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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1952-12-19187 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING December 19, 1952 A regular meeting of the Board of Health was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, on Friday, December 19, 1952 at 3:00 P. M. Chair- man McQuillan, Messrs. Russell and Cosgrove were present. Mr. Jackson, Health Sanitarian, and the Agent were also present. Application for a permit to keep thirty hens was received from Robert S. Roscoe, 54 Bridge Street. Poultry Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted permit to grant a permit for twenty-five only. The Chairman read a letter from Town Counsel ad- vising that he has written to each of the persons on the list submitted to him, as persons owning property Manor in the Manor who have not as yet connected to the Sewer sewer. A copy of the letter was enclosed and he said that he would keep the Board advised of developments. The Chairman reported that the Massachusetts Medical Society is in favor 'of the Union Health Law under the proposed provisions and amendments, not as it stands now. He stated that Dr. Wells has been appointed a member of the Committee in this connection and has asked him if this Board would speak to the Selectmen and advise them that it feels there should be an official committee to keep inr formed about what takes place in connection with this law. It was agreed to request appointment, at the Annual March Meeting, of the same committee that was appointed in 1951. At 3:30 P. M. Mrs. Florenee Forbes, 10 Eaton Road, met with the Board re connecting to the sewer. Mrs. Forbes said that if she took all the money she has it still would not pay for the cost according to figures given to her by a plumber, and furthermore she would not be able then to pay her taxes. The plumber told her that it would cost $300. the plumb- ing is located at the center of the back, and it would be very difficult to change it. The Chairman asked if she ever had any trouble with the cesspool, and she replied that at one time she did have stoppage between the house and the tank but it has been corrected. The Chairman explained the Board's position in re9uesting all property owners to connect to the sewer, and Mrs. Forbes said that she owns her house Mrs. Forbes re: sewer connection 188 and it is clear. She is a retired school teacher and has no pension. Her grandfather left a small income which is held in trust. She also tutors a little and thus is able to purchase food. She. also rents a room to a young girl who works at Raytheon. She said that she would like to have two years to adjust her problem and see what can be done. She said that she has no relatives and at the end of that time may have to give up`her home altogether. Mrs. Forbes retired at 3:35 P. M. Letter was received from Wilbur E. Cheeveri 268 Bedford Street, advising that he would like to Cheever re have the installation to the sewer made after the sewer ground thaws in early April. A copy of the cm - connection munication was forwarded to Town Counsel inasmuch as this name was on the list sent to him for further action; Letter was received from James E. Mee, 350 Bedford Street, advising that he has received an Mee estimate of the cost for connecting to the sewer sewer and would like to let it go until early in the connection Siring. The Board had no objection. At 3¢45 P. M. Mr. Richard C. Morris, 87 Gleason Road, met with the Board re connecting to the sewer. The Chairman explained that the order of the Board of Health requiring the owner of bimildings upon land abutting on a public or private way, in which there is a common sewer, to connect, is based on Section 11, Chapter 83 of the General Laws, and failure to comply is punishable by q,fine. of not more than $200.- He also explained that the local Board of Health,regulation is very similar hut does not impose any fine. Mr. Morris said that no one would be any more pleased to connect than he and he -also stated that he was one of the first to sign the petition and has been paying his proportionate share of the cost of having the sewer installed. He said, however, that he did not think he would be compelled to con- nect until such time as it was necessary. He had to give up'his home on Robinson Road and after two years invested in the property at 87 Gleason Road. He started with a $2500_mortgage and has increased it over the years to the neighborhood of $5,000 which is the.limit. He said his only reason for not connecting is from a financial angle. The Chairman asked if he had received an estimate of the cost for connecting and he mulled that he had one from a man making a survey. ie Morris re sewer connection 189 said that his plumbing is in the front of the house and the cesspool is on the front lawn, and he was t old that it would cost $280. He explained that the manhole is about eighteen feet from the cesspool. He said that according to what the surveyor told him, it would cost $400 for the entire job, and he just could not stand the expense. The Board questioned the estimate and suggested that Mx. Morris contact Mr. Burns, Suptt. of Public Works, and ask him for an estim.ate of the cost to connect. He agreed to do so and said that if it is Dossible for him to connect in the present location he thought he would be able to borrow enough money to take care of .it. Mr. Morris retired at 4:00 P. M. At 4:20 P. M. Mr. Dawes, President of the Lexing- ton Visiting Nurse Association, and Miss Morrison met with the Board. The Chairman referred to the monthly bills