Board of Health

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Dec 06 2021 9:27 am Office of the Board of Health City Hall 718 Main Street Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 978-829-1870 This was a Board of Health Regular Meeting of the City of Fitchburg held in the Legislative Building at 700 Main Street and recorded by FATV Studios, Fitchburg, on November 4, 2021. The meeting was called to order by Dr. Bogdasarian. Present: Stephen Curry, Director; Dr. John Bogdasarian, Chair; Ian Murray, Sandra Knipe, Robert Jokela, Superintendent; Jacquelyn Wehtje, Petitioner; John Strang. Approve Meeting Minutes: Sandra Knipe made a motion to approve the September 2, 2021, September 23, 2021 & October 14, 2021 meeting minutes. Motion was 2nd by Ian Murray. All were in favor, motion carries. Covid-19 Update: Mr. Curry stated we are just under 6000 cases since March 2020. There are 136 active cases. The positivity rate is around 4.3. The numbers are looking better and we’re heading in the right direction. Clinics - Mr. Curry stated the Health Department will be offering clinics at 700 Main St, Fitchburg on Fridays in November from 12pm-4pm except for the week of Thanksgiving which will be held on Wednesday that week. We will only be able to administer adult Pfizer at this time but hope to offer more vaccine in future clinics. There will be flyers and links advertising these clinics in the future. People can sign up in advance using a link and if they are uncomfortable using a link they can reach out to the department to get them signed up. We are also accepting walk ins. Our hope is that people will get take advantage of the booster shots as well as getting vaccinated. The clinic will offer an incentive for a $25 Market Basket gift card to folks thinking about getting vaccinated or are on the fence about getting vaccinated to help change their mind. Testing – Mr. Curry stated testing has been difficult to come by, there has only been few days testing for COVID-19 has been available. We are looking at opening a testing site in collaboration with MOC. The testing site will be held at 49 Nursery Lane, Fitchburg. Testing will take place 2 days a week and a partnership with the City of Leominster hosting 2 days as well. Testing will be Monday thru Thursday between the hours of 12-4. Residents can go to either Nursery Lane in Fitchburg or Doyle field in Leominster during the week and get tested for COVID. Testing will also be available on Friday’s at the Community Health Connection. This is also in collaboration with the Department of Public health. We hope to keep those test sites going until the end of the year and if necessary even longer. There will be more information to come and we will be heavily advertising it very shortly. Mr. Curry stated in collaboration with Superintendent Jokela look we have ironed out the vaccination bus for our public elementary schools starting on November 10 through November 18, the vaccination bus will be at each one of the schools in the afternoon. We also will be inviting families to come along with the students if they want to be vaccinated. Petition: Jacquelyn Wehtje to remove BOH Mask Mandate adopted August 5 and amended August 25: Ms. Wehtje stated she is here to petition the BOH to remove the Municipal Mask Mandate. Please see Exhibit A. Ms. Wehtje stated there is an all-white Board of Health and you're not going to get to your 80% goal with a board constituted as it is. You should either drop this 80% threshold which you can't achieve or that two of you should resign and make room on the Board for people with diverse backgrounds that reflect the demographics of the city so we can get to the 80% goal via trusted messengers, via persuasion rather than government mandates. I do know that there is a requirement that one member be a physician so my recommendation would be Dr. Bogdasarian remain on the board and the other two members resign. In enclosing you all part of the government in Fitchburg, and I would remind you that in the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson wrote the governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the government. I do not consent to your mask mandate it is therefore unjust and I want it repealed. Ms. Wehtje stated there is already a state mandate that covers schools and doesn’t believe there needs to be a city mandate as well. Mr. Curry stated there was a spread of COVID at the time at city hall and there were concerns that might begin to affect services to the residents should City Hall become an outbreak. Dr. Bogdasarian stated if we are essentially following the state mandate which indicates that masks should be worn in schools until there's an 80% vaccination, it is probably repetitive for us to say the same thing although I don't know what we would accomplish by saying we're going to rescind our mandate and still follow the state. Ms. Wehtje stated her concern is the library building however just as a