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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1963-09-20596 Health recommended the formation of a committee from members of the departments concerned with waste collection and disposal so that the Board of Selectmen would have well -considered recommen dations on which to base future action. Chairman, Lincoln Cole, then made a motion that a committee consisting of the Superintendent of Public Works, the Executive Secretary to the Board of Selectmen, The Health Officer, and representative of the Town Meeting Association be commissioned to study and report on the Town's wate sollection and disposal services. This motion was unanimously passed by the Board of Selectmen and approved by the Board of Health. BOARD OF HEALTH MEETIN€i SEPTEMBER 20, 1963 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held, Friday September 20, 1963, at 7:30 P.M. in the Selectmen's Office of The Town Office Building. Members present were: R.L. McQuillan, Chairman, Dr. William Cosgrove, Mr, James M. West, and Executive Health Officer, James F. Finneran. Minutes of the August 1, 1963 meeting were approved as read and also the minutes of the Special Meeting of September 9, 1963 were approved as read. AA CESSPOOL At the request of the Board of Health, Mr. Verner Rodenhiser COMPANY of A.A. Cesspool came before the Board to answer charges made by Miss Margaret Joyce, 93 Laconia Street, Lexington, Mass. In a letter to the Board the following charges were made -by Miss Joyce against A.L. Cesspool Co. 1. Overcharging 2. Work improperly done except as overseen, step-by- step by customer 3. Misleading advertising 4. Incompetence 5. Unethical tactics Miss Joyce also stated in this letter she felt the Board of Health should also be challenged on their tactics of issuing licenses to the sewage disposal companies. Mr. Finneran explained that if the equipment used by these companies was in good tight condition a license was issued to them and because of the highly competative nature of this bus- iness he always suggested that home -owners call more than one company for estimates on the job to be done. The Board agreed that they could not supervise the work done by these companies and because of the competitive mature of the business must assume that each company does the work properly. Mr. Rodenhiser was accompanied to this hearing by the men who had done the work at Miss -Joyce's home, namely, his son Mr. Lebow and Mr. Bennett. Mr. Rodenhiser stated that Miss Joyce had signed a contract for what he termed a $90.00 dollar job but because when the men went out the first time they could not locate the cesspool and had to come back to the garage for a hearing device there was an extra charge. When the hearing device was used a snake from 597 the house out to the cesspool was used and this did have rptar blades on it. The men also went back to the job twice after they•had considered the job complete, because of phone calls received from Miss Joyce saying that the toilet was still regurgitating paper from time to time. Mr. Rodenhiser's son said he called back and when he flushed the toilet a number of times there was no problem of improper flushing. Mr. Finneran said he had been out to Miss Joyce's dwelling with the plumber inspector and they had suggested she call a plumber to check the toilet bowl for blockage, the plumber has been called back twice on this. Miss Joyce in her letter also stated that she had called the Boston Better Businesss Bureau and reported the dissatisfac- tion he had with Mr. Rodenhisers' work and also she reported what she•felt was misrepresentation in the Ad in the Lexington Minute Man to the paper. ' Mr. Rodenhiser reported at some length his dealings with the Boston Better Business Bureau and said that those dealings had taken place when he was in the Plumber's Supply business. The Board agreed that because of the highly competitive nature of this business they could not tell Mr. Rodenhiser how to run his business but they did feel that when a complaint such ass Miss Joyce's had been registered that it was their futy to investigate. Mr. McQuillan asked if all the equipment used by the various companies at the Allston address was all garaged in Allston. Mr. Rodenhiser said "Yea", and then went on to explain that the various names used by the companies was because of the location of those names in the Telephone Book, and all numbers listed locally could be connected directly to the business office An Allston. Mr. Rodenhiser and the Board discussed further the complaints listed by Miss Joyce. The Board after a short discussion agreed that as far as public relations was concerned it was between Mr. Rodenhiser and Miss Joyce. Mr. Rodenhiser said he appreciated the Board letting him answer the chargee made by Miss Joyce. The Board thanked Mr. Rodenhiser for coming in and Mr Rodenhiser and his associates retired. The Board discussed this complaint further and moved that Mr. Finneran write to Miss Joyce stating that Mr. Rodenhiser had come before the Board. Upon checking the Health Officer's Report on the analysis MILK COUNTS of milk and swab tests the Board asked Mr. Finneran about Wil- ._& low Farm Dairy and Early Bird Restraurant. SWAB..TESTS Mr. Finneran stated that Mr. St.Germaine, of Willow Farm Dairy had been in to see him. Willow Farm obtains and distributes milk bottled at Maple Hill Farm in Waltham. Mr. St. Germaine asked Mr. Finneran what he could do about the high counts he has had on the milk. 598 Mr. Finneran told Mr. St. Germaine that as he obtained his milk from Maple Hill FarMAn .Wal" thaw, he.'sbould Aeie if he could get the Waltham Dairy to clean the equipment. The Waltham Health Department is the licensing agent for the Maple Hill Dairy and therefore should be responsible in seeing that the equip- ment is cleaned. Mr. Finneran said he knows the Health Officer from the Waltham Health Department has been out to Maple Hill Farm a number of times. He also suggested to Mr. St. Germaine that if the counts did not improve he should change his bottling company