Okay. So, this is the board of health meeting of uh April 15, 2026 and the entire board is here and we have some guests. Um, one is Chris Stoddard and one is Terry Bernard, I believe. >> Yeah.
>> And they are here to talk about 371 Lock Road. >> Can I just make a correction? Norine is not here. >> Norine is not here. >> You're right. Sorry, the entire board is not here. >> Okay, the entire board is not here. So, for the for the record, I'll say that
there we have a quorum and that consists of myself, Katherine Hilson, Arlene Reed, Whim Lavine, and Garrett Simson. Okay. Um, so we have
an application for a septic system permit for 371 Locks Pond Road. And there's kind of a lot going on with it. This is a replacement, that is to say, a repair. and they are
um they are intending to install a 2,000galon tight tank on this property which um given how tiny it is is probably a really good idea. So,
um, a there are some local upgrade approvals here. >> It says the type of existing system is a Seth pool. Very nice. Is it a vol
basically a voluntary upgrade? We had a little goround with Megan about the voluntary upgrade because theoretically you can't give a voluntary local upgrade for a tight tank. You know the tight
tank has to be uh you know a last resort and so you have to have a failed a failed system. But I think Chris is going to tell us that the system is indeed failed and we don't need to have a a whole
a whole um title five inspection. Um we're also being asked for a reduction in setback from the septic tank to the foundation from the standard 10 ft down to 5 ft and from the septic tank to the
well from 50 ft to 26 feet. And I think those are the only the only local upgrades
to do. Um, I believe that after discussing this with Megan um extensively, we determined that we can in fact issue this permit. Do you have
comments or questions about this? What are the standard setbacks from a a tight uh from a tight tank to a well and a foundation? >> They are >> I I think you said it, but I
>> I'll say it again. That's perfectly fine. Sorry. >> The septic tank to the foundation is us is normally 10 feet and it's going down to five feet. The the to the well is normally 50 feet. It's going down to 26
feet. >> Got it. Okay. Sorry. Okay. So, other other questions or remarks or concerns from the board?
Um, no. If Megan, as our de facto health agent, is saying that it's an approvable system, then I'm okay with that. I'm okay. One one thing she did point out is that with that kind of a setback back
even if it's a tight tank um with that kind of a setback to the well we should impose an annual a well test door the same as we did last time for the for the other place where actually that was the
conventional system and that would be once again in August annual and reportable to us. So with all these with all these um caveats, requirements,
um uh local upgrades and so so on, do I hear a motion to approve this application? >> I'll move to approve with the condition of the annual testing. >> Second. >> Second. Oh, >> go ahead.
>> Thanks, Whim. Okay. And you are specifically adding the um annual testing. Okay. Further discussion on this motion.
Hearing none, let us vote. Arlene, >> yes. >> Whim, >> yes. >> Garrett, >> yes. >> Cat, yes. Okay, that is unanimous.
Uh, in favor of granting that application, I will write that up, Chris. And I assume that's Terry. Yes. Or maybe >> Yeah. Thank you very much. We're okay with the testing. Yes. Yeah. >> Excellent. Excellent. Um, I wonder why,
Terry, we didn't get a Title 5 inspection when you bought this place. You haven't been there very long, have you? Well, it it's been a long process, put it that way. Um, it was a private sale and we had discussed this. It's been it's been over two years. Um, I
see. >> But the house really had to be uh pretty much gutted and redone. So, it's been a long long two years. >> And I mean, everything the electrical, plumbing, everything had to be redone.
>> Now, is this the little A-frame? >> Yes. >> Okay. Yeah, >> you guys you guys know that at the sort of at the bottom of Locks Pond Road, not very far up from the dam. >> Uhhuh. Very good. >> Okay, great. >> All right, I will um I will get the the
permit to you tomorrow by um you know email attachment. >> Okay, thank you so much. >> You are good to go. Do we know who your um who your installer is? >> Um Clark. >> Yes, Clark. >> Clark. Okay, very good. They've already
got their their license. Yep. >> Okay, you guys are good to go. Thanks for coming in. >> Okay, thank you so much. >> You are welcome. >> Take care. >> Good night. >> Night, >> Kat. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Um I think we skipped over the approval
of minutes and we are dealing with two sets of minutes um that you emailed to us all on uh two weeks ago tonight. >> We did skip over them. I figured since we had company, we'd just go straight to them. >> Got it. Okay.
