Good evening everyone. It's 7:03 on July 20th, 2026 and we're starting the board of health meeting. So, call to order 703. That's number one. Number two is citizen speak.
Is there anyone that would like to participate in citizen speak? And I don't see anybody that has entered the room. So, we'll move on to number three, approval of the minutes. And we have four sets of minutes to approve tonight, April 13th,
April 30th, May 6th, and June 1st. And uh if if you would board take uh the April 13th minutes and take a look at those and let me know if you have anything you'd like to change or correct edit. April 13th.
>> I read them earlier. It's fine with me. >> Same here, Caroline. I read them and they they're fine to me as well. I wasn't on the board yet. So, so um >> so I move to I I move to um
>> accept the minutes and Mary seconds. All in favor? >> I That's great. That's approved. Okay, we're going to move on to the April 30th meeting minutes.
Take a look at that board. Again, I have no problems with them. >> I read it as well, Caroline, when you dropped it off. It's okay. >> Yep. No, no comments either on my own.
Okay. Okay. Um, so I move to accept the minutes. >> A second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. The next one is the May 6th meeting minutes.
>> Again, I have no problem with them. >> Same here. It's fine with me. >> Okay. Um, so I move to accept the minutes. >> I'll second.
>> All in favor? I >> I. Great. >> Okay. Now, the last one is the June 1st meeting minutes. >> Fine with me. Do you have any problems? >> Looks good. >> Okay. >> So, I'll um move to accept these. Make a
motion to accept these minutes. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> Thank you for approving the minutes. Moving along to number four is 464 Granite Aybrow
Microlading by Nurmala from Narian uh Malroy PMU. She's requesting a variance regarding a mopsync discussion and potential vote to approve. And um I'll just remind the board and Deborah wasn't
here for this is that we had um two other establishments. It was a Dr. eyebrow many years ago and recently John Totty scalp designs. Neither one of those had a um mopsync at the establishment. So when Carolyn and I
went to um see this new establishment, we realized there's no mopsync there either. And previously we had allowed um Mr. Totty at Scalp Designs and Dr. eyebrow to use a Swiffer instead of having the mop sink in their
establishment. And they could use the Swiffer on the ground if there was any blood or bodily fluid that like happened to splash on the floor, which would probably be rare. Um that they could use the whipper, pick it up, and then put it
into the biohazard bag, the red bag, and dispose of it properly. Does board have any questions about that? So, it was approved before in two other establishments that they could do this. >> I don't have any questions. I'm um fine
with approving this scene as we've done it twice before. So, my Yeah, I'm fine with it, too. My question really is about sort of standard practice. So, um, what would be a circumstance where we
would require it? And should we just remove it? Should it just be removed from the requirement in the rags or should we keep it in and continue to make exceptions as needed? It's just kind of a standard practice
question. So it is in our regulations that they have to have this and I think the regulations probably came from another town because every town can make their own regulations according to these microlading
um requests that are coming in. So we probably copied it from like Cambridge and it must have been in there about the mop sinks. So um you know we've only had two now this is the third one that's opening um to realize wait a minute
there is no um mop sync in the establishment and then then we said okay you you're allowed to go for a variance and so you can use the swiper instead. So those are the regulations that we have in place and they're in the plan
review too. So when we go in and we look at the establishment, we notice either they have it the um they have the mop sink or they don't. So maybe the next one will have the mop sink, but I'm not sure. >> Well, maybe maybe we could amend it to say a mop sink and or use of a swift,
you know, some so that people don't have to come in for variance. >> We could do that >> unnecessarily. >> So we can take a take a look at the regulations. Laura, that's a good idea. >> Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Now,
Caroline, another question. I just can should I wait a minute or should I lower my hand? I'm just going to do that. Um, how about the biohazard bag? Like, do they have a contract with a company that picks those up and where is that kept?
>> I'm going to let Nurmala speak to that, but yes, she does have a company that comes. Mala, do you want to um answer uh Mary's question? >> Um yes, I do have a Meadow X waste company to come in to pick some pick
things up when it's filled. And doing microb blading is actually you won't be seeing things flatter to the floor. It's just like on your eyebrows. There's not much coming out of your eyebrows, >> right? >> Thank you for answering that.
>> You're welcome. Do we have any more thoughts or should we I'll move to uh grant the variance regarding the mopsync? >> I'll second that.
>> All in favor? I >> I >> What do we do with the rec? What do we do with the recommendation to tweak the regulation language? >> So, I could bring that up at another board meeting if you want. You guys can
look at it. >> Yeah, that's a good idea. >> Yep. So, I could do that. >> Okay. >> Look at the regulations and see them for yourselves. >> Put that as a no. >> Thank you for >> businesses. >> Okay. How's everything going, Amala?
It's going good. I just um started, but I haven't clients yet because I just opened. I'm starting to do like promotion and stuff going on. >> I'm just waiting for you guys to come down and have something done your eyebrows. [laughter] >> A beautiful shot there. Beautiful.
Really, really nice. >> Thank you. >> I hope you do well. >> Thank you, >> Nurmala. Wishing you the best of luck. >> Thank you guys. Thanks for approving my variance. >> Well, thank you. Okay, good luck. >> Thank you.
>> Take care. Okie do. All right. Um, let's see. Now, we're moving on to number five. Board of Health Medical Advisor Roxan must discussion and vote to have Roxanne
continue in this role as she signs all our standing orders for the medications, emergency orders, and vaccines. U board of health medical advisor Roxan must do discussion and vote to appoint her to continue serving in this
volunteer position. And um I did a little background um history about this position too that I'd like to share with the board um and I looked through some of our meeting minutes that um in November 18th uh 2013
Roxanne MTO suggested to have Dr. campon um via the medical advisor for the board of health. Now, he was her pediatrician for her kids, so she knew him and um this was discussed at a board meeting that she was going to ask him to
volunteer for the position. This was November 18th. So, I looked back at the minutes and there was no formal vote taken to appoint him. was just an internal discussion about it uh because this is a volunteer position and he he did say
that he would come on as the medical advisor and Dr. Campion stepped down. He resigned on January 10th, 2022. And at that time in 2022, Roxan said that she'd continue in that
role because she's a nurse practitioner. And she said to me, because I said like, who's going to be signing all our paperwork? And she said, "Oh, I'll continue on." And um I will sign all the paperwork that needs to be done. She said she's up to date with our licenses.
She has her license to prescribe medications and also help us with our um our emergency orders, our state vaccine program. She has to sign as a medical director for that. She's been doing that since 2022. She signed the prescriptions for the
EpiPens, over-the-counter medications. Um and and it's it has been like an internal process. Um, we're happy that Roxanne volunteered to continue on doing this and she's been doing it since uh Dr. Camponi left in 2022.
Um, but we'd like to make it more formal, have a formal vote to have Roxan continue to sign these medical orders because we need somebody to sign the orders. And she agreed to do this. She said, "Yes, I I will agree to stay on
and be the medical adviser." She's been doing it for the four years and um you know was a recommended that yes we should vote for this. We should formalize this. We we hadn't formalized it with Dr. Camponi. We never formalized anything. It's kind of been just like an
internal discussion with the board of board of health members. This is a volunteer position. No one's getting paid for it. We're just volunteering to do this. So, I'd like to open it up um to have some discussion and then a vote.
>> Well, I don't have any problem with Roxan. Um when when do we need this? Like when do we need orders signed usually? So usually um around September we get the vaccine and then um we have
to have it all everything signed and an internal signing too like we submit paperwork into it's called like MIS it's it's a a registry of all the um towns that that do the vaccines we do vaccines
so >> we have to internally put in papers to say like that we have a medical adviser. I think she signs it actually as a medical director to say like yes, we have this person in place. We have to say that we have to have this. It's
called an a 2025 and she signed it in 243. It's a 2025 agreement to comply with the state vaccine program and the state vaccine program is for the children. So we get vaccine from the state for the children. We also purchase
vaccine from Senobi. So, we need to have that done because the flu clinics are coming up in about a minute. Yeah. Start planning for that. >> So, it's important to get it done. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Does anyone have any
else to add? >> No. I think Roxanne could continue to sign orders. Okay. >> Um, well, I'll make a motion to >> Oh, well, I' I'd like >> Oh, I'm sorry.
>> I just was I was letting Mary go first. Um, first of all, let me just say, um, I never formally said this at the last meeting because Mary, you weren't there and I wanted to make sure we were all here. So Roxanne um serves the board for a really long time and I just wanted to
thank her for that and this is one more thing she's volunteering to do and I wanted to thank her for offering to do that as well even to continue even after not being on the board. So I just want to thank her. I think civic engagement's really hard and volunteering is really
hard as you all know and she's done it for so many years and regardless of positions or whatever it doesn't matter it's it's hard work. So I just want to thank Roxan for all her years of service and in that vein thank her for
volunteering to continue doing board of health related work um even after she's not on. It's so I I just want to acknowledge and appreciate her and thank her for doing that. So, um I also did some um digging. Uh I
didn't have much time because as you all know, we just got the minutes, you know, maybe one or two business days ago and then we have the meeting tonight. So, um I did some quick digging also. Um and um
I the as you said the previous medical adviser was Dr. Kempon. Um he served for eight years from 2012 to 2020. So um I realize this may or may not be lining up with
some of the dates, but this is sort of some of my digging I came up with um until he stepped down. And um I actually had the pleasure to chat with him because I'm still learning the ropes here even though I've been watching meetings for years. Um I'm still
learning the ropes. So and I actually also my my I my pediatrician's office also is where he practiced for many years. So, so I I know him and I I um called him and picked his brains and
asked him for his experience and what he recalls was the process for being appointed and he actually recalls um being appointed by the select board and he remembers submitting a letter of interest and he remembers submitting his credentials and his resume. And then
later when he resigned, he was asked to submit a letter of resignation to the town clerk when he sat down to make it official. Um, and so what I was going to recommend is, and Caroline, I I actually agree with you. I do think we should
make it formal. I I I I'm glad you feel that way. I I agree with you. Um, so what I would like to recommend is that we follow the standard practice for appointments of medical advisors previously. um and volunteer
appointments in general. So, if it did go through the select board, I actually tried to um Google it and look at a excuse me, AI it and I went to the website and the town website and it looks like the town minutes don't go
back before 2016. So, I wasn't able to find documentation from 2012. Um and so what I'm going to recommend is um we
follow if if the appointment process that select board does routinely which is ask for letters of interest and credentials and resume and uh it would be great if Roxanne wanted to continue as a
volunteer in that position until we're able to open it up for a transparent and public process and then she can apply and you know maybe she'll be it anyway but I just want to get um sort of the the public transparency formal standard
operating procedures of how you do appointments. Now I don't know if the board of health can do that vetting and receive the letters or if it has to be the select. We might have to ask town council. Um because there were uh a handful or several I don't know how many
medical adviserss I don't how many years going back. I know there was one prior to uh Dr. Campion which Caroline you guys you all probably remember. So there must have been some standard practice. So um that is my recommendation. And um I have
a couple of questions. one is um uh if if there's a job description for it uh that exists or if we would have to create that volunteer job description. And the other is that you said that there's an that she had signed an
agreement that the medical adviser signs an agreement to comply with state vaccine programs for children. And I'm wondering if that agreement applies to adult vaccine protocols as well for the state. Um Carol um answer [clears throat] some
of that first. Um Mary. >> Yeah. And then I have a couple of other things to say after you answer that. >> So it doesn't apply to adult vaccine. Not this agreement that I'm talking about. That's just only for children. So that agreement that we send into the state. Uh there is no standard practice
and we don't have any formalization um regarding you're talking about job descriptions and stuff like that. We've never done something like that to my knowledge. We didn't have anything like this for Dr. Camponi. He just volunteered to be the medical adviser.