because if the counts did not improve the Board of Health of Lexington would have no alternative but to revoke his license to distribute milk in Lexington. B. L. Cummings had only one bad count this month and that was on cream. The Board spoke of the utensil swab counts on Early Bird Restraurant. Mr. Finneran said he was keeping after them and hoped to see improvement very soon. As things stand now there is just 2 milk companies and 2 restaurants that are causing trouble but he will keep close watch on these concerns and see that things are taken care oft GARBAGE Mr. Finneran reported that he had met with the Study Comm- DISPOSAL ittee on Waste Disposal appointed by the Board of Selectmen 1 STUDY GROUP The committee consists of Mr. Gray, Executive Secretary to the Board of Selectmen, John Carroll, Public Works Superintendent Five Members from the Town Meeting Committee and -the Health Officer. At the meeting John Carroll explained how the Hart- well Avenue Dump could be used for the disposal of garbage. This would involve draining the area by installing dikes and removing the peat down to solid clay and letting the base dry out. Two or three loads of garbage could be handled daily if this was done on a Land Fill System. Mr. Finneran said he impressed on Mr. Carroll that he would have to be sure that the land could be properly drained and dried before a plan of this nature could be carried out. Mr. Finneran said in view of the suggested plan for the Hartwell Avenue area he had requested a man from the State Department to come out and check the area an dplan of use. • The Board questioned if this would improve the collection problem. Mr. Finneran said "Yes" because it would open the contract to more and better equipped contractors for bidding. As it stands now only swine dealers may bid on the contract and there is only two or three such dealers in this area. Mr. West asked about the problem of rats and odors. Mr. Finneran said where there was a contract now with an exterminator that would have to be kept for the new dump as well as the Lincoln Street Dump. By opening pp the bids to more disposal cojpanies the bids will be higher but the service should be a great deal better because the equipment will be better. The Board asked if John Carroll had mentioned the dis- posal units for all new houses being built on public' sewer. 1 Mr. Finneran said yea and he was in favor of it and was going to have an ordance or law placed in the Building Code. All these things will take time because they will have to come up before the Town Meeting in the Spring. Mr. Finneran said Mr. Carroll would like to come before the Board next month and discuss this problem with them further. Mr. Finneran said he and.Mr. Carroll were going to study various methods used by other towns for the disposal of garbage and re- port back to the other committeeemembers at the next meeting now scheduled for October 3. The Board said they would like to have Mr. Carroll come in to the next meeting and discuss this problem with them and they also were very pleased With the Committee the Selectmen appointed. Mr. Finneran reported that the dates for the Type II Adult Oral Polio Clinic had been set for Wednesday, October 23 and Thursday October24 from 6 to 9 P.M. and Saturday, October 26 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. -The Rotary Club representatives have met with Mr. Finneran and plans are underway for this clinic. Only two stations will be used this time Cary Hall and the Parker School. Both the Harrington School and the Adams School proved unsatisfactory and therefore it was decided to drop the East Lexington station. The letter to Mr. Joseph Costa, 58 Ivan Street, regarding the disposal of a rooster was approved by the Board. Mr. Fin- neran reported this matter was all taken care of. The notice of laboratory approval for the testing of water was placed on file by the Board. The letter to Mr. Courtney Comeau, 85 Marlboro Road, Waltham, Mass. was approved by the Board. Mr. Finneran said a complaint of rubbish in the rear yard at 519 Lowell Street had been received and investigation showed old auto parts and lumber around the rear yard of an old shed at 519 Lowell St. Mr. Comeau as agent for the property was contacted and he came into the office upon receipt of this letter and said he would see that the matter was taken care of. The copies of the letters from the Stabe Health Depart- ment regarding the use of Calgon in the Lexington water supply to alleviate the red water condition were read and placed on file by the Board. The letters to and from Dr. McHugh, State Tuberculosis TUBERCULOSIS' Control were read and approved by the Board. Dr. McHugh had sent a questioner to be filled out which was for the purpose of the State Department finding suitable locations to carry on a case finding program. The letter to the Board of Selectmen approving the plan BOWLADROME for a snack bar to be installed at the Lexington Bowladrome was approved by the Board. This was for the isuance of a Common Viotulars License. 599 ADULT POLIO CLINIC 58 IVAN 81 LABORATORY APPROVAL S19 LOWELE TREET CALGON IN WATER 600 269 WOOD ST. The letter to Mr. John -Boyd, 269 Wood Street, was read and approved. Mr. Finneran explained that this was a house moved from Route 2 and the Sanitary System had not had a final in- spection. When he went out to check the system he found Mr. Boyd living in the house and also a rooster *nd several hens in a pen in the rear yard. Mr. Finneran said he had been out to Mr. Boyd's a number of times but could not find anyone in and so he sent this letter and as yet has had no reply but• would keep after the problem. 66 NORTH ST. The permit to keep six (6) horses by Ralph Davis at 66 North Street, was approved by the Board. EUGENE A motion was made and duly passed that the Board of LAROSE • 'Health would purchase the medication for Eugene LaRose a patient recently discharged from the Middlesex Sanatorium. Financial Statement and Settlement Statements are on rile in the Health Department Offiee. The meeting was adjourned at 8:L5 P.M. - - *44 1