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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-06-14-BOH-min Lexington Board of Health, June 14, 2006 Estabrook Hall, Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue Attendees: Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Judith Feldman, Burt Perlmutter, Sharon MacKenzie Health Dept. Attendees: Kathy Fox, Ann Belliveau Public Participants: Chet Webster, Ann Webster, Bernard Gunther Heiger Bernays called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. There was no public participation. Heiger-Bernays asked the Board to review the minutes of May 10, 2006. MacKenzie motioned to accept the minutes as amended. Feldman seconded. All approved. Heiger-Bernays asked the Board to review the May Data Reports Requests for Variance – The following pools requested variances which would allow swimming when lifeguards are not on duty: Adams Pool, Battle Green Inn Pool and Moon Hill Pool. Perlmutter motioned to grant these pools variances with proper signage and inspections. MacKenzie seconded. All approved. Hearing – Countryside Shell violation for selling tobacco to minors for the third time in three years. Fox informed the Board of the $300.00 fine assessed to the Countryside Shell because the salesperson did not request to see the customer’s identification at the time of the tobacco purchase. The proprietor of the establishment, Moses Avakian was present for the hearing. Perlmutter wished to recuse himself for this hearing because he has his motor vehicle serviced at the Countryside Shell. The Board decided to suspend the hearing decision for two weeks until Moses Avakian investigates whether the cash register can be programmed to accept the customer’s date of birth for proper monitoring of age by the employees Fox will check with Tobacco control to see whether they will perform mandatory training to employees. Heiger-Bernays informed Avakian that these laws are in place to make sure tobacco is not sold to minors. Willard’s Woods – Response to request by Bernard Gunther, 26 Brent Road. Heiger-Bernays stated Derek Fullerton received a request from Mr. Gunther about the potential impact on Willard’s Woods and visitors to the Woods from the large dog population. Gunther provided a population study that was done in April 2006 that evaluated the numbers of dogs that frequented Willard’s Woods per day and then extrapolated to the numbers of dogs per year. The study also estimated the mass of dog feces in the Woods which is picked up and that which is left behind and noted no estimate was made for dog urine. Mr. Gunther provided other information about the Woods, about the population and about the ground water and water supplies. Gunther also asked the following question to the Board of Health: Is the level of coliform bacteria contamination something visitors to the park should be concerned about? Gunther would like to receive one of the following: A) a statement from the Board of Health on how serious a problem this is for users of the park (including children who may be barefoot), B) a plan for further testing to confirm the impact of these observations, or C) a proposal from the Board of Health on what needs to be done by the overseers of the park (Lexington Conservation Commission) to fix this problem. Heiger-Bernays stated the Board would not be concerned about the coliform levels based on the test results. The Board is mandated to address issues of recreation water bodies as well as watersheds. Heiger-Bernays said there are two options to address the concern at this recreational resource area: One would be to test for enterococcus and if results indicate high levels, then warning signs could be posted. Heiger-Bernays mentioned about the posting at Vinebrook and Hayes Lane indicating no swimming or wading per Board of Health because the ecoli counts exceeded regulatory standards. Heiger-Bernays said if the Board agrees and if it is warranted, the health department could test the bacteria levels in the water - because Boy Scouts use this area for camping, cross country runners run through this area. The question would be where to test and that is something the Board needs to discuss. Heiger-Bernays said the tests would be used to see if it would be safe for people to have direct contact with the water and that doesn’t mean digestion of the water. Mr. Gunther asked about the animals that go in the water. Heiger-Bernays said she will be consulting with a veterinarian but the Board’s mandate is public health. Heiger-Bernays addressed the question of what should the Board of Health recommend to the Conservation Commission regarding healthy use of the park related to the health risks that might be posed by large numbers of dogs at the park. Health risk issues should be categorized by direct contact and indirect contact. Direct contact would be direct contact with the dogs themselves and indirect contact would be contact with fecal matter either on the ground or in the water. Heiger-Bernays said in order to gather information, the Board of Health will need to start communication with the Conservation Board and present clear issues. In addition, the Board of Health will need to check Health Department records of complaints and disease reporting related to this geographic area. For indirect contact health concerns, the Board checked with the Lexington Veterinarian Associates, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and a pediatric office and agencies of the USDA, CDC, EPA and USDS. For direct contact with animals and humans in this area, Heiger-Bernays stated that there are no complaints of people being jumped on. There was one bite reported to the Health Department in the past year. No rabies cases were reported which is a reportable