You said that the select board, he sent his resume and things to the select board, but the select board doesn't oversee the board of health. The board of health is a separate entity. So the select board does not the select board is separate from the board of health.
The board of health can make regulations. They can make appointments on their own and the select board would never have been involved >> involved into it because the health is their own entity. >> So you think he was mistaken?
>> I think he probably sent it in to the the health department, but I don't remember him doing that. I didn't find anything like that. Um I I looked around the miss, but I didn't see it. Um did he send it someplace else? I don't know. But yeah, I know they he wouldn't have
sent it to the select board because they're their own separate. >> Go ahead, Mary. >> That makes sense. So I I was going to just finish one more thought. Um and then um I'll I'll stop. Um the other thing I want to say is that it was
actually really interesting to chat with him because his role entailed much more than just signing uh papers. He said that he also advised on medical topics like um when BEu did the um airplane uh
pollutant study. Uh he said he chimed in he attended board of health meetings that you guys dropped off packets for him and he attended meetings and he said he also chimed in around COVID best practices and so um he was saying he actually from time to time would chime
in. So that's I I'm so just the two things it would be really good to um get just a job description of the expectation and also to go through uh and to and to go through a transparent public process where we request letters
of interest and get credentials and and resume and then the board because it sounds like um maybe he was mistaken and it just went through the board and then the board of health can vote on it. Um, and of course Roxanne is welcome to continue um, you know, submit a letter
of interest. So, um, I I do think it would be a good idea just to kind of open it up um, to the town. So, go ahead, Mary. >> Okay. Now, Roxan's role as the medical adviser doesn't expire because we had a
new a new appointed board. Her Dr. Companion or whomever like Roxanna's been on a continuum and so was you know when just because there was a new election we didn't get a new
person it they they continued to do it they >> right >> filled their role before and they did it in a competent way in their it's it's on a continuum there's no expiry
>> right I I understand what you're saying. Um >> yeah, it was just internally um we would have to volunteer internally. >> Yeah. And it was just we we we said you're it and it continued on until they
said I don't want to be it anymore. So there wasn't there wasn't any >> he's my pediatrician too and um he he retired so he was given up his medical license so he could no longer you know sign
>> he's no longer has his medical license and he just volunteered to just retire you know he was retiring purely he's like I'm just really retiring and it was like oh please don't But, you know, he did and that's kind of why he couldn't
con, you know, he he couldn't sign or advise anymore, >> right? >> Um, Caroline, can you say more about the document to support the state vaccine uh standard practices for children uh
but not adults? Is there a separate document she signed for adults or or just there's no s there's no agreement to support the adult statewide standards. >> So I'd have to really dig that out
Deborah to find it [laughter] some >> Yeah. >> Well, no. Is it does the state give us the vaccine for the kids? >> They do after after you sign this agreement. So, >> but we buy the but we buy the others.
So, we're probably not required to sign anything, >> right? We buy others, but if they said like I can't buy vaccine, you'd have to have someone who has those those um >> credentials, you know, these credentials.
>> Um yeah, so that's why she can she can do that. >> Wait, I'm sorry. Are you saying that the state gives the town of Milton vaccines for the kids, but we have to buy the ones for adults?
>> Yes. >> And is there anywhere where the medical advisor has to sign just in general that they'll uphold the the state standards in general? >> Yes. Not not not I mean all public health practice state like what is the
language for that? >> So I'm trying to understand your question. Can you repeat it? >> The nurse standards practice act that covers all all nurses. It's it's a law. >> She don't know. So, you're saying that she
signed a document agreeing as a medical adviser and that all our medical adviserss signed a document saying they'll uphold the state standards of vaccine protocol for children, right? Because we're getting it from the state. In any of her documents, does it say
that she'll uphold just general vaccine practices for adults and children in her role in general or just general state recommended public health practices in general? >> Well, oh, I'm sorry. Go on.
>> Like, what do I should say? What So, what other documents has she signed? >> Well, she signs for the adult vaccines, too, doesn't she? It's not. >> She signs standing orders for all the vaccines >> for the orders. >> And we have to have the standing orders
and I told you last week like emergency orders or EpiPen. She can prescribe the EpiPen because if someone had a reaction, we could give them an EpiPen. So, she has to sign all the orders. >> Yes. >> So, the So, I apologize. Um, thank you
for walking me through this. So she so the medical advisor doesn't have to sign when they take on the role unrelated to the specific issue of vaccines because actually the role is much larger than that as I mentioned they also advise on
co you know they he advised on COVID practices and the um the pollutant study that BEu did around um airplane um you know emissions. So it's a bigger role. So, I'm just curious what are there are
there forms that the medical advisor signs where they say they'll uphold state standards around public health best practices just in general. It's just kind of a higher level question. >> So, they I don't recall Roxy didn't sign anything like that or
Dr. Camponi. >> No. >> Well, also Dr. Camponi when he would give his opinion >> we didn't have to follow it that was just you know he was not a voting member of the board so and there were times
when we did not follow it um just you know >> I remember one time during co >> in the gym wanting to stay open and and um but he's not a voting the medical adviser cannot vote and we don't have to
accept any of their advice. >> Yes. >> Yeah. It's really it's really their point is really to sign the orders, >> right? >> Okay. Got it. Thank you. That's very helpful actually. Um so maybe I should
reframe the question. Are there any forms other than this vaccine thing that a the medical advisor signs as an agreement of best practices when they become the medical adviser? Are there any forms in general other than that one
agreement around the children's vaccines? >> I think their code of ethics for their profession, like I said, the nurse standard practice act covers you on what you're saying. I think I'm pretty sure. >> Okay. It's a it's a state law. Like it's
a big long document. >> Um and all nurses have to abide by it. >> Okay. So, let's move on. But I think part of my recommendation is going to be is that we as you say Caroline, I love
that that we formalize this and that we ask for we open it up. We create a job description and we actually like hear moving forward. I know we haven't had any process or protocol in the past and it's been sort of informal within the board of health, but I think what I
would recommend is that we create um a more formal process um at you know at some point in the future the the current person whether it's you know however many years that might be we're going to need to change it. So my recommendation
would be as part of that that we work on what that would entail. So, it might entail a letter of interest. It might entail credentials and a resume. It might entail signing forms that you'll uphold standing practices for the state of Massachusetts. You know, that that
kind of thing. And then it's transparent and open and anyone who's interested could apply sort of thing. And it might be that and I actually am open to the idea of Hurst continuing to serve in the role until we do some more formal process. It's fine with me. I
just am I think before we did that maybe Caroline you could talk to town council because if we're doing that does that make it more of a role um legally and you know does I I just
don't know if it's acceptable under that [clears throat] um if it by having a written job description and accept like it's one thing to okay a resume and say okay that looks But I don't know that it's necessary to have a job description. They're not an
elected official. They're not getting paid. They're >> rightunting. >> We have an advanced practitioner. >> Sorry. >> We have people that volunteer at on our flu clinics and we don't say, "Send me a job description."
>> Right. >> Yeah. They just and I I don't know it's if it's going to I I just wouldn't do anything without checking with town council because um it could just open a can of worms. Who knows?
>> And we've never done it before, >> right? Um that would be great to check because um although I I really I appreciate that it there hasn't been a process or protocol before but it's always sort of good practice to put them in place. So
then whoever whenever there's a turnover there's just a standard practice um um um um to do it. Also, as I said, I think an expectation of the role should be written out um because as I said, it's
not just the flu clinic. It's it's advising on other um topics that might come up like a pandemic or, you know, airplane pollution, that kind of thing. So, it is sort of a bigger role based on my conversation with him. And the truth
is it it you know we could uh anyway so yeah that's just my recommendation. Well, at this point I think um why don't we vote well I'm inclined to vote um Roxan
in now and you if you could check with town council on whether th those things are necessary um because then it may open a can of worms that you have to do it for every volunteer position and it would be very time consuming
um and then we can look at what other towns are doing and go from there. But it but for now we need a medical director right now and I
think we should take a vote on that now because we'll need it for September. We don't generally meet in August. So, I'm going to make a motion to appoint >> Well, hang on. I just want to make one
more comment. Sorry. Um, actually, I just want to really clarify my request. I I this I'm not asking for um a written protocol and process for every volunteer. I'm only requesting that we create one just for the medical advisor
position and no others. So, I don't think it'll snowball. >> Very specific request, >> right? But I just want to make sure and that's why she'd be checking with town council that it wouldn't by doing that wouldn't require her to do it for any volunteer like for the flu clinics and
what have you. >> And and if town council says it's really better to do it for every volunteer then it's probably um prudent to follow town council and instead of not doing a protocol for anybody, >> right? But I think no, but I think if
you do it for one, you may have to do it for all, opening up an unnecessary amount of work for some who's volunteering at a flu clinic. And it's just always best to check with town council. >> Yes. Agreed. Agreed. But if town council
suggesting it, then it's not unnecessary. You know what I mean? Anyway, but we can we can explore it and we don't have to >> It is legal counsel. So, I respect what you say, Laura, and >> well, I just want to make sure and
>> I think um at this point we should >> Yeah. Agree. >> The last comment I'll make is just to say that Roxanne was doing that in her position as a board of health member and she's no longer a board of health
member. And so I think there does need to be a transition demarcation because I'm like why was it on the agenda if if if like why now then? And I think the reason is because she's no longer on the board. So there needs to be like a voter
discussion to make it more formal. And so it's not it's not just >> we never voted on we never voted on Dr. Compeni either and he um he wasn't on the board. So this has been going on for time in memorial
>> in >> No, right. >> Exactly. But I'm saying why now then? Why? Then why is it on the agenda tonight then? >> Because we're formalizing it. >> We're talking about it and formalizing. We're going to vote on it. So in two years from now, you would say, "Why is
Roxan still still signing things?" >> Oh, because we need those signed. We need them signed for the flu clinics for our standing orders. So, we need to put this on the board meeting. So, we're formalizing it.
