All right. Are we all set to go? >> Yep, we're good. >> All right. Um, good evening everyone. Today is April 16th, 2026. This is the East Long Meadow Board of Health and I'm going to call this meeting to order. Uh, the board of health is recording. Is
anyone else recording? Okay. Um and this the chair announcements. Um we are meeting tonight uh via Zoom webinar pursuant to um a number of executive orders suspending certain provisions of the open meeting
law dating back to 2020. Um so with that um the first item on our agenda is to approve the minutes of the March 19th, 2026 meeting. It says hearing in our uh notice of public meeting, but that was actually a meeting, not a hearing. I
think we had multiple things on the agenda that night. Um I have one edit that I'd like to make to the minutes. Um we did not have the date um for the corrective action the 30-day
um the date of expir expiration for the um additional 30 days for corrective action at 36 Frasier Drive. So, if we could add that to the minutes, um those were set to expire um on May 3rd, 2026.
>> I will make those corrections. >> Thank you, Renee. Does anybody else have anything from the minutes that they either saw wanted to edit, change, then I propose we adopt with the amendment? >> I can second that motion. Um, and we'll
do a roll call vote. Christine Johnston, I uh Dr. Katie Jobins >> I. >> And Rebecca Torsa, >> I. >> All right. So, the minutes with the um the amendment are um approved. So, next um would be anybody that is here for
public comment. If anyone's here for public comment, um we invite you to you'd like to say something, invite you to raise your hand right now. >> No. All set. >> All right, we got no one here. Uh Renee,
>> uh we have two people um in the in lobby, but no. >> Okay, perfect. Um thank you so much. Okay, so moving on. Um so the first item under the business at hand is the um discussion regarding the corrective actions at 41 Pleasant Street, East Long
Meadow. And this is in response to the December 19th, 2025 housing inspection. Um, so that is slated to uh the current 30 days is slated to expire uh April 27th,
I believe. >> So Tammy, I know you received information from the property owner um who was not able to be with us. Correct. Correct. >> Uh yes. Um uh Angela Noel had an emergency. So, but she did ask that we
review this and requested another uh extension of 30 days. Um, I did go out this month. I witnessed quite a bit of water in the basement. So, um, you know, I I I know that I I sent you some of the
attachments and what is that on Friday or the 19th? What's today? Today is >> Today's the 16th. >> No, 17th, I'm sorry. on the 17th. Connecticut dry basements are scheduled to go out and do work down there. Um, but I, you know, I it this really needs
to solve this problem this month. This is uh I feel like it's been going on a bit, so hopefully that will solve that problem. Um, she sent pictures from uh that she cleared out and cleaned the attic. Um,
I know the electrician was out there and I didn't get to talk to our electrician because they did pull a permit for the work that was in the basement. Um, so I'm going to have to take a look and see exactly what it was that um, they did. It was a little bit of a jumble down there with the electrical work. Um, so
they had to do that. Um, what is the third thing or fourth thing? Hold please. Oh, and then um let's see. That was the invoice for the electrical. Oh, yeah. Provide Okay. For so for the electrical wiring, they
provided necessary safety repair work. Um the town inspection. Um review all necessary work to be completed. Electrical inspector provided dedicated 20 amp circuit for sump pump and install 20 amp GFI receptacle. Provide new box
20 amp GFI receptacle and wiring to light over washer and dryer. and provided all necessary wiring, material, and terminations, installed switch plate, and uh blank covers throughout the basement as needed. And I couldn't She's shared a link for
um her quote from Connecticut dry basement for the work, but I wasn't able to open up the link. It wasn't working on my computer. >> Tammy, did she respond to why it's been so delayed? because I feel like she's been talking about having the dry basement team since our first meeting with her. And so I'm just curious if
there was delays on there and I know obviously everyone's busy doing things um or if there was >> I think she thought that the this the water pump that she put in the basement was going to be effective enough and it wasn't and that more work needed to be
done. I guess one of the other things I probably want to um suggest is that um checking with um our building inspector. While it is acceptable per code, the pump really isn't a true sump pump. I guess it's a it's a water pump, which is
acceptable, but it's not a true sump pump. Um, so if that's something that, you know, if the work that Connecticut Dry Basins isn't doing, maybe she needs to look into something a little bit more vigorous than that water pump that's in
