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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-12-03BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING DECEMBER 3, 1979 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Monday, December 3, 1979 in Room G-15 of the Town Office Building. Members present were: Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman; Mr. James W. Lambie, Dr. Michael S. Erdos, and Mr. George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. Minutes of the last meeting were approved as read. Mr. Smith introduced Mrs. Rita trendier to the Board of Health as the new Senior Clerk of the Health Department. BORA BORA The new owners of the Bora Bora Restaurant, Sally Hsu and William Fong came into the Board Meeting to discuss their new operation at 177 Mass. Ave. Dr. Cosgrove asked if they had applied for their common victuallers license and they replied that they had. Dr. Cosgrove stated that in the past there had been a cockroach problem with the restaurant. The attorney for the Bora Bora said they are having a pest control company come in on every other Friday. Another problem in the past, members of the Board stated, was the dumpster in the back of the building. Mr. Smith said he had checked the dumpster out this afternoon and at the time there were no problems. Mrs. Hsu said she had contracted with Northeast Disposal to come twice a week to pick up the trash. Mr. Smith said they should insist that the disposal company come in once in a while and change the dumpster or have them sanitize it frequently. Another problem they have in many restaurants Mr. Smith said is smoking by the employees. He said that this cannot be tolerated. Mr. Smith stated to the owners of the Bora Bora that employees must go to an area other than the food area when they wish to smoke. Dr. Cosgrove asked about the room downstairs in the restaurant. They said that room was for storage only. Mr. Smith told them if they see anyone other than employees putting any rubbish or trash into their dumpsters out back to get the registration of the car and call the police department. In the past there had been problems with residents driving into the back area and depositing their trash from home. Mr. Smith also stated that no garbage should be put in with the rubbish. Mr. Smith stated the main purpose that the owners of the Bora Bora were invited into the Board Meeting was basically to find out the plans of the food service operation. He stated also that he recommends a better light downstairs in the storage room area. Mr. Fong stated that he thinks the switch must be broken and that they will have it fixed. Dr. Cosgrove asked the owners of the Bora Bora if they had any questions and they said no. The owners then thanked the Board and retired. DOG AT Mr. Smith told the Board that a dog had been staying in a classroom BRIDGE at the Bridge School all during the hours that school was in session. It SCHOOL had the free run of the school. It belonged to one of the teachers of the ACE PROGRAM. The police had a report about this dog and we also had com- plaints about the dog knocking children over and a child eating a piece of cake when the dog took a bite while the cake was in the child's hand. Mr. Smith said he had been to the School Department about this. He stated that dogs have mange, ticks, lice and carriers of communicable diseases and should not be in the schools. The principal claimed the dog was there for educational purposes. Some women wanted to get up a petition to keep the dog in the school but the dog officer told the school personnel to get the dog out of the school. The dog is out of the school now although the principal did not like the verdict. Mr. Smith said that a paragraph should be put in the school medical handbook stating "no dogs in the schools". Children have been known to be bitten when they carry their lunches and the dog tries to take it away from them. Mr. Smith told the Board that there had been a number of interviews to select the new Health Intern. The last four interviews had been today. They are all good prospects, one is in the Air Force and one has a back- ground in public health. This will be a permanent part-time position. Mr. Smith told the in today. It has been Lambie can read it and Board that the Infiltration Study had finally come revised and "relief sewer" is the basic issue. Mr. report back to the Board. The Board signed the license for the East Village Nursing Home. Mr. Smith reported that everything was in fine shape. Physical sanitation good and kitchen was excellent. The Board was shown the septic system plan for the new Depositors Trust Company. There will be two bathrooms in the bank. The Board asked how many employees there would be. Mr. Smith said only seven or eight altogether. They have to use a pump, that will be located inside the building, because of the cellar elevation. The plan is good and it will be the re- sponsibility of the plumbing inspector to see that the pump is installed properly. Mr. Lambie asked how far the sewer was from the bank property. Mr. Smith answered that it is about 300 feet but the town would never give them permission for sewer as the roads have just been paved. Mr. Smith said they would have to pump anyway because of the elevation of the basement. He said it is a 1500 gallon tank