>> Right. So, what I'm suggesting is that the reason we're formalizing it is because she's no longer on the board and that the medical advisor role, she was serving as a volunteer while she was on the board and she's no longer on the board. So, um there is a transition
period. The other thing is I looked up on the town website and it doesn't list her as the medical adviser and I looked up on the previous couple of years um or the previous the the most recent um annual report Caroline that you wrote
and posted on the website. Um and it doesn't list her as the as the medical adviser either either which sort of gives more credence that if this was really very informal and so I'm suggesting that we do formalize it. So, I'm I really appreciate you having the
opportunity to have the discussion. I really do appreciate that. >> Yeah. So, we'll formalize it now. I move to um >> to appoint Roxan Mto as the medical adviser for the board of health. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? I
>> I don't agree. I not I if if it's not temporary, I'll I'll vote yes if it's temporary until we put in place um letter of interest and all of that like a proper uh more formal
>> uh because I I we're voting informally and so I'm requesting to consult with town council first. You would you had suggested this to consult with town council. So I'm wondering if we can hold off on this vote until we consult with town council maybe and we vote on it
next meeting. We'd have to reconvene on another meeting and just we just voted on it. So in >> Well, I I didn't I didn't vote. I didn't >> No, I know you didn't, but Laura had
said you'll defer to town council and get >> So, we voted and then we're going to defer to town council. I was hoping we could >> Well, then we town council and then vote. >> No, >> no. the I was referring to talking to
town council about setting up a job description and requirements and what have you. And um that's all. Um but I I think we do need
to appoint one before September and this is our only opportunity to do it. um it can go forward in a two to one vote. I mean >> that's true. I'm happy to meet next week. I'm happy to meet anytime in the next um or this week even um after town
council has been um consulted. I'm also happy to vote in support of her being the >> um t the the um acting uh advisor until we can get a more formal process in place.
So that's my So so you're a no on voting it in then. So but two to one makes Roxy and then if when we speak with town council he determines there's some sort of problem then we'll have to reassess.
>> Sure. I I don't agree with the process and the order, but I respect um the the vote and >> and I appreciate her volunteering even though she's not on the board anymore. >> Okay, great. Well, thank you and we'll
see what happens. But as of now, she is our medical director advisor. Advisor. Thank you. Can we also agree to work on a job description or you're saying that? >> Well, let's talk to town council and see
what happens and see, you know, we just and then we can do that. >> So, if town council says we don't need a formal process or we don't need a job description, can we as a board um discuss having a job description even
though it's might not be required? Well, we can ask town council. Um, >> ask town council. >> Yeah. While you're asking, say if we don't require it, is it? I mean, it probably is, but I don't know for
certain. So, we'll just run that by town council, too. >> So, make a formal vote then, Laura. Um, again, I think because Deborah has to wait. >> Okay. So I move to appoint uh Roxan MTO
as the uh board of health medical advisor. >> I second. >> All in favor? I. All against >> I vote no. >> Okay. >> Okay. Um moving on and I'll get that
information and and let you know. Um moving on. >> Thanks, Caroline. >> Thank you very much. the um appointment of the new regional public health nurse Allison um Braum. Let's see.
New regional public health nurse Allison Braum. Discussion and vote to appoint Allison Braum as an agent of the board of health. So this is a regional position. Um hoping that um Allison, so this is through Noral County a that she
can come and assist us with the new program regarding the U maternal and child health program that we're hoping to roll out. And so she's working with all the towns um to set up this going forward. that's her
main main um job um description to to do something like this. So um we're happy that she's come on board. She's come once into our office so far, but I wanted again to formalize it, which we do with all of our appointees and their
agents of the board of health. I hope we vote for Allison Braum. So, she wouldn't be doing the maternal and child health outreach. She'd be training whoever the health department hires to do that.
>> So, she'd be she'd be working with this and um I sent the job description over to Carla Feed for the maternal and child health 4hour position that the health department um is going to have a nurse per DM as needed for hours. So she's
going to be working like in hand hand in hand with this 4hour person. So she's kind of building it from the ground up this program. >> That's very exciting. Congratulations on that. Um that for moving forward but is she in maternal and child health does is
is is her she has expertise in that. >> Yes. It's very exciting that when I saw that, I was very excited to see on the other um not this one, but the other one that you're moving forward that that's great. Yeah, I'm in support. That sounds great.
>> Okay. So, do we vote on this one? >> Yes. >> Okay. I um vote to approve regional public health nurse Allison Blum as agent of the board of health. All in favor? I. I.
>> Great. Okie do. And then um number seven is a discussion and vote to approve uh fines for sanitary code violations and minimum standards of fitness for human
habitation. So we worked with um we worked with town council KP Law, Alex Wet, and he came up with the templates that you see in your packets. Um and it and
why we ask for this is because we encounter, you know, neighbors calling and saying, you know, there's there's um garbage or there's sofas or um environmental complaints of
neighbors and then we send out letters and then nothing happens. So nothing happens and the letters go ignored and no one calls us and then we send out a second letter and then we send out a third letter. So we don't have any kind
of teeth to say like we'll work with you but no one calls us and in the letter we say that like we'll we're going to work with you or call the health department. And so we're we've been spinning our wheels for years and I I reached out to
to Nick Milano town administrator. every show I say, "Can we can we talk to town council and see if we can get some kind of um processes in place to, you know, have fines,
you know, people are not responding to us and we're getting increasing complaints and I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about this, Caroline, because you've seen it, but it it's been very very disheartening >> that people are not responding.
>> Yeah, I would say about 50 to 60% of the phone calls we get into the office every week are just of complaints in the neighbor neighborhood, like environmental complaints, >> rodents in the area. Um, there's another neighbor like illegal dumping. We were working with DPW for a little bit about
that. um just random trash going around like unkempt houses like with brush and everything because people are concerned about rodents and they're concerned about ticks. So, we're like constantly now that we have Jenna, our new health agent, um it's been a lot more use
helpful that she's here because she does go check on those complaints. Um now that she's in her position, but before it was like every other day we would be going out to another house, take pictures, sending a letter, and it's also a waste of postage for the town, too, because we're we're constantly
sending these letters and no one's responding to us. No one takes us seriously. They get the letter and they're like, "Okay, whatever." Um, but I think with these fines, it'll be really helpful because it gives them a direct timeline um, for compliance and then it'll say like exactly what's going
to happen if they don't follow that timeline. >> Well, do you have any questions? >> No, I think it's great, Caroline, and I think that it helps that um, the CMR, you know, the law is is written there so it supports what you're doing. Um in
[clears throat] I think the increments are good. Um you know the increments of the first second and a third notice goes out. >> So how many notices? Third three. >> So yeah
three and then we bring them to court. Is that how it would go? Yeah. >> Okay. Anyone have any more questions on that? >> Yeah I do. Um, Carolyn, right, Carolyn, um, thank you for doing the work you do.
I imagine it's stressful receiving end of these phone calls of people who are upset. So, uh, really appreciate the everything that you do to help manage that. I bet it's not easy. So, I have,
um, uh, the letter looks great. I'm I'm in support of the fines. I have a couple questions and suggest a couple of suggestions. So, do you send a letter out because there's no staff capacity to physically knock on someone's door or it's a safety issue of the employee that
you don't want to go out? Like what what's behind only mailing the letter as opposed to knocking? >> Yeah, I think um from when I started the protocol was always to send a letter. I remember my first year working here, we went out for a trash complaint and I
attempted I was like with Emily, the previous assistant health director. It was a trash complaint in a neighborhood and we saw a resident coming out of the house we were looking at and I was like, "Oh, like he's right there. Why don't we just go and talk to him?" Did not turn out well. He was like cussing us out,
swearing, throwing fombs. So, I think it's like a employee safety thing that we don't knock on the door. And the pictures we take, unless um the person calling lets us onto their property, we're only taking it from the public like plain view, public streets. So,
that's another thing. >> And what happens if you can't get into the private property part to look? >> Um, usually we'll be able to see it if the complaint's that bad for them to call from the public view. Um, but the
other half the time people will let us onto their property to take pictures. I don't think there's been an incident where we struggle to get pictures. Um, yeah, Caroline, I don't know if you have anything else to add. Yeah, I agree. It is a safety issue because,
>> you know, you're kind of taking them, it can be a lot of time an anonymous caller or a neighbor and um when you're when you see them, you know, outside their house or you're knocking on the door, they you know, you're kind of confronting them and we don't want to be
confrontational. We want to send a letter. We want to talk to them, but we want to give them um you know, the consideration of a letter to say like call the health department. this, you know, the pictures will show up. We'll tell the story and let's see how we can figure it out. >> Got it.
