I'm exhausted. >> Okay. So, now that the recording is in progress and we have solved our technical difficulties, this is this is the board of health meeting of February 11th, 2026. Um, and the whole board is here. Me,
Katherine Hilton, Norin Peas, Garrett Simons, Whim Lavine, Arlene Reid, and we have a guest, Claire Fles. Um, and it has come to my attention that this is the f Is it true? This is the first meeting we've had this year.
>> Yes. >> Oh my god. >> What the >> Yeah. >> Is that for real? >> I think it is. I think we canled all the other ones either accidentally or on purpose. >> Oh. >> So, >> wow. Okay.
>> We'll get down to it. So, the minutes of the previous meeting are from way the hell back in December. Um, >> yeah, I see that. >> Presumably, you may have seen them and remembered that you like them.
Can we Can we vote to approve them? Uh, >> so moved. >> Yes. >> Do I hear a second? >> Second. Well, >> I should be taking notes. Hang on a sec. Okay. So, we've got Arlene and Whim. All
right. All in favor? Garrett? >> Yes. >> Whim? >> Yes. >> Norine? >> Yes. >> Arlene? >> Yes. >> Cat? Yes. Okay. Those those completely forgotten minutes are now approved. So,
we have a couple of disposal works construction permits to approve. One of them is new construction. It's owned by somebody named Richard Rae over on West Pelum Road in um T17
is the map and parcel number. It's right across the street from uh Jackie Cass's house, if you know where that is. Um Mike Through reviewed it. Everything seems fine. Can we can we vote to approve it?
>> I'll move to approve. Garrett >> second. >> Okay. Any discussion or questions about the the system? >> Nothing unusual
um mentioned on the approval. >> No, you know, it's new construction, so everything everything is up to up to code. We don't have to give any variances or anything. Anything else? Okay. Can we vote? Arlene,
>> yes. >> Norin, >> yes. >> Garrett, >> yes. >> Whim, >> yes. >> All right, I will get that out tomorrow. Now, we do have another one that's at 119 Lake View Road, and that one is a repair, so it
was a little tricky. 119 Lake View Road is the house where Jonathan Tuttle used to live. The place it had a big um a sort of ramada in the in the front with all plants growing over it. >> Oh, yeah.
>> You know, you know the one, right? >> Um so, so they're doing a repair. They are they asked for um a local upgrade approval to do a civ analysis of the soil instead of a regular perk test.
It's a fairly tricky lot, you know, because it's it's so close to that um where that stream comes in under the road. >> All right. Um anyway, Meg has reviewed it. Megan Children has reviewed it. She
suggested that we put a couple of conditions. She said actually we needed a note from the designer but I said I asked her if we could just put it as conditions because there's a place on the on the permit you know to put different conditions. So the conditions are pretty obvious. Uh the riser covers
are to be secured against unauthorized access. Although who would want unauthorized access to septic tank? I can't imagine. But anyway, and that the manhole covers have to be watertight.
And I assume those are the covers on the on the tank. So, let me just look at this one more time to make sure there isn't anything. >> What's the difference between a civ test and a perk?
With the civ test, they take some they take some dirt and they I think they actually take it to the lab and they study the soil characteristics there. >> Oh, >> and and repeat the first condition. I got the second one, but I didn't
>> riser covers to be secured against unauthorized access. >> I'm trying to think through how what that means exactly. Are we talking about like posting or like >> or padlock? >> No access. What does that
>> No, I think they're they're meant to be actually physically secure. >> Oh, physically. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> They typically just have eight screws in them, but I guess if some ingenious
person really wanted to get in there and brought their cordless drill, they could do it. I don't think we really have to be that concerned about it. >> Um, >> K, I have a question and if you can
answer it, don't worry about it. But do you know how old this system is? I'm just curious. >> Is there date on it? Do we know when it was >> Do we have data on it? Was it when was it installed? >> That is a really good question. Let me
see if there's any indication of that on this. Um, I don't know. Uh, we don't seem to have that here. >> Okay. I just wondered the house looks like it might be 60s or 70s. So, I was
just wondering if our, you know, I think it might actually be, you know, that I can find out from here if you'll hang. >> It's okay. You don't have to worry about it. I was just curious. It's not that important. >> Okay. Yeah. Um, yeah, it's it's pretty old. And I remember
I remember going over there and talking with Mr. Tuttle about possibly citing a well or something. And I remember that it was a rather tricky tricky spot. A lot of water there. Yeah, a lot of water on that slide. Okay,
thank you. >> So, so the civ analysis is a particle size analysis. So, they take the they take the sand over there and they and they or the soil and they
say what percent is sand, silt and clay and so it was almost entirely sand. So, it's not clear to me why they did that. It might have been um timing. You know, it was just
inconvenient to do a perk test at the time that they that they let's see. They did the civ analysis in lost it in December. beginning of December
>> and this is a voluntary upgrade. >> So they're Oh, there's some more there's some more upgrades here that I failed to notice. They're also reducing the setback to the
well from 100 ft to 63 feet, which is well within the limits that we can approve. They did the civ analysis because it's a because it's a a voluntary upgrade.
