Uh good afternoon and welcome to the February 2nd um 2026 meeting of the Westport Board of Health. Um I didn't check what Patani Phil did, so I don't know if we have that winter coming out, but
>> be ready for whatever comes. Um uh under master law chapter 3A section 20F, this meeting is being recorded. Um and please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Um, okay. We'll move first the director's
written report. Any questions? If not, we'll move to the um update. Um so, we're still um looking at resumes
for a part-time animal control officer on call. Um nothing yet that um would fit that bill. um transfer station, you know, we had some uh inclement
weather over the last week or so. Um so they had closed uh early on the 25th, which was the Sunday, the day the snow started. It was just, you know, it was coming down and travel was just getting to be awful. So um we had to let them
leave a little bit early. And then this past Friday and Saturday, we had wind chills, you know, - 10 - 20. And um we uh had a delayed opening on Friday at 11:00 a.m. And on Saturday, um we didn't delay the opening, but we let them come
in um at 8:00 a.m. to at least not have to be outside and deal with that extreme cold. Safety of the staff and, you know, the residents using the transfer station are our number one priority and I thought that was the best call to make. Um, I
think what would be helpful is for us to establish some sort of um, uh, policy or protocol so that it doesn't have to be sort of ad hoc every time, you know, when we know there's
going to be snow, um, cold weather, whatever. um extreme weather um extreme heat maybe even um because we don't want people out in extreme weather trying to use a transfer station. So to be able to plan in
advance and give as much notice so that might be something we can work on. >> Yeah, I can uh I think I can draw up a protocol, you know, easy enough uh to deal with inclement weather. >> Okay. and I have it for the board's review um on the 18th or the first
meeting in March. >> Sounds good. Great. Thank you. Sorry, I interrupted. Keep going. >> Um the board of health is um you know uh we're all working uh extremely hard on just about everything. You know,
we've got more work coming in that uh we have staff for. So, we're doing, you know, doing our best to keep up. And um that's all I can say there. Uh >> um let me just ask the um health agent position has been um posted. Have we uh
has HR sent over any resumes yet? >> Not as of yet. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So um I know it's been posted on the Mass Mutual Association's web page. It's been posted, I think, on Indeed and um
I'm going to send over a recommendation that it gets posted on the MHA page uh under their careers section. It kind of kind of targets that audience. So, and see where where it ends up. >> Yeah. Okay. >> PH grant. We have um two grant employees. They're continuing their
training. They're out in other uh communities as well as ours getting some um training with food, housing, and title well not title five yet, but I think next week I'm going to start them shadowing me on title five um perks anyways at least maybe get them on the
fast track to witness and perks because that's where we're kind of hurting at the moment. Okay, >> so that's all I have for an update. >> Okay, great. Um, we'll move to director approved
plans. >> Okay, >> I'm just I'm just going to make a note that the agenda incorrectly states six union ad. That's a commercial upgrade, not a So, we'll just make sure that's correct
in their minutes. Go ahead. >> Okay. So, we have a three-bedroom repair at 124 Tickle Road for a Jason Martin. Um, this is replacing a cesspool. It's been through Concom, and this will require a three-bedroom deed
restriction. They're um adding an ADU and decommissioning a bedroom in the main house. We have a four bedroomedroom repair on a 25,600T lot at 334 Briggs Road for Joshua Castro.
This is been through Concom and will need a four-bedroom deed restriction. We have a four-bedroom repair on an 80,300T lot at 25 Quail Trail for Rita and Lin McCarthy. spent through Concom
and we have a um what do we have? We have a um this is an upgrade of this commercial business. It was storage and um very low flow, but now they're going to put some businesses
in there. They rehab the building. Um, so it's going to be a 786 gallon per day on a 368,692 square uh square foot lot at 6 Union Avenue for six union a realy trust. This is replacing a pit. Um and it's been
through >> concom uh to endorse the uh director approved plans at 124 Tipple Road. Um, I believe that we'll need a three-bedroom deed restriction.
>> And, um, then at 334 Briggs Road, um, with four bedroomedroom deed restriction, 25 Quil Trail um, and six, we have second. Um, all in favor? >> I
Okay. Um, and moving on to the minutes of January 21st. I have no changes. I do have one minor change. Okay.