being installed - a little less than 1000 feet for bed. The water table,to put in pits, is high. Mr. Smith said the soil is just beautiful, leaching area is fine and there are good soil condition. Mr. Smith said that the main problem up there where the bank is being built will be the traffic. HEALTH INTERN INFILTRATION STUDY EAST VILLAGE NURSING HOME LICENSE DEPOSITORS TRUST SEPTIC SYSTEM _ 0 Mr. Smith said that the septic tank being installed at 152 Spring St. 152 SPRING will be 1500 gals. The pits will be 1250 gals. each. Tom Costello, who STREET is active in real estate and does engineering on the side, thinks that the septic system is oversized but Mr. Smith said it really isn't because there will be no sewer installed in that area for a long time. Dr. Cosgrove asked if the Board had o.k.'d the plan for the system there and Mr. Smith said that they had. MOUNTAIN Mr. Smith reported that the septic system at Mountain Road is in and ROAD completed. This system cost Mr. Castleman, the owner, $7000. He could have connected to the sewer for $10,000. and would have been better off. Mr. Smith told the Board that there are two or three families living in one house on Marrett Road. These families are refugees or as they have been known as "boat people". The rooms are very small. Jules Bussang had called Mr. Smith at his home to ask if they could put anyone in the cellar area and Mr. Smith told him "absolutely not". Mr. Smith said he is going over there to measure the rooms for size. He said the cellar is ridiculous - it is so damp. One of the Board members asked who owned the house. Mr. Smith said he thought someone from Concord was the owner. Dr. Erdos asked if the house was habitable. Is it without rodents? Mr. Smith said the house was habitable and there were no rodents. He said there are regulations we have to go by regarding the size of each room and the number of people occupying the living space. To have these three families living in this small house, they will have to ask for a variance of the health code And the Board has the power to grant it. The porch/den area is glass without any heat in it. Mr. Smith said he would have to measure the rooms and to see if legally it is allowable to have eleven people in such a small house. They would have to go before the Board and explain how the space will be utilized. Dr. Cosgrove said they would have no choice but to give them a variance as they are only there temporarily and they really can't be put out on the street. Mr. Smith said they are there for nine months while they are being taken to Hanscom Field daily to learn how to speak English. He said they will then move nearer to Boston where they can find meaningfull employment. 17 BOULDER Mr. Smith mentioned to the Board how difficult it was to connect to ROAD sewer at 17 Boulder Road because of their plumbing was set right in the slab. It cost three or four thousand dollars to connect because they had to turn the plumbing around. Eighteen Boulder Road had also had a problem with sewerage running down into someone's yard. The person that owned the property where the sewerage ran did not want to give the easement but something had to be done as neither system could be repaired. 1 1 1 A complaint had been received from a quest at the Battle Green Inn that BATTLE GREEN the water became very hot in the shower when some other guest had the water running in another shower. The complainant stated that someone could get scalded. Mr. Smith stated that there was really not anything that could be done to make the owners change the type shower that they are using. He said the code did not require that "scalding units" be installed. Someone asked if it could be brought to the attention of the owner? Mr. Smith said it could be brought to their attention but they would not have to change the units. The newer units cost between $25. and $30. each. Mr. Smith said he did recommend the plumbing inspector check this out. He said that he had checked several of the showers himself and that they did not seem that hot. Dr. Cosgrove asked if the thermostat could be off. Mr. Smith said, "no" it was just the old-style showers. INN Mr. Smith mentioned that Lisa Fitzgerald is away until next April FITZGERALD and that Karen Bresnihan is in charge of her stable. Karen has requested HORSES that she add one more horse in the stable. Dr. Cosgrove said that Karen is not the property owner or does not hold the permit to keep horses. Mr. Smith said he does not think there is enough acreage to increase the permit. So, Dr. Cosgrove said we could not honor the request. A member of the Board asked if the Board had made a regulation that would not allow anyone to borrow land to increase their acreage for the use of adding a horse. Mr. Lambie did not remember having passed the regulation although they had discussed it at previous meetings. Mrs. Tapia has conversed with Mr. Smith to let him know that one of the VISITING visiting nurses has been talking to the elderly about diabetes. They have NURSES spent about six hours so far with this project. Mr. Smith also read a letter from Mrs. Tapia in this regard. Dr. Cosgrove told the Board that the Rotary Club is going to put on a "Diabetes Clinic" in the Spring. Mr. Smith mentioned a lead-based paint screening program. He said we had done the nursery schools last year. He