They are leaving the facility they're leaving the size of the system the same. So it's a twobedroom uh system. And so what are they doing? Interesting. They're doing a
replacement, but they're not bringing it up to code, which they don't have to because it's voluntary. So, we've got a voluntary upgrade. We are uh replacing a two-bedroom system with a two-bedroom system, and we are
requiring that it be um that it be made secure so that I think the idea is not so much so that anybody could get in, but to keep anybody from like the covers from coming off in some for some reason and people falling in or animals falling
in. I would think that that would be kind of standard, but Megan asked for it and uh >> yeah. Okay. >> She can have whatever she wants. >> Okay. Any other thoughts or questions or
discussion, objections? >> So, since it's a two-bedroom going to a two-bedroom system, what constitutes an upgrade in this case? >> An upgrade is bas basically is a repair. But it has not failed. They're not
mandated to make this change. >> I think the idea is they saw the handwriting on the wall and they decided to just go ahead and put in the inspection and just went straight to the repair. >> Is that right? >> Yeah. Okay. >> That appears to be right. I have not had
>> I haven't had any kind of um communication from the owner. >> Okay. So, it's kind of a presumed failure, if you will. I think so. Yeah. >> Okay. >> If you're concerned about it, we can always put it off and not vote on it tonight.
>> No, I was just curious about >> the voluntary upgrade piece, but nothing about the system size driving that. Yeah. >> Right. >> Okay.
Let me um >> I I don't mean to hold it back. It's >> That's okay. That's okay. I'm not trying to Okay. So So they're putting in a new septic tank. Uh dual compartment 1,5
and 500. So it's 1500 gallons total. There's a >> sorry there's a pump changer uh chamber. Um remember when we used to meet in person and we could just spread these out on
the table and we could all look at them. Those are the good old Yeah. Yep. So they've sized it for two bedrooms, 220 gallons per day. So So they are
replacing everything, but they're not enlarging it. >> Okay. >> Okay. Anything else? Are we ready to vote on this? >> Okay. Do I hear a motion to authorize this repair?
>> So moved. >> Do I hear? >> Who was that? >> That was Whim. >> Thank you, Whim. All right. Further discussion. All right. All in favor? Arlene?
>> Yes. >> Norin? >> Yes. >> Garrett? >> Yes. >> Whim, are you still here? >> I am. I I ran out of batteries, but now I'm plugged in. Yes. >> Okay. All right, Cat. Yes. So, we're
That's unanimous and we're done. Um, a little while ago I sent you all out the um, uh, my comments on the data center
um, amendment to the planning the to the the planning board bylaw basically the the um the zoning bylaw. It's something that we would have talked about in a meeting, but we didn't have a meeting and the deadline was February
2nd. So, um I've sent you what I said. Some of the some of the things were some of the provisions had to do with things that the board of health was supposed to do and most of them were things that the board of health can't or won't do. Um so,
so I kind of set them straight on that. If you wish to talk about it now, we can do that. Um, if not, you can just read what I said. It was fairly brief. I was very glad to see your comment about um our inability to deliver on the
requirement that uh that in their draft plan that had said that the board of health should rule on whether or not there was an adequate volume of water to accommodate
their usage. And I when I had read the draft bylaw bylaw, am I right? Yeah. Um it uh I I read that and said, "How are we supposed to know about the adequacy of
the volume of water?" Um, so I was glad to hear you say in your comments that we can't with great certainty with any certainty say there is or is not an adequate
volume of water to accommodate their use. Anyway, that's the main thing that I had a reaction to. Yeah, you know, they don't seem to have really um really thought it through entirely. As you know, when you're
working on a thing like this, you have different pieces and when they come together, they contradict each other sometimes. And uh >> really, if they're not allowed to use groundwater for cooling, >> what are they using water for anyway?