>> That makes sense. That must be really stressful also to go out there with hustle owner. So, thank you for doing that as well. Okay. So, um, so I have, um, so at the bottom
of the, so I was very, um, moved by what happened at our last board of health meeting with the condemnation experience. And I also want to talk about making sure we do executive session next time, but that's a separate
agenda item. So, I was very moved by their situation, the condemnation. It's obviously my first one and it was and the tenants the owners came not the tenants the owners came and I so everyone knows I actually want to learn
more about the process of condemnation because I was very moved by it and so I actually asked an Gman the town the health department social worker to set up a meeting just to ask pick her brains about when people call what services do
you offer I I'm just it's just as a learning experience. So, so Carol Carol Caroline Canella and and and I are going to meet just so I can learn more about it. But the point is what I was wondering in that situation was you know
electrical for example in that example you know in my own home electrical can run tens of thousands of dollars to do upgrades right and there were a lot of issues in that in other right situations. So when we give fines, I'm
wondering if there are any accommodations for income disparities or like on the back page of what you sent me in the packet, um it lists it has a list of permitted dumpsters in the
town of Milton. Um, and it's there's a note that says you would only keep that in the letter if the violations are related to trash or bulk bulk items, of course, which makes sense. And so there's a list. So, so a couple of things come to mind. Um, if you're
asking lowincome folks to clean up their property, they might need help renting a dumpster or they might need um to hire maybe they're elderly or maybe they're disabled or maybe they physically can't do it themselves and maybe their adult
children have moved away or um so again it goes back to that um and I hate to I know an I looked at her list of of the Ann Gman the social worker her list of dut duties and I'm blown away by how much she does. It's really incredible
and really speaks to talking about maybe even having more staff for social work cuz that really blew me away. And so the question is what if somebody does want to rent a dumpster but they can't afford it? What if somebody does want to clean their yard but they're limited in their
capacity? And so I'm wondering is there um a financial help or even the social worker could help to do case management? Maybe the folks are, you know, if it was my elderly mom, you know, she wouldn't
be able to even know where to start. So just wondering about if we've considered maybe the residents fund can help fund this. um what sources of funding might be available for income eligible um
property owners. So, I realize it's it tends to be a um uh uh what's the word? Um like um an oppositional situation because the town is finding somebody,
but there's also an equity issue where it just might be that the people can't either don't have the money or don't have the capacity. So, I'm just wondering if we could add a if there is something that you might consider in terms of process and protocol and b if
so, if there's a line maybe we can add to the letter that says if you're having difficulty um executing this or if you need guidance or help or advice with a social with the town social worker or the residence fund or whatever
it is. So, I just want to pause on that and see what you thought. Um I I just have a question too. Um my understanding of what the notice first notice of code violations is if they
contact the health department there won't be >> so the um the idea >> there won't be a fine >> there won't be a fine unless the time of compliance has already passed and it's
>> without them contacting you. But if contact So if they're already working with the board of health, there would be no >> fine. Yeah, we um for our housing cases, we usually do like a good faith effort. That's what we go based off of um with
like taking it further to court or fines. So I think the first notice is going to be sent out to people just like get their attention that there's a problem >> um and they'll have the time frame of compliance which is usually like 30 days. So, they won't get fined unless a whole 30 days goes by and they we have
no response from them and there's no action, if that makes sense. >> Okay. Um, >> that's what I thought. Okay. >> Yeah. Going back to Deborah's point, I agree with the um residence fund on our housing cases and correction orders. We do have that section on another form um
to contact the residence fund. That is a little difficult and we can add that to this letter. But it is difficult because most of the housing cases we've dealt with in the past when we've reached out to the residence fund to see if this is something they could pay for if the homeowner is like struggling to
financially pay for it. The answer is usually no. So that's kind of tricky. But we can add that into the letter as well. >> So wait, if they're struggling to pay for it, they say no. They kind of >> Yeah. a service. Like we've had like I would count like maybe three housing
cases now where we've reached out to the residents fund to see if they can help this person and the answer has always been no. >> So I don't know like I feel like the qualifications of who they can help like it's very they're kind of strict so I'm not sure like the limitations of it.
>> Uhhuh. Okay. So going to Caroline, what remember when they say the Brook Road one with [clears throat] the old man and we were you well you guys were there and getting dumpster. How who
helped pay for that? So, we appointed a receiver back then and um the receiver paid for the dumpsters and there was about 12 dumpsters that went to that house and they did all the work and brought it up to code. The
receiver did. And so that's how um that could happen. That house was condemned >> and then the receiver gets to sell the house and take whatever he's spent. >> Yep. Kind of like lean the house. um to get the proceeds of of bringing it up to code.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. Thanks. >> But have I have I called Norine Dolan in the past to ask her for like you know she will evaluate or you know Ann will evaluate uh Ann will will talk to them to see if they're low income or whatnot
if they're struggling. And then she can reach out to Norine Dolan and she would do that kind of internally and see if, you know, could we work with them? Maybe they don't have enough money for a trash sticker. We've done this before. Uh or we've um paid for the trash barrel for a
year, things like that. We have done that with Norine Dolan before. So, I mean, it's on a case-byase basis. >> So, we do we do that. If someone [clears throat] says to us and expresses that they they're not able to pay
something, you know, the $100 fine, then we'll work with them. >> I think that's also important why we have that statement of like, please contact our health department just so we can talk about it more and then assess like what's going on here,
>> right? Where where does it say on the first notice of >> Yeah. Where does it say that? >> No. Wait. >> The first assessment of fine. But it doesn't say of the first notice of the sanitary. Does it
>> first assessment of fine at the bottom? It says please contact the health department >> in 10 days. >> Right. But shouldn't it say it on the first notice of sanitary code violations in order to correct? >> We can change it and add it. Yeah. To make it more prominent. Please contact
us. >> Yeah. Because it doesn't say it at all on the first notice. It does on the first assessment of fine, >> but not on the first notice. And it should be on there. >> Yeah, we can add that. >> What? Well, it does say It does. It
does. It does. It >> It says if you have any questions, but my to call, but I think what I'm really talking about is tone and really making it clear if you need help, if you need to talk to somebody about this, there's a social worker on staff. If you need
help paying for some of this, like I realize uh adversarial, that's the word I was trying to think of earlier. I realize that these do feel adversarial because you're issuing a warning, right, of a potential fine. Um, but they're
also our neighbors and they're folks who might have issues going on at mental health. It could be any number of things. And so I'm wondering if we could just add in a line where if people not just if you have questions, call us, but
we have a social worker on staff. If you need help pay, you know, if you need help, I mean, you could >> figuring out I wouldn't say help paying because then there's the expectation and if they So, just say if you need help in this situation, whatever, getting out
some great way to phrase it. But just need help. >> Yeah. Yeah. Contact the board of health. >> That I think would be a good idea. >> Not the board of health. The >> no social worker health the health office. >> Yeah,
>> because they'd have to be working with everyone really, not just the social worker. >> What I'm saying, so then we should have two different so one has to do with questions around the the ordinance itself, but I'm talking about
>> if people need case management to help them pull this off. They might be have mental health issues or disability or income, >> right? Yeah, you could say >> Yeah, you could say the the um >> the social worker her name and her phone number at the board of health.
>> Although I don't want to insert that without consulting Caroline and an because I notice Ann's list of duties is a mile long and I'm blown away by it. >> Well, that's true, too. So, I will I will defer to Caroline to add a line
that you feel is appropriate and maybe it should be referring to Norine Dolan directly. I don't know. But um, you know, you guys can figure that out. But I think that's a separate, you know, question. >> It could say it it could say instead of questions, it could say if you would
like to pursue assistance with this matter, please call. And then, you know, assistance means, you know, all disciplines, whoever's available. However, Caroline, you've handled these sensitive issues for so long and you've accomplished so much with them. Um,
assistance might be a better word than if you have any questions. It might >> Yeah, assistance is [laughter] assistance is an inkind word that says, "Okay, I think maybe they can help me with this." >> Great. I like that, Maria. That's great.
I like that word. >> So maybe just like assistance. >> Oh, Mary, you're um muted. >> I'm sorry. Once they make that call, they're going to realize there's a lot of forgiveness within the health department because that's kind of what everybody does in the health department.
They trying to work with people and find the middle of the road. They'll understand that once you know when they make a call they they they'll get that their life isn't on the line that we're gonna we you guys work we all work with people >> right
>> assistance is better than >> if you have any question you know if you would like assistance with this matter please >> yeah and I think put it as a separate paragraph because you might stop reading when it's just at the end of a you're
currently in violation of blah blah blah blah blah. They may stop. So if it's a separate >> separate paragraph as to if you need help state law like at the end you could put a little asterisk and just so they'll
gently you know kind of refer to like the law that supports the pursuit of the health department. So maybe just the order of kind of operations here, if you will, maybe just the the the violation um in this the sanitary code, you know,
the law, it can just kind of go down the bottom just >> as a reference for whoever's reading it. Um can I ask a question? is are there any um social service agencies regionally or in the state that do help
people with these kinds of things? And maybe we could also put in a um the phone number of a regional or state social service agency. If if they do that, it would require some digging. I
just I I it would just be nice to offer people in this letter um additional options for help in addition to the health department given how um limited the capacity is for an oren
for example the the two social workers >> just you don't have to answer now but I if if you maybe can do some research and do you guys know of the social workers might know. >> Yes. >> Whether they have anything.
>> Yeah, that's a good idea. Okay. Um Okay, Caroline, maybe I could we could ask Ann or we could you could >> we could talk for Wednesday. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I I'll see Ann tomorrow. >> That's great. >> The language.
And you know the order the order comes in this you know to for a correction but it gets lifted too once things start to you know roll out the right way. So
>> yeah, >> that that's it's it's it's not a permanent thing and and they'll come to realize that. I mean, it'll get lifted once the problem is remedyed to a certain degree, right, Caroline? That's kind of usually what happens. So
>> usually in the past, we've tried not to get it up the fines up really high. Like we've we've given people time. who've given extra time in the past and worked with people. So, >> well, if they're working on it, they wouldn't be fined,
>> right? >> If just if they just totally ignore the >> the letter. >> Yep. >> I think my concern is that when people ignore a letter, it means there's something going on. It's not malicious, right? It's >> Oh, no. I understand that. Yes.
>> Yeah. So, just get, you know, uh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um and then uh unrelated to this particular question about these two letters um and I really appreciate that you need um
some teeth to it that that makes sense. um separately I would like to find out um from the residence fund and maybe I'll reach out to Norine or maybe I don't uh what the standard
policies are for assistance in these cases. What are they basing the three denials on? I mean did they request I mean they must be basing it on something. So that's something I want to circle back to and find out about because the residence fund is for
residents who are in tough spots. And even though I realize it's an adversarial situation, it might there might be a reason. Usually when people's properties h when they're nuisance stuff, it's because as you know, you know, there's other issues going on. It's not just
non-compliant. So Okay. Thank you very much. >> Okay. >> Okay. Would would you um vote to approve with the changes with the edits that we're talking about? >> Um I vote to approve with the edits to add about um the board of health
available for assistance. >> Yes. >> Um >> would would it be okay? I'd like to kind of see it edited. Um I'm happy to approve it now, but would it be possible to >> get the final version? Yeah, why don't
we hold off the vote till September and we'll have a hopefully a chance to get the better >> the letter right and then we can vote on it then. >> Um, do we not do we not meet monthly? Do
we not meet in August? >> We don't usually meet in August. >> Oh, vacation. Um, Carolyn Ho, is there a reason is there something pressing for you that that would be problematic to wait till
September? >> Um, I don't think so. I think we've um we've just been sending people normal letters without the fines for now. So, we can just continue doing that until we vote on it September. So, that should be fine. >> Okay.
>> Okay. So, we'll we'll wait till September on the vote. >> That's fine. >> Okay. >> Thank you. So, um
so just so that's great. So, I'm going to talk to I'll reach out to Norin around what the policy is around denial and that I'm very curious and I'll bring that back to the board for the >> and what kind of things do they cover if
they don't cover a dumpster like what do they cover like a mortgage payment normally or something like that? >> That's a great question, Laura. I think most of the denials, at least one of them I know, I think it was like
income based. Like the person we were trying to help made too much money on paper, but >> it's like difficult because all of their money was like going to something else that obviously couldn't afford to pay the >> pressing issue [clears throat] that was in the house, right? >> So, it's it's just difficult.
