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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-04-131 4'00 Board of Health Meeting April 13, 1981 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held April 13, 1981 at 7:15 p.m. in Room G-25 (Board of Health Office)of the Town Office Building. This meeting consisted of three appointments. One at 7:30 p.m., one at 8:00 p.m. and one at 8:30 p.m. MRS. PEPPER The first appointment was with Virginia Pepper of 611 Massachusetts Avenue. While waiting for Mrs. Pepper to arrive, Mr. Smith gave the Board a briefing of what had happened at Mrs. Pepper's address in regard to inspections. 1 IJOSEPH At 8:00 p.m. Mr. Joseph Rooney, Chairman of the Council on Aging; was to come ROONEY before the Board to discuss matters pertaining to the Council on Aging. He told the Board she would call about one problem and when he would go down there she would complain about everything else. She said she didn't want an inspection after Mr. Smith would get there. She complained at different times about lights that didn't work, garbage disposal not working, etc. The landlord fixed these things and she would call again and complain about lights, attic space, switches, etc. Mr. Smith inspected her apartment again on April 2, 1981. He read the letter to the Board that he had sent to Mrs. Pepper stating the things that he found wrong. Mrs. Pepper insisted that Mr. Smith say the property was lacking handrails in the front of the house. Mr. Smith told the Board it wasn't required because there was only three steps. He told the Board there was a need for an automatic lock (buzzer) from the front door but Mrs. Pepper said she would handle that in her way so Mr. Smith did not write to the landlord. The landlord of this property lived out-of-state and refused to come to Lexington. Mr. Smith said it is a waste of time going to court because the courts do not do too much and people know this. In the meantime, Mrs. Pepper had received her eviction notice. In another apartment there is a lady and two children living in the basement. The toilet is being used for a kitchen. She has been told she will have to move out of there. Manfred Friedman has recently purchased the property and is trying to fix the places up. Mrs. Pepper's purpose of wanting to come before the Board was to discuss her dissatisfaction with Mr. Smith. She had accused him of taking money from the landlord. Mrs. Pepper did not show up for her 7:30 p.m. appointment with the Board. Mr. Rooney did not show up for his 8:00 p.m. appointment with the Board of Health The 8:30 p.m. appointment was requested by Lisa Fitzgerald to discuss the manure pit and also wanting to increase the number of horses she could have on the property at 342 Bedford Street. Lisa Fitzgerald was accompanied to the meeting by: her mother, Virginia Fitzgerald Lovett, Susan Corey of 2 Page Rd., Bedford, Walter Smith of 342 Bedford St. and Biruite Nowaisa of 337 Bedford St., Lexington. Virginia Lovett started off by saying that she had read over the Board of Health Regulations and according to them, she had a manure pit that would suffice. She said they had a manure pit way down back and the Animal Control Officer, Barry Littleton, made them fill it in. Lisa Fitzgerald said Mr. Smith wants the pits in the back filled in and covered. Mrs. Lovett said she wants to have a pit in the ground but the Animal Control Officer wants her to build a cement pit above the ground. She said she never had this problem until they applied for six horses. She says this is coming up to cloud the issue. Mr. Smith said the manure has to be moved out completely every thirty days. The cement pit above ground makes it easier to move in and take it away. Dr. Cosgrove said you will comply with the regulations or you don't get the horses. Mrs. Lovett stated again that Barry doesn't want her to have an inground pit but that is what she wants to have. Dr. Cosgrove said the inground pit cannot be cleaned out very easily. He asked Mrs. Lovett if the Animal Control Officer gave it to her in writing what he wanted. Mrs. Lovett said "yes" but she doesn't want it that way. The Board said if Mrs. Lovett and Lisa Fitzgerald used covered containers they would have to remove the manure in them weekly. Dr. Cosgrove asked if it would be taken out-of-town and Lisa said that it would. Dr. Cosgrove asked about the winter. Mrs. Lovett said it would be frozen then. Susan Corey of Bedford spoke up and said she has horses in Bedford and she doesn't have a problem with manure. Mrs. Lovett told the Board that they need the help and guidance of the Board. She said there are other horse owners in Lexington with the same problems. She said she went over to the Lloyd's on Cedar Street and his manure is stockpiled. She said she is willing to fix the trailer in her yard and use it but that she would prefer an inground pit. Mr. Smith said it gets back to the three -sided cement pit. It must be built so the manure can be removed easily. He asked why she didn't go with the covered containers. 1 Mrs. Lovett said the containers get in the way. The cars back into them. Dr. Cosgrove said "Why don't you go with what we told you to?" The Animal Control Officer is the one to be satisfied with the proper manure pit. Vifginia said "Barry gives us the wrong signals". Mr. Smith said "you are confusing Barry. You come into the Board Meeting with plans for a proper manure pit and then you put a bicycle crate on your property to hold manure." Susan Corey of Bedford interrupted again to say she had no problem in Bedford. She said this Board seems to be a little unreasonable. Mr. Lambie said we need to come to some solution. Mr. Smith said that Barry would accept a water tight trailer. He said a hole in the ground with the topography of that land wouldn't do. The Board will accept a trailer if it is fixed and water and air tight. Lisa Fitzgerald said she would call Barry. Mr. Smith said "You call me, I will take a look at it". Lisa then asked about increasing her permit to six horses. This would in- crease her permit two horses. Mr. Smith said at this time he did not know because she is already borrowing land from the Johnsons. Mr. Smith said that his recommendation is for the permit be limited to the four horses on the property now. Besides that, he did not care for the treatment that he received from Mr. Johnson's son. Mrs. Nowaisa said one person shouldn't make a difference in his opinion. Mr. Smith said it does make a difference when someone has threatened him. Lisa said that if anyone inspects the property, Mr. Johnson would like to be there. The Board stated that Dr. Erdos had said at the meeting of April 7, 1981 that when the Fitzgerald horse permit was discussed, and he was not at that meeting, he wanted them to know that he was not in favor of increasing the permit from four to six horses. Mr. Smith reminded Lisa to call him when the trailer is ready or if she intends to follow through with the cement three -sided manure pit and he would come up there to check it out. Lisa Fitzgerald and her mother thanked the Board and the group retired. Members present at this meeting were: Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman; Mr. James W. Lambie and Mr. George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.