They shouldn't be using any water. Why don't >> I suppose if there if if the building is staffed then there has to be water for restrooms or you know drinking water I suppose. >> I suppose so. But I don't know that
that's what data centers are. I thought they were just freestanding blocks of >> without without staff on site. >> That's what I think. >> Yeah. I think they're only serviced when they send someone there. I see. Okay.
So then yeah, what other than fire uh precautions, what why and cooling, why do they need why do they need portable water, >> right? They don't need water at all as
far as I can tell. Um, you know, Lenny, the fire chief told me that the instructions for the battery storage system up on Pre Corner Road, which I imagine would be fairly similar, >> um, the instructions, if there's a fire,
don't try to put it out. >> Just let it burn itself. >> Yeah. Let it burn itself out, but keep it from spreading into the >> That's interesting. >> the environment. >> So, very interesting. >> Yeah. So, it's not like there's going to be a well that they get to use to put
out the fire because they're not going to put out the fire, >> right? And then if there is a fire, the the the um the fire department could come with pumper trucks and you know, from the surrounding area and or they
could have I suggested they have a tank of water, >> right, >> for that >> emergency water that came from somewhere else. And what was the select board's response to that? >> This wasn't the select board. This is the planning board.
>> And so they are they are working on um an amendment to the zoning bylaw, which you know they're doing all the time. >> Um and I don't know what their response was to it because I just sent it to them and then I didn't go to the meeting at which they discussed it.
>> So they have not replied to you on this? >> They have not. Um, and I don't know that they that they will. Um, hang on a second. Let me just see when they did this because you could
always I mean, if you're really interested in finding out, you could um >> I think the meeting was the ninth cap. >> That would make sense. That would make sense because the the um
the comments were due a week before that on the second. >> So, I mean, if anybody wants to watch it, you can watch it on YouTube >> and find out. Um >> yeah, or we can just wait until the next
draft comes out and see what they've done. So, >> well, hopefully they'll take your advice, Cat, that we can't monitor what we can't monitor and right changes. >> Right. Right. I suppose there will be a
I suppose there will be a hearing. You'll have to have a hearing of some sort, don't they? >> Be a town town meeting. In any case, at some point, we'll uh we'll get to check it again and make our point again if
necessary. All right. So, it has come to my attention that we need to update our fee schedule. We have not we have not raised our fees for anything for years and years and years. And the re the way this came to my attention is
I I called Mrs. Clark to um to tell her that it was the same the the um haulers permit fee was still $50. And she said you should raise that. Every other town
she said every other town gets a whole lot more more than that. And I said well how much do they get? She said it ranges from you know 100 to you know 200 250 in the bigger town. >> Interesting. >> Yeah. So I have already written some permits for 2026 as people start
applying for them in you know in December. >> Yeah. >> Um but sometime during this year we should review that and uh and raise the fees because the town could really use the money. >> Sure. >> You know we don't want to go up too high because they're not going to get that
many jobs here. on the other hand um we can be try to be in line with other towns. >> So is there a way that we can access um kind of a sampling of what similarsized towns or neighboring towns are um uh
what their fee schedule is? >> Well, I was thinking I would ask Megan Tudran because >> Oh, good idea. If we're going to if we're going to ultimately join that collaborative and get our health agent services from that collaborative
be on the same page with them. >> Wonder if >> that sounds that's a great idea. >> I wonder if MAHB has like a spreadsheet of what other communities charge.
