HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968-06-14197
BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
JUNE 14, 1968
The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held June
1t, 1968 at 7:00 P. M. in the Selectmen's Room of the•Town
Office Building. Members present were, R. L. McQuillan, Chair-
man, Dr. William Cosgrove, Dr. Charles Colburn and Robert
Heustis, Director of Health.
The minutes of the May 5, 1968 meeting and the Special
1°leeting May 28, 1968 were approved as read.
The area known as the "Old Res" was again discussed by OLD RES
the Board. Mr. McQuillan reported that although the Board MARRETT
of Health and the Selectmen both disapproved the development "RD.,
of this area for bathing purposes at the Town Meeting the
article on the warrant was passed.
Following the Special Meeting of the Board with Mr. Cortel
and Mr. Bond of the Recreation Committee a letter was sent to
the Board of Selectmen, prior to the Special Town Meeting, stating
that further bio -engineering studies should be made of the 'Res'
before any development of this area was started.
A letter has been received from John C. Collins, Director
Division of Sanitary Engineering, State Department of Public
Health confirming the findings as stated in our report to the
Town Meeting and the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Collins has also
offered the assistance of one of his engineers in carrying out
this additional study during the summer of 1968A
The Board discussed the laws available governing swimming
areas and agreed that rules and regulations should be adopted
by the Board which would govern natural bathing areas. The State
Sanitary Code covers swimming pools but as far as can be determined
there is no ruling requiring a Board of Health to approve a pond
or area before a bathing place is developed.
The Board instruced Mr. Heustis to contact the State Health
Department to see if there was any laws governing natural bathing
areas, before and after development. Mr. Heustis showed the
Board acopy of the rules that the Town of Winchester has adopted
governing bathing places such as this. The Board asked that
copies of these be sent to them for further study.
Dr. Colburn suggested that as the State report coincided
with our report to the Selectmen,and in view of the fact, that
Mr. Cortel, Consulting Biologist, at the special meeting was
not willing to guarantee that his proposals would develop the
'Old Res' in a satisfactory way to assure that all public health
standards would be maintained a letter be written to the Select-
men recommending that no action be taken by the Town on this
development until further studies had been made by qualified per-
sonnel. He said he felt we should go on record to the Selectmen
that we disapproved this project until further study had been made.
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The Board agreed that a letter would be written, also a
copy of the State report and a copy of this letter would be
gi.ren:.to the Minute Man Publications for publication this week.
Mr. Heustis reported to the Board that he had talked
with Dr. Monderer of the School Health Services regarding
DENTAL the position of the Dental Hygienist in the Schools. Dr.
HYGIENIST Monderer said that at the present time the school depart-
ment did not feel that they would want to include a hy-
gienist in their budget for next year. He also stated
that they had other programs such as a drug abuse study,
the introduction of a sex course, etc. He also said they
really ;:needed more nurses for the schools and he thought
the Dental Health education could be covered by the nurses.
Mr. Heustis said this was just a phone conversation,
nothing has been received in writing regarding the Dental
Hygienist because the School Committee has not met yet.
Dr. Cosgrove said he had talked to Mrs. Finneran and
she said about the same thing to him. He said he felt that
this was the time of year for her to find another job of
this type and therefore we should tell her of the decision
of the school department. He said Mrs. Finneran has one
of the best educational programs in the State on Dental
Health.
The Board suggested that Dr. Cosgrove talk to Mrs.
Finneran and tell her what was said by Dr. Monderer.
The clerk asked about the equipment in the Dental
Clinic, one of the school nurses had inquired about the
drills and polishers for a biology teacher. Dr. Cosgrove
said the equipment would be sold. Mr. Heustis said the
school department asked that the equipment be moved from
the Hancock School, this will be taken care of as soon
as possible.
KENNICOTT The addition to the Kennicott Copper Building at
COPPER 128 Spring Street was approved by the Board. This addition
will be serviced by existing public utilities and will
therefore have to meet the Department of Public Works
specifications.
DRUG Mr. Heustis reported that a second meeting was held
ABUSE on drug abuse and Rev. Richard Lund of the Pilgrim Con-
gregational Church, was elected President, Pro -Tem. The
group was divided into various committees to formulate
and research various information on drug abuse. The pur-
pose of these committees will be to provide information
and aid to social organizations on drug abuse.
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6 ASH ST.
20 AVON ST.
TREMBLEY
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Dr. Ellicott suggested that the present Doctor's
Emergency Service number, now provided by the Board, be
used for immediate medical attention if the need aroused.
He will also designate to the answering service, doctors
capable of handling this drug problem.
The next scheduled meeting of this committee mill be
held June25, 1968, at the school administration building
at noon. Dr. Colburn and Dr. Cosgrove will try to attend
as representatives of the Board of Health.
The letters to the Board of Selectmen recommending
that the dwellings at 6 Ash St. and 20 Avon St. Lexington
be given priority for public sewer connection were ap-
proved. The present sanitary systems servicing these
dwellings are creating a definite health hazard and it is
inadvisable to repair the present systems.