Um Bob, under the 2026 board of health priority statement, um the last line, it's a vacant health agent position, not inspector. You know, union defined position, so we want to have the correct title.
>> Okay. >> Okay. So, I move that we approve um the uh minutes for January 21st, 2026 with that um change to the title of um health agent.
And that's it. I'll second. All in favor? >> I. That's unanimous. Thank you. Okay. usion right along. Um
uh we have board member updates. Um >> I don't have anything. >> I guess I have one. Um or maybe I have two. So, the opioid settlement fund, um,
it I sent the RFP draft to the town administrator who sent it back with a list of things that need to be changed. So, um I'm I have to contact um the state um agency and the the the
ones that provide support because I believe that some of the things he's requesting are not required by the opioid supplement fund um powers that be so by the state. Um so that I need to do that. I also just um
met with uh the person they hired in Dartmouth to uh manage the opioid settlement funds to find out more about what she's doing, what she's about. And that Mr. uh Valente suggested
um that we perhaps have an intermunicipal contract with Dartmouth to use that person to manage our um opioid settlement funds. However, I also met with another person that was there and she said no. So, so um and she gave
her reasons why, but um but she's not the person who makes the decision. It I believe it would be the town administrator and the split board that would make that decision. Um but uh what I did was um opened up communication between ourselves and the a person named
Rachel, I can't remember her last name. um and Dolores who runs the youth uh program in this town of Dartmouth. >> Um and to have communication between us and them perhaps to work on mental health awareness month, do something together
>> um and maybe emphasize the um uh addiction and uh the funds and do more education community about what that's all about and try to combine resources. So um I also mentioned to Olive um about that as well um so that we can expand.
They she also had uh some great resources that I didn't know about. So >> so I will uh explore those as well. But you know we're moving we're uh moving very slowly in in uh distributing any funds. >> Well, you sound like you're putting a
lot of time and energy into this. >> Yes. Well, having somebody else put the time and energy that would be paid would be better. Um but I've already had I mean Val um Basset who um has done a lot of work on the committee and in you know writing
up the RFP and doing the um the surveys and so forth. I mean she's done a lot and she works full-time. So it's it's difficult and and uh one of the other of the person David Dorski um has also worked on the RFP came with the the
first RFP and then we built on that but it's it's time consuming and it's frustrating I think for the committee and that we haven't been able to move forward to create any programs um uh in town that would would um begin to help
people. So, well, the dam will break loose eventually. Just setting the sort of the groundwork. >> Yeah. Yeah, it is. But we were all gung-ho to do good. Use the money to do good. And um we we also found out that
the police department lost their grant and the support from um BAST. So, so they may also be needing money to continue on with their program. Um, but they're going to have to do a proposal as well. So,
>> so we'll see. But that's what I I had a like an hour and a half meeting this morning with uh Dolores and Rachel and Dartmouth. Um, so couple updates from me. One is um uh as you know uh Jeff Canton had
attended one of our prior meetings and on behalf of the Westport River Wershed Alliance and they're very interested in supporting our work around um uh the whole um upgrading septic systems, getting rid of cess poolools
and so on to help clean up the river. Um and um then he asked me to attend the their advocacy committee meeting which I did. Um and um you know they they're definitely eager
to help us. Um we need to figure out a way for that to be constructive and and helpful. Um and so um one of the things that and Phil was on this email chain to suggest and we wait and to meet with
them um until after our internal meeting about the susp. Um so that was interesting. I'm just um trying to think of what else I'm kind of um Jim White news on that committee offered the assistance of Serpent to
help find out what other towns are doing regarding cess poolools and that the planning board can help with mapping. Um so and um they have a new executive director will be starting in March so that's good for them.