>> Okay. So, so we've got minutes from which meetings? >> Uh, >> April 1, >> you sent us two weeks ago. On April 1st, you sent us minutes of March 18th and April 1st.
>> Okay. Okay. Is there any discussion or concern about those minutes? Do you want me to go back to April 1 and put in who who moved and who seconded and all that stuff? I'm willing to do that. I just wanted to get them out quickly.
>> I don't I don't need that if it's not required. And I'm sorry. I'm not trying to dictate the agenda. I realize >> No, no, that's okay. >> Your rationale if we had guessed to move on to other things first, but Okay. >> Right. No. Um uh any help that you can
give me is gratefully accepted. >> Okay. >> Okay. Do I hear a motion to accept the minutes from March 18th and April 1? >> So moved. >> Do I hear a second? >> Second. >> Was that Garrett?
>> Yes. >> Okay. Okay. All in favor? Garrett? >> Yes. >> Arlene? >> Yes. >> Whim? >> Yes. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> Um I don't have the agenda in front of
me. Was there another business matter? >> There was um not another business matter. >> The bus. >> The bus is the other. >> The bus, right? How could I have forgotten the bus? Um >> Oh, I didn't realize that was a business
matter. Okay. >> Yeah, it's not a business matter, but it is something we're talking about. All right. >> So, so the the parcel in question, well, Claire and Garrett know where it is because they passed by it. Um, Arlene,
it's down it's down West Palm Road. It's there's 409 and 421 and it's across the street. >> Every time I go down the road, I swear I'm going to check and every time I forget. So, >> it's not that easy to see. Um when when
when the foliage and stuff comes out in a week or two, uh it's going to be tragically invisible. And the bus apparently >> on the it's on the east side of the road. Is that right? >> I'm trying to remember. >> East is toward
>> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. >> Right. Get a Midwestern person out here to do the actual cardinal points. Thank you. Um, uh, so yeah, it's not too far back in there. What happened was, well,
back in history, these people have been out there before. um a probably a couple of years ago when Claudia was still working for us, um we got a complaint about it and she went out and she
actually went on the property and looked around and took a bunch of pictures and I don't I don't remember if the bus was there, but there was a tent and some other stuff and she tried to find the people and um talk to them, but they
evaded So, so that kind of, you know, it got to be winter, I guess, and they went home. Um, but now they're back there and the we know about it because Mo Gregoire um happened to see them out there and he
just went he just went out there. He just walked out and there, you know, there was the U-Haul and stuff and he just went out there and they came out and he talked to him and stuff and um they told him that they were planning to put up solar panels in the woods there, which I can't imagine how effective
that's going to be. Um and have electricity and he told them that they couldn't do that without an electrical permit and an an electrician. Um and when is laughing in there? Um and of
course they don't have any water supply. They don't have any septic system. Um this is this is not acceptable obviously. So >> do they own that land? >> Apparently they do. Apparently they do.
Mo asked them if they did and he got some kind of lecture about not believing in private property which I took as a no. But then but then I went and looked at the the property card and some other stuff. And it does seem as if this
person it does seem as if the person who owns the land is the person who's out there, right? We know that for sure, but it looks it looks likely. They live in Ammerst in what I think must be a rental, but I'm I'm not sure. So, so
Megan did some research or, you know, asking around um something she called the learning hub or something. Anyway, that's for that's for this kind of thing. And she wrote a cease and desist letter, which or she had had one
written, which I have not seen yet. and she had the sheriff serve it to them. And uh actually she sent me a picture. It was propped against um against a mailbox that they have next to the next
to the bus and that happened in the last day or two. So I don't know exactly what the letter says. I would assume it says you can't be camping on this land without proper proper facilities. Um but I don't know that for sure.
No, if they if they had a camper that provided its own water and kept its own sewage, >> however they do that, um then they could apply for a a a short-term camping permit.
>> Um but not not to live there. That's not >> right. >> Just not kosher. So, we'll have to see what happens. I'm not sure what happens if they ignore the order. >> The if the sheriff's office is involved
in serving them, I I think then they would also handle an eviction. But does the sheriff's office go back and check or do they rely upon some town official letting them know the
current status? I wonder. >> I would guess the letter because because for all I know the sheriff doesn't even know what was in that letter. >> Yeah. >> Right. They an envelope and they they
are told to deliver it to somebody and they deliver it. So, if the if it is the sheriff who who could then remove them, um, uh, we would have to we would have to ask them. I'll have to I'll ask Megan what she knows about that.
