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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-03-02BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING MARCH 2, 1981 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Monday, March 2, 1981 at 7:15 p.m. in Room 5-25 (Board of Health Office) of the Town Office Building. Members present were: Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman; James W. Lambie and George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as read except under the new fee schedule - vending machines should be $10.00 per location instead of $10.00 per machine. MEDIMART At seven -thirty Stephen Poolner from the new MediMart store came into the 60 BEDFORD Board Meeting. He is the new pharmacy manager of the Lexington MediMart at STREET 60 Bedford Street. Mr. Poolner told the Board that he is in the process of setting up screening programs for the people of the community. He said it is the policy of his company to get involved in the community in conjunction with local hospitals and local Boards of Health. He said that the pharmacy would provide the space and the materials to run these screening clinics. Mr. Poolner told the Board that he had contacted two local hospitals in the area, namely the Waltham and Emerson and they seemed quite enthused but he doesn't want to step on the Board's toes. He said he did not contact the Symmes Hospital because they have a store in Arlington and they work with the Symmes Hospital. Mr. Poolner said with Proposition 21 facing the town, he feels they have something to offer the town. Dr. Cosgrove told Mr. Poolner that they had several clinics here now. The Rotary Club puts on a Hart of Hearing Screening Clinic, the Lions Club puts on a Glaucoma Screening Clinic and a Diabetes Screening Clinic is run in con- junction with Symmes Hospital. He said the Red Cross in conjunction with the Rotary Club has a once -a -month high -blood pressure testing session at the Shawmut Bank in the center. Mr. Poolner told the Board that he also plans to run an educational program for the senior citizens to "teach them how to take medicine" properly. This will be presented with a slide show. He said there are many senior citizens that are not knowledgable on how the different type of medication should be taken. Dr. Cosgrove informed Mr. Poolner that there is a group called "Council on Aging" and they are located in the Church of Our Redeemer on Meriam Street. He told Mr. Poolner to contact them as he is sure they would be very glas to help set up some programs. Dr. Cosgrove went on to tell Mr. Poolner that we have two senior citizen Village clinics and a clinic in East Lexington for blood pressure readings and the nurses have been having an educational program them. He said that the program may be cut out because of Prop. 211. 1 1 1 '5 e Dr. Cosgrove also suggested Mr. Poolner also contact Beatrice Phair in the Town Manager's Office about programs for the elderly. Mr. Poolner said that he asked to go before the Board to find out just what is available and what the Town was offering in a way of clinics for the people. He said he would like to run a blood pressure clinic on Saturdays so that they could get the "Working People" to come to it and get their pressure checked. He said if he runs them on Weekdays all that would come is senior citizens and apparently they have clinics to go to elsewhere. Dr. Cosgrove suggested it would be a good idea to check some of the high school students. Sometimes they have high blood pressure and are unaware of it. Mr. Poolner told the Board that they plan to have a nurse do their clinics and also an assistant to help with the clinic. He said the nurse would advise the person whether or not they should contact their physician and if the person does not have a physician they will have a referral list there for them to see. Mr. Poolner also, plans to put on a "lung function testdiabetes screening and a hard of hearing screening clinic besides the blood pressure screening. He said they will have two clinics a month after the initial clinics. Mr. Poolner then thanked the Board and retired. Lisa Fitzgerald then came before the Board. She was accompanied by her father FITZGERALD and Karen bresnihan (she helps her with the horses). Lisa came into see if her ANIMAL permit could be raised to keep 6 horses on the premises instead of the 4 that PERMIT she currently had. 32 BEDFORD STREET Dr. Cosgrove, Chairman; told Lisa that Mr. Smith, the Health Director, and Barry Littleton, Animal Inspector, went to the Fitzgerald property to check the