>> Great. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. So, we'll table that till September. And moving on uh to number eight, opioid abatement funds discussion. Um you wanted to discuss uh Deborah,
you'd mentioned about the scholarships we have advertised for the grant scholarship opportunities for summer camp, grief camps, arts and healing, yoga, cooking classes, and grief support groups up to $2,500 per individual.
And we ask people to follow this um request up with a um a small um two or three paragraphs of how this would a testimonial how this would impact them if we could fund it. We've
advertised this in the paper. Um it's on our website and is the contact and she hasn't received any anyone no one has contacted her yet regarding this
um small grant scholarship request. >> Okay. Um Okay. So this is on the agenda because of my request. >> Yeah. you requested it and I talked to um Laura and she said yeah and I think we should kind of keep on putting it on
there um just to discuss it you know if there's anything else that's happening with the opioid abatement funds you know moving this forward and um you know working with and behind the
scenes I'm working with North County 8 our collective health departments um one of the reasons we're working with them is they like you to do that. They like you to collaborate with the other health departments even with like the recovery coach that we
have to do the collaboration around that. And um you know I I know I told the board that I had multiple meetings with a number of mental health care providers um to see if we could bring some
services to town residents and the schools. And when I went in to talk with technical assistance um RISE about this, they denied it and said we could just call the mental health hotline. And um
that we brought that up in our Northport County 8 meetings to say like you know there's so many restrictions around how to spend this opioid money. You know they knew I was going to care solace bloom and interface you know meeting with them oneon-one. Ian and I were
meeting with them getting pricing. We got all the proposals and still they didn't say anything until they said, "Well, you can't do that." And so we were very disappointed about that. They said that, you know, collectively
as a Nor County um coordination, they may be able to interface better with the technical assistance um group and may be able to um get some we can put forward some services that we want to because I
brought it up in the meeting that there are other towns that are using this. They're using these services. OP money is paying for it and what happens to those towns? I don't understand. You're not get you're not there's no repercussions.
So they're using it and then we have to give yearly reports on this money where we're spending the money and they're not being told that they can't do it anymore. So there's my frustration. You know, if other towns are able to do this and then you say, "Oh, Melson can't do
it." Well, that's that there's there's no consistency and there's no repercussions for people that other towns that are doing it already. They're already doing >> is it? >> So, it's very frustrating. >> Is it possible that the towns that are doing it aren't able to use the helpline
or is everyone in every town able to use the helpline? >> Every town. That's that was the um the feedback that we got from Mosaic. >> So, okay. So every single >> everybody everyone can call the Massachusetts behavioral helpline. Everyone can do it. You can just call
them and get the help. So why do you need hair solace bloom and interface? That that was the >> and you know they're more comprehensive. We had a long discussion about that and um you know and still they they were giving us push back whether we get um
Northport County 8 can hire some kind of and they're talking about this intermediator to be able to go and research and find out why we can't have it because I I expressed my frustration. >> Why why can't we I know other towns are doing this. why can't we we offer it to
our residents and it's very very disheartening that we can't so they might be able to again it's again hiring someone from BME strategies which is you know oversees the public health excellence grants that are coming down
you know to have somebody maybe just part-time work on behalf of Northport County 8 to see if we can push things through can they meet again with Rise and Mosaic Can they be the person that says, you know, we should be offering this and give the reasons like we
already did. They said no. So, they're working on that right now. >> Okay. >> I wonder how long it'll take to get some answers on that. Did they give you a like a any kind of timeline, Caroline? Is like >> I think in the next month or two they'll
have a proposal that I'll bring to the board. >> Okay. I'm hoping that they will because we did talk about it because it's not just us that need um that are are putting forth proposals that are getting denied. You can hear the frustration
with the other towns too saying like you know everything has to be approved. I get it and um we're submitting yearly reports but there's a problem with the guidance and um you know on par with other towns like what's going on. So,
I'll bring it to you the proposal when we'll get it. >> I'm sorry this has been so frustrating. Um, can you clarify when you said they are working on it to get to find out who's they?
>> Is um it's well it's BME Strategies and they're like a consulting they consult for the public health excellence grant. So, we have the grant and it it funds the regional public health nurse and the regional epidemiologists and they're looking also to put some
kind of a part-time position in addition to those two to help us with the opioid abatement monies so they could kind of interface with the technical you you know about technical assistance Deborah the technical assistance >> that was one of my jobs for four and a
half years. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. They're interfacing with the technical assistance group to say like how can we bring this to Milton? How can we bring it to Dam Norwood and we're working? We're working collectively as a group bringing it forward. >> So this is through North Norfor County 8
you're talking about the collaborative with them >> to try and sort this out. That when you say they, you really mean the NCA? >> I do mean NCA. >> Okay, got it. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah. >> Um,
okay. So, and then the mental health, were you saying that you had and and this this is just a side question. I have I have more primary ones. Are you saying that the mental health hotline
you that you had wanted to hire um a vendor to do that and they're saying you have to use the state's vendor or you were suggesting to hire a different kind of vendor, not a hotline? What what was the what was the service you were looking for specifically that they
declined and said you have to use the state hotline? Was it also a hotline? So, it it is like a hotline, but they're they're I mean, I can send you this three contracts and three proposals that were sent to us and what they'd be doing
um in this referral process. So, um and what they would be able to provide. So, we've got three proposals and I sent them to Mosaic Arise um to say, you know, what can they do for us? um how can they help the town and help the schools because the schools have you
know mental health um referrals that they need. So, they just pushed back and said, "Oh, no. You can call the behavioral health line." >> And what service? What's the ser I'm sorry. You had three bills for a partic uh three um bids for a particular
service. What's the specific service? I'm still trying to >> So, the services, if you call and say you're having a problem with bullying, they would hook you up to like a provider that would specialize in that. or maybe you're having a problem with um
I don't know anorexia, they would find a provider. They would they would look in their network and find a provider that could help you. >> So it's a referral it's a referral network. >> Yes. >> And the state is saying that their hotline has a referral network. >> Yes.
>> Okay. So why I I realize it's incredibly frustrating and disappointing and annoying, but so why wouldn't we just use the state's referral network? >> That's what they said. But I I think that this is a more comprehensive
um you know, they work with the schools, they work with the residents, they're providing more services than just a phone call. >> Yes. >> Great. Okay. Sorry. Were you Mary, were you gonna say something? thinking um each one is different in what is
different about each one you know that's kind of a point of clarification I guess what appeals for this what what group does this that this other one doesn't do kind of maybe somewhat descriptives about each one of
them >> I can I can I'm happy to send these contracts and proposals to you again I know we discussed it many months ago >> because and and I Ann and I met with all of them uh virtually. >> So you can see too what they're
offering. You know Ian and I thought Kira Solace was the best at that time. We were going to move ahead with Kira Solace but then they said we couldn't. So, >> so really my interest is not necessarily I'm curious to see what exactly
uh what services do they see are duplicative >> and what are not. That's that's really kind of where I I'd be interested. But I think it raises a bigger question and really what we started out with is
talking about these um small grant scholarship requests. Um and so to kind of finish out the mental health um point that you brought up in terms of wanting to provide supplemental mental health services at the state of saying no no we
have that and you're saying no it's not duplicative. That's very interesting to me. So I definitely want to learn more about that. um you know maybe well anyway and and I'm glad Nor County A is looking into it so I'd be very interested to hear what
they come up with. So thank you for that. But getting back to the um small grant opportunities, how how many um people to date um has applied for the
small grant scholarship request for 2026. I thought I think I heard you said none, but I want to Is that what you said? >> Zero. None. >> Okay. Um, so,
uh, and I heard all of the ways that you tried to advertise it. Um, and I'm wondering, um, if you were able to loop in, um, the family restored or the sun will rise because they know all of the Milton families. They work with the Milton
families intimately. I'm wondering if you were able to partner with them to help get the word out for the scholarships like maybe >> Yeah, I believe they know about it. I I did talk to the summer rise so they're aware of it. Um, and I'm sure that um
that um they spoke to the family restore too to say like this is available if anybody wants to um you know apply for it. I'm wondering if it's not meeting the
exact need like the itch isn't the scratch isn't meeting the itch so to speak. I'm wondering if maybe there needs to be for next year's round of grants and and actually that is my other question is what's is this open year round and is it I I see camps is just
one thing but I see there's also therapeutic activities, arts, healing modalities, yoga, cooking classes and then there's also grief support groups. So this to me I'm assuming is a yearround thing that's open year round and not just for camps.
>> It's open year round. Yeah. >> So, I'm thinking that maybe the way this is being presented or circulated that the families themselves uh for some reason either that that
maybe we need to revisit what the families really need or want. And I'm almost thinking to have to revisit the planning around this um with the scholarships since no one applied and we have a lot of substance use disorder in
Milton and and the sun will rise and the family restored works with a lot of families. Um and that maybe we kind of invite some folks to the table to kind of revisit this whole opportunity. Um, and I know it came out that this was a
request that people asked for this during the assessment um when we were doing the opioid assessment. there's something about this that isn't meeting the need and I'm wondering if maybe we can go back we meaning um
I don't know who of maybe pull together a task force to in town right of of folks maybe who participated in some of those original focus groups um and to to find out um maybe pull in and have a
working meeting with the sun rise and the family restored rather than kind of just circulating by email, maybe have a meeting and asking them, do you think this is meeting the need or not? And just sort of revisit it. Um, the other question I had on the form itself, which
is more a an editing question, it says under grants and scholarships, you list camps, the therapeutic activities, and the grief support groups. And it says, "For grief support groups, funding is available for up to $2,500 per
individual." And I was wondering um if grief grief support groups cost money. Like maybe they don't cost money and maybe that's why people aren't requesting the money.
