Board of Health

CITY OF GARDNER OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH 95 PLEASANT ST, ROOM 29 GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS 01440 Members Present: Lauren Saunders – Health Director Susan Avallone, RN - Member Atty. Geoffrey Tobia – Member Michele Parker, MD – Member Also Present: Tina Rusak, RN Minutes Board of Health meeting held Monday June 22, 2020 ________________________________________________________________________________ *Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §20, and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the Gardner Board of Health will be conducted via remote participation. The transcript of proceedings will be posted on the City’s website as soon as possible after the meeting. 4:30 Meeting called to order. 4:32 Minutes from March 30, 2020 were reviewed and approved. 4:35 Tina Rusak, RN – COVID-19 Tracing. Tina works as a nurse at Gardner and was working with the local Boards of Health doing contact tracing since April 1st. She was working on obtaining her Master’s Degree and needs some practical hours, attending the Board of Health meetings has given her a new perspective outside her experience in the school system. Tina was also on the School Reopening Committee. Sue stated that there are a lot learning opportunities right now, with contact tracing through MAVEN, reopening plans, and the Board had been working on Tattoo regulations. 4:40 Old Business: Governor’s reopening plan - Massachusetts was in Phase 2, part 2 of this plan. The Health Department staff has been working with area businesses when they have had questions about the regulations and guidance. Indoor dining resumed, Rick Rossi has been going to different restaurants daily to check on compliance, and making sure they have a safety plan, signage and to answer any questions. The License Commission, also located in this office, oversees alcohol licenses. The Licenses Commission has been without a clerk and the 3 remaining Health Department staff have been working with the ABCC so that restaurants with outdoor dining can to extend outdoor alcohol service as well. Lauren and Rick have been busy reviewing safety plans for Youth Sports, Boys & Girls Club and other organizations to ensure that best practices and sanitation protocols are in place. Personal services such as body art & tattoos, nail salons, tanning, and hair salons had been recently reopened. There has already been a hair salon with a Covid positive employee, which led to 29 contacts that needed to be traced. The salon was very responsive, cooperated with contact tracing, they closed and cleaned the salon.  Greenwood Memorial Pool has not opened to the public, but the swim team has been practicing with safety protocols in place. The outdoor pool is set to open to the public 7/1/21. Lauren has inspected and opened the Ridgewood pool. Lauren has been doing weekly water testing of Kendall Pond and the Lithuanian Club beach has opened for the season. There have been many calls with questions about restrictions and guidance for weddings, many people have dates booked at the local venue, Colonial Hotel. Susan gave an update for area long-term care facilities. Wachusett Manor, Heywood Commons were both clear, Gardner Rehab had 3 cases, 2 were staff members. 4:45 New Business: A Local Upgrade Approval (LUA) request was received for a failed system located at 89 Hill St, Gardner MA. A separate meeting was to be scheduled after review of the documents provided today. Next meeting set for Monday, June 29, 2020 at 4:30 PM and will be a remote/teleconference meeting. 4:50 Adjourn. ___________________________ _______________________ _________________________ Susan Avallone RN, Member Atty. Geoffrey Tobia, Member Michele C. Parker MD, Member All conversations are documented on recording identified as B.O.H June 22, 2020