001Good evening. I'd like to call the April 1st, 2025 board of health meeting to order. Uh the first thing on the agenda is citizen participation. Anybody on Zoom or anything, Raj? No. Okay. Uh, so next thing on our agenda is the nomination of Inspector of our Animals, Donna Walsh and Justine. Um, my god, I can't pronounce her name. Um, do I have a motion? Mute your computer. You're muted. I think we're good. No, you have to all the way. Okay. Um so um we have to nominate our two um animal inspectors. Anybody have any discussion or questions for Raj? All in favor? Um well okay. All right. We're going to skip our next thing and come back to it. Uh Raj, the health director's report. [Music] Uh so first thing in on my agenda is
002the food establishments. Uh uh the Clover Road Brewery. So they they are functioning. Uh we have three food trucks permitted for them. Uh only other thing about them is they didn't pull a food permit from us so far. So any any food establishments or food food trucks that will be coming, they need to be permitted from us. Uh I have one truck uh that that we did today. We have at least three lined up you know for that. Uh with the farmers market we we have gotten like around 20 applications the opening days on on June 14th. So we are processing that and the next up is green up Ashland. Uh it's on May 3rd. That's the first Saturday in May. Uh if the board members can join us, please you know it's usually um
003Dr. Ron used to come. I guess uh Dr. J also have come please join us uh at the park, right? Uh the Ashland PD is doing another uh drug takeback uh day that's falling on April 26 Saturday uh from 10 to 2. Uh what we'll be doing from the board of health side, we'll will uh we'll we'll clean up uh the drug box or we'll clear all the stuff from the drug box a couple of days before and we'll ship it to study cycle and um uh we've already have started uh about the laral control program through mass mosquito control uh project that's uh under the central mosquito control program and I'll keep the board posted on on and anything you know that we'll be doing in on that can you just explain that a
004little bit more where where is it done I read through um what you had for documentation but is there any any detail on where it is done so Dr. J the sites they keep it kind of confidential right they they choose different sites right that where they do uh laral control right uh I am not aware if there is one site or there is any sites in Ashland but they they do it you know but when I was in water town we have two sites that they do for laral control or testing I don't think we we have a site in Ashland that they pick up samples or do the control uh like do the laral control at at at the beginning of the season. That's what they do, right? Where they know that, you
005know, they're going to be uh larals, you know, they they put the licidal just to get rid of them to to just stop the mosquitoes from breeding. So, if they were doing any work in Ashlin, they would let you know. We will know that. But I I I don't think we have any active site that way they they do it or they take samples, you know, for mosquitoes. So some like there are different sites that they take mosquito samples. So according to that they know that you know how much activity is going to be there and all. And then on on our housing cases uh uh 137 Pawn Street, I updated the board last time that uh you know we there was uh they have sold the property, right? Like the uh our attorney who's
006who's in charge of the property, but there was any breakin on the back of the house uh that that the attorney uh informed us, you know. So we responded, Mr. Dex Scott, our commissioner, and there was three police officers, you know, we went to the verified that there was a break in, you know, from from one of the windows in the in the back of the house. And that's that's boarded for right now. And then uh another another housing case at uh 1370 Elliot Street. Little little tricky one. This is a bad uh bad housing case that we picked up, but we we we ordered the we sent we ordered both both the occupants as well as the owner, but we are not able to and the address of the owner. So on file or
007with a with a records assessor's office and all that, right? We the official address of the owner is at 370 Elliot Street, but it seems he's in California. We are not able to locate that address so far, but we have sent our order letter to this address on And is someone living there now? Yes, there there are two two people living there. So this is where the complaint came from came to us from from them you know. So are they paying rent to somebody is where the checks going or that is correct. So so was a little tricky you know because we have to site them too. uh there was unsanitary conditions that part of their that's part of their responsibility but I have tried multiple times you know I was with the even with
008the building prinster the fire department we all together also went but they didn't provide us the address of the owner after we cited that so Raj can you go into any detail I don't recollect what or recall what the issue was there and sanitary in what way right there was multiple issues Right. That that saw that the occupants one of the occupant called us. Right. So I did one inspection myself. Right. Then there was another inspection done with building commissioner and fire department. I will I can share uh the order to crack letter that we sent sent out. Right. Uh I guess there was like 12 or 13 items on that that included low heat uh some other issues, right? Like there there are multiple multiple issues. But uh that what fall on the occupants
009right was the uncentered conditions that there was not cleaning. Yeah. So that we have cited them up. Well if you're going to go back anytime if you want to let me know. Thank you. Okay. Yeah. So that's on that and the accessory dwelling units. you know I we we have uh from last time we have couple of uh interested parties that they want to do it right but we still don't have any update from D you know how the septic situation is going to work with that so uh that's on hold because of that uh and with the marathon emergency shelter sets up like like every time we will be setting up uh two shelters you know uh one at middle school one at high school and please again if you can join us right