>> Okay. >> The the letter itself comes from Megan as as our acting agent. It comes from the collaborative,
but I'm exactly sure >> who signed it, but I'll >> And tell me again what role the sheriff has played. Did the sheriff serve it? >> Yes. >> Okay. Huh.
>> And she said she was going to have somebody send it to me, the letter to me. So Jim, she said she would have Jim. Jim Albert is the one who apparently wrote the letter.
And so there's an envelope that says something sheriff's office notice of service process service for. And I can't read the address, but presumably it's the name of the person who um who we
know to be there. So that's all we can do at the moment, I guess. >> Curious. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. We had um other topic, we had somebody ask us if we were planning to
do anything about ticks this year. Apparently the ticks are really bad already this year. >> And um um the person asked if we were going to have any kind of tick controlling
activity or or thing. And I said last time, you know, it was the lab in Ammerst that sprayed peromethine on people's shoes. Um, and she said, she asked them already and they said they weren't doing that this year. >> Yeah. And they're also no longer testing
ticks. >> Is that right? >> That's right. >> Ah, >> they no longer have that tick testing service. I just learned that within this last week. >> Do you know why? >> No. Um, but if you and I did a search for
tick testing services in the state and there there are other resources but not UMass any longer. >> Interesting. I wonder if it's a budget thing. >> So, and I understand that it's a bad year and um some people are the one of
the theories I guess is because of the depth the snow cover was sort of an insulating factor for them. Well, should we do something? I mean, should we get peromethine and ask people to come in and we'll spray their shoes or what?
>> H >> or should we just remind them that they need to be careful? It's not a difficult job but it but I don't know about us providing that service but um
I mean people can easily obtain the spray and do it in their own >> you can get it yeah you can get it at Sam's but maybe just mention that in in um when does the town publish their newsletter is it right around
>> oh it's all it's actually ready to be Yeah, Friday. So, >> yeah, it's already written. >> That probably would have been a good thing to put in it, but >> I didn't put anything in it for the board of health because, you know, it's it's never timely.
>> But we can send out a town announce. We could put some flyers at >> town meeting. >> Um, >> which is coming right up. So, >> yeah, >> Haley is also doing a weekly Friday five
Oh yeah, we could ask her to which which I I think is a really nice thing that she's doing. So maybe we could figure out how to connect >> with her around that. >> Well, yeah, I'll ask her if we can have one of those five. I think she must have to work hard to find five sometimes. Um
so >> and and a um a service of spraying things for people. I'm not opposed to it, but I'm just trying to imagine how that would, you know, how we coordinate that and do that. And if there's a a a model for a
plan for that, like other communities doing that, um I'm happy to be involved. But um but >> yeah, I wonder I wonder how they did it
at the lab that time. H >> yeah it seems I don't know spraying people with insecticide maybe we don't want >> you don't spray the people you >> I know I know but still it's an aerosol
and >> and I mean when I've sprayed my clothes before travel to other parts of the world >> I'm not in the clothes Right. No, you're not supposed to be in the clothes. >> Oh, clearly it would be a drop off and
pickup type of thing. Um, not a a spray it while it's on the person. >> That would be >> I don't think they had when they did it in Namoris, I don't think they had them drop them off, but they told them to bring shoes that they weren't wearing.
>> I see. >> To be sprayed. >> I see. >> But >> okay. >> Yeah. Somehow the idea of being out there spraying a bunch of insecticides is not very appealing. >> No, because you're not even supposed to touch this stuff. You're supposed to leave it overnight. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And exactly. We do it on our clothesline around here and um and and let it sit and >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And it would be weird. I mean, obviously, you'd have to do it outdoors, and what if the day you chose was a
windy or rainy day, and that doesn't work, and I think it's problematic. >> Yeah. Just as an aside, in the last two days, I've had three deer ticks attached to me. >> And have you been like hiking in the
woods or what kind of exposures do you think you've had? just working on brush clearing and >> Well, that way do it. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Well, time to spray your stuff there. >> Yeah,
>> you can take it over to Arlans and hang it on the line. >> Hang it on the clothes line. >> Okay. Well, let's let's not plan to do anything actually um physical, but just to give advice, >> get the word out and some resources
about where they can get the stuff and >> Yeah, >> the permit. >> Right. Okay. >> Okay. >> Is there anything else on the agenda if somebody has it in front of them? >> No, it just said other business.
