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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970-09-221 1 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING SEPTEMBER 22, 1970 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Tuesday, September 22, 1970, at 7:00 P.M. in the Board of Health Office. Members present were: Dr. William Cosgrove, Chairman, Mr. James Lambie, Dr. Charles Ellicott and Robert Heustis, Director of Public Health. Mr. Joseph Russell., 20 Sanderson Road, and his daughter Ellen came before the Board regarding an application for a permit to ANIMAL keep one horse. PERMIT Mr. Russell explained he had 11 acres of land and he planned to build a 10 x 12 foot structure to house the horse with an excess road from, the rear of the lot to his present driveway. Mr. Heustis said he had been out to inspect the lot but no one had been home. He then asked about the drainage into a low moat area an the side of the lot. Mr. Russell said he had already brought in fill for the low area this year, but he planned to place the structure and corral on the high section of the lot and there should be no problem with the drainage. Dr. Cosgrove asked if Mr. Russell had made any arrangements for the disposal of the manure because that was the biggest prob- lem we had with the horses. Mr. Russell said the neighbors had asked if they could have the manure if that was agreeable to the Board. Dr. Cosgrove said that we had found in the past this arrange- ment did not work out well and our regulations state that the manure must be kept in air -tight barrels and disposed of every week. Yr. Russell said he would do as the Board asked about that. He would contact a few farmers and see if they would take the manure. Dr. Cosgrove said if Mr. Russell would make these arrange- ments and let the Helath Department know of them he saw no reason why this permit coul3 not be granted. He suggested that Mr. Russell When he submitted his building plans to the Building Department he could show Mr. Heustis the arrangements for the drainage in the bar'''. Mr. Russell and his daughter thanked the Board and retired. The stabling regulations which were submitted to Mr. STABLE Legro in November. 1969, were discussed by the Board. Mr. REGULATIONS Legro had suggested a number of changes which will be in- corporated in the Regulations and copies sent to Mr. Legro f} r. .�ai5(t OI'f IDA SUB -DIV. and Mr. O'Connell, Town Mamager before final approval is made. The report on Oneida (Drummer Boy) Subdivision from Mr Lucas, Enigineer of Whitman & Howard, was discussed by the Board. Mr. Lucas had checked this subdivision in October 1969, and a number of lots were restricted for building at that time, he also at that time. expressed concern of a flooding situation if the drains were not adequate. At the March Town Meeting the Conservation Committee was granted monies to purchase a part of this subdivision, mainly the lots that were restricted for building. A new subdivision plan was submitted by the developer which shows the lots that were originally restricted now are deleted. Mr. Lucas stated in his report that although the restricted lots were deleted from this subdivision he could only approve the subdivision subject to the approval of the Public Works Department and Town Engineer's approval of the street, sewer and drainage design. The Planning Board had also requested that the Board of Health do a flood and drainage study of this subdivision in a letter dated November 3, 1969. Dr. Cosgrove said he would suggest that a letter be sent to the Planning Board stating that the Board of Health had no authority to have a flood or drainage suvey made. Such a survey would be up to the developer or the Town Engineer. The Board, after further discussion, voted to approve this subdivision subject to the approval by the Department of Public Works and the Town Engineer of the street, sewer and drainage design. Dr. Cosgrove said he had nothing to report on the plans of FLUORIDATION Arlington Board of Health on Fluoridation but now that va- cations were over he would talk to the members. He suggested that all the information necessary be gathered before Articles are prepared for the Town Meeting. The letter to Dr. Charles Colburn thanking him for his service on the Board of Health was approved and placed on file. BRUCCHI Mr. Heustis reported that John Brucchi had asked if the PIGS Board would consider granting him a permit to keep one or two suckling pigs in his barn for approximately 6 weeks. These pigs will be fed grain. The Board said "No", they would not issue even a tem- porary permit to keep pigs in Lexington. They were most emphatic that no permits to keep swine in Lexington will be issued again. 1 1 1 Mr. Heustis reported that the State Health Department has recommended that children from age 1 through 12 be vaccinated against German Measles. Last year clinics were held in the schools and Cary Hall. Children from grade K thrcugh 3 were done. This year, if the Board agrees, we will do Kindergarten through Grade 6 in the schools and the children age 1 through 5 will be done at Cary Hall on a Thursday afternoon and a Sat- urday morning c].in:ic. Dr. Cosgrove asked how much these clinics would cost. Mr. Heustis said the State supplied the vaccine, but we usually pay the Doctors. The Visiting Nurses will work the Cary Hall clinics and we will have to pay them for the Saturday clinic. The Board approved this clinic. Mr. Heustis said we would also try to have a Mumps Clinic before the first of the year. 001.1 MEASLES (GERMAN) CLINIC The letter from the State Health Department regarding Flu clinics was read by the Board and placed on file. The Board FLU agreed that they would continue the policy set last year that until the Flu Vaccine was improved and was more effective they would not have clinics for the school and Town personell. We had no complaints