The application for a permit to keep 2 horses by
Henry J. Trembly, 1949 Massachusetts Ave., was discussed
by the Board.
Mr. Heustis did not recommenp granting this permit
because Mr. Trembley does not have the required acre of
land to keep horses and also access to his barn is by way
of a public path leading to the Colonial Cemetery.
Xrs.=Trenblsy-and her daughter came before the Board
to discuss permit.
Mr. McQuillan: Mrs. Trembley, we are very doubtful
that we can grant this permit. You do not have the re-
quired acre of land, nor any access to your barn except
by way of the public path to the Colonial Cemetery.
Mrs. Trembley: We do have permission from Mrs.
Whalen to lead the horses across her land to Dr. Foley's
and use his fenced in corrals for the horses. It is very
doubtful that we would be riding the horses on the street.
Dr. Cosgrove: May I suggest that you do not plan
on using Dr. Foley's corral at all, Dr. Foley has his own
horses and his own permit to consider and he should not
violate the conditions of his permit. We have granted a
variance when a neighbor has agreed to the use of part of
their land. Does Mrs. Whalen use the land in back that
is abutting your property?
Dr. Colburn: If you could speak to Mrs. Whalen and
ask her for an agreement in writing stating you can use
her land for a coral then we could consider this request.
However, where would you ride these horses if you have
only the public path as access?
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Miss Trembley: We plan to show these horses, I doubt
that we would be riding them on the street. My father and
I plan to join a group or club for showing horses, not the
4-H groups, also my brother is interested in this too.
Mrs. Trembley: We know we can take the horses over
to Dr. Foley's yard and use his fenced in area for exercising
the horses.
Dr. Cosgrove: The use of the Foley's land is not a very
good argument. Dr. Foley has a permit for all the horses he
may have on his land. I suggest you talk with Mrs. Whalen
and see if she will let you use some of her back land to go
along with yours to obtain the required acrage.
Dr. Colburn: You have a little over 24 thousand square
feet of land which is not even enough to keep 1 horse. How
much land does Mrs. Whalen have?
Dr. Cosgrove: Mrs. Whalen's land extends to the cemetery
and back to the church's parking lot. Foley's land is way
beyond the Trembley's property, it would not be wise to plan
on using that land at all. I would go along with granting
this permit if the Trembley's can file with us a written
agreement signed by Mrs. Whalen granting the use of her back
land for the horses. As near as I can see the land is the
only problem you have in regard to this permit.
Mr. McQuillan: Do you have the horses there now?
Mrs. Trembley: No, we have not got the horses yet. We
did not want to go ahead until we were sure we could keep
them.
The Board: We suggest you see Mrs. Whalen and get per-
mission to use a certain amount of her land and this should
solve your problem. The permit, if issued, will be for a
certain number of horses and must not be increased unless
the Board is notified and permission is granted.
Mrs. Trembley and her daughter thanked the Board and
retired.
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The application for a permit to keep 10 veal calves CROSBY
by Franklin J. Crosby, Jr., 5 Piper Rd., was considered ANIMAL PERMIT
by the Board.
Mr. Heustis explained that this is a .-H Project and
application had been made for 10 veal calves, he recommended
permit be granted for 7 veal calves and that the permit shall
expire on October 1, 1968.
The Board approved this application with the conditions
as stated by Mr. Heustis.
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Mr. Heustis reported he had met with Mr. Gray and
Mr. Burke, Superintendent of Public Works to discuss the
disposal of -rubbish and garbage mixed. He said after
discussing the present operation and the allowing of mixing
RUBBISH the rubbish and garbage it was agreed that the present
DISPOSAL arrangement should be continued because, the present
dump operation is not a true sanitary land fill operation
because it has an open face side, a true land fill operation
does not leave any side open-faced. Also, the present
garbage contract would be altered if the commercial
establishments were to dispose of garbage and rubbish in
the same containers.
The Board agreed that they would see that the rubbish
and garbage collection permits will continue under the
same restrictions as they are now.
CHAIRMAN Mr. R. L. McQuillan was again elected Chairman by unanimous
vote of the Board.
WARE
DAIRY The Health Officerts report was discussed and it was
noted that Ware Dairy Co., Belmont, Mass. had milk counts
that were very high. It was suggested that Mr. Heustis
check this company again.
SPURIA Mr. Heustis reported that an annonimous complaint
PIGEONS regarding pigeons kept by Mr. Spuria, 393 Lincoln St.,
had been checked out. At the time of the inspection he
could not find anything bothersome about the pigeons.
Mr. Spuria told him he had talked with the Board of Health
many years ago and the Board had granted him permission
to keep these pigeons. They are a homing pigeon or a tumbler
pigeon.
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The Board agreed that an annonomous call should be
checked out but a complaint of this type would not be given
the same consideration as one in writing.
The Board signed renewal permits for Methyl Alcohol,
Swimming Pools and Food Service Establishments.
The mext meeting of the Board of Health will be held
the second week in July because of the week -end of the 4th.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 P. M.
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