general principle I don't think that vaccinated people should have to wear a mask forever because other people choose not get vaccinated. You’re not going to get to 80% with the current composition of your Board of Health and the health department. So what you're saying it will be wearing masks forever and it’s just not fair. Ms. Knipe stated she doesn’t think that replacing herself and Mr. Murray because of their ethnicity is going to make the difference. John Strang, Law Professor stated first of all you have alluded to the state mandates requiring certain actions and this includes the wearing of masks on certain city properties as well as schools, if that is the case why are there differences between Mass policy and Fitchburg verses Leominster. The last few weeks I have been gathering petition signatures among other things that the requirement to carry a photo ID when you vote and I've had on occasion to visit other city halls and town halls in the area and Fitchburg City Hall is the only city hall that is required to wear a mask. Dr. Bogdasarian stated in reference to Leominster, Lunenburg and other towns I don’t know on what basis they made those decisions about not having a mask mandate. All I can say is that maybe they are less concerned about patient and population safety than we are. Mr. Strang stated perhaps they can say the same about Fitchburg that this board’s attitude is overprotective. Ms. Wethje is suggesting there are certain intrinsic rights that American citizens possess and the impression I'm getting is that you're saying you're implying that the rights administered through the Board of Health somehow take precedence over the individual right which is what the issue is here. What grounds do you have here as the Board of Health for maintaining that. The fact that there are exceptions to this and other administrative areas which presumably have the same mandate to contend with suggests that you don't have a right. Ms. Wehtje is asking you to rethink your assumption. Dr. Bogdasarian stated we are concerned about the health of the population of Fitchburg and I don't think we're taking away rights. Mr. Strang stated Ms. Wehtje point is getting to an essential issue that there is no authority for this under the constitution. In the broad sweeping manner in which you’re presenting this is what she is bringing into question. After lengthy discussion Dr. Bogdasarian stated that what we are doing is what we think is best for the residents of Fitchburg. This is what’s important and we're not trying to influence anyone’s rights were simply trying to keep everyone safe. Petition to Prevent Special Interest Money Related to Waste Pickup: Jacquelyn Wehtje Ms. Wehtje stated the city should serve the interest of its residents and not special interest money. Special interest money clouds the integrity of the procurement process and can lead to conflicts of interest. There is already a code of ethics prohibiting city employees from receiving gifts but doesn’t cover this situation, therefor I would like effective tomorrow for all elected officials in the city to be prohibited from accepting campaign contributions from waste haulers there executives and there lobbyists and any elected officials to have received such campaign contributions be asked to voluntarily return those contributions. Mr. Curry stated the Board of Health doesn’t have any authority over such a petition nor does he see any relevance. This sounds more like a petition for the council. Dr. Bogdasarian asked if there is a selection the Waste Management Company. Mr. Curry stated chapter 30 B is in place which are procurement laws. Rubbish collection and rubbish disposal is exempt from chapter 30b however we still do go out to bid upon the completion of each contract just to get a rough idea of what other companies can offer. The Health Department director and the overall BOH make the decision as to which company will handle the waste. None of us here have ever received any money from any waste management company. We don't run for election so none of us are elected, therefore there is no campaign contributions here. Dr. Bogdasarian suggested if Ms. Wehtje feels there are concerns this might be something to take to the City Council. Dr. Bogdasarian made a motion to continue the mask mandate in all Municipal buildings as well as all school buildings. Motion was 2nd Dr. Bogdasarian made a motion if there are concerns regarding lobbying and campaign contributions to local elected officials to take them to the City Council for consideration. Motion was 2nd my Ms. Knipe. All were in favor. Motion carries. BOH Orders:  #2021-4 Vaccination Mandate of FPS students participating in extra-curricular activity to be amended to Testing Mandate only See Exhibit B. Dr. Bogdasarian made a motion to accept this amendment. Motion was 2nd by Ms. Knipe. All were in favor. Motion carries. Ms. Knipe made a motion to adjourn. Motion was 2nd my Mr. Murray. Meeting adjourned.