Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-12-01: HEAD LICE FLU CLINIC BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING DECEMBER 1, 1980 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Monday, December 1, 1980 in the Board of Health Office, Room G-25 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. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as read. Mr. Smith reported that there were head lice in the schools. He said he had gone to several of the schools in regard to this. Nurses told him that there had been about 37 cases, some schools having more cases than others. He said the problem is not any more severe than in past years. Dr. Cosgrove said that 37 cases isn't bad for the whole school population. Mr. Smith said that some parents don't want to take the child to the doctor. He said in one case that a mother had contacted lice also. Mr. Smith went on to say that most people assume that the problem comes from the schools alone but there are other sources such as Sunday School classes, Hayden, Etc. He said the nurses are doing a good job and if they have more than 3 ni#A they are sent home. Mr. Smith said that other towns have had a more severe problem than Lexington did. He said that school cloakrooms are really close. The lice go from one coat to another. Parents could put their coats in a "Hefty" bag while the child attends school. Mr. Smith said when a child has the proper treatment with the prescribed shampoo it seems to take care of the problem. He said where "head lice" is not a reportable disease, it is really hard to know exactly how many chil- dren have had this problem this year. Mr. Smith told the Board that we had run the flu clinic and we gave about 600 shots of flu vaccine at this year's clinic. The State had alloted us 560 does and he had to call the drugstore and purchase 40 doses more. Mr. Smith said it was a very good clinic. Dr. Erdos said when he was in private practice, he always told his elderly patients to go to the Flu Clinic and receive the vaccine rather than come to the office and pay a fee. Dr. Erdos said it was too bad that the nursing homes couldn't have received the vaccine free of charge. Mr. Smith said that we always had given doses of the vaccine to the nursing homes when they requested it but when the State cut us way back, we were unable to give the nursing homes any vaccine. SANITARIAN'S Mrs. Gabriel, Sanitarian for the Health Department made her report to the REPORT Board. Mrs. Gabriel said she was sorry that she had missed the last two meetings but she had been at meetings in Maynard on those nights. '33 Mrs. Gabriel told the Board that she has been doing the same type of work as she has been doing previously. Checking out the restaurants and all food service facilities. She said the Yangtze River Restaurant and the Bora Bora Restaurant have been painting as she had requested. Mrs. Gabriel said there has not been too many complaints or problems lately. She said M.I.T. plans to have equipment changes. Their renovation was slow at first. She said the employees will be happy when it is completed. Dr. Cosgrove asked about the LeBellecour Restaurant. Mrs. Gabriel said they have finally taken on the project of getting rid of the grease under the stove. Dr. Cosgrove asked how about Friendly's on Bedford Street? Mrs. Gabriel said there is a new manager coming in there. She said Denny's Restaurant is due for a new manager also. The other manager had been there for two years. She said they are due for "an equipment change". There equipment is cruddy and she said the new manager will order new equipment. Mr. Smith told the Board that about a year ago Denny's had a leaky roof right through to the restaurant. It took them a little while to get it fixed. The problem being that everything has to be dealt with through their main office in California. Even when their permits are due, we have to send the applications to the West coast. Dr. Cosgrove asked about Friendly's Restaurant on Waltham Street. Mr. Smith said the dining area is in Waltham and the cooking area is in Lexington. He said he has talked to the Health Department Director in Waltham and the Director said he goes in to the Friendly's and checks it out, also. Mr. Smith said Friendly's, in general, has gone down hill since Hersheys took it over a year or two ago. Dr. Cosgrove asked about Bora Bora. Mrs. Gabriel said it was coming along. She said the manager had been into the office to discuss his plans with her and Mr. Smith. There is a new group working there now and they are willing to work. Dr. Erdos said he understood the Peking Gardens is opening another restaurant in Saugus to be called "The Peking Garden North". Mr. Smith told the Board that the "Litter" problem at the Highland Food HIGHLAND Mart comes and goes. He said he had a meeting with the owner of the High- FOOD land Food Mart and his lawyer about this. Mr. Smith said the lawyer is im- MART possible to deal with. Dr. Cosgrove asked, "Couldn't we just fine him?" 234 Mr. Smith said, "Right now, it hasn't been too bad over there, in fact, it has been pretty good recently." Mr. Smith said the permit holder is re- sponsible and we gave the permit to Highland Food Mart. Dr. Cosgrove asked who owns the property? Mr. Smith said, "Earl Comeau". Dr. Cosgrove said to talk to Norman Cohen and see who would be responsible. VILLAGE FOOD It was reported to the Board that the Village Food Stores is now keeping STORES their parking lot picked up. Conditions are much better. Mr. Smith told the Board that Mr. DiMatteo came to him today