>> They might. That's also a good idea. I'll see if I can find that, but I'll als I'll I'll start by asking Meg and see what she uh she thinks. And that is a great segue into the question of the health district. And um so, as you know,
our our URSW would be health agent is now possibly not going to become our health agent. Um he he asked me to keep that email confidential, but he apparently he didn't notice that he replied all. So now you all know that
he's on administrative leave and he may be terminated. And um I know nothing more about it than you know. Um, so this seems like a good a good moment to
to get ready to make our move away from the district and into the collaborative. Um, but it's complicated. This is really complicated, you guys. Um so the collaborative has been and will be
through this fiscal year funded by state grants right and the one of the conditions of those grants is that you can't supplement the amount that they gave you with like contributions additional contributions
from the towns. And another one is that if you're part of the collaborative, they can provide services for you, but only if you're actually paying somebody else for services. It's a real catch 22.
But um this person Ron O' Conor who's a I guess a DPH person and I I don't know who he is but Meg has told me that according to Ron O' Conor it's okay even if we don't spend any money it's okay
for us to get services from the collaborative if or as long as we have we have it in our budget that we're paying for things. So this year, for example, we have in our
budget that we're paying the district. Um, so far I don't even know if we've been charged anything. I mean, Dave has worked some weeks and presumably we and we're liable. I mean, for 43% of
whatever that is, but I don't know if we have been charged for it yet. I haven't I haven't seen the bill. It might have gone directly to the town accountant. I'll find out about that probably tomorrow. Um,
in any case, according to Megan, this grant from the state is going to expire at the end of fiscal 27, which is just to say next next June 30th of 2027. And after that things will change and we
will be able to join the collaborative and turn our funds that we now all lot to the district or you know some portion of them maybe would be good if it were less um over to the collaborative
but that can't happen until we can't even do that until next year. So this year, thanks to this catch 22 that's this the year that's coming up, right? We have to get through FY27.
These fiscal years are really complicated for me to keep track of. Um, we have to be basically enrolled in the district whether we get any services from them or not so that we can
legitimately have district expenses on the town budget for the year. So, what do we do with our need for inspector services with with no inspector at this point?
Well, for the >> what what we've had for the past year or so and what we can continue to have for the next well till the end of the fiscal year, I
guess, is we we ostensibly reserve se receive services from the district and but we're not actually getting any actual services but because we are ostensibly receiving them. We are able
to use the services of the collaborative. So Mike Throw and Megan Trudan have and I guess some there's somebody else involved in it too. They are providing all our health agent services. They're doing they're reviewing the septic systems. They're um witnessing the perk
tests. Um, I just got in touch with me Megan today about the um the kitchen inspections for the various kitchens that have to be inspected and they're going to do that. Um, I think they did the camp inspection. >> They did.
>> Um, so they're providing all these these services essentially free, right? Just based on, you know, our share of the of the state grant went directly to them. Um so that that will as long as we are
enrolled in the district for the coming year that will continue until the end of fiscal 27 after which we will be able to leave the district and join fully join the the sort of newly organized collaborative. That's the plan.
>> Anyway, that's my plan. I hope you guys are on board with it. >> I want to say I'm totally on board with it. I've been hoping for it for a while, cat. >> Well, I have to but you know, we didn't have the it wasn't an option for us in
any practical way. >> Yeah. >> So, so on >> except that they've been providing the services for us for quite a while. So, yeah, just like so. >> And and they're great. >> They're great. >> Megan speak at all about the future of
the collaborative beyond after the grant is ended. >> Yes. Basically, what she's talking about is that the towns will then use their public health money, their public health spending budget, whatever it is to um to
pay into the collaborative instead of their various districts or whatever other setups they have. And and um she told me that Sunderland is in the process of doing this. And she I I don't really get this. I'm I'm struggling with
this one thing. She told me that we should have because I said what we can do is we can just change the name of the budget line from Eastern Franklin County Health District or whatever it is now because we did change that name