Let's see. That's kind of I gave them updates on on sort of where what we had done so far and of course they helped us with the first mailing around cespools. Um I I have been doing some um um and we'll get into this in detail um at our
meeting next week, but um have another couple dozen um systems that were unknown that identified assess pools according to pumping records so that we could communicate with them. And then we have that pilot group of um of
systems um where we don't have information that we want to see if homeowners have more to share with us. Um so so that's that's all for discussion um at our working meeting next week. Um so that's what's been
going on on my front. Um, in addition, u Matt and I met with uh the um liaison um Joe Shaughnessy from Trident um Environmental, which is the company we're contracting with to do the
household has this waste day in um at the end of March on March 28th. Um and um we have uh this sort of leads right into the next um agenda item. Um because
the cost of disposal of hazardous waste has gone up dramatically and will go up even more come July. Um um what the amount of money we have appropriated um and saved um for this
event is not enough to cover what the number of cars we um served the last event four years ago. So we're going to have to have a pre-registration and and cut off. Um um so um all of us helping us with uh
developing a um you know through Eventbrite or some other service um a registration process and we're going to try and get a handle on what the amount of loads that people are bringing in order to um anticipate um how much capacity we can
have because of course if somebody comes with a whole truck trunk load of stuff that's more um they charge by quarter half and full trunk load. Um, >> so that's interesting. >> Yeah. U, which is reasonable. You don't
want to have to pay $90 for, you know, two cans of paint, uh, oil based paint. Um, >> and we clarified the, um, items that won't be accepted and will be accepted. Um so um things that we can handle at
the transfer station won't be accepted because we don't want to pay extra for um for that. Um and then there are things uh you know there's ways to handle latex paint. You don't need to use hazardous waste disposal for that. That kind of stuff.
>> So um >> we anticipate opening the registration on March 1st. Um and then um you know we'll probably close down pretty quickly um as we get the you know people the
word out. Um so so that's kind of um kind of what's going on there. We can talk about it in more detail in our working meeting. Um we'll need help the day of the event. Um and and Matt has already reviewed all of in in addition and I'll be there and I hope if either
of you can come that would be helpful just in managing the the sign in and it'll be the same um uh layout as um the event four years ago will be behind the
old um high school. Um the south parking lot will be sort of the triage area as people um sort of win their way through that. we can sign, you know, confirm that they're registered and then send them um down around the back and they'll exit the other way. So, you said it's
going to be the 28th, March 28th, the Saturday, 9 to probably noon, I guess, is officially the time we'll we'll be there. Um, and we'll try and figure out ways to manage
so people don't all come at 9:00. Um, so there's not too long a line. Um, so any questions about that? >> Okay. Um, all right. >> Do you mind do you think that you'll be
taking some items off the list as a way to like accommodate more people just size-wise or like is there some >> Maybe we could just talk about it later. some things that we things that are charged separately are fire
extinguishers and propane tanks. I'm not sure what else. >> Um I'll have to we'll have to look at the contract for more. >> We already took a bunch of stuff off the list like you know waste oil. We take it at the transfer station. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Although we take propane tanks. Um >> yeah, >> we have to devalve them and it's I don't
like the staff doing that. So, it's makes more sense to to have them in mass quantities dumped at the event rather than at the transfer station, >> right? >> Um, we did take some money on the middle when we do that though, right? >> We do. We We do, but the staff has to
deval them while Mid City won't take them. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> It's just something to talk about and think about. Um and we did explore um with the town administrator about charging a fee and and if they would allow that money to be used, but um
>> he's he's new, you know, it's it's not a not an option this year, but >> you know, might be an option in the future. Um Joe did mention there are towns now that they charge whatever >> they get charged by the vendor Trident, right?
>> $90 for a load. That's what they charge the resident, right? And it's just for the convenience um of having it located there instead of having to drive up to Sutton >> which is the closest >> um hazardous waste disposal facility. And >> um so
>> um >> so we will explore that in the future but >> right now we don't have good facilities to collect money and all that kind of stuff. So, um, you know, >> yeah, we could set up, you know, for the next one after this, a revolving fund, and whatever we charge, we put back into
the revolving fund to help finance the next one. >> Yeah, that that that's idea. Let's explore that for um too late for this. >> Not on the priorities list. >> Yeah. >> Careful what you ask for.
