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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-03-06413 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING MARCH 6, 1984 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Tuesday, March 6, 1984 at 7:15 p.m. in the Board of Health Office (Room G-25) of the Town Office Building. Members present were; James W. Lambie, Chairman; Dr. Linda Roemer, George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. Minutes of the February 13, 1984 Meeting were approved as read. SANITARIAN'S Mr. Smith said he would give the Sanitarian's report. Mrs. Deborah Hal- REPORT ko, Sanitarian, has completed her inspections of the restaurants and cafet9 erias and now is inspecting the vending machines within the industrial companies. Mr. Smith introduced our new Animal Control Officer, Bob Dalrymple, to ANIMAL the Board and told them he was doing a very good job. He said Bob and himself CONTROL were just appointed animal inspectors by the State Division of Animal Health. OFFICER The Town Manager has appointed a new member to the Board of Health. Donald A. Goldmann, M. D, has been appointed to replace Michael S. Erdos, M.D. who NEW resigned from the Board as of March 1, 1984. This appointment is to fill the BOARD unexpired term of Dr. Erdos until April 1985. MEMBER Mr. Smith told the Board that the State has sent out a letter with ad- EDB ditional items on the list of food products containing EDB. Mr Smith said he and Mrs. Ha1ko are going to start checking the stores tomorrow. There are an awful lot of items in each store to be checked. Some stores have already removed these items from the shelves. Mr. Smith told the Board that our annual rabies clinic has been complicated by a new law. A rabies certificate has to be produced in order to obtain a dog license. We always had it so a license must be obtained in order to get a RABIES free rabies vaccination. CLINIC The veterinarians pushed to get this law passed. It makes it difficult for our shelter, also. We never allowed a dog to be redeemed before it had a license. And now if it has not had a rabies vaccination it cannot get a license. At 7:30 p.m. Mrs. Sanford and her husband of 9 Alcott Road, Lexington, WOODBURNING came before the Board at Mrs. Sanford's request. STOVES The Alcott's live across from the Jefferson's of 8 Alcott Road and the Jeffersons have a woodburning stove that Mrs. Sanford objects to. Mrs. Sanford read a prepared statement to the Board in regard to the smoke from this woodburning stove blowing across the street and infiltrating her house. Mrs. Sanford said it is effecting her health and if it continues she will have to put her home up for sale after having lived there for 25 years. She said Mr. Jefferson has had this woodburning stove for four years and uses it completely to heat his house. The Board said they are sympathetic to her sitiation but there is nothing they can really do. Even in the future any regulations would not be retroactive. There are wood stoves all over town and they are legal. All these stoves have been passed by the Fire Department. The Board said, from a health point of view (and they are not sure if they still could do anything) perhaps she could get ambient data and smoke levels. We have to get evidence that it is effecting her health. Mrs. Sanford stated that she feels that the Fire Department doesn't do their job. Mr. Smith said the Fire Department checks out all woodburning stoves and the Chief of the Fire Department said there is nothing wrong with the Jefferson's stove. Mr. Sanford said she wants that stove out of the Jefferson's or she will have to sell her house. Mr. Smith said if she thinks her health is poor because of the Jefferson's stove she should have her physician put this in writing. Dr. Roemer Said she will go over there to check this out at the time (6:00 p.m.) Mrs. Sanford says Mr. Jefferson has the wood stove burning. Dr. Roemer said: "Not that I can really do anything but I would like to see how bad the smoke is". Mrs. Sanford said she is not going to drop the matter here. Mrs. Sanford and her husband thanked the Board and retired. At 8:00 p.m. Mr. Alfred Phillips, Industrial Counsel for Raytheon Corp. and Mr. Willard Krasnow, his assistant, came before the Board of Health in regard to a "no smoking" section at the Excutive Building at 141 Spring Street in Lexington, RAYTHEON & NO SMOKING Mr. Phillips stated that the warrant passed at Town Meeting did not include BY-LAW cafeteria kitchens and a town meeting member made a motion not to include cafeteria. kitchens. Mr. Lambie stated that the Board of Health does not draw its authority from town meeting but from the State Sanitary Code. Mr. Phillips stated because of the height of the ceilings, many employees do not smoke, etc. they feel they should not have to abide by the by-law. Dr. Roemer said she had been to Raytheon cafeteria within the last week and saw many things relating to their stressing health: types of food, exer- cise classes, etc. Doesn't Raytheon want us telling yhem what to do? Mr. Phillips said: We are not sure where this is going to lead. What other health regulations would this lead to? Dr. Roemer said that they should encourage people not to smoke at Raytheon. Mr. Phillips said that they never receive complaints about people smoking in the cafeterias. Mr. Smith, Health Director, said he has received, at different times, six 1 1 415 complaints about smoking in the cafeteria and how there should be a "no smoking" section. Mr. Smith said he had been trying before this went into a by-law to get people to do this voluntarily. Mr. Phillips said they have federal, state and town regulations and by- laws to comply with as it is. Mr. Lambie said the Board of Health by-passes the town and takes over the State Sanitary Code. He said to Mr. Phillips that others are going by the by-law and unless you feel your situation is different, why can't you comply? Mr. Phillips said he would like to go back to Raytheon and report about this meeting with the Board of Health and tell the company about these six complaints (about smoking). If we are having employees complain that chhnges the situation. Mr. Phillips said he would go back and report and perhaps they can "out- law" smoking altogether in the cafeterias. Mr. Phillips asked if the Board had any objection to his contacting our town counsel? The Board had no objection to that. Mr. Phillips then asked if they could apply to the Board of Health for a variance. The Board said they would like the company to try setting aside a section for non-smokers first and see how it works out. Mr. Phillips said if they do comply they will send the Board a letter, but he would get back to them again. Mr. Phillips and Mr. Krasnow thanked the Board and retired. Mr. Smith told the Board our Rabies Clinic will be coming up in May and RABIES we will be soon preparing for this. He thinks he will only have it for one CLINIC day this year because it has dropped in numbers in the past two years. The manager wants him to charge a fee to the residents for the vaccine. All the different organizations have already started to apply for tem- PATRIOTS porary food permits for Patriots Day. DAY One applicant had planned to serve sausages but Mr. Smith said he has to write to them and tell them if the sausages are pork sausages he will not allow them to sell them. NEW ESTABLISH- Steve's Ice Cream Store is coming to Lexington. They are going into the MEETS store that use to be Colonial Stores. 1 Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream is going into the Countryside next to Lexington House of Pizza. 416 HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY 104 VINE STREET Gracie's Restaurant has been sold. A fellow that use to be manager at Denny's Restaurant has purchased it. There is a new kitchen going into the office building at 420 Bedford Street. One other resident inquired about selling "Eureka" foods out of his home. It is on the idea of Amway Products. Another person came into the office looking for a store to open a "Fruit Bar". There is a new owner at Carey's Catch. Denny's Restaurant is going to do their kitchen all over. There is an article in the warrant this year for Hazardous Waste Day. People are in a frenzy over the cost. We need contributions for this day. The Journal of Environmental Health article will be in March/April issue. The resident at 104 Vine Street wanted George to check out his Septic system. He is afraid it may break down. Mr. Hemond wants to draw up his plans for a system and put it in himself. I told him that wasn't a very good idea. He has to use a licensed installer. AVIAN we received an "ALERT" notice from the Division of Animal Health that INFLUENZA there is Avian Influenza presence in nearby states that is a dangerous threat to all poultry in Massachusetts. Mr. Smith is going to have the Animal Inspector work on this and mail out the information to anyone that keeps chickens. SUBDIVISIONS Green & White had submitted a plan for a subdivision and then withdrew it. Maple Tree Village - Green & White are trying to buy some land from the Maple Tree Village for an entrance into their subdivision. Ridge Estates II - Ten Freeman, Builder, has acquired eleven more lots for his subdivision. The Board checked out the preliminary plans. Mr. smith told the Board that Pat Tropeano contacted him today in regard to the "burned out" house that was on Ridge Estates. He said this would be going to court and George would receive a summons to appear. Mr. Smith said - perhaps Ted should be invited into the Board Meeting to find out what he is doing over there. EPIDEMIOLOGY Mr. Smith said Mr. Litant had called about the epidemiology survey in the SURVEY Cooke Rd./Douglas Road area. The Board suggested that Mr. Smith send Mr. Litant a letter. 1 1 1 417 The Board briefly discussed RDNA. There have been a few applicants for the RDNA Committee. Two are employees of Collaborative Research. Two are physicians. We also want to have two residents. The Board is going to ask Mrs. Mary Crawford, Representative from the League of Women Voters, who attends our Board Meetings, to see if the League could recommend two residents for this committee. All these applicants apply to the Town Manager. Town Meeting begins on April 2nd, 1984. Mr. Smith said the TMMA will dis- cuss the non-financial articles at their meeting on March 22 and March 29th. Tentatively, the financial articles will be taken up at Town Meeting on April 26th, 1984. Mr. Smith told the Board that the Town Manager has put the mosquito con- trol money into the Health Department Budget this year (for FY85) rather than it having its own account number. Mr. Smith thinks it will be a long town meeting this year. Mr. Smith and Mr. Lambie had met with David Henley, Superintendent of the MOSQUITO East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project, in regard to the mosquito control STRATEGIES program and the preparation to speak at town meeting when the mosquito control comes up before the Town Meeting. Mr. Lambie said that the larvaciding really did work. The mosquito control responded to various specific areas where there were complaints and this kept the mosquito population down. Mr. Smith said it is being discussed upstairs to consolidate the school medical services with the Health Department. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOL Dr. Roemer said we should make this a priority to discuss on our agenda. MEDICAL The Board and the Director question how they can supervise the school nurses. SERVICES. The Board signed the following permits: Animal Permits Richard V. Goodman 15 chickens Gerald M. Cupp 2 horses 5 Barrymeade Drive 171 Woburn St. Wilson Farm, Inc. 4500 chickens David L. Gennaro 1 horse 10 Pleasant St. Alfred Iodice 63 Winter St. Catering Permits Jean's Catering 100 Central St. Milford, Mass. Mobile Server Permits 2 cattle 108 Winter St. 8 deer 1 peacock Vernon Parsons 1 horse 65 Allen St. Hillcrest, Nims, Kendall, Inc. 220 Bear Hill Rd. Waltham, Mass. Ben Freitas Moblie Server Charles D. Aker 321 Woburn St., Lexington 242 Lincoln St., Lexington 418 Food Service Establishments Permits A T & T Information Services 128 Spring St. K of C Members Association, Inc. 177 Bedford St. Lexington VFW, Post #3007 2 Hayes Lane Carey's Catch II 46 Mass Ave. Bel Canto Restaurant 1715 Mass Ave. Mediplex of Lexington (Nursing Home) 178 Lowell St. M.N.B. Vending Services for S.E.I. Corp. (vending machines) 83 Hartwell Ave. M.S. 1 1 1