>> Okay. Yeah, I I back on the tick subject, I will just say that just keeping an eye on the database in Maven, there has been one report of uh diagnosis of Lyme disease in the last
few weeks in Pittsburgh. That is tip of the iceberg type of stuff. But yeah, one report. >> Right. Right. And then now that other now >> alpha, the lone star, you mean? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And yeah, I attended a webinar on alpha
gal syndrome. >> Yeah. >> Uh yesterday, which is the latest thing to be worried about with >> the lonear tick. Yeah. >> Yeah. And by the way, the lone, you know, those little tick identification
cards, they do not include the lonear tick, but it is now a factor in >> the state. Yeah. in our area. >> Too bad because I still have about a million of those cards. I used to hand everywhere I went, >> right? >> I wonder if they'll send us some updated
ones. Probably not. >> We should bring We should have those available at town meeting. >> I'll find which whatever ones are left and and bring them. >> Yeah. >> And then we'll have we can also have a handout >> about Lonear. >> Yeah. About Lonear and just about tick math.
>> Good idea. in general and probably probably it's time to update the website on that. >> Yep. >> Would you Arlene look at the website and see what what things we need to add? >> Okay. And I'll run it by you. I'll run
it by all of you. >> Okay. >> Sounds good. Okay. Um let's see. I went to the I went to the meeting the uh collaborative meeting
last Thursday and um I didn't I don't have much to much to report. It was interesting. Um but I don't don't think there's any particular thing that that I need to report to you. Um, I also did
the survey, the monster survey that's for how well we're complying with the new requirements. >> Oh, so that's done. I hope I did it well enough.
Is there anything you guys have to to tell? So, I attended the emergency management team uh meeting for the town on Monday. And one item that connects to us related
to that meeting is that um related to the oil leak at the school. Um it seems that the town will offer the neighbors of the school the opportunity to test their wells. Mhm.
>> Um, so that's just something to for us to be aware of and maybe to request when the testing is done on those wells, uh, that reports come to us. >> Right. Yes. I'll ask Haley to, um, to
forward those to us. Mhm. >> I assume they're just testing for going to test for oil itself or volatile organics or I don't know what >> Yeah, they didn't say that specifically, but I I would assume that that's what
they're looking for. Mhm. >> I don't I don't think they're doing broad spectrum testing or but >> well that would make sense and that would be just a handful I would think of
properties, right? Because the closest neighbor is the cemetery. We don't have to worry about that. Yeah. >> Okay. Anything else we should know? All right. So, unless something awful happens, our
next meeting would be in May on the on the 6th, right before town meeting. I will be in southern France. So will not be joining.
>> Oh. Oh, I'm so heart. >> Southern France. What are you going to be doing in southern France? >> I am I We rented a very fancy villa with three other couples.
>> Nice. >> I will be going with Whim. >> I won't I won't be at that meeting. All right. >> And and in what town or village are you? >> Um it's halfway between Avenue and
Marseilles. It's called Menerbees. >> Okay. I ask because we have some friends who love the south of France so much and went there to bicycle every year and then decided to just buy an 800y old house
>> there and and renovate it. And um they keep telling us open invitation in >> and then we're we're driving from there to Madrid and coming home from there. >> Wow. >> Well, I I think we should have our next
board of health meeting in that French village. >> Yeah, that's Yes. All right. >> Okay. Okay. Hey, does that mean you're going to um you're going to miss town meeting? I guess.
>> Yeah, we'll be back the 16th. >> So, you can you can vote um early. You can ask for an early ballot. >> Yeah, I will. That's a good idea. >> Right. There's an actual there's
actually a contested race this year, which is doesn't happen every year for the select board. Mhm. >> All right. Well, bonvoage and bon is right. >> All right. >> All right. Enjoy this beautiful weather,
everyone. >> Yes. >> Watch out for ticks. >> Yes. Watch out for them ticks. >> Yep. >> Okay, you guys. Meeting's over. Good night. All right. Thank you. Good night. >> Thanks. Good night everyone.