>> Yeah. Well, all right. We'll wait. We'll wait a year on that. Maybe things will we do have to manage. given the fact that we're um down staff and Matt is doing two people's jobs at the moment. So, we do have to prioritize and that is
not the highest priority. Um okay. Um but it's an idea for the future. So, next year. Um okay. Any other um
topics for the next regular meeting? Any unanticipated? Um let's just also sort of uh clarify the agenda for our working meeting. It's this um uh we're going to the sessible closeout strategy
>> which includes the notion of um you know strategies around funding and financial support >> which is something we explored with um I explored with the watershed alliance. um they seem more focused on helping us
with data entry and stuff but um you know the finance issue is is a big one. So >> yeah. >> Um so anyways that's I know that's top on the agenda is um are we
>> I I might have just not heard well but are we going to as part of that talk about the um you know the undesated list the >> the unknown? Yeah, the pilot. Yes, because I think I I'm my understanding is the watershed Alliance would probably be willing to help us with that mailing.
>> Um that's about 50 or so. Um >> this is from Drift Road South. Um >> and the other one is the um the >> unknowns that were identified as cess poolools. >> Yeah, >> we could um do a sort of a modification
letter to them. So that's another couple dozen. So um you know and we did um actually um I think although it was identified as a cesspool it was unknown in our database and there was another one that was unknown um I don't know
whether it was one of the variances. So we knocked a few unknowns off the list um from our from today's meeting. So, you know, it does there is a slow um uh >> right >> decrease on that list as we as things
come through, but um >> it's pretty pretty long still. So, I I'll give you all the numbers next week. Yeah. >> Um so, uh yes, that will be part of it, the sort of the pilot. Um um I did get feedback that they thought people
weren't weren't going to be very responsive to that based on but >> we got to try. >> Yeah. Well, I mean we we I mean we can look at it in look at also just in the big bigger picture because the numbers
are are so big how we really you know >> Yeah. >> that we just just revisit you know the concepts. >> Yeah. Um um but it's also as you have pointed out important to look at the other end in terms of what support resources and support >> right oh definitely
>> homeowners so um all of that figure out some of that strategy for that >> I mean I have talked to people I just didn't I just figured I would just hold off >> rather than talking to my update and trying to explain it generally >> so I have been I have been doing background work >> great thank you um okay so that's one
agenda item we can talk a little bit more about the household hazardous waste um just some of the finer details um about that um and future strategy, not this year but in the future a revolving fund. So we'll put it on our priorities
for 2027. Um um and are we ready for discussion on the storm water regulation or not? >> I mean Phil and I can when's when's the
working meeting? What day? I think it's the 11th. >> Yeah. >> Um >> so what's that next? Um >> Wednesday. >> Wednesday. So Phil and I can get together this week at some point to discuss it. Maybe maybe Wednesday or
Thursday. Um and maybe it's ready. It can be, but I don't know. We have to kind of revisit it and see where we're at. >> Okay. >> Well, I Yeah. I mean I So there was what we might call like a rough draft that we have.
>> Mhm. Um, and you know, we could circulate it in advance and then just kind of talk about, you know, concept wise or, you know, here's things that we think are settled and here's things that still need work
on and then you could just get a preview because it'll look quite different from what the existing >> Yeah. >> you know, rules are. Um, so >> yeah, we definitely want to simplify and sort of be able to move that on. Yeah.
Yeah. I think we're, you know, trying to >> I think we're just generally looking to get >> um kind of more information about very specific um concerns that we have about
wastewater and storm water impact without necessarily doing um uh all the things that the other approach required. >> Yeah. Especially given the um staffing
constraints. Anything that we can do to simplify? >> Yeah. >> Um these processes would be really helpful. Um okay. Well, let's see where we're at. Why don't you guys meet and then um >> Tuesday or Wednesday this week? Um I mean Wednesday or Thursday this week.