property out. Mr. Smith reported that the manure pit is very unsatisfactory. He told the Fitzgerald that when he and Barry were up there inspecting the property they went on the land that is leased to her and a young man came out and threatened them if they didn't get off the property he would let his four dogs loose to chase them and he was abusive with his talk to the two of them. Dr. Cosgrove said not to be too sure that the Board wouldn't file in court against that person threatening them as they had a right to be on the property as long as that land was leased to the Fitzgerald's for that purpose. Mr. Fitzgerald said the neighbor has nothing to do with Lisa's land. Mr. Smith said they are dealing with Lisa alone. She can have four horses and no more on her property and if the manure pit isn't any better soon, he will recommend even the four horses be removed. Lisa said that Barry told her she could have a three -sided manure pit with a cover. She also said what the neighbor did had nothing to do with it. Mr. Lambie said it does have something to do with it. If you're leasing the Johnson property for horses, we have every right to go on it and inspect it. '246 r n n Mr_ Smith told Lisa Fit»trara1d „44- «t.. -4 - Mr. Smith said that he would have to change his whole work schedule. Dr. Erdos suggested asking for volunteers who have had experience in this typd of work - to at least inspect the pools. Mr. Smith said that Mrs. Gabriel has been inspecting the pools and will try to get them all done before she leaves. He said places are in better shape since Mrs. Gabriel came to work here. She did many food service establishment inspections and really was dedicated in doing her job. Mr. Lambie said that now it will be important to draw up a list and to put priorities first. Mr. Smith said that he would have to go back to the way it was before. He said it will be slower getting everything done. Mr. Lambie asked the Board if it would be at all possible to change the night of Board Meetings. He said he may have another commitment on Mondays. Dr. Erdos and Mr. Smith saw no big problem of changing the night in the near future. It was decided to have the next meeting on June 8th at 7:15 p.m. 1 1 1 Dr. Cosgrove also suggested Mr. Poolner also contact Beatrice Phair in the Town Manager's Office about programs for the elderly. Mr. Poolner said that he asked to go before the Board to find out just what is available and what the Town was offering in a way of clinics for the people. He said he would like to run a blood pressure clinic on Saturdays so that they could get the "Working People" to come to it and get their pressure checked. He said if he runs them on Weekdays all that would come is senior citizens and apparently they have clinics to go to elsewhere. Dr. Cosgrove suggested it would be a good idea to check some of the high school students. Sometimes they have high blood pressure and are unaware of it. Mr. Poolner told the Board that they plan to have a nurse do their clinics and also an assistant to help with the clinic. He said the nurse would advise the person whether or not they should contact their physician and if the person does not have a physician they will have a referral list there for them to see. Mr. Poolner also, plans to put on a "lung function test. diabetes screening and a hard of hearing screening clinic besides the blood pressure screening. He said they will have two clinics a month after the initial clinics. Mr. Poolner then thanked the Board and retired. Lisa Fitzgerald then came before the Board. She was accompanied by her father FITZGERALD and Karen bresnihan (she helps her with the horses). Lisa came into see if her ANIMAL permit could be raised to keep 6 horses on the premises instead of the 4 that PERMIT she currently had. 32 BEDFORD STREET Dr. Cosgrove, Chairman; told Lisa that Mr. Smith, the Health Director, and Barry Littleton, Animal Inspector, went to the Fitzgerald property to check the property out. Mr. Smith reported that the manure pit is very unsatisfactory. He told the Fitzgerald that when he and Barry were up there inspecting the property they went on the land that is leased to her and a young man came out and threatened them if they didn't get off the property he would let his four dogs loose to chase them and he was abusive with his talk to the two of them. Dr. Cosgrove said not to be too sure that the Board wouldn't file in court against that person threatening them as they had a right to be on the property as long as that land was leased to the Fitzgerald's for that purpose. Mr. Fitzgerald