>> um to you know public health professional services for example >> and um um then it doesn't matter who we pay it to right it's not it's not problematic She
said we should turn that into a revolving account. And I really couldn't understand why or how that would be that would be necessary because a revolving account
implies that funds are coming in from outside the town and they go into that account and then we spend them and more come in. >> But that's not the way our our budget line works. Um, everything that we take
in in fees goes into the general fund and from the general fund we have our budget line that's approved every year at town meeting. So, I'm going to talk to the accountant about it possibly tomorrow and see if she can understand this. And I'm also
going to I'm also going to reach out to Becky Torres because she's the town administrator in Sunderland now and see if she if she can explain anything about that. >> I think those are good options, Cat. And I think from my discussions with Megan
in the past about it, it had something to do with the fact that the monies have to be kept separate. So if there's any chance in the future that the collaborative might continue to get funding from the state for this and I
think other uh municipalities have in the past that that money has to be kept totally separate. um they have to be able to if they're audited um show that money from Shootesberry or Sunderland or Leverett
is coming from from them and kept in a totally uh separate uh budget. I perhaps more than a line item. I I don't know how that works, but I think that was part of the uh >> you know, the requirement of the state
in terms of how it's the money is accounted for and they're able to represent that the money coming from shoots is totally kept separate from any money that might be coming in from the state to the cooperative. >> Right. That would be that would be um
assuming that after the grant runs out that possibly more fun found. >> That's right. >> Yes. Absolutely right. >> Right. Yeah. And uh pigs can fly, right? I mean, >> well, >> the idea of getting more money out of
the state seems pretty remote right now. >> Yeah, maybe. Yeah, I don't know. We were on a pretty good roll for a while, but you may be right given given the world situation, >> given the US situation, >> right? Right. And and the Massachusetts situation, you know, I mean, local aid
is is kind of on the chopping block in general. >> Yeah. I haven't been following that, so you might be more on the in the no than >> Yeah, it doesn't I don't know much, but it doesn't it's not sounding good what I do hear. >> Okay. Well,
yeah, Megan suggested it would be smarter to switch over to a revolving account um now than rather than later. But I'll uh I'll I'll I'll I'll see if I can get us more information about this because I really
don't uh don't know what the the deal is because I mean obviously the collaborative has to keep their money separate, >> but I don't see why we would have to keep our money separate. >> Right. Right. Well, I think it's a good idea to talk to Becky since they're in
the process of setting that whole thing up. >> Yeah, I will. >> I will do that. So, wow, that was a lot. Yeah. >> You guys have anything to tell me? I feel like I've been talking for hours here.
>> Anything new with me or >> any other thing that we belong to? Norin and I went to the emergency management team meeting uh this week, which I think the bulk of the conversation was
really about uh road conditions over by the lake. >> Um and possibly resurrecting uh resurrecting the roads advisory group or something that predates my time in Shootsbury. Um,
>> well, interesting. So, the concern is that the roads aren't aren't adequate for um uh emergency vehicles, >> public safety. Yeah. >> Yeah. Ron Ron Mech wasn't is the town isn't plowing the road up to Ron Mech's house and so
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> My understanding is the town basically doesn't and doesn't uh plow the privately owned roads. Oh, no. They pl they've plowed the uh Lake Qua Association roads for years.
>> Okay. For years. They've always plowed. >> They haven't kept up with that. >> Probably 50 years they plowed them. >> But well, there was Well, there was a time when that was in doubt. But um but >> Right. You would know better because you
you live on one of those roads, >> right? Um yeah, there was that um there was speaking of emergency planning, there was that um tabletop exercise that
Garrett and I were both going to go to and then neither of us could go in the end and Dave went the guy but we can't talk to Dave. He's not allowed to like do anything. So I have no idea what happened there. Did you hear anything about it? Did Lenny go? Do we know if
Lenny went? >> I I don't know if Lenny uh did end up going. And so I've got to track because there's a afteraction report that was maybe sent to Dave. >> So that that's a good point. I got to track down whether or not they sent that
to Dave or and get them to send it. I'll have them send it to me. >> That would be good. Y You may make a note of that. >> And is Furcog still the entity that's helping administer the grant now?
Garrett, any movement on that? Yeah. So, I mean they they haven't they were going to hire a staff person to act as the planner for for MAFco and Claire for your uh benefit.