disease. The Board also discussed rabies prevention efforts associated with proper licensure requirements with the Town Clerk. Chet Webster, a resident of Lexington, stated that Willard’s Woods has been advertised on the internet as a leash free dog park for five weeks and as a result there has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of dogs including several professional dog walkers. Perlmutter stated that the Board is looking at the Health issues at Willards’s and the Conservation Commission who controls the property will need to address the leash law issues. Fox said that the Conservation Commission has the power to prohibit problematic dogs from the Conservation areas or they can institute the leash law on the land. If the leash law needs to be changed for the entire Town, it would need to go before Town Meeting. Fox also indicated that the Board of Selectmen could designate areas where no dogs are allowed such as recreational fields, schools, etc. Heiger-Bernays stated that the other area of concern is the indirect contact of dog feces and that there are only two diseases that should be of concern for the public health. One is toxicara, a parasitic roundworm,. Less than 1% of adult dogs in this area of the country have roundworm. Lexington Veterinarian Associates informed Heiger-Bernays that if a dog is treated with the heartworm medication, that it essentially eliminates roundworm. Lex Vets have approximately 99.9% compliance for heartworm treatment. Heiger- Bernays said that would translate to a population of adult dogs that lacks toxicara. Heiger-Bernays stated that humans could be infected with toxicara. Two of the pediatric practices that were contacted indicated that in past 15 years they have had zero cases. The other organism of concern is cryptosporidium, which is a spore-forming parasite. There is not good data about the prevalence in dogs. Heiger-Bernays could not get good data from the State or from CDC. Heiger-Bernays said the other issue is contamination of ground water and potential for the fecal matter itself and the parasite to contaminate ground water; however, there is enough good data available to support this claim. Heiger-Bernays stated that it is unlikely that the pathogenic organisms from the fecal material in Willard’s Woods would migrate into in ground water table. Speaking for the Board, Heiger-Bernays recommended educating the public about the leash law, picking up waste from dogs, posting signs stating no swimming and no wading, and making bags accessible for dog waste. MacKenzie asked Gunther about his thoughts and what we he would like to see happen. Gunther said the Conservation Committee said they are going to form a sub-committee, and they will need to develop ways to get the dogs to spread out on the conversation land or do something about the current situation so other people can use the park. Gunther appreciated the medical data provided from Heiger-Bernays. Heiger-Bernays stated the Board of Health would take a look at the regulations and see if they are applicable and then make recommendations to the Conservation Commission based on those regulations. The Health Department will be posting the water bodies for no swimming and no wading. Heiger-Bernays said we should contact Arlington, Winchester and Bedford and see what they are doing. Fox stated that one of the issues here is that we are one of the few towns in the State that does not have a leash law and as a result people come from other towns to Willard’s Woods where they can walk their dogs off leash. Heiger-Bernays said that is the key problem but there must be a creative solution that we can all live with. Update on Old Res Swimming Area and Survey/Sampling Heiger-Bernays explained that the Board has been looking at the Old Res for many years and, in particular, assessing the current safety of using the Old Res as a recreational body of water and to provide information to the Town for planning purposes. Based on the conditions, the Board can make recommendations to retain the body of water as a swimming resource or not based of the reflecting data which will need to include whether the Board feels based on reflecting data, looking at history of the water quality, water chemistry, nitrogen run off, pesticide use and other related parameters. Jonathan McCall, a public health intern for Lexington, began a presentation to the Board of the initial sanitary survey findings. McCall used sample information provided by the Health Department dating back to 2000. (See attached presentation) MacKenzie asked if it the recreational water is safe. Heiger-Bernays said the data indicates yes and this information will be taken to the goal setting. Update on Private Drinking Water Wells in Lexington Heiger-Bernays stated that we need to pay attention to private drinking wells in the town as a result of a private drinking well adjacent to 31Allen St. Heiger-Bernays introduced Sage Orr, a public health intern for Lexington, who looked at the private drinking wells in town and came up with recommendations since local Boards of Health have jurisdiction over private wells in ensuring a safe and adequate water supply. (See attached presentation) Heiger-Bernays proposed that based on Orr’s analysis, an educational letter about wells be developed and sent to well owners recommending testing of their wells and indicate that the Board of Health could help them interpret the results after they have the water tested. Update on IAQ at Senior Center Fox informed the Board of the Senior Center’s requested that indoor air quality tests be conducted at the Center. It is in the process of being done. The Board reviewed the May data reports and Public Health Nurse update. MacKenzie motioned to adjourn. Perlmutter seconded. All approved.