Uh good afternoon and welcome to the Westport Board of Health uh meeting for March 30th, 2026. Um I'm calling this meeting to order with the following announcements. Under Mass General Law, Chapter 30A section 20F, this meeting is being recorded. And
please join me. Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance 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. >> Um um move on to the director's report. Um and then just give us any updates. >> So just the um
I just wanted so Joe and Nick um have to be nominated by the board to for animal inspectors >> system of the board could nominate them as animal inspectors. >> It's just a routine thing. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So I nominate Joe and Nick as
animal inspectors. >> Let's just say Joe Beast and Nick Var. for >> Joe Reese and Nick Vidmar. >> Joe Reese and Nick Vidmar are nominated as animal inspectors. I'll second that motion. All in favor?
>> I um that's two to nothing with one absence. Bill Winber is not here today. >> Okay. So, um the one star tick is in Massachusetts. Um it's becoming more prevalent in the state. So, I want to just uh just kind of do a little blurb
about alpha gal syndrome. um known as alpha gal allergy uh red meat allergy um and a tick bite meat allergy. It's an allergic reaction uh to the alpha gal sugar molecule found in most meat and
some other products made from mammals. AS can develop after the bite of a certain types of tick and the symptoms can be serious and sometimes even life-threatening. AGS is spread in the United States primarily associated with the bite of the Lonear tick. Although it is less
common, AGS can occur after a bite from other tick species including the blacklegged deer tick and the western blacklegged tick. In other countries, besides from the Asian longhorn tick have been reported to cause AGS. The alpha gal sugar is found in the saliva of the tick and is transferred into a
person's bloodstream through the tick bite. In some people, the immune system responds to alpha gal sugar and produces antibodies to alpha gal. These antibodies can cause an allergic reaction next time person is exposed to the alpha gal by eating red meat, dairy
or other alpha gal containing product. For more information, please visit the border health web page for more details on the alpha gal syndrome. >> Thank you. Um I'll just follow on that. I have a um a friend Westport resident
who has had alpha gast for years now and is just finally being able to eat like one bite of changes um without having a um bad reaction carries all the time and so it's a serious situation um and
there's lots of guidance um on our website on the mass.gov website about prevention strategies And I also have a friend who has it. >> Yeah. So, >> but she has not um been able to eat any
>> Yeah. It's no fun if you're me lower. Um Okay. Uh anything else? Okay. Um Um We'll do director approved plans. One second. Okay,
>> we have a three-bedroom repair on 111397 foot lot on 61 American Legion Highway for Jesse Roderick. Um, and it's been through Concom. We have a five- bedroomedroom new
construction on a 214,791T lot on Briggs Road for Joseph Yarid and this is pending concommen. So, I move that we endorse the director approved plans for 61 American Legion
Highway and for Bricks Road. Um, it's not an address, it's a lot. >> Yeah. Map 23, lot 283. >> Um, which is a five which is a new construction
>> on pending conending con. Yes, >> I'll I'll second that motion. Um, all in favor? Hi. >> Hi. That's uh unanimous two to nothing with one absence. Okay. Um next on the
agenda is the minutes. Um unfortunately the March 2nd minutes um Donna was absent so we need Phil here to pass those and um we need to pass over March 16 um as well. So I would take a motion
to pass over the minutes of March 2nd and 16. Uh so moved. Second. All in favor? >> I that's unanimous. Two to nothing. Um why don't we go ahead and do the um
variance hearing for um Zenith Engineering uh for 431 uh Fischer Road. This is a three-bedroom pair with a quick four on a 63,785t lot. Would
you prefer I present? Do you want me to put it up on the board or? >> Um, we have a copy on our um tablet. So, >> up on the board. >> Up on the board. >> Video. Okay. >> The video prefers.
