HomeMy Public PortalAboutBoard of Health -- 2019-06-19 Minutes Olt EW8r
TOWN OF BREWSTER OFFICE OF
2198 MAIN STREET HEALTH DEPARTMENT
s > BREWSTER, MA 02631
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PHONE : (508) 896-3701 EXT 1120
FAX : (508) 8964538 j ; • _ ; ®; ; ,
BRHEALTH C! BREWSTER-MA. GOV
Board of Health Meeting
Wednesday June 19, 2019 at 7 : OOPM
Town Hall, Room A
Board members present : Annette Graczewski, MT (ASCP), Chairman; Carmen Scherzo, DVM, Vice Chairman; Joe Ford ; Penny
Hausser Holeman, MPH, MA, MS and Lucas Dinwiddie
Others present : Nancy Ellis Ice, CHO, RS, MPH, Health Director and Tammi Mason, Senior Department Assistant
1 . Chairman ' s Announcements
Mrs . Graczewski stated that regular inspections of food establishments are conducted throughout the year and that inspection reports
are available for anyone who asks .
In October of 2018 amendments were adopted to the Food Code .
There is free tobacco training for resale establishments . There is a free online course at the MHOA website . The age to purchase is
now 21 not 18 .
Notice was given to all tobacco permit holders recently.
2. Larry Dapsis — update on ticks
Mr. Dapsis was present to give an update on ticks . He stated that they had received several years of subsidy for testing of the ticks .
The test is 15 dollars for Barnstable county residents . Last year 13 % of ticks were found to have "Co infections" .
He does face to face meetings all the time and does workshops all the time . He has a good relationship with the cape media . The
program on cape has been acknowledged by people in Australia .
He spoke about the tick tattoo displays and that he produced 10 u-tube videos on everything about ticks . DPH has posted these on
their website . CDC is considering posting them on their website also .
New species of tick seems to be coming up through livestock. It is called the Asian Long-horned Tick . He is contacting all the
livestock owners and asking them if they can contact him if they see this new type of tick.
He talked about the edible bug program he is doing at the middle schools .
Dr. Scherzo asked about beaches being a habitat for ticks . Mr . Dapis started that it is mostly the wooded uplands .
Mrs . Graczewski suggested look into putting the u tube videos on the Town website .
3 . Down Cape Engineering — State variance requests for 51 Elbow Pond Drive
Dan Ojala was present. The area has well water. He noted that the ground water flow is higher to the north and east but primarily
flows in a southern direction. They are moving the system as far as they can from the pond . The immediate area will be open space .
The house has 3 Bedrooms currently and there will be no increase in flow.
They are asking for the following variances :
1 . To allow the proposed SAS to be 130 ' from Elbow Pond
2 . To allow the proposed SAS to be 6 . 5 ' from two property lines
Dr. Scherzo asked about the soil . Mr. Ojala stated that is was good sand .
WWW.BREWSTER-MA . GOV
BOH 6/ 19/ 19 Minutes Page 2
Motion : Approve the variance as requested.
Motion : Joe Ford Second : Penny Hausser Holeman Vote : 5 -0-0 Action : Motion carried
4. Karen Abraham — appeal Health Director ' s decision on a bedroom for 688 Main Street
Ms . Abraham was not present.
The Board continued this so the homeowner can be present or send a representative .
5. Mom & Pops Burgers — application for a food establishment — food truck
Kira Travis, General Manager of Mom and Pop ' s was present.
They are licensing a mobile food truck. They currently only have 1 event scheduled but would like to be able to more .
Motion : Approve Mobile Food permit application pending all of the Assistant Health Director' s recommendations are met and a final
inspection is conducted .
Motion : Penny Hausser Holeman Second : Joe Ford Vote : 5 -0-0 Action : Motion carried
6. Discuss Pets Banned from Public Ponds, Landings, Beaches and Tidal Flats Regulation
Ms . Hausser Holeman spoke about the history of this and stated that she is worried about the plovers nesting ground.
Chris Miller spoke about the plovers and where they are located .
Donna Kalinick spoke about the sign issues and stated that they were not able to modify the signs this year.
Mary Chaffee, Joanne Hughes and Lem Skidmore were present. They were members of the board that extended the dates . There was
a period of time that residents were complaining about dog waste being left on the beach . Dr. Chaffee had contacted George Heufelder
about this issue asking if there was science supporting this one way or the other. He believed that there is reason to start the ban
earlier.
Mr. Ford stated that our rational was that Brewster has the strictest ban on cape and there were a lot of complaints from dog owners .
Mrs . Graczewski asked Dr. Scherzo about the enforcement part of this (he spoke with police chief) . The problem is that they do not
have to uphold a BOH regulation . If it was a bylaw they would be able to enforce it.
Katherine Chamberlain, resident asked about being able to bring the dogs to the pond because all of the private beaches surrounding
them are allowed to bring their dogs there .
Barbara Emery, resident stated that she would like to have the dates stay the same as they are now,
Mrs . Graczewski stated that she believed it should be a Town vote .
Ms . Hausser Holeman would like to take time to process the information received this evening.
Motion : Continue this until the next work meeting.
No second .
Motion : Leave the dates as they stand now, which are from May 15 "' through September 151 .
Motion : Joe Ford Second : Carmen Scherzo Vote : 5 - 1 -0 Action : Motion carried
BOH 6/ 19/ 19 Minutes Page 3
7. Discuss Bedroom Definition for the Purpose of Sizing a Septic System Regulation
Dr. Scherzo asked that this be on the agenda to discuss . He wants the Board to have a clear understanding of the definition of a
bedroom for sizing a septic system.
In 2016 the BOH amended the regulation and took out the part that stated "any room over 400sf would be counted as 2 rooms" and
put in that any room over 70sf and afforded privacy would be a bedroom.
He stated that it is not the Boards job to design the plan, only to approve it and that the individual presenting the plan is the agent of
the applicant and the Health Director is the agent of the Board of Health .
Ms . Hausser Holeman asked what constitutes privacy . Mrs . Graczewski stated that a room doesn ' t necessarily need a door but needs
to provide "minimum isolation and it has to be a room with 4 walls .
8. Discuss green burials
Mrs . Graczewski stated that she did some research and noted that this is becoming more popular. The Health Department staff
touched base with 3 different towns and heard back from 2 of them . Both had no regulations in place for this .
Mrs . Graczewski stated that she didn ' t find anything different than what the DEP guidelines were (in the few towns in Mass that did
have regulations) .
Mr. Ford stated that he does not believe regulations are necessary.
Dr . Scherzo stated that he is concerned with the water table and thinks that should be addressed.
Mr. Dinwiddie asked about private landowners and thinks some sort of guidance for them would be appropriate .
Ms . Hausser Holeman stated that she would be willing to put something together as a guidance document and could bring it back to
the August work meeting.
9. Discuss Health Director Selection Team
Mrs . Graczewski stated that since Dr. Scherzo had already started with this group that he should remain .
10. Discuss Conservation Day July 13 , 2019
Will be on Saturday July 13 , 2019 from 9 : 30 — 2 : OOPM Drummer Boy Park, Lucas Dinwiddie and Sherrie will come up with some
information to present.
Dr. Scherzo and Mrs . Graczewski will attend and encourage anyone else to go .
11 . Citizen ' s Forum
No one requested to speak.
12 . Topics the Chairman did not anticipate
There were none
Informational items were noted.
Meeting adjourned at 8 : 50PM