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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978-01-0969 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING JANUARY 9, 1978 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Monday, January 9, 1978 in the Health Department Office at 7:00 P.M. Members present were: Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman; Mr. James W. Lambie, Dr. Michael S. Erdos and George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. The minutes of the December 5, 1977 meeting were approved as submitted. Mr. Smith explained that at one of the meetings with the State Engineers Mr. Hutchinson, Town Manager, asked if garbage could be placed in the land fill. GARBAGE IN LANDFILL The reply, at that time, that the State Engineer, Mr. McLaughlin, gave was "Yes" in a properly operated landfill if the garbage is wrapped and buried in accordance with the regulations." That, went on Mr. Smith, is what prompted the action by the Town Manager to state that garbage collection would be stopped and people would have to carry their garbage to the landfill. Mr. McLaughlin's reply to Mr. Hutchinson was in regard to a properly run landfill and this is not a properly operated landfill here in Lexington. Mr. Lambie said he felt Mr. Hutchinson should present a plan for this operation to the Board so that it can be studied and this plan should also be presented to the State for their approval or suggestions. Mr. Smith said if this plan is carried out he felt the Air Force should be notified because of the hazards of the increase in gulls. He also went on to say that there isn't a week go by that the department does not receive a number of complaints regarding the storage of rubbish in neighborhoods and he said he felt this plan to hold garbage by individuals would just aggravate a bad situation. Dr. Cosgrove said he had received a number of calls regarding this plan but he had been only able to tell the people that the final decision would come from the Board of Selectmen, not the Board of Health. Mr. Smith said he felt he could not recommend this as a good practice. Mr. Lambie said he felt we should write to the State to see if we should allow this plan to be put in operation. Mr. Smith said he felt that we should have a plan to submit to the State first. Mr. Lambie said he felt that we should write to the Town Manager re- questing a plan and also to state to him that this Board had reservations that the operation would meet the State regulations. Dr. Erdos asked what problem had the Town encountered with the Lincoln Street dump? It was explained that rats from the dump became quite a. problem for about four or five years after the Lincoln Street dump was closed. 0 After further discussion Mr. Lambie and Dr. Erdos suggested that a letter be written to Town *tanager regarding the Board's concern with the following: (1) State approval for this plan. (2) Concern for the increase in gy11s as a hazard to aviation in the area. (3) The leachate into the Shawsheen of not only the garbage but also any baiting program carried on. (4) The additional cost of an increased pest control program. (5) The concern over neighborhood control problems of the storage of garbage between trips to the landfill. The Board agreed that this plan would need a great deal of assessment before it was adopted. RIDGE Mr. Smith asked the Board if they wanted to approve the Preliminary ESTATES II Plan (when submitted) for Mr. Freeman's subdivision plan entitled Ridge Estates II. MOSQUITO CONTROL Mr. Lambie said if there was no strong objection we could approve it. Mr. Smith said if this was approved and Mr. Freeman submitted a Definitive Plan with septic systems he felt the Board should request the services of a private engineer. The Board agreed and instructed Mr. Smith to write to Town Manager requesting permission and funds to hire a private sanitary engineer to assist with the septic systems which have been made necessary by the sewer moratorium. Mr. Smith explained that Mosquito Control had requested two thousand dollars additional money on their budget. Mr. Smith went on to say that he did not think Town Manager was too familiar with the mosquito control program and what information he had so far was from Mr. Manfred Friedman. A meeting has been held with Town Manager, Mr. Mazerall, and Mr. Kevin Moran, East Middlesex Mosquito Control Commission. Mr. Smith went on to tell the Board that at the present time Mr. Friedman has been quoting information from an Environmental Impact State- ment which was required by the State following a spraying program after an encephalities outbreak. Mr. Moran will meet again with the Town Manager and the Selectmen and will be prepared to answer any questions which may be asked at that time. The additional monies requested for the Mosquito Control Budget will be used to keep the brooks running and hopefully more brook work can be done because it is important. At the present time the conservationists have been stopping a lot of this brook work and this is effecting the flow of the brooks. Mr. Smith reported that more "perc" tests were done at 1-5 Forbes Road but it was impossible to test the water table. He went on to say 1-5 FORBES that he flit that when the water table was tested in the Spring the ROAD whole lot would be under water. Mr. Smith said that because of the heavy rains today he had been HEAVY RAIN checking the sewers and they were high but at the pumping stations they were keeping things under control with the sluce gates. Dr. Cosgrove asked if there was any malfunction with the pumping station today and Mr. Smith said "No". 71 Mr. Smith discussed a letter from the Town of Arlington relative to the high coliform counts found in samples taken from the Munroe Brook near Reed's MUNROE Brook in East Lexington. BROOK Mr. Smith went on to explain that these brooks do drain into the Arl- ington Reservoir which is used for swimming like our "Res" therefore Arling- ton was very upset. However, the samples we took at the same places were not as high as the counts Arlington had and we will continue to take samples and watch for any problems in the area. Dr. Erdos brought up a question relative to illegal sewer connections ILLEGAL SEWER in general and specifically illegal connections in the Brookwood Road and CONNECTIONS Fairfield Drive area. He felt, considering the past and present problems, the Town was experiencing with the municipal sewer system in this area of Town that every effort should be made to insure that illegal connections should be severed. He further stated that this should be the Town wide policy and not restricted to any specific area. Mr. Lambie supported this idea and further indicated that the Board of Health should take specific action to see that these connections be broken if it was within the aegis of the Board of Health to do so. Mr. Smith explained to the Board members that he was not aware of any Health Regulation already existing that calls for Board of Health action to sever illegal sewer donnection3. He was, however, aware that this condition is covered in the plumbing code, MDC Sewer regulations and in Chapter 83 of the General Laws which pertained to sewer, drains and sidewalks. The Board requested that its concern be noted and forwarded to the Town Manager with the expectation that action be initiated to deal with this problem if not covered by existing regulations. The following permits were signed by the board: RETAIL FOOD STORE White Hen Pantry: 373 Massachusetts Avenue MOTEL PERMITS TO OPERATE Battle Green Inn, 1920 Massachusetts Avenue Sheaaton-Lexington Motor Inn, 727 Marrett Road PERMIT FOR FROZEN DESSERTS White Hen Pantry, 373 Massachusetts Avenue FOOD ESTABLISHMENT PERMITS Fairlawn Nursing Home Dana Home of Lexington Hancock Nursing Home Cinema I and Cinema II Brigham's, Inc., 1775 Mass Ave. and 38 Bedford Street. East Village Nursing Home White Hen Pantry Pewter Pot Restaurant Pinecrest Nursing Home (Pineknoll) Church of Our Redeemer Raytheon Cafeteria