Pepperell Board of Health
August 16, 2011
Meeting Minutes
Town Hall Conference Room A
Call to order: The
Pepperell Board of Health was called to order at 7:00 pm, by Mr. Buckley. He informed
all present at the meeting it was being tape recorded.
Members Present: Alfred Buckley, Chairman, John Marriner, Member, Phillip Durno, Member
Members Absent:
Staff Present: Kalene Gendron R.S., Health
Agent, Sandra Grogan, Board Secretary
Guests Present: John Moak, Town Administrator, Paul
MacDonald, Nashoba Publishing
Minutes to be approved: Mr. Marriner made a motion
to approve the minutes of August 02, 2011 as written.
Mr. Durno seconded
it. A vote was taken. All were in favor.
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Topic of
Discussion
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Relevant
Discussion
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Action taken
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Vote taken
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Future Meeting Dates:
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- September 7, 2011 and
September 20, 2011
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Correspondence:
PHER Grant-Update
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- The Health Agent (HA) has
been in contact with Mass. Region II, Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Coalition, in regards to the remaining grant money. The BOH will be
returning the remainder of the PHER grant money.
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Old Business:
DEP Letter
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- The HA informed the
members of the Board, that she has been in contact with Mr. Adam Last,
of CEA, about the reduction in the ground waters VOC’s. Mr. Last will get
in touch with Lynne Welsh of DEP, and provide necessary paperwork needed
for the landfill reduction request.
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Old Business:
18 Maple St. Unit 34
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The HA performed another site
visit along with the assistance of a police officer. Upon the site visit, Mr.
Godsoe invited them in. Mr. Godsoe showed the HA that he has hot water in his
dwelling. The HA feels he is making progress. Mr. Godsoe is still required to
put a heating system within the dwelling; the heating season begins September
1 – June 15
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The Board was glad to hear he is
getting things done.
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Old Business:
39 Blood St. – Update
Continued:
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- The HA reviewed the file
with the members of the Board. They thought perhaps another letter
should be sent out.
- The HA informed the
members that she had previously sent out a certified return receipt
order of non-compliance, and when the HA spoke to Mr. Armstrong said “he
didn’t receive any letter” yet he signed for it, so another letter may
or may not do any good as this point. The house is in such deplorable
conditions, as far as she can see and according to the police and
ambulance reports.
- The members feel the only
way this family can remain safe is by removing them from these hazardous
conditions.
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Mr. Durno made a motion to continue
with the condemnation hearing.
Mr. Marriner seconded it.
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A vote was taken.
All were in favor.
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Appointment:
James Garreffi-NABH
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- The members of the Board
is asking Mr. Garreffi, why PBOH is being assessed at $54,000.00,
whereas other towns that are part of NABH with similar population pay
much less.
- Mr. Garreffi explained
when Pepperell became affiliated with NABH two years ago; I had limited
records to assess the town’s need for services. “I took a look at one of
our towns you were likely to be like so I picked Lunenburg, I took the
difference between your population, the percentage, and that of
Lunenburg’s assessment and added it up to come up with your environmental
assessment.” The nursing services were set high as you had thirty hours a
week nurse, and NABH didn’t want residents to miss out on those
services.
- Mr. Garreffi explained
that NABH general board is looking at a new assessment based on recent
federal census, housing stock and rolling averages.
- Mr. Buckley said “he is
only interested in the last two years that PBOH has been affiliated with
NABH not what they did ten years ago.”
- Mr. Marriner said “we
want to make sure we’re not doing something wrong, and number two that
you’re not overcharging us.” “Take Littleton, you’ve got 8,924 people
and they’re assessed at $29,000.00, we have approximately 12,000
residents and we’re being assessed at $54,000.00. Something isn’t coming
out right.”
- NABH has a board that
does the assessment of surrounding towns, but the current assessment of
Pepperell had been left the same as last year.
- Mr. Marriner suggested to
Mr. Garreffi, NABH surplus fund of $3.8 million dollars, may be
interested in investing their money with Bartholomew Investments,
because they are paying interest at 2.4%.
- Mr. Garreffi assured the
members of the Board, the bank that is holding their funds is fully
insured and some of the money has been invested into C.D.’s that pay a
higher interest.
- Mr. Marriner said “I’m
holding NABH to the fire” he wants to make sure the money stays safe. He
would like something in writing about the invested money.
- Mr. Moak, commended NABH,
for their hard work and support of the PBOH, but he is surprised there
is not more data, since we driven by a adapt data society.
In order to make decisions you need to have the data. He said “we
have a good relationship with the Health Agent, Kalene Gendron, we are
paying less than before, but are we paying too much?”
- Mr. Garreffi said “he
provided the Board with an assessment chart based on services provided.
- Mr. Moak said “given the
economics there can’t be more septic system installations now when compared
to ten years ago.”
- Mr. Garreffi reiterated
the facts he presented to the members of the board were derived from his
board. He said “his goal now is to put together different scenarios and
present them to his board, regarding Pepperell’s assessment and what
they do with this information he does not know.
- Mr. Marriner is not
complaining in the work, he said “we are interested in getting the
finances down.”
- At the Board’s request,
Mr. Garreffi agreed to come back with real data comparing Pepperell to
other member towns for the past twenty-four months.
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New Business:
Public Safety Day
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- Pepperell Fire department
will be holding a public safety day held on September 10, 2011.
- The BOH will set up a
table with multiple brochures for public distribution.
- Mr. Buckley, as well as
other staff members will participate in this event.
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New Business:
39 Prescott St.-Non
compliant
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- When NABH became
affiliated with the PBOH, back in July of 2009, there were some
unfinished projects at the time. Our HA found that Ms. Rowse, was and
still in non-compliance according to Mass. Title 5 regulations.
- Once the presby system
had been installed she should have filled out a deed restriction for the
presby septic system and sent it to the state. This type of system
requires an annual inspection throughout the life of the system. The
PBOH has no records that this has been performed.
- Ms. Rowse was made aware
of this fact and was asked several times to have this form completed and
file a copy to the PBOH, in order for her to receive her certificate of
compliance.
- The members of the Board
would like to request Ms. Rowse, to attend the next Board meeting in
order to rectify this violation.
- A letter will be sent
out.
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Mr.
Durno made a motion that
Ms.
Rowse attend the next
PBOH
meeting.
Mr.
Marriner seconded it.
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A
vote was taken.
All
were in favor.
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Permits/Licenses
10 Blood St.
Permits:
45 Wheeler St.
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- The HA presented a permit
to upgrade a failed system.
- The HA presented a permit
to replace the D-Box
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Board
approved and signed.
Board
approved and signed
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Mr. Marriner made a motion to
adjourn the meeting. Mr. Durno seconded it. A vote was taken. All were in
favor.
Meeting was adjourned at 8: 50
pm
Next Meeting: September 7, 2011
Respectfully submitted by: Sandra
Grogan, Board Secretary
_____________________________
_________________________ _______________________________
Alfred Buckley, Chairman
John Marriner, Member Phillip Durno, Member