>> Uh, Will Connelly, Zenith Consulting Engineers. For the record, um, the site's 431 Fisher Road. There's an existing failed septic on site. Um, a proposing upgrade with a 1500-gallon
septic tank, thousandgallon pump chamber, uh, and infiltrator quick for chambers and bed configuration. Um, we're asking for a couple local upgrades. Uh, one of them being the distance between water table and the
inlet and outlet of the tank. Um, just due to where the existing plumbing is, there's really no way around that one. Um, and then we also took a sie cuz we uh tried to perform the part test right after all that snow melted. So, you can imagine it was
>> pretty saturated. So, yeah. >> Okay. >> Um, snow. >> Yeah, a little bit of snow. >> That went pretty fast. So, 3 weeks later it was all gone. >> Okay. Um, thank you. U Matt, any
additional comments? >> No, I all my questions I had I quite up with um with you guys, so everything's good. >> Okay, I don't have any questions. All right. All right. So I move that we approve the plan for 431 Fischer Road
and by their number is date 31626 um with the variances of a civ analysis and a reduction in the separation of the inlet malletes of the septic and pump chambers to the high groundwater um to
it's from 12 in to what >> um I I believe it would be below high groundwater. >> Okay. Below high groundwater I'll second that motion with the following conditions. Oh, sorry. Whole
harmless and concom review. >> Um I will sorry jump. I'll second that um motion. And with those conditions um all in favor >> I >> I that's unanimous two to nothing. Thanks very much for coming in. Thank
you very much for your time. >> Have a good evening. >> You as well. >> Okay. Um we're going moving on to other business. Um the first uh item under that is uh um
I'm going to turn it over to Matt for the um sad news. Do you have the announcement about Linda Pierce's retirement? >> Yes, sir. or I should say. >> Yes, she's uh earned it. So, um yes, she'd like she informed me that she uh
will be um retiring effective July 3rd. I sent the memo over to the uh select board office who will also put that on their agenda to accept her retirement at their next meeting. Um it's my hopes that um they'll give us uh
permission to post um the position sooner rather than later. Okay. Um and we'll have to um as part of the larger uh sort of employment issues in town, I think we
may be having to have further discussions around pay rates both for the agent and for the public health nurse because we are not competitive and it will be challenging to fill those positions. >> Right. So yeah, just you know, Wendy's
been here eight years now. She started with the town just about a week before I did. So just about eight years and um you know, appreciate all the work and effort she's put into the position and um >> Yeah. >> Yep. She's been a good egg and we wish
her well in her retirement. >> Yeah. >> Um okay. Uh board member updates. Um, so team cow um is coming up on
is it the 11th? >> April 11th. Yeah. >> Yep. April 11th. If hopefully the weather will be good. >> Um, so if you haven't signed up, um, we're still accepting we we welcome anybody to sign up and be part of the
cleanup cleaning our Westport. Um, and I think what I heard was we have over 150 people so far, but we would love more because the more we have, the more we'll be able to clean up. Um, so that's
happening. And, um, mental health awareness month that I've been working on, the co um, we're collaborating with, uh, Dartmouth um, on a an event. Um it looks like we may not be able to do it in May,
but we may do it in the beginning of June because of a venue that we want at the University of UMass. Um but um um I'm going to be meeting with the person uh Rachel in Dartmouth um who's responsible for the substance use
disorder. Um she's she was hired because of the opioid settlement funds in Dartmouth and she and Olive and I are going to meet to talk about plans for that. Um but I'm also working on other um um other educational opportunities. Um
one certainly suicide prevention has been um uh been addressed in a number of different areas the last couple of months. So, I may be doing something on that and on mental health first aid. And tonight, I'm going to be going to um I
was invited to a meeting um at the high school, middle high school for the hope squad. They're going to have a meeting with the parents of the students who are part of the hope squad. And my understanding about the hope squad is that these are kids that are learning
how to respond to peers who may be in distress, who are having trouble. Um, but I'll find out more about that and I'll report back at the next meeting about what they're all about and um what the adjustment counselors of school are trying to uh the goals you're trying to
meet by doing this. So, you're a busy person. Thank you for all you do. Um uh my update is just we had a household hazardous waste uh collection event on
Saturday. It was quite chilly for those of us who had to stand there for four hours, but um um well received um and um we're hoping if we have enough money left over um that we might actually be
able to sponsor um a latex paint collection um events, just latex paint, because that was um the biggest uh item or the most frequently turned away item that people were really um um would love
to have a a closer solution. The closest is where am um so um stay tuned for that and hopefully we'll be able to pull something off if we have enough funds. If not, you know, um I think maybe the next time we do a hazardous waste event,
we'll have to ask for a lot more money. Um but we'll um include the latex paint because that was really a a big draw. uh wouldn't be a big draw I think for people because they don't know what to do with it. >> How many um residents, how many cars did
he have? >> Somewhere around 115. So we did not reach capacity. Um I think uh uh communications or outreach and educate awareness about the event. Um
the strategies have to change. Um I'm too old school I think. think I mean we had it on in the newspaper. We had it on the town website. We did a town alert. We had posters or flyers around
town. We had the digital sign. I did post I do personally post on Facebook health items. I did post on Facebook but um that you know I ran kept on running into people. Oh, I didn't know about it. Um, but it was also there were a lot of
competing events on Saturday and it was very cold. Um, so a little early in the season. We reserved this date last August. Um, and it was the latest possible date in the fiscal year that I could still get it on a Saturday. So,
um, we'll have to reserve earlier if we can, you know, right after town meeting. Um because I think it's better in April or May when people are really starting to do their spring cleaning and you know getting things out of the garage or
whatever. Um and we'll have to um have some other outreach strategies to get the word out more. >> And this is a big time of year too because the electronics recycling is going to be happening.
