Uh this is the board of health meeting on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026. It is 4:42 p.m. and we are in the Harvard conference room. Any person may make a video or audio
recording of an open session of a meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium subject to reasonable requirements of the chair as to the number, placement, and operation of equipment used so as not to interfere with the conduct of the meeting. Any person intending to make such recording
shall notify the chair for their all documents and exhibits used or reference at the meeting must be submitted and duplicate to the chair as they become part of the meeting minutes. Any public comments? There's nobody here.
Um, and we will review minutes later in the meeting when Jeff gets here. So, if we could start with the department update. >> Sure. Uh, so for staffing on the health director, we did a new uh you did a new cycle of interviews uh last week. Next
steps of the revised hiring proc I have no words to say process will be discussed in the executive session after this meeting. uh transfer station supervisor. I interviewed two candidates. The current attendant was promoted to supervisor um back at the
beginning of February. The attendant position has also been filled and he will be starting next week. Um we lost administrative assistant the first week of February, but I've already hired somebody and she has already started. Um I've conducted four preliminary phone
interviews and screened the applicants, completed two inerson interviews and um that she started last week. We also have new administrative coordinator parttime in the office. So I did two preliminary phone interviews to screen the applicants and I completed two inerson
interviews and now she started yesterday. Um landfill repairs to leja pump and collection system continues. CEC reviewed and approved the initial submitts for their payment for the first phase. Um,
and the lea is still being pumped by a truck, but it's been much less frequent. There has been a heavy flow of the lea. I don't know if this can the cold weather is causing that. I don't know how it works. Um, but luckily we are not pumping as frequently. Um, and Eric and
Brian are continuing to observe those levels. Um, we are still waiting to hear back from Keller partners on the erosion the cap landfill for ground opportunities. Um, I'll let you know when I hear back from them. At the transfer station, um, I just want to
bring up this one. We have an old scale house that's down there. Had previously been used as the office for the supervisor. Um, it's no longer fit for use. It has a lot of holes. It's got some rodents. It's had some um,
challenges with it smells. Um, it's I'm going to condemn it. Yeah, it's going to be done. So, um I'm exploring a few different ideas, create a new space for the supervisor. I'm meeting with a contractor next week to see about um building out a room in
the equipment barn just uh it's a really large barn. We put our loader and our skid steer in there, but he could kind of maybe have an office in the corner that we would frame out and put a roof on so we could have some heat in there. Or um I'm also looking at a used portable container office. So, I'm going
to kind of compare those two things. get with the mayor and speak to him about that. Um, we last the last project we need down at the transfer station to be compliant with the OSHA state plan is to add a few more safety railings near the rolloff
containers. Um, I have a quote for that. I'm going to requesting funding for that in the 27 budget. Solid waste contract with Eel Harvey is still in process. Um, I was actively updating that contract today. I sent it to purchasing for review. Then we'll
send it to the mayor for review. Then I'll send it to y Harvey for review. And then we will hopefully sign it. Um septic systems. We had five new systems that were in various stages of reviewing construction throughout the month. Uh three letters of non-compliance since our last meeting.
Systems. Uh those just I get those title five reports get submitted to the office. I review them. If the system fails, I send out a letter. uh housing uh complaints were surprisingly low in January and February. Um so no new condominations.
Uh the bed bug infestation, they had another treat January 28th. Eric's still continuing to follow that case. Um I believe the the occupant has moved on to another housing situation. I don't know if she's intending to move back. Um
but we're not going to remove the condemnation until the property manager/owner does all of the remediation that needs to be done in there. Uh food establishment, we had one suspected foodborne illness complaint was reported to the MPHN epidemiologist
so she could interview the person and conduct her surveillance. Uh no connected cases were reported. There were also um three other food establishment complaints just like one was no gloves, one was somebody eating from the fries.