>> Okay. Uh um >> well, I'll talk to you about that. >> Sure. As long as Wednesday is the better day for me. >> Okay. as long as we have something by the end of the week >> to distribute, we can put it on the agenda. >> Okay. >> Um,
>> anything else? I know we're going to have to hold off on the well regulation because that's uh much more complicated. >> I would just say when we um at the working meeting when we talk about the cesspool closeout strategy and the unknowns, I mean now we got two a little less than two years now right before the
February 1st 28th date. And even if the we send out a small chunk of unknowns and would you say there was 50 >> about 50 >> and 35 or 25 end up being cesspools and they all decide well we're going to upgrade now well we I don't know how
we're going to manage that. So um we just I think that needs to be a focus of this closeout strategy is everybody seems to be waiting till the last possible second and how are we going to manage that? >> Yeah. Okay. Um well that could be part
of the messaging um as well. So um and we have to think about that deadline. Okay. Um any I mean I think both of those topics will be enough to keep us going but uh we can put um board member
updates or anything ant unicipated on there as well in case we need it. >> Okay. Um all righty. Um >> yeah, >> uh we'll call the 4:30 hearing for um um
127D Petty Lane, James and Sonia Weldon. Um this is a two-bedroom pair with a stone bed in a Fuji system on a 6,893 tiny square foot lot. Um um and the request has been to from the engineer
Mark Rodri to continue. Do we have a new date and time? Yeah, he wants to continue to March 16th at 4:30 p.m. >> I'll take a motion to that effect. >> So moved. >> Okay, it's uh seconded. Uh motion
second. Motion made and seconded to continue this hearing for 127D Petty Lane to um March 16th at 4:30 p.m. All in favor? >> I. That's unanimous. Okay. And um do we have one of these is coming
and one is continuing. >> Yes. So I believe Len is coming in and we're going to hear the 440 and he's going to continue the 450. That's my understanding. >> Okay. All right. Um the Oh, that 450 was already continued
once. >> Oh yes. >> Okay. So I can't we can't do any Well, we'll just have to wait for Mr. Potter. Okay, I'm going to call the 4:40 p.m. This is a variance and um upgrade approval hearing for 200 cabinets neck
road owned by Tom's Loftess. This is a three-bedroom repair with a quick four and a singular dite component um on a 5,57 square foot lot representing. >> Yep. One part of Westborne environmental disine
disease designed for Thomas Loftus 200 cabin's neck. Again, this is a small lot. Uh this it's only got like 5,500 ft. So, I'm trying to do the best I can.
We have um a well, Mr. Loft's well is located in his basement. It's shown on on the plan and that's going to be 22 feet away from his septic tank. It's going to be 43
feet away from Mr. Beveris as well at 198 and his system is going to be 53 feet away from um his proposed septic system to Mr. Bever as well. We also have a well at 204 Cadmin's Neck and that's
going to end up being 58 ft from the proposed well for the proposed system. Uh the wells have all been tested. That's what we're coming up with. The system is less than 20 ft away from the foundation of the two or house. It's
17.5 ft. Uh it is 10 ft from the road and it's 10 ft from the property line. 13.2 from the other. So what I need is a waiver required. This is 405
310 CMR 405. Supposed septic tank less than 10 ft from the property line. Proposed distance is 5.5. Proposed septic tank is less than 10 ft from the solar wall. Proposed distance is 5 ft. Proposed leeching field is less
than 20 ft from the solar wall. It is 17.5 ft. proposed system is less than 100 ft from three of Butter's wells. The distances are 192 Cadmin's neck. Uh it's going to be 80 ft from that well
and 198 is 53 ft and 204 cabin's neck is 58 ft. We also need variances here. Proposed distance from the owner's well is less than 50 ft from the septic tank and system. Proposed distances are
septic tank 22 proposed system is 35 reduction in leech field minimum size by 50% with the use of a dite unit per title 5 approval letter proposed septic tank is less than 50 ft from the existing well at 198 cabin's neck road
proposed distance is 43 so those are the variances and waiverss that I need to get this thing that >> it's not easy. Um can you just clarify um under the
leuas you had 198 cabinets neck road 53 ft but under variances 198 it's 43 >> okay where am I >> um look at your last one G um w under waivers
>> yep yep under waivers >> so 192 cabinet's neck is 80 198 cabinet neck is 53 and 204 is 58 >> 58 eight. Yeah. >> Then if you look under variances, the third one. >> Oh, I see what you're saying.
>> Distance is 43. >> That's the septic tank. That's the proposed septic tank. >> Oh, tank. Oh, as from the leech from the well. Okay, got it. Sorry. My my >> That's okay. >> My mistake. >> That's okay. >> I make them. I do make >> I do, too.