said immunizations are pretty good but we do have a need for a lead - screening program but the day-care centers are not too excited about it. Mr. Smith said the program to get nursery schools de-leaded has been very successful. He also stated that the State has so many different type of day-care centers - in homes and they have so many different categories for these facilities. He stated it is not our responsibility but the State's to see about these programs as they are licensed by the State and are run regard- less of zoning, etc. SPECIAL PERMIT FOR BOARDING OF HORSES SMOSKE"S HORSES HOWARD JOHNSON'S RIDGE ESTATES II Mr. Smith requested that he be given permission to go ahead with a plan for a lead-based paint screening program. The Board said he could go ahead and make the plans for one. Mr. Smith said it would cost very little to run. The Board discussed the issuing of a "special permit" to be issued by the Board of Appeals to board horses on property in Lexington. When the stable owner comes into the Health Department they should be asked if they plan to "rent out space" for horses other than having horses of their own. If the answer is, "yes" they must be sent to the Board of Appeals Office to apply for a hearing for a special permit. Mr. DiMatteo, Building Commissioner, said when stable owners rent out space for a horse that is a business venture and the stable owner should be going to the Board of Appeals first for a special permit. Someone asked if the Smoske's still had their horses. Mr. Smith said that as of this morning they were still there. Dr. Erdos asked when they were suppose to leave the premises. He was told that by December 1st they were to have been removed. Dr. Cosgrove told Mr. Smith to contact Captain Furdon of the Lexington Police tomorrow and start proceedings to take the Smoskes to court. Mr. Smith stated we had received a letter from Mrs. Smoske this morning. She was asking that her permit be re -instated even before the horses had been removed from the premises. Dr. Cosgrove said he was not interested in her letter. We had revoked the permit and that was that. Several letters had come in this morning from neighbors in the area stating they would not object to their permit being re -instated but the Freier's still objected. The Freier's have no intention of sending a letter, changing their mind. They will not agree to the Smoske's having horses again. The Board all agreed as they had at a previous meeting if the neighbors did not agree 100% the Board will leave the "revoking of the permit" stand as is. Dr. Erdos said the Board will have to address the problem of stables and horses. They will have to decide who is definitely responsible for the stables and the care of them. The Board discussed this at length and stated the "stable owner" has the responsibility of the whole operation of their stable. Mr. Smith stated Howard Johnson's has submitted plans to renovate their restaurant on Route 128 in Lexington. Mr. Smith said he has always found that restaurant to be clean and has never had any problems with them. Mr. Smith reported he had received a report from the Town Engineer and that there was nothing adverse in it. Water and sewer is no problem, it is the drainage. An order of conditions has already been given. 1 1 1 Mr. Smith said the Ridge Estates II is Mr. Freeman's best engineering subdivison plan he had had from him so far. the for Mr. Smith supplied the Board with a booklet of the Zoning By -Laws of Town of Lexington and also a booklet explaining what a preliminary plan subdivisons is and what a definitive plan is. Mr. Smith told the Board that A.J. Lane is looking for release of his bond from the Town of Lexington. Mr. Lane has also given Mr. Smith permission to "bait the brook" at the Woodpark Estates. Mr. Smith will start this after the first of the year. Mr. Smith reported to the Board that the Building Commissioner received a letter that the house at 33 Sylvia Street has settled and that the owner has started to repair the building. Dr. Cosgrove mentioned again that he wants the Animal Control Department out of the Health Department. Mr. Smith said that there had been a fire at 89 Spring Street and that the owners of the property were temporarily living in a trailer on the property. He reported also that there had been a fire at 56 Taft Avenue and he had been called to inspect it. He stated he had been there before at that ad- dress because of a problem with trash/rubbish and garage. Plans for two office parks were presented to the Board of Health pri- marily for information at this time. Plans were submitted to the Board of Health as a requirement of the Conservation Commission approval or condition setting process. Board of Health responsibility generally rests with handling and disposing of construction wastes. The use of chemical (portable toilets) and on a long-term basis - food service operations (in -plant cafeteria's) The following permits were signed by the Board: Food Service Establishments Bora Bora Restaurant - 177 Mass. Ave. Friendly's 60 Bedford St. Gloria Foods 137 Mass. Ave. Pewter Pot 1710 Mass. Ave. Mrs. B's Donuts 3 Bow Street Belco Vending 5 Forbes Rd. (new inplant cafeteria) Meeting adjourned at 9:45 P.M. BOOKLETS A.J. LANE WOODPARK ESTATES 33 SYLVIA ST LEX. OFFICE PARK & OFF. PARK PRO- POSED AT 424 BEDFORD ST.