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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1963-10-31The regular October 31, 1963 Office Building. man, Dr. William Officer, James F The minutes as read. BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING OCTOBER 31, 1963 meeting of the Board of Health was held Thursday at 7:30 P.M. in the Selectmen's Room of the Town Members present were: Mr. R.L. McQuillan, Chair - Cosgrove, Mr. James West and Executive Health . Finneran. of the September 20, 1963 meeting were approved The Committee from the Town Meeting Members Association, who STUDY are making a survey and study on the "historical functional and comparative studies" of the administrative structure of Town Government met with the Board. Mr. Hagedorn, Mrs. Ba•ttin and Mr. Alan Adams represented this committee. The Committee had a prepared list of questions for the Board to answer on the various duties of the Health Department and the Board -of Health; how a Health Department is operated under various forms of gov- ernment; such as Commissioner, Director, etc.; how rules and regulations are made; the enforcement of such rules and regula- tions; the relationship and working ability between various Town Departments; the advantages and disadvantages of Board of Health appointments, comrared to elected Board members. Various other questions were asked by this Committee. The Committee retired at 9:10 P.M. The Budget for 1964 was discussed by the Board. It was BUDGET voted and passed that the letters recommending the step raises 1964 for the Executive Health Officer and the Clerk would be written and turned in to the Selectmen, also, a.. review of the duties of the Health Officer would be submitted as requested by the Select- men last year. Mr. West reported that he had been to a Board of Directors Meeting of the Mystic Valley Mental Health Association and he had a report of work also a financial statement of income and expenditures for that Association and a request that the Board of Health include in this years Budget a sum of $2500. for the Mystic Valley Mental Health Association. This monies will be treated as the Lexington Visiting Nurse Fund is now treated. The Board voted and dully passed that the sum of $2500. would be included in the 1964 Budget of the Health Department. The Expense Budget of the Health Department was discussed and the following items changed: 1. INNOCULATIONS Because of the number and size of the clinics now being conducted and the addition of the Flu Clinic for Town and School Personnel the innoculation account was increased to $600. 2. L.V.N.A. The request made by Mr. Charles Whittemore President of the Lexington Visiting Nurse Association for an increase of $700. was discussed by the Board. Mr. 2 Whittemore stated that L.V.N.A. visits now cost 133.59 per visit and the L.V.N.A. is now averaging about 1500 visits per year for the Health Department at a rate of $2.00 per visit therefore an increase is warranted. The Board voted this increase and feel that even the increased sum paid the L.V.N.A. is considerable less than it would be to hire a Public Health Nurse.. The L.V.N.A. account will be in- creased from $2900. to $3600. 3. MIDDLESEX COUNTY SANATORIUM Due to the change of rates and also the increase in rates it was voted to increase the Middlesex County Sanatorium account from X1200. to x$2000. 4. MEDICINE FOR HOME TB PATIENTS A new account for the medicine for home TB patients was added. We now have two patients receiving medicine for the treatment of TB at home, therefore, a new account was set-up for the sum of $300. to take care of this medicine. 5. PREMATURE INFANTS As no requests for aid in Premature Infants have been received in the past 2 years and also because Blue Cross and other types of insurance accept part of the cost of premature infants it was voted to reduce this account x$300. now making the total of the account $500. 6. ENGINEERING The reduction of sub -divisions and question- able lots has reduced the necessity -of calling our consult- ing engineers, Whitman and Howard, therefore, the Board voted to reduce the Engineering Account from x$1500 to $500. 7. OUT OF STATE TRAVEL This account will be left the same $200. Mr. Finneran said he had made arrangements to attend the Kansas City Meeting of the American Public Health Association. The Personal Service Budget and the Expense Budget for the Dental Clinic were approved by the Board. There were no changes in these Budgets. The Personal Service Budget of the Animal Inspector is the same as last year and was approved. Two increases in the Rabies Clinic Budget were discussed by the Board, one of the increases was for $5.00 for the nurse and the other of $50.00 for the services of Dr. Benton at the clinic. The Board approved this Budget. The clerk was instructed to prepare the budgets with the letters of request and explanation and turn them in to the Selectmen. EARLY BIRD The letter to the Early Bird Restaurant stating the viola - RESTAURANT tions of an unsanitary eating establishment was approved by the Board. c LT Kam 1 1 -Mr. Finneran explained that the owner had taken another job and was doing the work in the restaurant part time and it was not working out well, however, he had corrected most of the violations listed in the letter with the exception of painting the walls which will be taken care of as soon as possible.. Mr. McQuillan and the Board approved the action taken by the Health Officer and advised that he keep after this establishment because of previous violations. The letter to Walter W. Webber, Stoneham, Mass. stating 45 FREEMONT that the house owned by him at 45 Freemont Street was con- STREET demned as unfit for human habitation was approved by the Board. Mr. Finneran explained that a complaint had been received when the occupant moved from this house and upon investigation he found there were no bathroom facilities in the house, there- fore, acting under the new State Sanitary Code he was able to declare the house unfit for human habitation until such time as proper bathroom facilities were provided. Mr. Webber, owner of this dwelling has been in to talk with Mr. Finneran. No further action has been taken at this time. The letter to Miss Ethel Wright, School Lunch Program, stating the results of the utensil swab analysis was approved by the Board. SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM The copy of the results of an x-ray Survey Program con- X-RAY SURVEY ducted by the State Health Department at the Fairlawn Nursing Home was read by the Board and placed on file. The replies to the Board of Selectmen on sewer petitions SEWER were approved by the Board. PETITIONS Mr. Finneran explained that everytime the Board of Selectmen receive a petition for public sewer in any given area he received notice of the request. Each area is checked as to the type of systems, cesspool or septic tank, the adequacy of these systems and also if any complaints have been received in the area, in the past two years and any pertinent remarks relating to the area in question. The letter to the Board of Selectmen regarding the connec- 8 GOODWIN tion to public sewer the dwelling at 8 Goodwin Road was approved ROAD by the Board. The Board read and placed on file the notices from the State Health Department regarding the change in ruling on the Town of Settlement of mothers of premature infants. This has now been changed to Town of Residence at the time of the birth of the baby. The other notice was in regard to the rate of payment for the hospitalization of all tuberculosis patients. This rate has been raised to $11.40 per day to be paid by the local Health Departments, this is half of the rate per day, the other half being paid by the State Health Department. The copy of the letter from the State Health Department E.W.GOURDEAU regarding the impossibility of re -locating the sanitary system PROPERTY PREMATURE INFANTS & TB HOSPITAL IZATION