>> Um Okay. >> Everybody who says he doesn't is a liar. So, I was just going to say >> I wonder what that's like. >> Um, okay. Uh, let me turn first to Matt for his
report. >> There's not much you can do on design here, so I don't have any issues with that. But did we get all the green cards and back yet? >> Yeah, I gave the last I forgot to give you Dorothy says the last, but I gave it to Nancy Friday. >> Okay. >> They've all been back. >> Yeah. Um, because you were doing another
one right next door. Yeah, I am >> kind of all and there were folks here >> impacted the same walls. >> Yeah, there were folks here at the last >> I am advising talk about that. >> Okay. Um
Okay. Uh questions from the board. >> So I had I had a question. It was um because I thought that um must have been Matt who had um yellow lined on the check sheet about needing um a
surveyors. >> That's the lot next door. >> Oh, that's just the lot next door. Okay. All right. But still, I thought that where the Okay. because I thought you were reducing the distance from the but maybe
it's just the SAS but the distance from the septic tank to the property line is going from 10 to 5 and 1/2 ft. >> It's less than five >> oh it's five and less I think when I did this plan I he uh I misread his um >> Okay. >> And him and I Lenny and I talked about
it since then. But 198 is the one that needs the surveyor stamp. >> Okay. All right. Good. Thank you. While we're talking about that though, the line has been surveyed, the common line between 198 and 200, but there's an
angle point in the road. So 200 cabinet's neck remains the same. What happens is the lot line between the two are on a skew 79° angle instead of 90, but the whole lot moves with it.
>> So there's no issue with the line is still the line. >> Okay. All right. That's just it just tilts this way. >> That was That was okay. That was my only That was my only question. That's a good question. >> Okay. If there are no other questions or concerns, I'd entertain a motion to
approve. >> Um Okay, I'll take a shot at it. Um, so I move to approve the plan for Tom Loftess at 200 cabin neck road, a three bedroomedroom
uh repair on a plan dated 11525 uh subject to uh concombed restriction and uh local upgrade approval waiverss. which I would just say as um presented
in the uh in the plan. Um uh as far as reducing setbacks for the septic tank, um distance from the property line and the seller wall, the distance from the SAS to the seller
wall, and well setbacks from 192 and 198 and 204, Cadmin's neck and uh variances also set out in the plan uh which is the set back to the owner's well from 100 to
35 ft and uh the septic tank from 50 to 22 feet and u uh and uh and reducing the SAS by 50%
through the introduction of dnitriation system and also uh reducing the setback um of the septic tank to the well from 50 to 43 ft at 198 Cabinets Neck Road.
And I think that uh allowing that is consistent with the requirements um as related to manifested justice which is that there is no other um alternative locations to accommodate the system upgrade.
and uh related to uh the environmental um impact that removing of the cesspool and installing a denitrification system um will provide equal or better protection than the cesspool
uh three years of well testing and hold harmless agreement. >> Do we need two years of to TN total nitrogen too? >> Uh that's part of the >> Yeah. Okay. >> On the on the single,
>> right? >> Yeah. >> Okay. I second that. >> A motion has been made and seconded to approve the project at three at 200 Cadminster Neck Road with all of those conditions um with and the waiverss and
local upgrade approvals as outlined in on the plan. Um all in favor I >> it's unanimous. Okay. Um, >> okay. Thank you. And while I'm here, I
am revising the plan at 198. The hearing schedule for 450. Uh, I'm going to ask for a continuence on that. >> In two weeks. I'll have it done in two weeks. >> Not now. I'm drafting it up now. >> Two.
>> So, that's going to be the 18th at um 2:55. >> 255. Yeah. >> Okay. Um, so I'd entertain a motion to continue um the hearing for 198
Cabinet's neck road to the 18th of February at 2:55 p.m. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. That's unanimous. Thank you, Mr. >> Is that a Monday? >> That is a Wednesday. >> It's a Wednesday because with Monday is a holiday. So I was just thinking Washington's birthday.
>> Yes. which is really the 22nd that we have. See you later. Thank you much. >> Thanks. Have a good night. >> Okay, seeing no other business. Oh, seeing no other business, I move
that we adjourn this meeting at 4:51 p.m. >> Second. All >> in favor? Thank you very much, everyone.