the basement. But I feel like we really need this to we need this to come to fruition and get all this these things um fixed. Um there's a there was a couple things still left on the inspection report like
the um uh up in the actual upstairs, not in the basement. Like one of the windows wasn't completed and there was some flashing around one of the doors that um just wasn't adequate. And then the um the
stuff around the sink is the word. Not cocking, but it's like a it's like a tape >> grout. not growl. I'm just like my words aren't really great today. >> It was sort of like a like a a rolled a rolled um
flashing around >> the seal of some sort, >> but it's like it's it's like a sticker. It's like a tape roll and it wasn't coming off. And then I think there's still one window I think we're waiting for. Um there. So these things just need to be done this month. Like let's get
them done. Let's get them over with. Um, that's kind of all I have on. >> So, we just need to motion to give them another 30-day extension. When does the um official end date for theirs? Again, I forget.
>> The 27th of April. >> Okay. So, then another 30 days would be >> May 27th. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> May. >> Yeah. >> So, now Okay. >> I was going to say obviously the weather has turned, right? like we were very
considerate of a lot of the work not being able to be done in the winter that we had. Um but it's been 6 months at this point or will be in May, right? Cuz we first met with Miss Noel in um December. So, it sounds like
um we are thinking about potentially giving one more 30-day, but with some language from Tammy um as our agent of the board of health um to communicate with Miss Noel that this is probably
going to be the end of this experience. Does that sound >> Yep. reasonable. And I was just going to say and what is the what happens if they do not comply by the end. Tammy >> depends what you want if if you want to
grant another 30 or we you know say that that we've given enough time and then if she can't do it we go to a housing court. >> Okay. >> All right. So then I motion that we give a 30-day extension
um with the caveat that if there is a need for any additional um extension that we will evaluate the progress made and how close they are to finishing before we could give them another extension >> because 30 days if if it's something that say
>> right what day did we say May 27th and >> you know they were coming they can complete something by June 1st or something like that if that is the case. >> Yeah. If the work that's not done if if the work that's done tomorrow Yeah. you
know >> or if there's work in progress even >> Y >> and it just needs a little more time. >> Yeah. But I mean if that work is supposedly being done tomorrow I mean I don't know how long if it say it's concrete work or something in the basement. Um I'm not sure exactly.
>> And that's fine. So the motion is as it is. So I think we just need to stick him then. Right. >> Yeah. Katie, could you amend that to make sure you list the end date? >> Oh, yeah. >> The 27th of May. >> The amendment would be to have it be the end date of May 27th. >> All right. I can second that motion. Um,
so the uh voted hand is to um extend the um or to provide an additional 30-day extension um for Miss Noel, a property owner at 41 Pleasant Street, East Long Meadow. Um which would end on May 27th,
2026. Um that's been motioned and seconded and we'll do a roll call vote. Christine Johnston, I Dr. Katie Jobins, I. Rebecca Torsha. >> Hi. >> Thank you, ladies. Um brings us to our next item, which is um corrective actions um at 36 Frasier Drive in East
Long Meadow in response to the January 12th, 2026 housing inspection. Um and Tammy, what do we know about updates from that property owner? >> I don't know if the property owner was going to attend today. Um but uh right after our last meeting um they h they
did have a hearing and they have a temporary order um that states that um as of and on effective as of on and after May 1st 2026 neither party shall be permit to
enter remain in or live within the former marital residence unless there is to make an improvement or move personal belongings therein. Um, so that's May May 1st. We have till May 3rd for the corrections. I'm assuming there's a The
corrections are not extensive, but they do need to be done. Um, I'm get it's going to take probably more than two days to be done. So, I would just say for, you know, to check it in with him in another 30
days to make sure that that's complete. That's really all I have on that one. >> Um Renee, is the property owner here? I'm just curious if they would like to add anything. Uh we knew Miss Noel was not going to be able to make it. >> Uh no, there's uh Mr. Sarah's not here.
