HomeMy Public PortalAboutBoard of Health -- 2019-05-01 Minutes ' 01% 11wej
TOWN OF BREWSTER OFFICE OF
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BRE WSTER, MA 02631
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BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
WEDNESDAY MAY 11 2019 AT 7 : OOPM
TOWN HALL, ROOM B
Board members present: Carmen Scherzo, DVM , Chairman ; Annette Graczewski , MT (ASCP) , Vice Chairman ; Penny
Hausser Holeman , MPH , MA, MS and Nancy Leach , PharmD
Board members absent: Joe Ford
Others present: Nancy Ellis Ice , CHO , RS , MPH , Health Director and Tammi Mason , Senior Department Assistant
1 . Chairman 's announcements
Spring 2019 town meeting is on May 6th , at 6 : OOPM at the Stony Brook Elementary School . .
On 5/2/ 19 at 6 : 30PM at town hall a presentation of the Town Meeting articles will happen .
Dog park article will be indefinitely postponed . Bids came in too high .
2 . J . M . O' Reilly & Associates , Inc . - State and local variance requests for 50 Bradford Road
Matt Farrell presented to the Board . This is a 4763 sf lot. He handed out a revised variance request letter. They are
going to be removing the existing dwelling and building a new one it will remain a 3 bedroom home .
The following variances are requested :
1 . SAS to be F from north property line
2 . SAS to be 5' from east property line
3 . SAS to be F from south property line
4 . SAs to be 6 ' from full foundation
5 . Septic tank to be 4 ' from foundation
Motion : Finding that this will be an improvement over what is there, approve the variance requests .
Motion: Annette Graczewski Second : Penny Hausser Holeman Vote: 4-O-O Action: Motion carried
3 . Brewster Cemetery Association - request for approval for green burials
Andrew Perkins , board member of the association was present. This is a private cemetery . They have been approached
recently about "green" burials . The Cemetery Commission will meet on the 151h of May to talk about this and make a
decision , which will likely be approved . Mr. Perkins did state that the Commission would likely have some requirements.
Mrs . Graczewski asked what requirements he thought they would be asking for. Mr. Perkins stated they would want to
know if it was ashes or a corpse being buried and they would want them buried at least 4 feet below ground and a
professional grave digger must be hired .
Mrs . Graczewski asked about the water table . Mr. Perkins stated that he was told that a water table test may have to be
done .
Dr. Scherzo stated that he would like to see a plot plan of where at the cemetery this would happen and also stated that it
would be recommended that a soil evaluator be used for determining the water table.
Mrs . Ice stated that in 2008 , the Board approved the Brewster , memorial cemetery to do green burials . They have had
none yet.
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BOH 5/ 1 /2019 Minutes Page 2
Dr. Mary Chaffee , Select Board liaison spoke about how this cost less money and decreases toxic metals , She thought
that basic regulations should be considered by this Board and that the Green Burial Counsel could help with standards .
Green Burial Massachusetts could also help . Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Watertown , MA does allow green burial .
Ms . Hausser Holeman stated she would like to have some parameters before approval is given .
Motion : Continue this discussion to determine language for either a regulation or policy on how green burials should occur.
Motion : Penny Hausser Holeman Second : Annette Graczewski Vote: 4-0-0 Action : Motion carried
Mr. Perkins asked if they could allow a green burial without any policy from the BOH . The Board stated that since there
are no State regulations they could allow it .
Annette Graczewski asked if Mr. Perkins could let the Board know what happened at their Commission meeting with
regards to any requirements they make for green burials .
4 . Discuss and possibly vote on the Health Director's job description
Dr. Scherzo read a statement. He spoke about Mark Forest thinking that the Town Administrator had the power to hire a
new Health Director when it really is the Board of Health according to the Massachusetts General Law .
Sue Broderick, Assistant Town Administrator and Mary Chaffee Select Board liaison were present. Mrs . Broderick will be
advertising the job and doing the letter of employment. Dr. Scherzo stated that he , Susan Broderick, Mary Chaffee and
Peter Lombardi met to go over the job description . There will be no vote tonight. It will be a discussion only.
Mrs . Ice went over things she would like changed or taken out of the "clean" copy of the draft job description .
Mrs . Broderick stated that the description is not exact. There will be duties done that are not in the job description .
There was discussion of a " Foundations class" which was determined isn 't needed for someone that has experience . Mrs .
Ice would like to add in that if an applicant has 5 years of experience then the class wouldn 't be needed . I
There was talk about the DEP system inspector class . Health Agents are not required to have that license to do
inspections for septic system installations . The class is for inspecting systems for real estate transfers
Dr. Scherzo talked about applicants having a Master' s degree . Mrs . Ice would like it to remain as is (where it is not
" required")
Mrs . Ice talked about the Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health draft final report and
recommendations .
Mrs . Ice stated that they do not inspect childcare centers , nursing homes and group residences . They are all state
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Discussion will continue at a later date .
5 . Topics the Chairman did not anticipate
There were none .
Meeting adjourned at 8PM