Board of Health

CITY OF GARDNER OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH 95 PLEASANT ST, ROOM 29 GARDNER. MASSACHUSETTS 01440-2630 Members Present: Micah Blondeau Agent for the Board of Health — Susan Avallone, RN Chairperson — Geoff Tobia, Esq. Member - Dr. Michele Parker Member— Absent: Attendees Present: Board of Health meeting held March 25, 2024 4:38 Meeting called to order. 4:39 The minutes from December 4, 2023 were reviewed and approved. The minutes from February 26, 2024 will be corrected and reviewed at the next meeting. 4:45 Old Business: The Health Department is continuing to work with the Neighborhood Renewal Program, formerly the Abandoned Housing Initiative, through the AGO’s office. We’ve sent them the information we have on the properties they were interested in and now they’ll continue the background research and see how they could move forward. When the Health Department identifies a new house that we think they would find suitable, we’re going to refer it to them. Last month we talked about the environmental report and the repairs of the landfill. On Wednesday, Nllcah is going to be meeting with our environmental consultants at the landfill so we can get a clear view of what needs to be done, then we’ll start getting quotes and working on figuring out how to pay for those projects. Since the last meeting, we haven’t had any additional complaints regarding E.L. Harvey and trash and recycling. The Health Department will still go around when it gets a little bit warmer and look at trash and recycling toters. If we see something that’s not right, we’ll tag the toter. 4:48 New Business: Veronika is working on the Weliness Fair for April 17th. Fifty-four vendors have signed up so far. The Gardner High School Health Fair will be on April 24th. There’s a Paw Walk fundraiser with GDTV at the end of April. There will be a Comedy Night event in the auditorium, which is a fundraiser for the AED Foundation.  New developments at the landfill transfer station, we did get a quote to it’s all some pre cast concrete steps where the residents throw the trash into the big open containers. It was about $3,000 for pre-made steps and then we would need to install theni, and we probably need railings so we’re still exploring options. Micah would like to look into the metal steps to alleviate issues in the winter. Also, the attendant station at the transfer station is going to he moved about 10 feet to one side so that it’s out of the perennial spring pool that forms there, as well as better facilities for the attendants. Eddie Montgomery started today; he was working in the hR department. He has an extensive food background and a degree in Psychology. He’s currently half days, half HR and half Health Department this week, and he’ll he full-time next week. Angela and Micah will be handling housing complaints and all other random complaints. Over the weekend the Health Department received a complaint about a potential foodborne illness. We don’t have a lot of details on it other than two different people ate at a restaurant at two different times they both had Norovirus. We don’t know what they ate or when they ate. We did do a preliminary inspection today to be sure they’re following their procedures for restricting or excluding employees, hand washing, and educating them about Norovirus. A food permit was issued for Aldi, they should be opening next week. Plans for Jersey Mike’s were received and approved. They’ll begin construction work soon. We’re anticipating plans for a Brilla Coffee to come downtown. Approval for operation of the kitchen at Waterford Street School is ongoing. They want it to be a fully licensed kitchen, it’s going to be shared by Growing Places and the COA. The Food Truck Festival is coming up. The Health Department is working with WOO Trucks, it’s a very big commissary kitchen in Boylston that has quite a few trucks operating out of there. They’re coordinating everything and then we’ll make sure everyone’s licensed and that we have all the right trash receptacles and bathrooms provided. We are still waiting on the clinic schedule from MPHN as far as vaccinations. Micah will be taking the Title 5 Soil Evaluator Course starting in April. Angela and Micah will both he able to do Title S’s. 5:00 Next meeting: Monday, April 22, 2024 at 4:30 PM here at Gardner City Hall in the Mayor’s Conference Room; adjourn. (L Thusan Avallone RN, Chaperson Attytéofrey pbiac Member Michele C. Parker MD, Member All conversations are documented on recordings identified as BOIl March 25, 2024 Meeting.