from either department when we discontinued the clinic last year. Mr. Heustis explained to the Board that a complaint had 18 GREENWOOD been received regarding an overflowing sanitary system at 18 STREET Greenwood Street. This property is owned by Bruce McGee, Trustee Patriot Trust. Mr. Heustis said at the time of his inspection he had sent an order to Mr. McGee ordering him to connect this house to the public sewer service by August 3, 1970. On August 3, Mr. McGee called and requested an extension of time, this was granted to September 15, 1970 because at that time the house was vacant and it was understood that there would be no tenants until the sanitary system was corrected. Mr. McGee has not taken care of this matter yet. CLINIC Mr. Heustis explained that Mr. McGee had requested the ex- tension to September because Al Loch of Suburbanite Cesspool Ser- vice, could not do the job until after Labor Day. He called Mr. Koch to check with him when he was scheduled to do the work and Mr, Koch reported that Mr. McGee had not hired him yet, he also told Mr. Heustis that unless he did the job soon his trucks would be up for the winter. Dr. Cosgrove instructed Mr. Heustis to check and see if any- one was living; at 18 Greenwood Street and if they were then Mr. McGee should be notified that court action would be taken if this house was not connected to public sewer within 10 days. Mr. Heustis said he had a complaint from a Mr. Cressie, of Winchester, who had a suite of rooms at the Lexington - Sheraton Motor Inn while his house was being repaired after a fire. Mr. Cressie complained that the rooms were dirty and that his children had received a staph infection from flea bites. LEXINGTON SHERATON MOTOR INN o6() M. Heustis said he asked Mr. Cressie to have his pediatrician write a letter stating that the infection came from the flea bites. Mr. Cressie said his pediatrician was 80% sure that was where the children got the staph infection but he could not put that into a letter. Mr. Heustis said he had inspected the rooms occupied and he said there was finger and some dust along the edge was pretty good. He said he complaint because he did not been at the Motel. gone up to the Motor Inn and by Mr. Cressie and his family prints around the wall fixtures of the rug but on the whole it also questions Mr. Cressie's call until a month after he had The Board discussed this complaint and suggested that a letter be written to Mr. Cressie stating an inspection had been made and the rooms found to be satisfactory. SEWER The letter from Mr. Cataldo, Chairman, Board of Select - PETITIONS men, thanking us for the sewer petition information was read and placed on file. PUBLIC HEALTH HEARINGS BAMBOO HUT The letter referred by Mr. Cataldo regarding hearings to be held in Cary Hall, October 13, 1970, by the Governor's Advisory Council of Comprehensive Health Planning was discussed by the Board. Dr. Ellicott suggested we contact the people in charge of some of the health programs in Lexington and ask them to submit a statement regarding some of the problems they have encountered in their program work, these statements could then be combined into one statement and presented by this Board at this public hearing. He suggested that Dr. Jack Monderer of the School Health Services and the Drug Abuse Committee, Miss Morrison, Director of the Visiting Nurse Association, Yrs. Welch, Director of the Mystic Valley Mental Health Association, and possibly Mr. William Melbye, Chairman of the Senior Citizens group. The Board thought this would be a good idea and in that way most of the public health services would be covered. Dr. Ellicott instructed the Clerk to contact the people suggested and send a cover letter to them suggesting they sub- mit a statement to the Health Department by October 3, 1970, this would give the Board time to coordinate all the informa- tion for the hearing. Dr. Ellicott asked if there had been any complaint re- garding a resident getting very ill after eating at the Bamboo Hut. Mr. Heustis said he had received no such complaint but that he was keeping his eye on the Bamboo Hut because the last inspection showed they were not doing too well. The Clerk informed the Board that at the present time there was a patient at Middlesex County Sanatorium, this patient had been there since May and if hospitalization con- tinues through December 31, 1970 it will cost $2903.94. plus C. 1 1 1 1 1 361 the X2542.57 which has already been paid. This hospitalization cost will deplete the Budget so that additional funds will have to be requested to meet current costs. It was suggested that the Clerk contact the Social Worker at Middlesex County Hospital and ask if they could give this depart- ment any idea when the patient will be leaving the hospital. The Chairman also instructed the Clerk to write to the Town Manager, Appropriation Committee and Selectmen informing them of the additional expenses anticipated for the rest of the year. The Health Officer's Report was checked and the high milk counts discussed. Mr. Heustis said he would keep a close watch on Brox's Dairy and Deary Brothers because the counts have been running high from those dairies. The following permits were signed by the Board: Swimming Pools Pleasant Brook Pool Corp. Child Care Centers Kreb's School Foundation Countryside Kindergarten Lexington Montessori School, Inc. Church of Our Redeemer Nursery School Hancock Church Weekday Nursery School Mystic Valley Assoc. for Retarded Preschool Nursery Methodist Weekday School Food Establishment Permits Alexander's Pizza Shop Edward Donovan Canteen Dasu, Inc. dba Buttrick's Arno's Delicatessen Raytheon Cafeteria Coyte's Diner, Inc. (2 trucks) Drummer Boy Restaurant Regent Delicatessen Take Home Foods of Lexington McManus Ice Cream Village V -I -P Vending Inc. Dunkin Donuts Rubbish Disposal Permit Howard Disposal Corp. Dorothy Jones, Clerk