we haven't heard too much about the outlook like the arbovirus outlook for the summer either. Um but our um
Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District they've already done some wetland treatment for mosquitoes and they've already done the first round of um catch basins. So we're kind of proactive on the summer. So hopefully
that will leave the parks um and areas uh less buggy in the evening. Uh so what everybody likes. Especially since we've established that we have a lot of events going on throughout the summer. Uh and a lot of time for people to be
outside, so. Um yeah. >> That's the entirety of our agenda tonight. Um so um Timmy thoughts on
uh summer meeting, what you need, what we need, what's coming up, um how we can best support you through that. >> Do we want to take a July break and then meet back in the August? The August. I don't know why I said it
like that. That works. Does anybody have travel plans stuff right now in August that we should be thinking about? >> I'm gone for 2 weeks. >> That's why I asked. >> When you back?
>> I am back. So I could either do the first week of August, the 3rd through the 6th or I could do the week of the 24th. >> See. >> Shoot for the 27th if it's open. >> That works for me.
>> I can do the 27th. >> Yep. >> Right. We will check with Al Cat to get us a Zoom. Great. >> Okay, August 27th. And obviously, if you need something in the meantime, Tim, you
don't hesitate to reach out. >> Hopefully, we won't have any impending uh issues. Let's get this It'll Let's have this a nice I want I wouldn't say like uh
issue-free summer, but a hand handleable, is that a word? >> [laughter] >> Only through what? That's what we can handle would be nice. >> All right. >> Do we have a motion to adjourn? >> A motion to adjourn.
>> Okay. I will second. Um and Christine Johnson, I. Katie Gibbons? >> I. >> Rebecca Torseth? >> I. >> All right. Meeting is adjourned. Everybody enjoy your July. >> Yeah. Take care everybody.
>> Take care. Bye-bye.