>> Well, you could put individual therapy, you mean? Or let's see. What does it say? grief support groups. Could use some other words in there to kind of maybe if it if somebody needs something
individualized rather than >> maybe bring it to us, >> another kind of another selling point. >> Yeah. Um, and then the other thing is on the second on the back page on the second
page it says organizational information which was very confusing to me as a reader. And then I see at the bottom you say please note if an applicant is selected payment will be issued directly to the organization providing the
services camp or grief support group. the organization must sub submit an invoice that includes the participant's name along with a completed form blah blah blah and so this the funding isn't going to the individual it's going
basically to the vendor the organization so firstly that was confusing so maybe put the note at the top but secondly I'm also wondering maybe that's part of the issue um is is like where in the pipeline is this opportunity getting
stuck for people So, I I think I would recommend maybe pulling, you know, pulling in folks. I know, uh, Robin from the Sunroll Rise. Um, and I know the family restore very would be very probably
interested in helping to circulate this, get this off the ground, and maybe even like tweak it so it really does meet the needs because it's interesting that nobody applied. There must be some disconnect that we're not realizing. I can talk to Robin. We're working with
her for the International Overdose Awareness Day anyway. >> Oh, great. >> And she does know about these grants because I talked to her about them. But if there's something she wants to add to it or tweak, happy to reach out and ask
her if she has any recommendations around the language that is in it. >> Yeah. Maybe ask her if why she thinks nobody's applied. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Great. Thank you. >> Okay. Um
want me to move on to health director's report? >> So there are a couple things in here. Just a couple of um just updates. >> 68 Smith Road. I did speak to Michael White. He's the building commissioner.
And um he said that they he wanted to have a structural engineer assess the integrity of the buildings. And we've been talking about this for a long time at 68 Smith Road. 68 Smith Road is is condemned by us. Uh and
just this week the church leader who I've been working with also uh uh Mr. Even uh Durandis or Evan Durandis, excuse me, said he was going to be thinking about selling the
property. So he said he was a realtor and he's thinking about selling the property. whether they thought maybe it cost too much money to get a structural engineer in there. He didn't really say. Um but that's what he told me this week.
So, and then um any questions about that? Moving on. So, we'll >> he he connects with me every month and tells me what's going on. So, that's the latest of what he said. then 59 Thatcher Street. I sent an email to um the
representative, the lawyer, Richard Joyce. Actually, he hasn't responded. And the last time he did respond, he said that he's been working in the with the planning board. I know he's working with the planning board because I talked to Liz Manning today about that. And she says that she's hoping that they submit
another plan. So, I'm not sure the first plan they submitted if there was too many units, but I was also happy to hear that Marian McGetric is involved. We've worked with Mary McGetric in the past. I didn't know she was involved with 59 Thatcher and that um you know they're
working on that submitting some new plans. So that's that is very good to hear um because we did have another complaint um regarding that regarding that address. I don't know if, you know, we'll have to see in the coming month if
they do submit something um going forward about how many um what their plans are and how many units they're going to have in that that property. But I would um maybe, you know, if if September
comes around and this is like a month from now, nothing's happening again, the board might want to consider condemning this property. We we talked about condemning this property. never condemn the property, but that kind of sets the timeline in motion to condemn the property because they have a year to do
something and we've been sitting on this for quite a while and they've been saying that, you know, it's taking time and I get it. It takes time to get things done or submit plans, but the neighbors have, you know, told us it's an eyesore and maybe we should consider condemning
it maybe in September if nothing has come forward. We have to have more of a plan of what's going on here. Now, you know, I know they're working with the planning board and I know we've been patient, but that's just a consideration. Just it's something to think about going forward with this
property. >> Um, >> can I ask a question? Is 5 to9 Thatcher I know it's the old insync building behind the Milton Food Mart, but the 5 to9 implies there's more than one property. Is it just the one building? And I know there's also an abandoned
house next door. Are you also talking about the house or is that a separate? Totally. >> We're talking about the house, too. >> Yeah, both of both of them. >> So, the whole property is owned by the same
owners. The both houses, the big building in the house is owned by the same owners. >> Yep. There's two. There used to be three and they bought out, I guess, one and now there's two. So, Okay.
>> So, you know, if nothing happens in the next month, maybe a consideration. >> Thanks for the update. >> And then, um, 333 Thatcher Street working with them. Carol and I Carolyn and I went out. Um, they're actively fixing the violations. The final
inspection will be soon because um, Carolyn did reach out. So, we're going to go out and make that final inspection and close this case. And then uh for Craig Street um I spoke to the um building commissioner Michael White. He said that the utilities and
the water has been shut off to the house. There's been no activity and he said that no one has contacted him regarding permits. No one has contacted the health department either. So nothing has been happening at that house.
So, what would our next step be on that house? >> So, we're going to have to see what they're submitting. What kind of permits um are they going to be doing some work inside to fix all those violations um that we saw, you know, they were
moving ahead. They had a dumpster there when we were there and so they were cleaning out the property. So, >> they have to bring it back up to code. I don't know, you know, the building, it really would fall to the building commissioner to say like you created all
these bedrooms in the basement, you know, is there egresses? >> You know, what can be actually created there? There's bedrooms upstairs in the first floor, but you're creating like six bedrooms in the basement, two more in the attic that we didn't know about.
and they said they didn't have anything in the attic, but they building inspector did find that there was two more bedrooms in the attic and it was closed off by a refrigerator. Something was closing off that. So, basically, it was like a roaming house.
They had >> multiple people there. >> Don't we have a >> Don't we have a law that only a certain amount of unrelated people? >> Yes. Three. >> Yes. And
so who um enforces that law? >> Who knows? >> That's really up to town council and the building inspector, >> you know. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, right right now, we'll just waiting to see what comes comes about. I'll I'll
connect with um Michael White again to see if you know has he's heard anything or you know what what their plans are, but they they have not reached out. >> Okay. >> And then um just some other updates about the food bags. We had the take one
leave one shelves are continually being restocked and's ordering through Amazon. Uh we opened the food establishment Julian's down above the food center. That looks nice. Um, Wednesday, we're
going to be going out to two Pence. It's constructed. Um, the plan review and just going to see if every the refrigeration was holding them back. So, they finally have the refrigeration and they're scheduling an appointment for us to go out and do an inspection before
they open up. So, the whole stuff with them was the refrigeration. >> Um, Denn Conroy went out to look at the farmers markets. So, that continues every week. And Ann actually did some tableabling there um regarding, you
know, our our food bags and just being um being there with the table and um you know, the resources that she can give out as a social worker. She just went out last week, last Thursday around that.
Susan Corrier is working diligently on the campuses, 20 camps this year. It's been very difficult for Sue. This is the first year I've heard Sue say how hard it has been with the camps because there's so many camps and and there's so much paperwork and it's been pretty
overwhelming for Sue. >> Have they were they any better getting the paperwork on time or is it still >> a little bit better? Not as bad as last year, but but still
it's it really always is. You like you're pulling a tooth. Some camps are better than others. You know which camps they are. They'll provide the information, but it's the it really is the back and forth emails. You know, you're missing this, you're missing this. >> You know, someone has to get a vaccine.
I don't see this. So, it's been a lot of back and forth with um emails. So, yeah, she's been very busy. Yeah. >> So, the the approvals are still going on even though it's July 20th.
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think she's gone through about three quarters of the camps, but there's still camps that are opening in August. They're not all open yet. >> Oh, they're often one week camps like >> Yes. >> soccer or whatever.
>> Mostly at Academy and Curry College. It's where they're running out of. >> Okay. Caroline, do you think that the health department needs more capacity for this moving forward? >> Well, it's been very difficult on Sue. You know, she's 16 hours a week. During
during times when there's this increased capacity, she can raise her hours up to 19. And so, she does because I say, "Sue, you're you're working so hard." But, um, she's working full blast just on the camps. It's really her only mission is
to put all her time towards the camps. You know, she does do especially in the summertime. She does still does her um her blood pressure clinic at the at the um Council on Aging. She'll follow communicable diseases. She does other things, but really her main focus is
camps. >> Um is 19 hours a week enough to do all the camps and blood pressure clinic and all of that stuff? I think that um you know she could always use more hours but um you know the town wants to keep it under the 20
hours. >> So I'm very happy to revisit this. Um this seems sort of putting the burden on the staff person instead of expanding capacity for the department because it's only going to get more and more every year this year,
right? Like last year it was less camps, this year it's 20, next year it'll be more, right? Yeah, we should talk about this maybe in Yeah. >> Um then the next is I told you about the regional public health nurse um Allison
Brum. >> She was hired at Dham. >> Um she can come on Thursdays to our office and then she'll be moving around the um different health departments. Uh, I sent the job description for the
PERDM maternal and child health nurse 3 to four hours a week to HR. So, I'm waiting for some feedback from Carler about that. We do have it in our budget. And, um, Susan will be helping me too to kind of acclimate this nurse
um, when she comes on too. And then, um, I had a meeting, a planning board meeting um, with a director was Manning. So, um, >> Oh, sorry. you're going on to the next thing. I just I I'm sorry. I wanted to just say one thing about that. Um
congratulations again on the 3 to four hours per DM for maternal and child health. It is so exciting. Um which we're sort of all acknowledging that's basically one visit per week, one postpartum or whatever it or prenatal
visit per week. So it's it's it's acknowledging that at this point it's just going to be one visit per week and we're starting slow and it's like a pilot. >> Yeah. So we haven't even sused that out yet what it's going to look like. So we're hoping that can do that.
>> Yes. >> And then when this person comes on they can kind of follow her lead and get some some procedures in place about what it's going to look like. I think every town will be different. Other towns have have full-time nurses.
They have multiple nurses and we have our nurse Sue and this four-hour nurse. So, as I said, it's going to look different in other towns because there's more capacity in other towns. So, we'll just start slow and steady with this program.
>> Awesome. Well, congrats again. Okay, you can move on. So, um I had a my first meeting July, I believe July 9th, um with the uh director, the planning board director, Liz Manning, regarding short-term
rentals. I hadn't heard about this until, you know, you mentioned it too, Deborah, that they were working on some some language and um still working on the language um and working with town council um regarding this. When I was asked to
come to this meeting, Michael White was unable to be there at the meeting and he was really he would have been really important to be there at the meeting because we have to figure out who's really going to be who's going to be doing this work and we don't know that
yet. So, I did speak to the Tom administrator, Nick Milano, and he said that we have to have a meeting with Liz, the building commissioner, and myself to kind of sus out again who's going to be permitting, how is this going to happen,
and who's responsible for what. So, there's a lot of moving parts. I mean, I've seen a couple of the um you know, the >> planning board meeting >> plans and stuff, the planning board plans and stuff regarding this. I have some questions
uh about it and probably has to do again with, you know, what are the procedures like who's going to be looking at this? I and I and I brought it to my staff too. Carolyn knows this is that the inspectional services are always sending
down requests to us for us to process. And so it's not like we're not going to be involved because we will be, you know, whether this is someone on on septic that wants to have um the short-term rental. We've got to know, you know, how many bedrooms. We got to
know if the septic system can um be able to support whatever they're asking for. you know, who is who's going to be the main point person um to be doing something like this? But we're always getting emails. You can you can you can say that, Carolyn, and chime in from the
building department to be uh especially with the demolition permits and stuff. We're always being pulled in. And questions around, you know, people are coming and going in and out of these short-term rentals. you know, if there's problems with trash or rodents, they'll
be calling the health department for us to do inspections. So, it's not like we're not going to be involved because we're already involved. And so a lot of a lot of questions and I spoke to Liz again today and you know Liz said to me when I met with her
initially she said that that there was going to be um like um like you said a task force or a working group a working group to kind of you know go through the regulations and um and ask questions and maybe even bring it to the public you know instead of sending off to town
meeting and and not really having a clear picture. We don't have a clear picture of, you know, who's going to be who's going to be overseeing this and what's the process. It's not just even the building or the health department. It's the police and the fire department.