So, uh, Shootsbury is part of a coalition of Franklin County, uh, communities that come together to do emergency preparedness planning for public health emergencies funded through funded by
CDC. the funding's passed through to DPH uh and then to Franklin uh regional county Franklin County >> of government >> council of government all sorts of
acronyms um that we end up dealing with. Um so for COG was going is the plan was for them to hire someone internally. um to
have that person be the planner to support the coalition communities. They've yet to do that. So, uh Xander has largely been acting as that role. Um,
so I mean we're halfway through the third quarter of the grant period, so I don't know that they're going to have somebody on board to do it before the end of the fiscal year, but um it seems to be that
there there will be another uh year of funding starting July 1. So hopefully they'll get someone on board, >> but possibly a short-term person. Is that what you're saying?
>> Well, I mean short term in that it goes from budget period to budget period and there's only a commitment for at least now it seems there's a commitment for another year >> at CDC. So,
>> I'm just going to step in here for one second and just remind Garrett and others that that there was a lot more money. There was over $100,000 involved in managing this grant previously and uh
Furcog was was was going to and hired some health planners that we never thought did the job and that uh for FCOG wasn't FCOG was accepting the money, I'll put it that
way, and then perhaps weren't performing as they should have been. I'll leave it at that. Good to know. But, you know, if the grant I don't know if the grant's only going to be another year, we don't know. You know, there's there's hard time hiring a planner.
There always had been. And the people hired as planners weren't really up to the job. I'll I'll put it that way for many years. Well, Garrett, isn't that a >> That doesn't Xander Xander's fine. Xander does the job long as long as he's there. I think things get done and
>> Yeah. >> But but is that not his job actually or what? >> No, his his job is is all of Western Mass, like regional health and medical coordination. So, it's >> greater than a >> much bigger job.
>> It's greater than public health. It's public health, hospitals, long-term care. I see. I see. >> Yeah. >> Tracy, I forget Tracy's name, had the job before. >> Oh, yeah. I remember her. She used to be a aid for um
>> But and and Tracy's actually back at for Cog. >> Oh, she is. >> Yeah. She's the I think her title So, she went to I think Eversource, >> right? and now she's back and I think has a title of like director of emergency management
within POG. Um so I don't I don't know she she was at a meeting recently um and I was surprised to see her back but >> also someone more than capable of doing the job but many of the planners had not been in in
my opinion. Well, that's kind of beyond the the scope of our board, although it's interesting to know what's going on. So, I wonder if Claire has any questions to ask us. This has all been very interesting. I
think there's a lot that um it it seems like there's a lot that is beyond my current understanding. Um just because I don't have the background
knowledge of the documents and the terms and etc. Um, it's fascinating to have uh some things that I I'm able to clearly like, oh, I think I understand what that means. That sort of thing. I think that's fascinating to me
to see what it does and does not. I think um I don't know that I have any specific questions for like what was talked about today. I think it's more um just in general kind of trying to soak
it all in and >> know what everything is. >> Maybe we can tell you a little bit. Basically, our board um we're the servant of two masters essentially. We have two state agencies that we answer
to. One of them is the Department of Environmental Protection and that has to do with the wells and septic systems part of the of our job mostly. And the other one is the Department of Public Health. And honestly, before before the
pandemic, we didn't have too much to do with them. Um it was all wells and septic systems, but once the pandemic came around, um uh DPH was really kind of all over it. Um and so we have a kind
of dual dual mission there and uh and boards of health have been also roped into as you heard all this business of emergency planning. Um mainly in case of an actual public health emergency that
could happen from say a chemical spill or something like that. Um so so I guess what you heard here is you pretty much the two things. On the one hand we have the septic systems and
and >> soil analyses and stuff like that. And on the other hand, we have we have um uh things having to do with inspections. Like it's our responsibility to have kitchens inspected and summer camps
inspected and um to um um I kind of lost my train of thought there. >> The the AC for example for food inspections is another one. >> The elementary school kitchen, >> right? And also I think I think um we
sell we we uh inspect the serious community kitchen >> and luckily we don't have restaurants and other eating establishments to >> Right. Right. supermarkets or something like that.
