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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-02-22 Board of Health Minutes BOARD OF HEALTH MINUTES February.22, 2001 Gayton Osgood called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Gayton Osgood, Chairman, Francis P. MacMillan, M.D., Member; Sandra Starr, Health Director; Susan Ford, Health Inspector;Debra Rillahan, Public Health Nurse. ROBERT KING—AMERICAN RED CROSS Mr. King asked to appear before the Board to speak on issues regarding the Red Cross. Mr. Osgood stated this is a public board and should be open to anyone. Mr. Osgood asked Mr. King for the record where he was from. Mr. King stated he was from Lawrence, MA., 46 Amesbury Street. Mr. King stated he was a former resident of Oregon and was involved in a campaign against the American Red Cross. It started about ten years ago; because of his picketing he was arrested for criminal trespass, but he won the case. He stated that people there tried to portray him as a nut; he was picketing the Red Cross on their past history of distributing HIV-tainted blood and was livid when he learned that the practice was still going on. He learned this past December that the FDA has issued an order against the Red Cross and are getting ready to close some of their blood collection centers because they are still violating the same rules that killed people with Aids tainted blood in the 1980's. He believes that the Red Cross should not be allowed to continue operating. He has e-mailed Internet web site addresses to Ms. Starr to prove these articles exist. There were articles in the Washington Post. He believes the Red Cross violations show just the tip of the iceberg of what is going on. He thinks a message should be sent to the Red Cross saying they are just not welcome. Mr. Osgood wanted to know what the violations are. Mr. King stated the FDA found violations, the Red Cross signed a court decree admitting the violations and has not told the public and the FDA is now taking action. The Red Cross knew about this and has not changed. Dr. MacMillan asked Mr. King if he's impugning the entire Red Cross or just localized areas? Mr. King replied yes, the entire Red Cross. Dr. MacMillan asked about the blood center at Holy Family. Mr. King is against the entire Red Cross. Dr. MacMillan asked if Mr. King believed the Red Cross is still spreading Aids at this point. Mr. King replied that he doesn't know because the Red Cross has never been honest or forthright. Mr. King is trying to get documents but cannot. Dr. MacMillan stated he uses the blood supply everyday in his practice and never came across a problem. Dr. MacMillan appreciates Mr. King's information and will take it under advisement. Mr. Osgood stated if Mr. King does come up with additional information we would appreciate seeing it. Mr. King said he made an agreement with Ms. Starr that he will keep sending Page Two February 22, 2001 information. Dr. MacMillan agreed to send the information to the proper people in Boston and let them determine how much truth there is to the data. 544 FOSTER STREET—VARIANCE— OBERLANDER Ms. Ford spoke about the new policy that DEP has on requesting a variance for perc testing. Mr. David Oberlander spoke regarding the property at 544 Forest Street. He is the designer of the plans for this property. He explained about the trouble percing this lot due to the saturated conditions on the property, so the first variance request is to use the state procedure for an alternative to percolation testing. It is a state variance although they require the local Board to give it their blessing first. The soils are compacted which throws them into a pressure distribution system. There is a flood boundary. Mr. Oberlander would like to put in a Fast System, which allows a reduction in the field size by 50% if this technology is used. Mr. Oberlander will be going before Conservation for the wetlands. Additional local variances were discussed and approved by the Board: Distance from leach facility to wetlands down to 50 feet; distance of tank from wetlands down to 25 feet; no reserve area. On a motion by Dr. MacMillan, seconded by Mr. Osgood the Board voted to grant the request to use a sieve analysis instead of an actual percolation test to determine the Long Term Acceptance Rate (LTAR) at 544 Foster Street and approved the remaining variances. BEAVERS -DAVE RAND Mr. Rand appeared before the Board for a special permit to trap beavers. Ms. Starr stated that the Health Department had just received directions for guidance for Boards of Health for that regulation. Any person may apply to the Board of Health to apply for an emergency permit to immediately alleviate a threat to human health and safety. People can contact the Fish and Wildlife for a non-threat or safety law. Even if the Health Department believes there is a threat, the person still would have to go through Conservation. Ms. Starr told Mr. Rand that when they went out to Mr. Rand's property the Health Department found there is not a threat and safety issue on his property, however Mr. Rand can still go through the normal process without mentioning health and safety and still get a permit. Mr. Santiani, a resident from Castlemere, spoke regarding the beaver problem. He stated that his land has not changed in a year or two and he believes the reason it has stayed that way is because of the work Mr. Rand has done to maintain the beaver control and if he had not then there would be an emergency out there. Mr. Page Three February 22, 2001 Santiani would like things to stay as they were and to have Mr. Rand maintain the areas. Mr. Santiani himself spoke to two or three people at Fish and Wildlife and they told him that as of January 2001 Fish and Wildlife will no longer issue those permits. Ms. Starr said that is something that cannot be done by the Board of Health under the authority that was given to the Health Department by the legislation. This is a 10-day one time special permit. Dr. MacMillan asked whether there is a health and safety issue. Mr. Osgood would like the Board of Health to help these people any way that the Board can as long as it is in the Health Department's jurisdiction. Ms. Starr told the residents if they or anyone else has water lapping at their foundations to come and fill out an application and the Health Department will go out and do a site inspection. PERMIT FEES Ms. Ford did an example of food permit fees to show the Board the possibilities of changing the fees. Ms. Starr stated in order to do a full review of the permit fees another RFP for the engineering contract for the septic review will have to be issued. REGULATION SIGNING The Board signed the trash truck regulations, repetitive application. FOOD CONSULTANT CONTRACT Ms. Starr would like to add to Karen Springer's contract that on an emergency basis, such as when Ms. Starr is away and Ms. Ford cannot do the inspection, then Ms. Springer is allowed to do septic inspections. PORT ENGINEERING CONTRACT Ms. Starr is going to send out a RFP for another contract. ANIMAL INSPECTOR It was pointed out that the Board needs to make a recommendation for the appointment of an Animal Inspector. It was reported that Dr. Richard Lindsay is willing to continue as Animal Inspector for North Andover. Page 4 February 22, 2001 On a motion by Dr. MacMillan, seconded by Mr. Osgood, the Board voted to recommend Dr. Richard Lindsay as Animal Inspector for the next year. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion by Dr. MacMillan, seconded by Mr. Osgood, the Board voted to adjourn at 8:30 p.m. John S. Rizza, DMD, Clerk