So, who's going to be enforcing all this? Who's going to be who's going to be the lead? >> Yeah. Cost projections, >> right? Exactly. I mean, are you looking for, you know, to make money with excise tax or whatnot? And you know, can that
support some more staffing? Maybe it's not in the health department. Maybe up upstairs in the building and they can do some code enforcement up there. But again, we don't know the numbers. You know, one number was thrown around 75. Is it really 75 BNBs that are
registered, but is there a hundred behind them that are not registered and that will register when they find out, you know, this is a process and this is what you need to do. So, it's all kind of like wide open. There's a lot of questions, a lot of unanswered questions
regarding this. So, still going to have hopefully this week we'll meet with um as the town administrator says, we'll we'll meet and we'll get a little bit more clarity around this because we we don't have the clarity >> and Liz agreed with that too.
>> Caroline, and then what do they want to bring it to town meeting, right? They want all this to go to t. Do you think all the information will be together by the time this town meeting? It doesn't sound like it. >> No. No. Nick didn't think so either because, you know, I don't know how much
time they put into it, but we just had our first meeting. I just had the first meeting with her like 10 days ago. And Michael White has not met with her. So, this is going to be impacting the building. uh inspectional services also, not just as I said, not just the
building or health, it's the police and the fire because they're going to have to do some inspections, too. So, I mean, that's going to impact inspectional services, they should know what they're going to be responsible for. Yeah. Because we'll all have to be
signing off on things and just as we do with demolitions, we all have to sign up sign off on things. So, and then, you know, how often are they going to be inspected? You know, what kind of fines if they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing? How long are these short-term rentals
for? Is this going to impact the schools if you can turn around after 120 days and and um say do another 120 days at the same short-term rental? I don't know. But a lot a lot of questions and I don't
know what the answers are. So, So, um, uh, I watched the recording of the two planning board meetings where they talked in great detail, um, about the
article and one of the things that they said, which I told Caroline, um, this this is for not more than 30-day rental um, at the max because there's a state law around maxing it about um can't be more than 31 days and I think right now
this article says no more than 30 days or no more than a month but um let me just back up a little bit. So I support having regulation of short-term rentals. I think it's kind of urgent to get regulation because right now it's the
wild west. There's no uh language. So if there are we I I won't say infractions because if you have no regulatory guidance then there's no there's right it's harder to for monitor infractions.
So um I know that from a health and sanitation standpoint it it would behoove us to get something in place and to regulate these short-term rentals. I I heard the number that there was 40. somebody looked online, you know, Airbnb
or whatever, and that there was about 40 and and as Caroline said, there's probably, you know, dozens more we don't know about. So in terms of timing, I think that for health and safety, it gives the health department and it gives
the I should say it gives the town power and authority to actually crack down and on if there's any sanitation um or health, you know, health and safety and uh problem. So I think regulation actually behooves the town and to get it
in as quickly as possible. Um the other thing is I think um the health department I think Caroline you're in a really good position right now to inform their language because they're working on the language right now and it's they're open for recommenda they're open
to recommendations and suggestions meaning the planning board right now and if you watch the recordings they've been very thoughtful and very careful and very detailed about all of the concerns that have been brought up. They did mention having a community forum to get additional feedback. So, I really
appreciate and I like the fact that you're meeting with the housing inspector and with Liz. So, the three of you can maybe come up with or you can come up with recommendations such as well, we don't we think housing inspe
you know housing should do the standard basic annual inspection and if there's code violations then come to the board of health. Um rather than saying the board of health is going to have to do every annual inspection right now it's an annual inspection and and again this
is a really good opportunity to provide your recommendations not just sit back and and just hear what is being expected but to really say listen this is what we can handle this is our capacity and my next question is what is your capacity
to it sounds to me like Carolyn Hoe and you all are doing an unbelievable able job with already doing tons of inspections on a lot of other stuff. And so my question to you Caroline is is to be prepared when you meet with them to
talk about how much um you had mentioned a revolving fund. How much perdm you would need for 40 let's say if they are asking to do the annual inspections. Well, how much is 40 inspections? How much? Right. Or if you're they're only
asking you to do code violations. Can you project how many code violations you anticipate if there's a hundred Airbnb, you know, that kind of thing. So, I would say go into I would recommend to go into the meeting with some numbers and also to and I I mentioned this to
you already. I would quantify how many inspections you already do on a weekly basis and all the permit the permit eyes which is that app the application that you have to look at every week to see what apps have applications have come in and to demonstrate that the board of
health and to advocate that the board of health may not have the capacity. So my question to you is what is your capacity for taking on more? We just talked about Susan maxing out at 19 hours a week and she still hasn't gotten through everything.
And so I would just ask you, do you have the capacity to take on additional without having um a revenue source or a PDM or evolving fund and then maybe go to the conversation recommending that there needs to be a PDM, you know, way
to, you know, there'll be taxes raised from this, right? And so maybe some of that could go to pay for some of the inspections because I'm worried you don't your staff doesn't have the capacity. We you guys are already doing so much and you're already so stretched. So what do you think?
>> Well, I think I'll know more information when I speak to Michael. >> That's what I think. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> I do think I think Deborah is right though. You don't have the capacity to do much more than you're already doing. >> Yeah. We'll have to see where this
falls. >> Where's a lot of this falling? >> Yeah, >> it's kind of it's a great thing to regulate the heck out of it and and get it all together, but for it to be done by September, I think is that's that's asking for shoddy work
because if it's something that needs a lot of research and >> numbers and statistics and stuff, it's it's just kind of throwing numbers out there. We need a lot of >> Can they do temporary rigs
and then work from them? >> I have no idea. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, they're working with town council right now back to >> Well, if you're interested in I I I recommend watching the planning board meetings. they've been really
interesting and helpful to really understand what are all the issues and how they're really being very thoughtful about um trying to to address them in the new bylaws. So, I mean, we can only right they can only um do the best they
can, but I'm I'm glad you guys are are going to be meeting. It's great. >> Yes, I'm hoping to meet this week. More discussion. Um, next is um public health nurse Susan
Forier. She's pursuing a reclassification of her position. So Susan um would like to go from a level six to a level eight. You know, over the last few years, not only has our workload increased significantly, but there's other
staffing in the health department that have come in at higher levels than Sue, the health agent, the assistant health director, and she's a well seasoned public health nurse. You know, things are more complex over the past number of years, whether
it has to do with the camp requirements, which the state is has had the camp regulations more than once. They've added more things in the camp regulations that Sue has to ask more questions like recently um heads up that
they have to do concussion training and things like this. There's more regulations in the camp regulations. So, she's having to ask more questions to and and get more answers from the camp operators in addition to some of the um
food born illnesses. She's having to and this is no lie, spent 30 minutes talking to a person who's had um like a food um born illness and getting all the data. um he's had to um you know a lot of this
was on paper when she started around the vaccines and stuff. So learning new programming we had to learn the color platform through the um when COVID hit and entering all the data in electronically. So she's had a big
learning curve around that. She also is the animal inspector. So she took that on. I'm an animal inspector. So is Caroline, but she's just one more animal inspector in the office helping with our animal dog bites because I don't know what's going on in the health
department. There's so many dog bites. Caroline can go like this and they're becoming more complex, too. So, we're having lawyers contact us about dog bites. We had a dog bite recently. Um the dog went to Connecticut. There was so many different steps that we had to take um when the dog had to be
quarantined in Connecticut and be released in Connecticut. And this isn't just a little, you know, one or two things we're finding out about dog. We had to do all this reporting um electronically about the dogs. Um follow up um with the owners, go and deliver
the quarantine orders. And so there's been a lot of um more things that Sue is doing and more complex things that Sue is doing. So um she can request this um reclass of her position. I've encouraged
her in the past to do this. Uh I know when I I went for my reclass um the board the board was behind me and said yes, you should go for the reclass because there's so many different things. Every year there seems to be something different. But um that I'm
doing that I didn't do 10 years ago when I first started or more than 10 years ago, 15 years ago, what not when I first started as the health director. There's so you know with the opioids and things, you know, different things. So she's she's doing a lot of different things and a lot of more complex things in her
position and um so she's going for the reclass. So it's a um she'd like to get your support. I'd like to get your support around that. So we can have in our union I think it's up to is it three three to five people maybe
three that they can put forward and they have to make the decision too if if um she can get a reclass and see if she can go forward. And then there's an independent um consultant that will review your job description, see what's new or what, you
know, do you have parity with other public health nurses in other towns, things like that, too. They look at a number of different data points and um to see like if you can reclass and they'll decide. But the first step is getting the board support and I hope
that you will support Sue because you know at her position at the level six uh she should be higher than that. Absolutely. >> Oh absolutely. >> I um >> absolutely [clears throat] >> absolutely has my support. >> I second that.
I third that she has great support. >> Yeah, Sue Sue is she's she's really wonderful. She really is. She really works so hard for the health department for us, for all of us. She's great. Um and then I think lastly, I'm going to go back to the goals and
accomplishments. So, um, in October of 2025, um, we, you know, we set our goals and accomplishments every year and they, you know, we send it to Nick, town administrator. I send it to the board.
