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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977-02-07BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING FEBRUARY 7, 1977 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was 7:00 p. m. in Roca G-5 of the Town Office Building. Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman; James W. Lambie, Director of Public Health, George A. Smith. The minutes of the January 3, 1977 meeting and itive session, were approved. held Monday evening at Members present were: Dr. Michael S. Erdos and the minutes of the exec - 23 Mr. Smith explained to the Board that back in 1972 or 1973 a Town By- TOWN BY -LAW - Law was passed that requires a Board of Appeals permit for restaurants that RESTAURANTS change hands. This By -Law has not been enforced until seseme, Inc. was to change hands. Mr. Smith went on to recall to the Board that he had closed this restaurant and when they cleaned it up he recommended a conditional license through January. During January this place was to change hands but this By -Law held up the transaction, and the new owners do not want to spend two thousand dollars to install the second bathroom as required un- til this was resolved. The Selectmen feel the Board of Health should no- tify all people wishing to open or buy an existing restaurant about the per- mit required. Mr. Smith said he didn't feel that the Board of Health was obliged to send people to the Board of Appeals for special permits. The Board agreed that it was not up to the Board of Health to send these people to the Board of Appeals but they also felt it would be part of our ser- vices if we did. Mr. Smith requested permission to place a fine on permits not renewed on time. He explained to the Board that at the present time the renewal applica- tions were sent out and then probably two or three letters were written re- FINES - minding permit holders of the delinquency. As a last resort we do send cer- DELINQUENT tified letters. PERMITS The Board suggested that we check to see if there is any Town ordinance governing permits, if not they said they saw no reason why we could not im- pose a 15 to 50% penalty fine and then if the permit is not renewed within two weeks the owner would forfeit the permit and they will be closed or animals ordered out of town. At 6:00 p. m. Mrs. Jayne Tapia, Director of the Tri -Community Health TRI -COMMUNITY Services came before the Board to discuss the budget for this year. HEALTH SERVICES Mr. Smith said that with the additional Flu Clinics there is a pos- sibility of the Tri -Community Health Services of exceeding their Budget for 76-77. He also recalled to the Board that Mr. Perry, as Acting Town Manager, said if because of the Flu Clinics we went over the original bud- get then we would have to go to the Town for it. Mrs. Tapia said she didn't think they would go over the budget figure too much. The Board suggested they try to stay as near to the budget figure as possible. 24 Mrs. Tapia explained that in the contract this year they were using two figures, $17.00 for a home visit and staff hours then a figure of $11.50 was charged for all other clinics. A time cost study has been made and they feel it would be easier to charge $11.30 per hour for all Board of Health work. Dr. Erdos asked if this figure included all overhead expenses. Mrs. Tapia said "yes". Dr. Cosgrove asked if this new figure could be tried out during the next quarter so the Board could get an idea how it would work. Mrs. Tapia said as far as she know it could be done. She then went on to say that Greeley Village, in particular, has some bad problems POSSIBLE which the girls have picked up by talking to some of the patients that "OUTREACH" come to clinic. It would be helpful if the girls could make hone visits PROGRAM to assess the situations and see what the problems are before they become too serious. This would be mainly prevention type of thing. HOSPITAL QUESTIONAIRE Mrs. Tapia said if the Board approved this "Outreach" type of program the girls would get at it. There probably would be only about 10-15 people to follow through on and it would take only a few visits to resolve the needs of these people, but they did feel there was a real need for com- munity service. Dr. Erdos asked what they would do if these people did not want them to visit them. Mrs. Tapia said they wouldn't press the issue but if they could get in to see about blood pressure etc. The Board discussed this for awhile and said they would like to wait and talk to the new Town Manager about this. Dr. Erdos said that Mrs. Renee Cochin of the Mystic Valley Mental Health Clinic had called about the budget request being asked for by the Central Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens Inc. He said he did not know too much about this organization and therefore, didn't know ,. whether to approve or disapprove. Dr. Cosgrove said that this organization was completely foreign to Mystic Valley Mental Health Association. Mr. Smith explained that this group can, under Chapter 40, Section 5, paragraph 40 of the General Laws, petition the Town for a sum of money, in this case $5000.00, to be managed either by the Health Department or the School Department. He explained to Dr. Erdos that even though this would be an Article in the Town warrant, the Board did not have to be for or against it. Dr. Cosgrove said that he was still upset about some of the line items on the Mystic Valley Mental Health Budget. He would like Mrs. Welch in at the next Board Meeting. Mr. Lambie spoke about the questionaire he had received regarding the consolidation of the Winchester Hospital, Choate Hospital, Woburn, and Synnnes Hospital in Arlington. 1 1 1 Dr. Erdos explained some of the advantages and disadvantages of this merger but he also said they felt the consilidation might be coming because of the condition of some of the buildings and rooms in the older hospitals. Mr. Smith recalled to the Board the lot located on Concord Avenue and CONCORD AVE. Spring Street that was refused for septic system at last month's meeting be- SPRING ST. cause it did not pass the percolation test done on it. Mr. Smith said this PERC TEST lot will not have public sewer available for some time. There is no way to justify public sewer for this one lot. The lot also abutts the State High- way and there is no access for the town to put public sewer on this lot. Mr. Smith said he had inspected 101 Cliffe Avenue for a second apartment. An order has been sent to the owner and a second exit will be installed as 101 CLIFFE AVE, soon as the weather has improved. Mr. Smith reported that a demolition permit had been issued for the house at 46 Ward Street. One half of this house was condemned. Hopefully 46 WARD ST. this will solve another problem. Mr. Smith again talked about the E. P. A. water standard and as he ex- plained these new regulations for the water are not going away. He explained E. P. A. that we were trying to get certification for our laboratory but there could be some problems. Mr. Smith reported that they are going ahead with the construction of a FLUORIDE fluoridation plant at Waban reservoir. They should have fluoride in the water before Thanksgiving. Mr. Smith said that during August and September when he went over to EJECTOR Howard Johnson's on Route 128 he noticed a slight sewage odor. Inspection PUMPS - revealed that the sewer ejector pumps were burning out so he talked to them HOWARD about this problem. This property is rented and Arco is the primary tenant, JOHNSON'S they pay a percentage of their gross to the State. Arco has ordered the pumps back to where they should be. Mr. Smith said he had taken one Pesticide certification exam and there are only four more to go. Mr. Smith said that Seseme Sub, that was closed last';month, is in the process of changing owners. The new licenses are contigent upon the pros- pective buyers installing a second toilet. SESEME, INC. Mr. Smith reported that the Selectmen had issued a lodging house license WILD to the Wild Acre Inn based upon the requirements that the Health Department ACRE would make an inspection every month. The last inspection showed that this INN place has gone down again since the last inspection. There were some sanitary violations, emergency lights were not working, there was no way out frau the second and third floor in case of fire. Some patient or tenant has a few cats in their room, the cats were dirtying every corner all over the house. The Selectmen issued this lodging house license but if the sanitary conditions are not improved upon it will ultimately have to be closed. Mr. Smith said he also wanted to ge to work on the revisions of the rules and regulations.