Board of Health

Winthrop Board of Health Meeting June 20, 2023 at 6:30 pm Harvey Hearing Room Call to order: 6:32 pm Roll call: Bill Schmidt, Chair; Jeanne Holgersen, Vice-Chair; Marianne Dalton, Member Bill announces that this is the last meeting that Marianne Dalton will be attending. She has decided not to seek reappointment, and her term expires on 6/30/23. Both Jeanne and Bill express their thanks for Marianne’s service on the Board for the past 2.5 years. Marianne states she has been glad to be of service and learned a lot during her tenure. The next appointee has yet to be named. Review of minutes—May 11, 2023: approved unanimously 3-0. Public comment: deferred to later in the meeting, Jerry Ogus will speak requesting a waiver for a pool event this summer at Seal Harbor Past business: 76 Sunnyside Avenue—status: see below email from Al Legee Mass DEP New Waste Disposal Bans: textiles, etc: nothing new to report. Board of Health Town Website: some more minor changes done. Marianne has been working with David Lapenson, Information Systems Administrator for the Town, who has been implementing all of the technical aspects of updates to the BOH website. Board of Health workplan for FY2024: Bill states that there will be a new workplan in July. Director Of Public Health And Clinical Services update: The following email from Meredith Hurley, Director of Public Health and Clinical Services, who is unable to attend tonight’s meeting, is read into the record: Winthrop Fire Response · Social Work & Resource Coordination teams have worked diligently to support victims of the 91 Veterans Road re. The majority of residents have found stable housing at this point. C.L.E.A.R. Program · Hosting a weekly Drop-in session on Wednesdays from 6p-8p for people seeking a safe space for substance use supports · Hired an additional peer recovery coach · Beginning to plan for Recovery Month events in August and September Other · Hosting an event this evening with Minding your Mind presenting on anxiety and safe boundaries. · Working with MGH Institute of Health Professions to bring their mobile van to provide education through nursing students related to heat-related impacts and chronic disease management. fi · Participated to round-table discussion with WPD, FBI, MA State Police, DA Kevin Hayden, Anti-defamation League, and CDICR related to hate crimes (recognition, response and impacts) that will be aired on WCAT. Commissioner Of Inspectional Services update: Commissioner Al Legee unable to attend this evening, but Sharon Sicurella, Clerk/ Health Inspector provided an email to the Board, read into the record, with the following updates: 76 Sunnyside is being painted, electrical service is being checked by a licensed electrician; 208 Lincoln is cleaned; Fort Heath is being baited; Sharon went to the Farmers Market did a walk through the check the food vendors, everything was up to code and done correctly. Dumpster regulation: Bill reviews that no public comment was offered at the public hearing in April, and moves to approve the dumpster regulation. Approved unanimously 3-0. Grease trap regulation: Bill plans to meet with both Al and Sharon to discuss the grease trap regulation. Ban on black plastic—enforcement: Bill sent an op-ed on black plastic to the Manager’s Blog this week, and it will appear in the Transcript next week. Seal Harbor Condominium—pool waiver request: Jerry Ogus appears before the Board requesting permission to have outdoor holiday events around the pool, with a waiver for alcohol use. Jerry states that the participants of Seal Harbor are largely elderly, and are not a boisterous lot. The Board votes to grant Seal Harbor’s request to have the social gatherings at their pool with a waiver for alcohol use, approved unanimously 3-0.  Lewis Lake—water quality: Bill reports Steve Calla, Director of Public Works told him he contacted the company that monitors the water quality of the lake for the DEP. Steve is awaiting response from this company. Once this is received, the resident who submitted an inquiry to the Board concerning the water quality of Lewis Lake will be apprised of the company’s response. Tobacco Cessation and Prevention program—Newport “non- menthol”: Bonny Carroll, Director of the Six City Tobacco Initiative appears to report on the latest product that tobacco companies are promoting. The companies state that the product has a “cooling effect” but the consensus amongst the tobacco collaborative is that the product is avored tobacco, which is banned in Massachusetts. The ban was scheduled to take effect on June 15 but Bonnie will not be beginning enforcement until sometime in July. Bonnie states that the lawyers in her collaborative predict that the tobacco companies will likely bring a lawsuit against the Chelsea Board of Health (they were chosen from the six cities in the collaborative to be the “pilot” to throw down the gauntlet and ght the lawsuit). Bonnie states that R.J. Reynolds sent her a message requesting to meet with her personally, which she declined. She reports they responded to her by sending a letter accusing her of not wanting to meet with them. Bonnie adds that there is a history of tobacco companies aggressively pushing menthol products in low- income communities of color, especially Black communities. Bonnie states that storeowners have been sent a letter from the manufacturers attesting to their claim that the non-menthol products are not avored. She states this is why the lawyers in the Six City Tobacco Initiative believe that the manufacturers will be suing cities banning the product on the basis that the product is in fact avored. Trash, recycling and solid waste disposal regulation: Bill has emailed a copy of the regulation, revised to correspond to the latest fi fl fl fl  ordinance passed by the Town Council, to fellow board members. Board members review the changes (main changes are that the town has not limited trash pickup to 3-family or fewer dwellings, added over ow bags provision, abatement program and new fee schedule). The board votes to approve the new regulation unanimously 3-0. Sandalo Spa—Revere Street: Jeanne reports she has not heard anything from Sandalo Spa. She further states that local boards of health do not regulate these types of businesses (massage therapy), but the businesses do need to comply with all inspectional services building codes. Jeanne has emailed Sandalo Spa owner with all the regulations, but never received a response. Jeanne asserts that the State is in charge of granting this licensure. Not the Board. Legislative testimony—Senate budget, SAPHE 2.0: Bill reports he testi ed on the public health system bill and the budget, asking that they increase the budget. Mass pesticides reform bills: Bill reports that a pesticide coalition is asking local boards of health to endorse this reform bill. The Board votes unanimously 3-0 to endorse this. Ticks and mosquitoes: Marianne Dalton, Member will send a revised version of last year’s Guest Op-Ed open mosquitoes to both the Transcript and the manager’s blog. Proposed schedule of meetings for rest of 2023: Bill and Jeanne discuss the schedule, and state that once the new appointee is on board he/she will be consulted as well. Women’s Health Forum: Jeanne is on the committee and is in the midst of beginning plans for October. She comments that the title might be changed to “Community Health Forum” to be more inclusive. fi fl Adjournment: 7:40 pm, approved unanimously 3-0. Respectfully submitted, Marianne Dalton, member