to say Bill POTTER'S Smith wanted to occupy some of the units at Potter's Pond. Mr. Bill Smith POND is committed to let some people in. Mr. Smith said they want to use a wet wall holding tank but George Smith said he had never heard from Bill Smith about this. George Smith said they would have to go to the D.E.Q.E. for a variance to do this. Mr. Lambie asked i4'no Bill Smith was. Mr. Smith said that he is the builder of Potter's Pond and had also built Russell Square. Dr. Cosgrove wanted to know what Potter's Pond came under. Mr. Smith said, "Planned Unit Development". Mr. Lambie asked if the Board had to approve that? Mr. Smith said, "No", because it is being connected to Town sewer". ROUTE 128 Mr. Smith mentioned to the Board that a gentleman had come into the office & RTE. 2 about developing the property at Rte. 128 and Rte. 2. Mr. Smith does not think that is a good area for developing and he had done some testing there at one time and some of the area tested out poorly and also the Cambridge "Res" is also nearby. DOG BITE Mr. Smith said in the past, the post office wanted to put their building there and connect to sewer in Waltham, but the City of Waltham would not hear about it. Mr. Smith said sewer would be a little nearer now because of other new buildings that had gone up in the area. A dog owned by Robert Rushton of Marrett Street bit a child last Friday. This is the third bite from this dog. One was an adult and two children. One of the children had over forty stitches on his face. The dog officer would have had to have a hearing but the owner turned the dog over to the Town. The dog was a large German Shepherd, it had been vaccinated for rabies. Dr. Erdos asked if there had been any follow-up on the dog poisonings. Nothing more from the Hathaway Road, said Mr. Smith. He had heard of a sick dog that the owners took to a local vet. The vet suggested they get it into Angel Memorial and as the owners were putting the dog into the car, it died. Also, Mr. Smith said that he had been around the Adams Street area and learned that in years past, there had been a family named Lidberg that owned a farm on Adams Street and in one day they had 8 to 10 cows die mysteriously. Mr. Smith told the Board that Mrs. Gabriel's Food Seminar will be held this com- FOOD ing Wednesday, December 3, 1981. SEMINAR There will be a movie and slide presentation. Ron Herzberg of the U.S.P.H. Service will present this seminar There will be two sessions - two hours each. One at 9:30 a.m. and one at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Smith said this gives the businesses a chance to send their employees in shifts. Letters have been sent to restaurants, markets, inplant cafeterias, nursing homes, schools, etc. All those who attend will be presented with a certificate. Hope- fully, Mr. Smith said, we will have a good turnout. We want at least two from each business or organization. Mr. Smith told the Board that he had prepared the budget. After Prop. 211 passed he prepared three budgets - one at 10% reduction, one at 15% and one at 20% re- duction. At 10% reduction, the budget would be reduced $6000, at 15% it would be reduced $9,000. and at 20% it would be reduced $12,000. Mr. Smith said the reduction must reflect in both the operating and personal services budgets. Mr. Smith told the Board that he had requested $11,500. for the operating budget and that the personal services budget is approximately $48,000. for three full- time employees. He said he also had to figure a cut in the Rabies Clinic budget. He said if we cut that budget, we might as well not have a clinic as we cannot run it successfully as it was last year. Dr. Cosgrove talked about the line item in the operating budget for tuberculosis. He said the Town Manager should cut that out and have the State fund it. Dr. Cosgrove asked the other two members of the Board if they thought the employees should take a cut of pay in this "day and age". Both members agreed that salaries should not be cut. Dr. Erdos said there are other places expenses could be cut. The Board discussed raising the fees for health services and licenses/permits. Mr. Smith said that Mrs. Gabriel has been looking into areas that have not been licensed before. Checking out industries looking for cafeterias that we did not know existed, licensing for methyl alcohol (dry gas, etc.) Mr. Lambie asked if this Pfop. 21 is the law now. He thought that the legislature had to act on it first. Someone said, "No" it is law now. After some figuring, the Board figured out that the budget should have to be cut 15%. Mr. Smith said we will just have to live by the 15% cut if they tell us to cut both budgets this much. We cannot operate on piece -meal budgets. I have recommended we could cut out the animal control department, said Mr. Smith and leave the health budget alone. The Board said: Eliminate it completely, asked the Board? Dr. Cosgrove said: "I'm all for that." Mr. Smith said what the department brings in hasn't been figured as yet. He said we could charge $40. for a restaurant inspection. The restaurants have to be inspected twice a year. That would bring in $80. per year per restaurant. Also, we could charge for swab testing and also bacteriological testing. Dr. Erdos thinks we should give a "fine" to restaurants with violations. The Board discussed the Prop. 21 budget further and decided to continue it at the next meeting. In the meantime Mr. Lambie said he would gather whatever facts he could to discuss the budget at that time. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. 1 1 1