said the neighbor has nothing to do with Lisa's land. Mr. Smith said they are dealing with Lisa alone. She can have four horses and no more on her property and if the manure pit isn't any better soon, hw will recommend even the four horses be removed. Lisa said that Barry told her she could have a three -sided manure pit with a cover. She also said what the neighbor did had nothing to do with it. Mr. Lambie said it does have something to do with it. If you're leasing the Johnson property for horses, we have every right to go on it and inspect it. Mr. Smith told Lisa Fitzgerald that the manure pit that he saw on her property was not according to the plan that she had showed to the Board at the last meeting. Lisa said that the contractor had been tied up and had not come. She told the Board that her barn was spotless. Mr. Smith said he had no objections to the barn. He wants the manure pile down the back of the property to be leveled and covered over and covered over well, also. He said it would be difficult to remove it - so it must be leveled and covered over well. Dr. Cosgrove said the request to keep six horses is denied at this time and Mr. Lambie and the Health Director were in agreement that she not have six horses on the property until the manure pit is built properly and passed by the animal inspector. Dr. Cosgrove repeated to Miss Fitzgerald that if the manure pit is not satis- factory soon, the permit for four horses will also be revoked. Mr. Smith told Lisa that she should call Barry Littleton for an appointment and that he and Barry will go up to the property and straighten out this problem. The permit for six horses is not to be issued for at least 30 days at least and then only if the manure pit is 3 sided concrete with a concrete floor and a canvas cover. The question arose to Lisa about what she will do with all the manure. She said there are plenty of people who want it so it will not be a problem getting rid of it. Mr. Smith reminded her again to contact our animal inspector and he will give her any information she needs to build a proper manure pit. Lisa, Mr. Fitzgerald, and Karen Bresnihan thanked the Board and retired. SEWER Mr. Smith told the Board there had been another sewer surcharge problem down SURCHARGE in the Saddle Club Road area during the heavy rains the latter part of last week. There was no back-up into houses except for one house where the check -valve failed, actually Mr. Smith said they did not know if the valve stuck or had failed. He said they started pumping the manholes around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and they were pumping at the pumping station all weekend. Mr. Smith said people had water in their cellars this weekend that had never had water before and he also said that the "Res" filled up and it had been half empty; although Vinebrook didn't fill up as much this time. Mr. Lambie asked about the Infiltration/Inflow study. 1 1 1 247 Mr. Smith said the Town Manager had signed the contract for the study this week. They hope this will give some long time solutions to the Town's sewer problems. Mr. Smith told the Board how he had taken a ride down Mellex Road this past week MELLEX and the odor down at the Bedford line was terrible from the DeFelice ROAD piggery. Actually the pigs are located in Bedford. He said it is like a regular landfill - they bury the pig manure right there on their land. Mr. Smith told the Board that he had received a letter from Paul Etkind, Epidemiolo- gist for the State Health Department, stating that the physicians that get their BIOLOGICS vaccine at the Lexington Health Department Biological Station have not been re- porting how much vaccine they have been using. Mr. Smith said the figures showing how much vaccine being taken does not coincide with the amount used. Mr. Smith read a letter that Paul Etkind composed to send to the doctors stating that if all vaccine is not accounted for, the supply of vaccine to the doctors could be stopped. Mr. Smith told the Board that Mr. Etkind would like him to co-sign this letter. Mr. Smith said a vial of most vaccines that are 10 doses, usually only give eight or nine doses. Mr. Smith asked the Board members if they had read the material he sent to them from the State called "Required Duties of Local Boards of Health in Massachusetts". The Board said "yes" they had read it and it seemed pretty accurate. Mr. Smith said there is a manual being put together for the Boards of Health in Massachusetts, Laws relating to Public Health. The Board discussed briefly "cluster development" and "planned unit development". Mr. Smith said these types of developments do not have to come before the Board of Health. Mr. Lambie asked if we shouldn't make a rule that they come before the Board. Mr. Smith said that he makes sure that he sees their plans, anyway, like the Corrazini land. Dr. Cosgrove asked if they sent a preliminary or definitive plan? Mr. Smith said that a preliminary plan does not have to be filed. He said there never is any water or sewer on the preliminary so people just submit a definitive plan and save money instead of paying for an extra plan. Mr. Smith discussed with the Board "proper manure pits" for land with horses. He said they should have a concrete bottom and three concrete sides, and should be properly covered with a canvas. The manure should be removed every thirty days. `8 He said that if there is only one or two horses on the property, the manure, can be controlled in tins but three or more horses there should be a concrete pit because there is 20 -lbs. of manure per day, per horse. Mr. Smith told the Board that we are getting more applications now to keep chickens. He said some people can be very sloppy with the keeping of chickens and the chicken manure can attract rates. Mr. Smith explained to the Board how the Department sends out cards to the abuttors of property when someone applies for an animal permit and there are more people starting to object because of "rat problems or fly problems" that could happen. Mr. Smith reported to the Board that the E.P.A. on Westview Street had re- quested that the visiting nurses come to their office and give immunizations to those employees that needed to be updated on their shots. Our Department supplies the vaccine for the nurse to do it. Mr. Lambie asked why we had to do this when we don't do it for other companies. Mr. Smith explained that when the E.P.A. came to Lexington we made arrange- ments to keep the employees updated on their immunizations. The nurses from the Tri -Community have done this before. Two or three years ago the employees that needed immunizations came into our office and received them. This year there were more needing to be immunized and we felt it would be easier to have the nurses go there but the visiting nurses seemed a little leery about giving these immunizations. They wanted Dr. Erdos to write a letter stating that they could do this, how much vaccine to give, how to administer adrenalin in case of emergency, etc. Mr. Smith felt that a letter like that was un- necessary as the nurses should know how to do this. Mr. Smith said he just as soon not do it at all where the nurses seem to have a little anxiety about it. He said it would not have been any big deal as all the vaccine is supplied by the State. Dr. Cosgrove and Mr. Lambie said where we don't do it for other places, they do not see why we really had to do it for the E.P.A. Mr. Smith said he would just cancel it out. Mr. Smith read a letter that had been drafted by Terry Hluchyj, R.N. of the Visiting Nurses to send to a person that has contacted a communicable disease. This letter just notifies the person that a visiting nurse will be calling at their house. This is usually for hepatitis, samonella, etc. Social diseases are reported directly to the State and not to the local Boards of Health. The Following permits were signed by the Board: FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS Sheraton -Lexington Motor Inn Temple Emunah 727 Marrett Road Piper Road Raytheon Executive Building (vending) Hancock United Church of Christ 141 Spring Street 1912 Mass. Avenue 1 1 1 1 1 1 FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS ARA Coffee Systems of N.E. for TMI Systems Corp. 83 Hartwell Avenue (vending) ARA Coffee Systems of N.E. (vending) for Data Resources 24 Hartwell Ave. ARA Coffee Systems of N.E. (vending) for Data Resources 29 Hartwell Avenue Temple, Barker and 33 Hayden Avenue Temple, Barker and 33 Hayden Avenue ANIMAL PERMITS Sloane (vending) Sloane (cafeteria) Trinity Covenant Church 44 Allen Street Church of Our Redeemer 6 Meriam St. Temple Isaiah 55 Lincoln St. Pilgrim Congregational Church 55 Coolidge Avenue Fist Baptist Church 1580 Mass. Ave. Ben Freitas Mobile Server 263 Lincoln Street Barbara Findley (renewal) 10 hens 76 Middle Street Antonio R. Leyenaar (renewal) 12 Guinea hens & 12 chickens 2 Paul Revere Rd. Richard V. Goodman (new) 15 chickens 5 Barrymeade Drive MARKET REGISTRATION Medi Mart 60 Bedford St. METHYL ALCOHOL LICENSE Medi Mart 60 Bedford St. DISPOSAL WORKS INSTALLER'S PERMIT John A. Devine 19 Slocum Road Lexington, Mass.