>> Okay. Thank you very much. Um All right. So, uh Katie, Rebecca, any questions for Tammy on uh this particular item? >> No. Okay. Um, happy to make a motion um to
provide uh property owner uh Mr. Sarah at 36 Fraser Drive, East Long Meadow, Massachusetts um a 30-day extension which would extend to June 2nd um uh to make the corrective actions um at
their property. >> Okay, can second that. >> All right, thank you. Um, so roll call vote. Christine Johnston, I Dr. Katie Jobins, >> hi. >> Rebecca Torscha, >> I. >> All right. Thank you, ladies. Um, next
item on our agenda is a initial review um of the inter intermunicipal agreement, the IMA, for the public health excellence for shared services grant. Uh, so Tammy, I know you sent us um some of this, but if you want to kind of walk us through, that would be great.
So, I um I had put it on the agenda that it said review and vote, but um I was hoping to get it in our hands a little bit earlier uh than than yesterday. Um so, as part of our contract, um uh so
once we had our contract signed, we then did our uh letters of commitment. Um Christine signed that um to our letters of commitment to the scope of work of the PHE grant. Um and the next step is this is the intermunicipal agreement um
with the other um three the other three towns and um there are two parts that I shared. One was like the body of it and then it's exhibit B. Exhibit B, uh, the body of the the, uh,
of the IMA has some pretty generic language that the, um, program was able to give to us and, um, it went to our, our legal counsel with and so anything that they tal anything that's in red was
their um, edits. Um, but what I really need to sit a little bit longer with those edits because I sent it to I sent it back to the program um the PH program at DPH and they have um they actually have an attorney and I just wanted him
to take one last look at what our attorney said and there was a couple things that he um suggested that we kind of re-revisit um from what the edits were made with the uh our attorneys. And then I really it didn't it didn't
sit well with me to not have the other three municipalities like look at it one more time before we vote and um move it on to the next community to um agree to and sign. So um that's kind of where it
was. The thing that um we put together the four um health directors um is that's I guess less legal jargon is the exhibit B and that's
sort of like the services in terms of what we're actually kind of doing as a shared service collaborative. Um, and so that's kind of a little more
uh tailored to us and it just kind of talks about the positions of people that we're looking to that uh hire with um with this. But with l luckily with exhibit exhibit B is if some of these
things change we the entire IMA doesn't get thrown out. um we can just adopt a new exhibit if we say are like yeah we're not going to do nursing services or um if we're like we're going to add on an epidemiologist then we can at
least just we can adopt an exhibit B and not have to go through the whole IMA process again which is pretty like elaborate because after you guys vote that document is then going to go to like each legal council and each
town and they're going to add their input and then come back to us and then um our town council has to vote it in. So um learning a lot about the process along the way and it's a ton of work
which um before we move on to the next part of this like that I'll tell you about is there any questions about the IMA process that you guys might have? No.