>> Pretty pretty small roster of kitchens to be inspected. >> Right. basically those three and they get they I think they get each get inspected twice a year and summer camps get inspected well we have one I think summer camp and that gets inspected once
a year but we don't do this stuff um in some towns the the people on the board of health really do things and even like in our town the conservation commission they're always going out on site visits and stuff >> the board of health does not do that we
have we hire a professional person to do that for us. They um they witness perk tests. They review septic systems, septic system designs. They they inspect kitchens. They do housing inspections.
If a if a person uh if a tenant calls in and says that their housing is substandard, um then they can request an inspection and we send out an inspector with a check sheet and they uh and they see what's wrong with the place and and they
issue an order uh to correct it. You clean up orders and people leave, you know, crap out in the yard and whatnot. Um so we don't have to do these things. We just have to kind of know what's going on. And that's what this health agent business is and this business of
belonging to these different organizations. And for some weird reason, we seem to be in so many different organizations. For many years, we were in a health district and the health district provided a health agent
or a pair of health agents and they and they did all those things that that I just said. Um, >> and we paid a chunk of money from the tax, >> right, >> of taxpayer money to support that, >> right? Our um our our um district budget
was in the $30,000 is and you know that's only part of the the total budget. Um, so over the years that district, those districts go back like into the 70s, I think, but over the years people have
dropped out. And so now we have three towns in our district and it's it's too small to um to be effective and health agents are a vanishing breed. There aren't very many people who know how to do these jobs anymore. The people who
can teach them even are aging out. Um so so that's why we want to make this jump that you heard us talking about from the health district to this collaborative which is based in Greenfield and has I don't know six or seven towns in it in
addition to Greenfield and that's where all the talent is going. the people who who can um in do inspections and and who know Title Five, which is the the law that governs septic systems
>> um and all that stuff. That's where they're all going. >> Um there is a third option which is Furkcog. We could buy services from Furkog, but um >> uh among other things, their overhead is so high that it would be a really bad investment on our part. I think it would
be a waste of town money. >> So, >> and apart from that though, we do have authority to make rules for the town. I'm I'm thinking mostly about when the issue of green
burials came up um and authorized action. And I'm thinking there about our friends the beavers when they come up regularly. Right. >> Right. That is true. For the last I
don't know 20 25 years um um the boards local boards of health have had the responsibility to issue permits for trapping beavers outside of the legal trapping season which is in
the deep deep winter. Um, and we hate to do this and everybody hates it when we do it, but sometimes it it has to be done and there's no other way to safeguard the water supply down at
Atkins or the the covert down here under Lake View Road than by trapping out the beavers because there isn't any other solution. You can't It's illegal in Massachusetts. I' I've said this about a hundred thousand times to harbor or
transport a wild animal, which means you can't just pick up the beavers and move them to some other pond. And even if you could, those other ponds are already already occupied by beavers. >> Um it was probably 50 years ago, I
think, that um beavers were practically extinct here. And so they took a bunch of breeding pairs and they seeded them throughout the state. And now you cannot spit anywhere in Massachusetts and probably all of New England without hitting a beaver or one of its works. I
mean, they are just everywhere, which is fine. You know, probably 99 and 4,400% of them aren't doing, you know, are being perfectly >> good neighbors. >> Yeah, exactly. Good neighbors. But um but those some of those other ones are
really creating creating problems. So yeah, we have that. we have as the board of health the um the authority to make reasonable regulations. So, one of the reasonable regulations we're working on, we're supposed to be working on right
now is um regulating battery battery energy storage systems like the one that's up on Corner Road for the solar um array up there. >> And um we've had a few others. We had a
um what is that thing? Outdoor wood burning boiler regulation back when that seemed like it was going to be a big thing. Um but those have kind of disappeared I think. Um and we have our own town well
regulations which we've had since the 70s and we're really pretty proud of that. most towns don't have regulations and the state doesn't have um really codified um regulations. So, so those are the things we do. Now,
tonight I mean we've been sitting here talking for two hours almost. Um most of our meetings are over in an hour. We we don't have all that much to do, right? I'm sorry, what? >> We're just under one hour since the
beginning of this meeting. It it feels like two to you, Cass. >> It does because I've been doing all the talking. I'm getting >> Yeah. I I just want to say to Claire that you'll have some wonderful u mentors on the board should you choose
to uh to run for the board, Claire. And uh I'll just say Arlene and Cat alone have over 60 years of experience on the board. So >> Oh my god, what a thought. Oh my god, >> that is horrible.