>> Um >> see I don't have the flyer with me. Yes. April >> April 22nd birthday. >> Thank you. On Earth Day. Um yes, electronics recycling. Um that will be um hosted by the Westport River Watershed Alliance um um behind town
hall. So that's a great opportunity. And I just got a postcard for um an event sponsored by um our local politicians and Eversource for removal of uh for taking um a lot of electronics,
humidifiers and things like that. Um but usually for a fee u most of the items um although there's a rebate for humidifiers I believe. >> Um so that I don't I forget what that date is. Um, but that's something people
should look out for as well and contact your local rep if you didn't get the postcard. Um, and then we do have again a reminder. Um, um, the town nurse accepts uh um
medical sharps. They need to be in a a secure container and you need to make a an appointment in advance because she has to accept them. um and she can give you the guidance of how to prepare those for safe disposal. Um you can also
dispose of um um leftover medications, solids, not not liquids, you know, pills and so on, gel caps. Um at the kiosk in the lobby of the police station, you can just drop them right in the bin. And
>> they also have one at CVS. >> Yeah. Okay. and um in Westport. >> Okay. >> Um and then there are some items that we don't take. I mean, we take a lot of items at the transfer station.
Batteries, um waste oil, um what else? So, there are um look on the website for um other disposal um options for some of those items. And the
the the reason is to protect the environment that we're collecting them and they're not discarded into our water our waterways and >> and not dumped down your drain or flushed in the toilet because that goes into your septic system and that can wreck havoc. So you don't want to do
that either. >> And it ends up in the that those chemicals get seeped through but they can also end up in the water supply too. So >> be careful on how you discard victims.
Um, okay. Any other updates? If not, don't sit down. >> Is that please? >> I'm too late. I said I said don't sit down. Come on up. It's 4:20. >> Calling um Len Potter for 1148 American
Legion Highway. Just in time. Um, representing Point Smith. This is for um aseptic plan review of 13 one-bedroom apartments and have any new information from the last time. >> At the last meeting, the board asked to
have the well tested. I talked to Mr. Smith several times. He does not want to test the well. So, >> what is his reason for not wanting to test the well? >> He doesn't want to make more problems. >> So, he thinks there's a problem. No, he
just doesn't want to make more problems. >> Well, uh, >> this is my advice. >> Yeah, understood. >> Um, well, we then, um, so other than that, no other new information. >> There's no other new information. I
talked to him. I talked to his son-in-law and and Mr. Smith is adamant about not testing the world. I' been here for 50 years and never had a problem. Um uh that's a concern um because there
are um this is rental property and um all of those um renters use that water and don't know if it's safe to drink >> because it's not ever or sounds like it hasn't been tested in a long time. Um,
and we generally recommend that people test their wellwater every few years. Um, >> for all sorts of reasons, not not just the septic, but um >> um >> you're preaching to the choir. >> Yeah. So, me
>> um >> if you want to send them a letter, I don't know what to tell you. >> Well, here's my um take on this. without uh any conf
any documentation to to assure us of the quality of the well I'm uncomfortable or I would approve the plan with dite only um because we don't have any way to say
>> please move 100 ft away from the well >> but it is a lot with a very it's an undersized lot for the amount of >> right >> flow and significantly under sizes. Not just a little, it's significantly. Um and um
I you know you can recommend if you think u sending the a board of health letter from from us from the board um outlining the option of test the well to confirm and then you
can document um that that if the well water quality is adequate. you document. Um and um I probably would be okay and I I would have to let Donna
speak up too um to just proceed with the with the proposed um septic repair. But without any um documentation to make us more comfortable than that that um
with the higher level of septic flow, >> right? >> Um even though it's 100 ft away, it's it's a lot more concentrated or a lot more volume um that can that
>> leeches it just you know it doesn't stay in one place. So, um um or we can approve a plan subject, you know, to revision with DITE. Um if that if you think that would >> I think that's the reason he doesn't
