1978-02-13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mrs. Nand! Banks, Assistant to the Town Manager, explained that the retirement of Donald Irwin, Building Commissioner, brought about a study to see if the merging of the Inspection Department and the Health Department would be adviseable. It has been discovered that although both departments do inspections they are entirely different things. One department inspects for the physical condition while the other is inspecting for the living quality. Mrs. Banks went on to explain that she and Mr. Smith had visited Fitchburg where they had conducted a very in-depth study of this problem and after that visit her recommendation to the Town Manager was that these de- partments must be kept separate. However, they may be moving the Sealer of Weights & Measures into the Health Department but more study would be done on this before moving this department. Dr. Cosgrove said that if the Sealer of Weights & Measures would be an- other burden on Mr. Smith then he would be against it. He felt that this did not seem to be a Health function. Mrs. Banks said more study would be done before anything is finalized. Mr. Smith reported that he had met at the landfill with Mr. St. Hilare LANDFILL of the Department of Environmental Quality Engineers and while there they did discuss the dumping of garbage in the landfill. Mr. St. Hilare said that a properly operated landfill could have garbage disposed of but he was very emphatic that Lexington did not operate a proper landfill. Mr. Smith went on to say that the landfill should be under the jurisdiction of the Board of Health. The Board of Health then can make any rules and regulations governing this operation, but in Lexington the landfill is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen and they or the Public Works Department make the rules and regulations. Dr. Cosgrove said that as far as he could see the Town was in trouble with the landfill, the landfill was to serve the Town for 20 years and that time period is pretty well gone. They cannot expand this operation because of the leachate and etc. Mr. Smith said that because of this record breaking snowstorm and the dif- ficulty of getting the garbage picked up the Town Manager was giving people permission to take their garbage into the landfill. This was to be an em- ergency measure only. Mr. Smith announced that word had been received and that the M.D.C. was to start fluoridation in the water supply on February 6 or 7. FLUORIDATION The Board expressed their approval. Mr. Smith said we had received notification of the new Pneumoccoccal Vaccine and that it would be available on a State purchasing contract PNEUMOCCOCCAL after the 15th of February. VACCINE The following permits were signed by the Board: FOOD ESTABLISHES SS Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Store Cain's Seafoods, Inc. Sheraton Lexington Motor Inn Itek Building #2 Dunkin Donuts