presented by the organization, which have exceeded the appropriation of $12,500, and said that to his mind the situation is now reversed and somewhat dif- ferent than originally planned. He said that it appears that the VNA is going along as a public organization, and residents of the town are con- tr :biting to the Community Fund, which in turn helps the VNA, and then the residents are also contributing by appropriating town funds. He explained that when the Community Fund reduced its allotment to the VNA, Mr. Powers, then president, came to the Board of Health and asked if something could be done to help the or- ganization financially. Mr. Dawes said that Mr. Powers did that because the United Community Service put the pressure on the VNA for giving service to the Town without being paid for it and insisted that the Town be billed. The Chairman informed Mr. Dawes that this ex- planation was never mentioned to the Board of Health and Mr. Russell agreed. The Chairman said that the VNA asked for $1200, or some figure in that vicinity, to help meet the budget which had been cut. He stated that up unitl that time the only service for which the VNA was charging the Town was for T. B. visits and placarding. Tige other work which the VNA had been doing was part of its own program. He said that it all helps the Town but it is part of the VNA even if there was no connection with the Town. He explained that the Board of Health obtained an appropriation on the basis that the Town had nurses under the VNA being paid for by Community Fund, but the Board felt there was an ob- ligation on the part of the Town to pay something. He said that the schedule was not originally sub - 190 mitted to the Board by the VNA as to what they were going to do, but was submitted to the Board because the Board asked for a schedule to justify the $1250. He said that now it appears the situation has turned around and the VNA claims that it does certain things for the Town and believes the Town should pay so much per visit. He said that it may reach the point where the Board will have to hire a Town nurse if the VNA and the Board of Health cannot arrive at some satis- factory arrangement. Mr. Dawes gave the members of the Board some type- written data showing what other towns are doing in re- gard to this subject. Dr. Cosgrove said that when the Board started this, it had no facts or figures and had Roland Greeley pre- sent at a meeting and asked for facts and figures. He made up a schedule and the Board of Health went before the Appropriation Committee with something it could understand and as a result the Board was able to ob- tain an appropriation of $1250. He said that theBoard was given to understand that the 41250 was the total amount it could expect that particular year. He stated that the Board also understood that it was not to figure that the amount was to go for the VNA regardless of what was done, but would be paid for what it did up to $1250. Anything over that would not be approved. Miss Morrison said that the VNA should have re- quested funds from the Town before the Community Fund allotment was reduced. The Chairman explained that the correspondence between the VNA and the Board of Health was writtenas a result of a discussion with Mr. Powers in an effort to build up a proper case to aid in getting the approp- riation approved by the Appropriation Committee. How- ever, It now appears that it is the Town's obligation and the VNA is saying that it is doing nursing work and expects so much money for it. Mr. Dawes asked if the f igure of $1200 would remain the same twenty years from now, and the Chairman replied that the Town may be foreed to have a Town nurse. He stated that although the money is not paid by the Town twice, it is paid by the taxpayers as such and also through contributions. He asked if the preschool visits, etc. are services which would not be carried on unless they were paid for by the Town or if they would be carried on regardless. Mr. Dawes said that he followed Roland Greeley and on March 29, 1951 sent the Board a communication regard- ing what services would be performed and that this is the first time the two groups have met since the letter. The Chairman asked if the Town would be left without nursing service if the Appropriation Committee did not approve the budget, and Mr. Dawes replied that the VNA would have to cut back the service and explain that it is financially unable to carry on. 1 1 1 The Chairman said that the Board of Health might be advised to obtain a Board of Health nurse for the town. He asked if the VNA would rather have that or have the Town contkibute to its budget. Mr. Dawes said that the last two years the budget has been balanced, and without the money from the Town it would have had to go back to the United Community Service for more money, and he did not know whether or not it would have been granted. He said that all other cities and towns subsidize for health work. He stated that if the Board of Health will increase the budget, the VNA will bill the Board of Health for services rendered. The Chairman explained that the Board of Health could not enter into any agreement but will have to have a budget of so much money. He asked if the VNA wanted the Board to ask for *1750, and Mr. Dawes re- plied in the affirmative. For eleven months in 1952 there were 553 visits for T. B. and communicable diseases at *2 each, totalling *1106. The Chairman said that the Board would ask for an appropriation on the basic of strictly nursing services for the Town. The meeting adjourned at 5:00 P. M. A true record, Attest: Agent 191