Uh Eric conducted site visits while I was on vacation to um address the concerns the residents reported with the management and no tobacco violations. Prevention coordinator is planning this year's health fairs at uh GHS and G and
those will be in midappril. and she's also working on planning the purple pause event later this year. >> That's it. >> Um business. So the open meeting law complaint um is essentially closed at
this point. It is from um a state perspective closed. The last thing we need to do at the end of the meeting today um is just go through the executive session minutes that we have to publish and approve um to be compliant with that. But um in terms of the advisory and everything that is
finished um in reviewing the question with Vinnie about the language in the statement about appointment versus hiring, he says they're interchangeable. So he didn't have any concerns about needing to update that in any way.
>> Um Mass DPH issued a fish consumption advisory for Kendall Pond on December 18th related to mercury levels. I believe I said lead at the last meeting. I apologize. Um, that had been posted at city hall, the health department, the PACC, and Lithuanian clubs. At the last
meeting we met, I said we would going to send out a mailing to all of the abutters, and that has been done. Um, medication is Lyn Sharps. Chief Macken actually discovered that we were in contract for the current supplier. So,
we are stuck in that until April 27. We're going to explore joining the service that the MKHM uses next spring. Public health emergency preparedness. Um I finalized the allhazard public health response plan framework that was
sub submitted to MIMA uh back at the middle of January. And I just want to make sure I thank Paul Taposki, our civil defense director, our former board of health member Susan Avalone, and Emma Chaitton for all of their collaboration on getting that project completed.
>> Thank you for all of your work on that. You spent many hours on it and it came out wonderfully. >> Thank you. Um, for new business, did anybody have any other old business? >> Um,
anything on fencing site for today. >> I didn't put it on the agenda for today. I'll put it on for next time. >> And then um we have one other item on old business which um it's March um which was the month where my interim
chair time was set to be re-evaluated. Um, I will say I feel comfortable continuing if you would like me to, but I'm also happy to turn that over to anybody if you would like. So, >> congratulations.
>> I will keep going if that's the best. >> Excellent job. >> Do we need to make a motion? >> Yes. Um, so I'll take a motion um to vote for >> make a motion to continue you as our chairperson. >> Great. And all in favor?
I'll post them. >> Thank you. >> No, this can be when we're done. >> Yes. Um the other thing we have to do that is required um for all the boards and commissions with the exception of a couple is we actually also have to elect
a vice chair. Um and so we were supposed to do that in January and then our meetings were delayed. So, um, I'm okay with deferring that today if there's think about, but it's really easy just to back up in case I can't.
>> Are we on track to have five members on this board or is that something that's still being discussed or are we back to being a two member board? >> It's still um, we are a five member board and I don't think that's going to change in terms of what the goal is.
That was voted on by the city and sort of put into place. I've reached out to a few nurses in the community that I know. Um, but I think it's a hard hard sell sometimes. So, not making a lot of meaningful progress, but continuing to
reach out and see who might be out there. Um, because we do at least need a nurse um, which would make a number. >> And I mean, we can't be choosy choosy, but if you could choose someone with a public health background, like Sue is amazing at that. I don't have that kind
of experience, so that would be really great. >> Yeah. So, we'll keep looking. >> Um I I do have a former employee of mine who works at CHC, so it's not directly
public health related, but she does work in the community setting um for nursing. And so, I can follow up with her. I didn't get a direct yes or no, but she was interested at least at first. So, I'll check in again. Um, and then just generally if we have anybody else that might be a good fit
regardless of what they do, we have that extra extra opening as well. If you know anybody, >> okay, or you or anyone in the department knows anyone. >> I'm just going to maybe put in um talk to the mayor, see if he wants to see if any of the school nurses might want to
be part. >> Yeah, I know. We asked about one and I don't think she was available, but I'll see um if there are other people that we have four school. >> Um, so yeah. Uh, are you okay with me if we