010that'll be that'll be great. Uh the opening uh go permitting software so we are working with the team from open gov we are all set for um initial application and we are working with them right now to uh kind of develop our inspectional software for our food establishments. This is where we are and with the disease investigations still have like three to four active TV cases that we are working and I'm open for any questions for um any further update on Joan Drive. So I did uh u couple of inspections right so two of the units out of that three units that was pending are cleared uh one of the units that's occupied still have activity right that was uh rodent and roaches right so we have asked them u pest control reports every other
011week so that they've been providing it to us I've been uh doing inspections at the dumpster I was in fact there today this afternoon. So that they are keeping up. There was one inspection that there was some stuff at the at the dumpster right that I've notified the manager. After that I have two clear inspections. One of them was today. So they're definitely keeping up. Anybody else have any questions for Raj? No, but just maybe a comment about the marathon day. So, I don't know if we talked about it in the last meeting or not, but you're welcome if you want or you have time to um help out at the emergency shelters and it's not that exciting. I I work at the one at the high school often help um but yeah, you come
012in the morning. Um you're there for support if anything happens or if there's any for emergency services at one of the sites. One's at the middle school. There you can see another one where I am at the high school um with some other folks that help out. So that sounds like something that you'd want to do just let Okay. Okay. Okay. Sounds good. Thank you. Okay. Uh, so the next thing on the agenda is the consent agenda. Review and approve the fiscal year 25 year-to- date budget report and review and approve the meeting minutes from the March 4th, 2025 meeting. Do I have a motion? Yep. I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda as written. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Hi. All right. What's that? Um go to uh discuss future agenda
013items. External grease trap waiverss 12 oak tree lane. So if we are still waiting from DPW to clear the the grease trap waiverss, right? So we're still waiting on that with 120 oak tree lane. Uh they are they're going through the process with conservation commission right now. Once we have that, we'll we'll have Thank you. You're up, Jay. Yeah, I'm happy to talk about this. All right. So, the next thing on our agenda, um Jay Burns is going to discuss in-person versus hybrid meetings and the state update. I don't know much about the state update. We can discuss that. And I guess this is sort of a discussion for for all of us and folks, but maybe get a chance to read the letter. So um really this is just simply about having a conversation
014related to um a hybrid meeting format versus fully remote which what we've been doing since I have been on the board um and I'm going into my um what now finishing my fourth year. So um I personally I like to do meetings in person. Um I'm not sure what the rationale is for continuing fully remote. If there is a rationale, I'm I'm happy to to hear it. But, um, you know, I I think that many of you know I've been kind of like pushing a conversation about this for some time now. And I, you know, my I I listed, you know, a few um I think benefits of meeting in person. you read this this letter, but you know this we we were interrupted with the Zoom bomb a couple uh me or a meeting
015ago or a couple of meetings ago. Um I think that's uh we have a little bit more control over that kind of thing if we're meeting in person. That's my understanding. Um the select board is already having has a hybrid format. My understanding is that that works fairly well for people. Um I think you know personally my experience with inerson meetings it's you've got chitchat before and after and it just people it certainly keeps me more engaged um and I think that the public can certainly access our meetings um both online as well as in person. So um you know again this is I just kind of wanted to hear from the board and Raj and you are about you know what what do how do you folks feel about um going to the hybrid
016meeting and what are the I mean I know there must be a reason that we are continuing to do it fully remote I'm just not fully aware of what that and me too you know it's up to the board you know however they want to do but be okay either way. And and what what does on your part that involves staying obvious, right? Come back. And then and when this has been done in the past, you worked that out and it's at seven. So is that and I would not have a problem with meeting time. In fact, prior to starting this meeting, we're kind of talking about if we had delayed if we delay this meeting till 6:30 start time, Barbara might be able to get here um more often on time. You know, I
017know it's not an issue, but that might help you Dave and but I don't know what your sit 6:30 works fine. So, is this We should table until we can get Barbara in his we know. Has the governor the governor has signed? Okay. So you can continue. So we could continue. Yeah. Right. Yeah. How long was it extended for? We know. Not sure. I thought it was years. could be wrong, but some reason I thought it was of 26. So, I mean I mean I think the in-person meetings would be good, but and also, you know, if there's a board member that can't make it, they could still join us by Zoom. Yep. If Right. So, as long as we have a quorum, right, it doesn't matter what person, right? Just the only thing is
018if one of the board members is not here, we have to do roll call vote, but that's really um so again, should we wait and talk to Barbara or because if Yeah. So, we we can, you know, maybe send out an email comes tonight. 6:30 is a better time. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, that's at least a start to the conversation and I guess we'll follow it up maybe at next meeting or with an email or something. Okay. All right. Thanks very much. All right. So, we're going to take a brief um break um and then we'll be presenting the uh Mary Mortonson award. We're just waiting for a couple more people to arrive. So, we're going to take a break at this time. Um so we're back into um our open session. Um we've
019made a decision uh due to some people that were unable to be here tonight for the presentation of the Mary Mortonson Public Health Award. So, that is now going to be done at 6 PM on April 15th. Um, people will be will that will be in person at town hall and by Zoom. Um, and there will be a new agenda coming out from the board of health um for that item. Um, with that being said, um, the final thing on our agenda is so our next meeting date is April 15th and I would need a motion to adjurnn. I will make motion to adjurnn. All in favor? I. Great. Good night everybody. Okay.