It's uh I I think that the program at OR, Office of Local and Regional Health, they've done it so many times now that like they gave us already a good template to start off with. So I don't think there's like too too much
that we really need to add in or whatever. But so once this is signed um then we end up actually forming a um a basically like a mini form of government. Um so it would be like a
governing body um which you guys would choose your liaison to the governing party which I would assume would be me um but that would be so that will be after the IMA is in place. Um the other thing
that we're doing right now is that we already did receive half of this year's funds for fiscal 20 f 26. Um and there is only two and a half months left to the fiscal year. So, um, what we decided on as a group to
because we don't have the IMAS and none of us really feel like we want to hire a staff person until we get the IMAS place is um, we will be consulting with a contractor that is off of the um, states
contractor list and they will be doing um, sort of like initial strategic planning for us and also kind of providing sort of that like just a little bit of that coordination like um all the things I'm doing right right now are like updating our work plans and
work plan trackers and kind of keeping up with deliverables and and kind of like moving forward with that stuff for this year. Um so I'm really excited about that because it's a contractor that has worked with a lot of different public health agencies locally. So,
we're kind of familiar with the type of work they do and um they kind of I think this is a good way to start because while we had some ideas of what as our like goal for the shared
services, it would be really great to get a better sense of like what's needed in the communities um so that we can hire the right people and not just the right people but like put together the right positions that we need for the So, it's really exciting. It's very
daunting. I really want to spend this year's money down so bad. Um, so hopefully we'll get all that hashed out like we're working with contract with um the uh consultant that we chose. And um hopefully that will get
done by I know Monday's a holiday, but I said I would work Monday just to get it done. Do you guys have any questions on that? I guess at the next meeting we should have something that's uh like corrected and final and has got
rid of all the red the the the red stuff and the strikethroughs so that you guys can vote on it and get it signed and we can move it off again to the next community. Um, that's what I'll have on the shared service stuff right now. I will say that
um, the people at the office of local and regional health, they've been super helpful and like definitely trying to kind of be a good sounding board for like how to move forward with the process. So, um, I thank them very
much for it. Um, so that's that for uh for the IMA shared service stuff. >> Anyone have any questions about the process or the work plan that exhibit B? >> Um, so I would just say, you know, put
your thought once you read it. If there's anything that just doesn't sit with you or something that you think that was missed out, just let me know so we can um kind of look into it and plug it in there. >> All right. >> All right. Thank you for all that,
Tammy. Looks like health department updates. >> Updates. Um everybody's been busy. Everybody who's not on leave. Um we're counting the days for Alex to
get back. Um let's see. Uh trash and recycling. We've got um Earth Day cleanup is on May 2nd, which is the Saturday. Um the day before it, we're having the Earth fair at the um senior center. So, that's sort of in high swing
because I think that's only two weeks away from today, which doesn't feel like May should be two weeks away. Um, and one of the things that Liz and I are working on right now is um she's come up
with several different ideas for um piloting composting program uh in the town um using the the recycling dividends program grant that we get every year for our amazing efforts of recycling in this community. um e we're
thinking either could be like a pilot pickup at home or also um I want to use the words because I really think it looks cute. There's this cute um it's a cute composting. It sort of looks like a um shipping crate that they
like paint and make look just really adorable. I I don't have any other words than that. Um that is like a drop off for compost. So, those are the two we're thinking of. Either something where it's like maybe we can pilot a neighborhood or this um container if we can get one
of the departments in town to agree to put it someplace. Um but that's something that we haven't solidified, but we're looking into. Um let's see. There is a blood drive at town hall on April 22nd next week um
from 10 to 2. Let's see. um our newest um animal control officer, Katie Muzak, she has been attending um the um state's animal control academy
to become a state certified animal control officer. Um she every Thursday sends us the best photos of the animals that she gets to work with. Um, there was a I don't even know how many foot 12
foot long python and an alligator last week and uh it was a uh this week I think it was uh farm animals. So, um being able to handle and uh respond to not just uh
not just dogs in the neighborhood, which um like I said to you guys before has been very busy. Please license your dogs, leash your dogs, vaccinate your dogs,
keep them keep them uh keep them safe. Let's see. Um We've um the senior watch that we have going on uh in town, which is comprised of a
variety of different public safety departments and um townart departments, the council on aging, um greater Springfield senior services. Uh we also have a social worker. Um, I
think it's been it's been a really great um been a great um program that the town's been having. So, to kind of just be able to keep track of uh seniors who maybe have been having issues with
calling um for an ambulance uh often or maybe are just kind of looking for extra help. Um, but if you know someone who does need extra help, uh, senior, we do have a new, uh, social worker at the,
um, council on aging, Jessica Dion. Um, she started maybe a month ago and she has just, you know, jumped in head first and I think that, um, it's really kind of rounding out the program over at the senior center because we do also have a
new, um, senior center director, um, Emily Constantino. Um, so that's been going on. Um, our saddest news is that our public health nurse, Chris Buffington, um, has put in her retirement.