defer the vice chair to the next meeting and maybe see if we can make some progress? >> All right. So, moving on to new business. Mass DPH issued a clinical advisory in January about influenza. Um number of cases across the country were
very high. Recommendations included staying up to date on flu and COVID vaccines, washing your hands frequently, stay at home when sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and to consider wearing masks in crowded indoor settings. um gastrointure sorry gastrointestinal
illness outbreak advisor also issued in January regarding increased instances in healthcare facilities and that was overseen by mass DPH division of epidemiology and the facilities listing agencies. I believe they have lifted that one. Has anybody seen anything about that
recently as I updates? Okay. Um, we submitted the RDP grant, which is our recycling dividends program on February 13th, and hopefully we'll get a nice award for that this summer. Uh, the spring sustainable materials recovery
programs grant will be opening on April 1st. Um, the city needs to update our buy recycled policy. Um, now it's going to be known as the sustainable purchasing policy. And there's an optional um environmental preferable product
sustainable procurement policy that we might be um implementing. So I'll be working with that with purchasing over the next few months. Um FY27 budget, I'm working on it a little bit slowly. And uh we're also
working on a department digit digitization uh project to get all of the department's records scanned. Um the whole city hall wants to do that. Health department might be going first because we have public health excellent funds available to us. Um and then we'll look
for grants for some of the other departments through other resources. That's all I got. All right. Anything else from either members? And then we'll move on um to going over
the minutes. We have um three sets of minutes um from regular sessions and then we have the three um executive session minutes as well. Um, so starting with November 24th, 2025
I'll make a motion to accept Second >> in favor to accept minutes from November 24th, 2025 that Right. Next set of minutes is for Monday, December 29th, 2025.
There's a little typer typo under housing. Is that supposed to say quiet or quite something on the second page down? Oh, I think >> quiet >> quiet
thing. >> I can update that typo. >> Yeah, >> before I file it, but if you want to sign the current version, it's on a separate page. So, >> work with that.
a different pond with the mercury levels today. >> No, >> no. I just wanted to verify that it was mercury and not lead. I said lead during the meeting. >> Okay. >> So, get on the record. >> Okay. I don't because I wasn't there. Right.
>> All right. Um, can I have a motion to accept the minutes from December 29th? >> All in favor to accept those minutes. Moving on to our special meeting on Thursday, January 8th, 2026. I'm sorry. January 8th.
>> I have a motion to approve that construction. Second to accept the minutes from January. And the next um set is the executive session starting with November 12th, 2025. >> Make a motion to approve.
Second that in favor to approve minutes from November 12, 2025. Oh, >> so >> so maybe you should have made that motion, I guess. >> Sorry.
>> I will take a new vote. All in favor to accept those minutes from November 12th. >> I I November 19th. I will make a motion to approve for November 19th. >> I'll second that. All
>> in favor to accept November 19th. I And lastly, November 25th, I'll make a motion to approve those minutes that favor. Thank you. >> I did have I'm sorry to interrupt. Uh I
did get something on the re business uh suspected for Tessa case. We did have a report from Victoria that there was a suspected fatsus case. They sent the test out to um the clinic sent the test out to a a regular lab. They didn't send out to the state lab. So, it took a little while to come back, but it was
negative. >> Oh, sure. >> Yep. >> Okay. So, yes, we could set a meeting date for our next regular meeting. That would be great. thinking the end of March or um into
April because we're kind of off. >> Yeah. Um I'm going to be pretty much unavailable for the second half of April. So if we wanted to kind of keep on a monthly cadence, I could do early in April.
>> Yeah, early April would be better for me. I may be March, but if we come to April, do that. >> Um I could do the 6th or the 13th. The six will work better for me. >> Six is better. Yeah, let's do that. I can always move things around.
>> Do you have an issue with the six? I might be able to do the 13th if I had to. >> Pulling it up here, but I don't think so. It's far enough out that >> just the day after Easter in case anybody's traveling for Easter. >> It's just the day after Easter. If anybody's traveling for Easter, just
want to mention that. >> For me, anyway, not going anywhere. All right. So, Monday, April 6th. And I will take a motion um to adjourn regular session to transition to executive session.
>> Motion to second.