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 Geoff Tobia, Esq. - Member Michele Parker, MD - Member Attendees Present: Board of Health meeting held Monday May 23, 2022 ________________________________________________________________________________ 4:30 Meeting called to order. 4:35 The minutes from April 25, 2022 Board of Health can not be approved at this time as Dr Parker did not attend the April meeting and Susan Avallone is not present to vote. Theses minutes will be reviewed at the next meeting. 4:40 COVID Updates: At April’s meeting the COVID positivity rate was 3.72% in Massachusetts and 8.11% in Gardner. As of 5/19/22 the positivity rate is 3.19% in Massachusetts and 6.42% in Gardner. This is an uptick from last month’s numbers. There was a COVID vaccine clinic held at the Gardner Unitarian Universalist Church on Thursday, 4/28/22 in a partnership between the Community Health Center mobile team and the MPHN COVID Response Team - 65 vaccines were administered. Lauren, Rick and Sue attended an After-Action Conference held by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for Region 2 on 4/27/22. Many of the region’s Health Agents met to discuss their COVID-19 response experiences and challenges. Lauren will share the PowerPoint with the board members. 4:45 Old Business: Stop N’ Buy had a hearing at March’s BOH meeting and was given 14 days to submit a written plan to address the roof leak. This plan was to be executed within 30 days of the hearing. They did not submit a written plan, and upon reinspection, they have failed to fully comply with the order-to-correct. This has resulted in a suspension of the Food Establishment Permit. The establishment also failed an inspection with the Fire Department and are no longer permitted to sell gasoline. The business operating there has closed. Keep Gardner Beautiful organized a community clean-up event. Anthony’s Liquor store sponsored a nip hunt and donated the proceeds Ukrainian orphans. Over 25,000 nips were collected. EL Harvey donated the dumpster service for the event, 1.18 tons of trash was collected. The Health Department installed a camera in the city to help identify illegal dumping. The Health Department has been working on the placement of the camera for ticketing those who are illegally dumping.  The Mayor and the Health Department are working together on an updated litter ordinance. Prevention update: The Prevention Coordinator has been doing multiple different presentations in the school system including “Upstanders” an anti-bulling program, “Escape the Vape’” and resiliency training. She is also working to coordinate National Night Out which will be held August 2, 2022 and will take place at Gardner High School this year. 4:55 New Business: Funeral Director permits are ready for Board Member signatures. There is a marijuana grow facility in the City and we recently received an odor complaint. Lauren inspected today. The facility is extremely cooperative, and they are installing additional carbon filters. Lauren will follow up to see if that alleviates the issue. The pump at the Transfer Station needs maintenance. An inspection of the station is scheduled for this Thursday. The Food Truck Festival will be held on 7/9/2022, the Health Department has been processing permit applications, has ordered the dumpster, port-a-potties and will inspect the trucks the day of the event. 5:00 Next meeting: Monday June 20, 2022 at 4:30 pm; this will be an in-person meeting; adjourn. NOT PRESENT ____________________________ __________________________ ____________________________ Susan Avallone RN, Chairperson Atty. Geoffrey Tobia, Member Michele C. Parker MD, Member All conversations are documented on recordings identified as BOH March Meeting 5/23/2022.