Um, so she will be retiring for June 1st. Um, but she's still keeping busy because I've asked her even today to go out and do in an inspection with me. Um but she just wanted to say that um she's doing a lot of collaboration with our new
outreach coordinator at um the Council on Aging. Um she's still um going to meetings um with Matt Mat um for reviewing applications for concrete housing. Um still doing lots of hands-only CPR classes and keeping her
her office hours and blood pressure clinics. um and still being our representative to the Mass Public Health Nurse Association as long as we got her. Um so we'll be very sad for have her leave, but she's an East Long Meadow resident, so we know
where to find her if we need her or just want to just want to talk to her. Um so that will be I'm working with um the council on aging director since we share that position. Um um I've been working with her to kind of come up with what's
our game plan for filling the role and uh whatnot. So hopefully we can h have some a good continuity of service um after that. Um, and I'll just It's been a busy um it's been a busy
month for me uh just with kind of keeping up with this and also uh keeping up with regular activities and keeping up with uh the inspections. Um but I've been doing a lot of different I figured I I was like give you guys a a look into
what I've been doing lately. Um, so I know I've shared that I share I'm the co-chair for the Hampton County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition. Um, and as such, I'm also um the county's rep at um the Western Mass
Public Health Advisory Group, which is a group of uh the four counties in um Western Mass, which we call that region one. We are 1D. Um and that group uh has one member from each county and we kind
of determine you know how uh public health funds should be spent in for p for emergency preparedness in Hampton County. And recently that group appointed me to be a um public health
representative to the region 1's health and medical coordinating uh coalition's um steering committee. I've only attended one meetings and and it was really just to appoint uh the new public health members
that are on it because we have two um me new members and I guess there's some backups. Um so more to come on that. So that includes both health departments and it includes um EMS and it includes hospitals. Um so that's kind of uh been uh going on
and getting busy. Um, I'm also the secretary for the Western Mass Public Health Assoc Association. Um, and we are uh we represent Western Mass, but we allow all of Massachusetts to come to any of our power hours and
trainings. Um, and it is uh while we want to focus on most areas of public health, we kind of focus instead uh we focus mainly on environmental health issues. is uh is what most of our
trainings are. And in March, we had our annual totally title five conference. Don't know who named it that, but it's for septic issues. Um so we keep busy with that. Um uh I've also
was um able to participate in the Mass Health Officers Mass Health Officers Association's mentee program and I've been paired up with the um somebody from Long Meadow which has been really nice
and I have also been uh paired up with a member of the Long Meadows East Long Meadows um bylaw review committee to review some um bylaws and I got that's what they're kind of working on doing this year and kind of cleaning up um
some of the codes. Uh so a lot of a little bit of everything lately. Um but I just kind of wanted to give you guys sort of an update on what's been going on in the health department. Um any questions, comments? >> Sounds great. Thank you for all you're
doing. Yeah. >> Been busy lately. >> It's feeling really busy lately. >> Yeah. >> And I know that I will just at some point have to kick back and >> relax hopefully next week.
>> Oh yes. For the break. Yep. >> Yeah. >> Be really good. >> Yeah. >> That down Tammy. >> I I have a real hard time saying no. I don't know if you guys have that personality trait.