I'm the next senior one. I have 15 years and Garrett isn't too far behind me. So, you have a lot of people to that will help you, you know, figure out the road and answer questions for you. And they're all they're they're great fun people. >> Yeah, but we're so old we can't remember anything.
>> That's not true. What was your name again? >> Right. Well, yeah. I mean, we should point out that nobody comes on the board of health knowing anything about being on the board of health. No, >> exactly. >> I'm, you know, I mean, I've been on here
longer now than anybody else and um when I first went on the board except for except for sitting with the board for the previous year and helping them with their paperwork. Um when I joined the board, I knew nothing, absolutely
nothing about any of it. I majored in French in college. I was like totally you know not prepared for this but um it's the kind of thing that you learn as you go and and I found it it's been it's been I found it really
rewarding I have to say >> yeah that's I think very encouraging I will say just the idea of maybe I don't understand everything today but I don't need to >> exactly exactly you learn you learn as you go along and you for the first year
really nobody expects >> you to do anything except have just you know take it all in. >> Yeah. >> And and the state health department has uh created a lot of great uh online training >> trainings >> for for board of health members. Um so
there's a lot of great training resources >> that you'll have access to. >> True. Good. Great. >> You know this reminds me Garrett, you're on the ballot this year, right? So, we need to get you nomination
papers. Um, and it's um I'm not sure how easy it that's going to be. I mean, obviously we're going to be able to get them because we have to have our elections, but the you know, the new
the new um town clerk, I'm not sure if she's started yet. She might be starting this week. Um and the interim term town clerk was from Leverett. And in Leverett they don't do nomination papers. They just take um
they just take uh nominations from the floor of town meeting. >> So she didn't know anything about nomination papers. Um but I'll find out I'll try to find find out tomorrow and get you some. the administrative clerk uh so Brennan
>> oh >> sent out this week uh a notice to those who are to uh the various boards and and people who are up. >> Um so there was it just a
hey it's that that time but nothing about uh pulling papers or anything. Okay, I'll see what I can find out and uh and I I'll I will be happy to take your nomination papers to the pancake breakfast assuming we have one or to
something else if not um unless you want to do it yourself. >> Well, we can talk about that. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Yeah. I expect that the if we are having a pancake breakfast, I expect it will be the last Saturday in February, which is the 28th,
which is usually about when we have to have it. Claire, you probably don't know the details on this. To be on the ballot, you have to get nomination papers and which you sign saying that you accept and then you have to get a
grand total of 20 signatures, which is really not very many. And um and uh it's traditional in town to do our politician at the the fireman's pancake breakfast on the last Saturday in February. So so
people who um need to get signatures go to it and they go around and introduce themselves and so on. And if they can't go, so I mean often like Garrett can't go or whatever. Um I like to do this. So, I just take I just take everybody's nomination papers that's coming up and
and and send them around. So, so should you decide to run and honestly I have to say we would we would be so happy to have you. Um that's how it works and I'd be glad to help with any details of of that sort. Great.
>> Sounds good. Perfect. Okay. All right, then that would mean I could retire, Claire, and I'd be grateful for that. >> Lorian's been on the board for a pretty pretty long time. And >> my goodness, we could use some younger
people. >> Yes. >> So, Garrett's the youngest of us. I don't know how old Garrett is, but I know he's a lot younger than I am. >> I just hit 51. >> Wow. Wow. You are a youngster. Yeah. Youth.
>> Heck, I was in college when you were born. >> Damn. >> Right. 51. What? What? So, what year were you born, Karen? >> 1975. >> 1975. >> Yikes.
>> Right. >> Yeah. I was in college, too. >> Well, that's a good thing. >> Studying French. I learned French. Yeah. I didn't know that before. >> Preparing myself for a future career in public health. >> All right, you guys.
>> We adjourn. >> Okay. >> Okay. All in favor? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Well, thanks you guys. Claire, thanks for coming and thanks for considering us. I'll I'll
reach out to you in the next day or two and see if I can a little more. >> Okay. And >> Okay. Good night everyone. >> Good night. Good night.