want to test the wall. >> Well, that sort of tells us something. >> I I think the best way to do it is I asked him to come in. He doesn't want to come to the meeting. The best thing to do is to send them a letter, border health letter saying that before we
approve this plan, we'd like to see because state code says if there are 15 connections or more, then you then it becomes a quasi public wall supply. >> In this case, he's got 13 bedrooms, so there's only 13 connections,
>> but you're close to the threshold. So, I would suggest that you say, you know, you are close to the threshold and we we'd like to see a water test on the wall. >> It's an undersized lot for the amount of septic flow that you're proposing. Um,
and historically have had probably >> the what >> and historically have probably had that I'm assuming. I don't know. Has there been a change in use in the properties? >> No, it was originally a motel. >> Mhm. and and you could have one or two
people stay in the rooms. He cut this to a I don't know what you'd want to call it. It's one person one person per room. They're only one one room units in a bathroom. That's it. So there's no kitchen, living room or anything else
and one person to the unit. >> So that means that there's 13 people living in the house. Mhm. >> So >> yeah, >> that's so it's not but he's under the 15 15 connections 15
>> but the but for it is I mean I would consider nitrogen sensitive based on the size of the lot versus >> lot 42,000 >> the system is downhill of the of the property >> and there are acres of land around it that you can't control but I mean when
you get down next to St. Georgia school's wet ones there. So, >> right, which I'm vulnerable if there's excessive septic flow. >> I mean, so no one's going to build on it, >> right? True. >> So, your suggestion is that we send a letter saying that before we would
approve, we need to see water test. >> I'm working for the gentleman, but I really think a letter from the board of health is more possible than me saying it. >> You follow me? >> I thought you were a very forceful person. >> I tried. >> Okay. and he may still say no. Well,
then the plan's not going to get approved. Then he's that's up to him. >> That's up to him. >> Okay. Um so, um we will continue. I mean, this was just a discussion. So, we'll >> right. That's all it is. >> We'll continue or we don't have to vote
to continue. We will um I'll make a motion that we the board of health sends a letter to Mr. Smith outlining um uh our concerns and then um a recommendation strong recommendation that um the wellwater be tested so we
know what the appropriate um action course of action is to take going forward. >> All right, I second that. >> All in favor? >> I I that's unanimous to >> Okay, that's the best I can do. So, >> thank you for coming in. So, by the time I get this letter turned out, mailed
out, then wait to get some kind of response, the next meeting doesn't seem likely. And then if he did, the owner decided to get the water test done, it's going to take two to three or four weeks from there to get the results, right? >> So, I'm thinking at best April 27th, if not the first meeting in May.
>> Yeah. I'd say count it out to April 27th minimally. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Then we this isn't a formal hearing. So we can just sort of pencil it in for the 27th and and we'll see. >> Right. >> We don't have to formally vote. >> Just don't give a specific time at this
point. That's all. >> Well, I'm going to I have to put a time. I'm just going to put um I I'll just write something in so it's not etched in stone. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. >> I'll call him and tell him that he's going to get a lot. So, >> okay. Have a happy Easter.
>> Thank you much. It was nice seeing you. >> Nice seeing you, too. >> I'll come again when I can stay longer. >> Okay, so just on that note, that's the day of the public hearing. So, we can either start the meeting at 4:00 if you wanted to and take care of all the other
business and then just roll right into the public hearing at 4:30 or I don't know how long that's going to take, if it's going to take long at all. may not may we and or we could put this at like I don't know 4:40 you know just kind of pencil it in and see what happens. How would you prefer to do it?
>> Um for this one let's do 420. >> So start the meeting at 4 and have the hearing at 4:20 just before the public hearing. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I mean I not sure that's going to happen then anyway.
Okay. >> All right. Um, any other future agenda items on anything? >> Record setting. >> What's that? >> It's record setting. >> It is record setting. No. So being no
further business, I move that we adjourn this meeting at 4:28. I second that. All in favor? >> I >> I that's unanimous. Two to nothing and one absence. Thanks very much.