Somebody comes by, hey, can you help with this? you know, and and we do a lot of that though within um within the town of Esau Meadow. You know, it's like while the health department serves as an, you know, a
compliance and enforcement role, um we also are there to help people in with the things that they're doing. like, you know, yes, we license all of our cafeterias in town, but we're also there
as fellow co-workers um to help those people who are running them. Um like so right now trying to figure out how to plan for the new high school opening um and letting the um you know getting the food service program up and running with
enough time to get the equipment in, get the employees in, have everybody trained on everything. So we're just like, okay, when do we get to go in there? Do we need hard hats when when that comes in? So that sort of stuff. And then like,
you know, yes, we regulate um uh the Pine Nolle pool and the Pineol camp, but also like how do we help them get how do we help the the parks and rec department get to where they need to be so that they are, you know, awesome and
operating on day one. Um so it's a kind of fun busy sort of time of year and I love it. I love it. I I wouldn't have it any other way except for maybe spreading it out a little bit. Oh, a little bit.
Not just on the month of April. This is crazy, but it's good. Once you get through April, I think we got it for the year. I say that now. Knock on wood. So then just for a followup, I just
realized we have to pick dates for the review of the 30-day extensions. So the what were the dates that we got for both of them? Was it April? One is going to expire on May 27th and
the other one on June 2nd. >> Okay. So, we should try to do the week of >> So, we'll need We need to be looking in May. >> Yeah. >> Would May 21st work for you guys? >> I can make it work.
>> Not really. >> No, >> actually, no. I can't gone. Okay. >> I'm already supposed to be in two places at 6. >> Yeah. Uh the the 20th work
um that is fifth grade parent open house night at Birland. >> A >> it's May is busy and I swear it's it's actually busy on the kids. It's not on me. Every single one of these things is like art show at Maple Shade parent
night. Like >> there's a soccer game and par and art show at the same time. We've already asked the coach to move like it's one of those. >> What about May 26th? Nope. >> Um I can learn how to use the webinar
feature, but I am allowing Renee, our technical extraordininaire, to take that week off. I'm like I I could learn that week how to how to manage that panel or beg.
>> I can do May 18th. >> I will have to see if that's a school committee week or not. >> So they are every other could we do it's got to be before Memorial Day because of the 27th.
Correct. Yeah. Yeah. What about May 19th? >> The 18th is my birthday. I just Sorry. >> Happy early birthday. >> Thank you. >> I
Does Does Does the 19th work? I can see if it's been taken or if that's >> I can do the 19th. Katie, what about you? My son has a baseball game at 5:45 that starts and goes till 7:45. >> Yep. >> All right.
>> What like what time do you guys like is there like is there >> I work until 5 day. >> I work until 5 that day. >> Oh, okay. >> I just quickly checked the webinars. It looks like planning has a meeting um on
the 19th from 6:00 to 7th. Okay. Can we do actually on the 27th? >> No, because Ellie has the school play. >> It's non These kids are non-stop in May. I feel like we have practices I can get out of. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Practices. I'm I'm fine to turf,
but I'm Yeah. The school play is gonna going to be the death of me. >> So four weeks from today is the 14th. One, two, three. If you guys wanted to >> I mean 13
shabberoning senior trip. >> Okay. >> Unless you want me FaceTime or zooming in from the socks game that night. I could do the 14th a little earlier. >> I'm in for that. >> Yep.
>> Can we do like 4:30? >> That's fine. 4:30. Okay. >> I will block my work calendar so no one puts anything in there. Four out of five is left. >> So 4:30 on the 14th. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Because Thursday is usually not
typically a day that we have to worry about the everybody else taking these meetings, >> right? >> Yeah, that's that that works. I don't mind getting it done before dinner.
I know my I hope hopefully mine's ready downstairs. >> Okay, great. >> Thank you everyone that finding time. This May is hard with the kids schedules. I know. and and the school schedules and the work and the work schedules and you're all very busy
people. So, um thank you for that. Uh we will plan on that. Um is there anything else before we have a motion to adjurnn? >> I don't think so. Great. >> Okay.
I can make that motion to adjourn tonight's meeting. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Um, and so roll call vote to adjourn the meeting. Christine Johnston, I Dr. Katie Jobins. >> Hi, >> Rebecca Torscha. >> Hi. >> All right, everyone. See you on May 14th.
>> Take care. by now.