The warrant committee gets this. Um, and every year we're, you know, if you look at it, I think it looks great. We're we're accomplishing a lot. We're following our community health improvement planning process. Um we have a number of goals that we're moving
forward with the standard operating procedure manual that we're working on all the time. You know, we introduced the um the food program, the food bags. Uh Ann's working with that. Um you know, there there's a lot of different moving
parts that one of the most um celebrated that I love is the um the newsletter. So just this year rolling out the newsletter and you know making people aware that what we're doing in the health department. So there's a lot of different things that we are um working
on. Another one here utilizing the language line and actually Caroline you used the language line last week with um a complaint about some chickens. So um you were able to call up the language line and um converse with the resident
um to tell her what what needed to be done. So, all of these things are um you know, what we're always adding to our list of our accomplishments and goals. Uh and as I said, this came out in um October 31st, 2025, and we'll put out
another one next year, but um for fiscal fiscal year 27, which we we're in now, so that started July 1st. And then goals for FY28 to FY31. again following along on our
um community health improvement plan, reassessing in FY30, but you know, building better relationships, providing more educational opportunities, exploring more opioid abatement um you know, fundings, you know, how we can
help residents through that with the opiate abatement monies. Um, yeah. So, I I don't think you saw this, Deborah. So, so this is what we've come up with for
FY27 and some of the goals. So, I don't know if board, do you have any you want to add to that? First of all, it's just unbelievable and it really drives home how much you guys do the house department and how
you you really have so much you have limited capacity and I mean one of my goals as a board of health members I really want to help look at ways to get the health department more capacity because um it's
just the um in the packets just for the if anyone's watching this um at a later date there's detailed uh report backs of all the accomplishments of all of the programs and grants and it's really very impressive. Um but I'm wondering did you
include do you usually include this or are you including it because I had asked to talk about goals and planning >> because you asked about it. I mean, I'm putting it in here because you may have not seen it. I don't think you saw this.
So, sharing it with you, Deborah, so you see what's what what we're doing. >> Okay. So, I think that there was a misunderstanding. It's um and really uh it's it's a funny thing to that that we
can't talk to each other, Laura and Mary, outside of this meeting because of open meeting laws. And so I think there was um um on on probably my part miscommunication. So what I meant is I
would really love to have a chance to do board of health planning for the year because the health department is the staff um that that makes the miracle happen, the engine run, but the board of
health is is a separate entity, the the three of us. And so I was wanted to put on the agenda to ask you all if you might consider having an opportunity to set aside time. And it might not be most
efficient to do it during one of these monthly meetings or or um during it might make the most sense to do it schedule like a retreat or a planning session. get together for a few hours and really talk about do we as a board
have goals um um any any planning goals anything that we want to achieve in the coming year as the board of health not the health department. So, an example might be I think it might be interesting to really talk about capacity, Caroline. It still amazes me how much you do with
so little and um and that maybe the board of health might want to put on its list for goals or planning is to really talk about or look at um getting you more capacity or staff or or or
help or support or whatever it is. I mean there's a bunch of things that that were said today. Um uh and so really what I meant was the planning for the year for the board of health goals and objectives. I know
select board has a retreat and I know planning board also takes time they took time um in the first meeting of their year um to do their goals and objectives in the meeting. So there's different ways we can do it. So I wanted to put on
the agenda to talk about if if this group wanted to set aside time for goals and objectives for planning for the year for board of health not health department. Well, I feel like what happens in the
board of for the board is driven by what's happening in the health department and we're really overseeing what they're doing. And um so I guess like I could say, oh
well, I think we should have this happen. But if it they're too busy because they're getting done everything that is happening that if I'm making sense. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah.
You know, it's just I feel like we're >> like syn synchronously instead of like asynchronously, >> right? You know, we're driven by what's happening in the board of health at the board of health department. So you're saying that the
>> we establish Oh, sorry, Deb. >> No, go ahead. >> We we kind of like have goals that are ongoing and we carry them over and we resolve, you know, we kind of do things from meeting to meeting. >> Okay. Um so
uh there are a lot I have so for example um the national association of local boards of health says that boards of health have six functions policy development resource stewardship legal authority partner engagement continuous
improvement and oversight and so um I thought it it just might be good to set aside time if there's any thing that we as a board wanted to I mean I have I
have a lot of ideas and a lot of things I want to talk about and ask about but I don't want to take up time during one of these meetings so just planning >> I think we would have to do it
in a meeting I mean we it has to be open you know what I mean Actually, if we um did a retreat, a planning retreat, the the bylaw excludes a planning retreat, so we it wouldn't
have to be during >> But couldn't it be just during one of the meetings? Is there a problem with that? >> Um, no. No, planning board did it during the meeting. >> Yeah, I mean, I think that would be the easiest way to do it. Maybe we could set
up something when we aren't expecting a heavy heavy agenda. >> That's why I was [laughter] thinking to do it at a separate time because it's always a heavy agenda. It's >> Yeah. >> Well, not for two hours. Yeah. Um >> um like for example um I think select
board um for their planning they uh put in like the different select board members put in their ideas of ideas to you know I um goals and accomplishments
for the year. Um and then they had a facilitator a vol um I think they had a former select board member actually planning board we could even you could even just watch the planning board session they talked about what they wanted to achieve for the year and then they came up with sort of things they
wanted to work on. So I I think that if we were to do it during these open meet during these meetings, >> um it it would have to be a standing in my mind maybe a standing agenda item for a few months, a few meetings, maybe two
to three meetings to get through it all because it's it's a lot and I don't >> which is fine too. I mean there's we could do it. I mean, another idea is uh get a we could do get a facilitator, you know, have somebody walk us through um you
know, strategic planning like a mini session, a couple of hours. I mean, there's all different ways to do it. >> Well, let's think about it and think about which way we'd like to do it and we can discuss it again
at our next meeting and make a plan to do something. >> Great. That'd be awesome. I I appreciate that. Um and uh also part of the planning session that I have in in my mind why I don't want to sort
of take up the time here is you know the process for agenda items. I I didn't we don't sort of see the agenda items until one business day before our actual meeting. Um and so you know maybe spending time to think about different
ways that we could uh you know tackle that like at the end of every meeting maybe brainstorm agenda items for the next time so you have a base Laura you don't have to start from scratch right and then maybe add on as it comes up right like as health department stuff
comes up um so that kind of thing um so some of it is process some of it is administrative some of it is of substance, right? Like um I have um you know I like the opioid um
stuff, you know, the opioid funding. We might want to right revisit that. Um there's tobaccof free generation legislation that's pending at the state level that's actually going to impact us. Um
there's like the Milton Coalition um sustainability plan. You know that the coalition's the the DFC drug-free communities grant is ending in a year and a half or whatever the year after next. So maybe the board of health wants
to talk about what the plans are for sustainability. Um I mean there's so many things. So some of it is procedural or administrative and some of it is of substance. Um, so yeah. So yeah, that'd be great if we could uh
put that on the agenda for for next time. And Laura, if I understand you correctly, it's not to actually do the planning next time. It's to talk about how we might do if we wanted to do it and how we might do it. >> Okay, that sounds that sounds great. >> Okay.
Um, future meeting date. Oh, wait. Is there anything else? >> Mary, are you all right with that? >> Oh, yeah. Yes. Are we all set with this? Was there anything else in your report? No. So, future meeting date
in September. >> Um, yeah. And also, we have to follow up with a couple of other things. I think we have to follow up with um the what town council says about um >> Right. Right. the medical advisor
positions and also follow up regarding >> that letter um the sanitation code >> letter >> um in terms of >> the language. >> Yes. >> Other things we were going to Oh, I was
going to report back and tell you what I found out from Norine Dolan. >> Oh, right. Yes. So that will all be >> part of the Yeah. Yeah. >> Um >> so September
>> and the followup around the the opioid grants talk to >> Yeah. I think someone mentioned and it's true. I think we should have that on the agenda. >> Yes. >> Every month >> like as a standing >> as a standing
>> Oh, that's a great idea. I like that. All right. So, the 7th of September is Labor Day. The 14th. >> Does the 14th work for anyone? For everyone? >> It works for me.
>> Work for you, Deborah? >> Yes. Thank you, >> Caroline. Does it work for you? >> I think that it does. I'm looking at my calendar now. Yeah, I think so. Let's let's September 14th. It's Do you want to do it at seven?
>> Yes. >> And are we still going to meet by Zoom? >> What does everyone want to do? >> I'd rather I can do Zoom. like the Zooms >> easier. Okay, you I'm I'm good either way.
>> So, >> sounds good. >> Okay. And >> I I do want to put something just before we as we're closing. We're going to have the International Overdose Awareness Day
on September 20th. Just to put it in your calendar. It's on a Sunday. Okay. >> I believe you'll see some um flyers coming out. It's going to be in the morning on on that Sunday. I'm not able to unfortunately attend as I'll be
watching my new grandbaby because my my son-in-law's is um his sister's getting married. So, I'm going to be a baby. So, >> can I um >> can I throw a monkey wrench into that date? That's um a major Jewish holiday.
like the most >> that's the biggest Jewish holiday of the year. >> What's the name of it? The Jewish holiday. >> But this >> But did we pick this date? >> No, we didn't. No, we didn't. >> It's an international day,
>> right? So, um you know, they picked the date. So it is the people that are um and who I say the people the people are like Mary and Elaine who and Robin um Houston bean that is um that is has
picked that date. So I'll let them know that I did not know that they were looking for a number of dates and they settled on that date. So I will have to let them know that. >> Yeah, good idea.
And when does that start? >> So you So it starts at sundown on Sunday the 20th. >> So it starts at sundown >> and then and then the next day is the is the first full day of it.
>> But would it impact it if it's in the morning? >> Oh, no. Oh, I thought it was an evening event. >> No, no, it's a morning event. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. >> Oh, that's great. >> 10 o'clock in the morning. Okay.
>> So, it wouldn't impact. >> That's funny. It's a morning thing. >> Yeah, it's a morning thing. I guess it's a butterfly release. So, they really >> Yes. >> it it mustn't get that many people,
Caroline, on that in the morning on that day, would it? If I mean, where is it? >> That's the date they went over dates. dates dates and they that's the date that they settled on that that was the best. >> Where where is the butterfly release?
>> Going to be at the town hall right at the gazebo. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah. >> Can I ask something? Has the Milton Coalition been consulted about this the the date like to get >> I have no idea. I have you know what
they I'm leaving that up to Anna in Berlin, Mary and Elaine. So, um I think the last Milton Coalition meeting they um you know they it was before they're making their decisions. So, they probably haven't even or they're just
working on the flyer now. They probably haven't been um even asked about it. But I don't know the answer in that. I don't know the answer to that. So, if you could just ask them how they're planning to engage the the coalition in in this
planning. >> Yeah, because they're they're they're working with the coalition. So, I will ask them. >> I'm on the I'm on the coalition and um >> and you didn't get engaged. So, yeah. >> No, I mean, in fact, the the last
meeting was a training and then the meeting before that was cancelled. So we haven't had a meeting in many months. >> Yeah. >> So I would ask them to reach out to non. >> All right. >> Thank you so much. Thanks everybody.
>> All right. Well, we'll see you in September. >> Can we vote to close the meeting to adjourn it? >> Yes. >> You want to make that at 9:20? >> I move I move to adjoin the meeting at 9:21. >> Thank you. back in that.
>> Good night everybody. >> Good night. >> Bye bye. >> Bye bye.