HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-12-18 Board of Health Minutes .4pproved)anuarq 22, 2026
Town oj Norte Andover
Board of Health
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ToTm Physician Jennifer Abou-Ezzi, R
Jennifer Moore, RN Clerk Bral Spight
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MEETING MINUTES
To)vn Hall, 120 Main Street,North Andover,MA 01845
Members Present: Dr. Patrick Scanlon, Jennifer.Abou®Ezzi', and :oral Spight
Members.Absent: Jennifer Moore and Michelle Davis
Staff Members Present: Andrew Shapiro,Brian.LaGrasse, Craig DeCosta, and Carolyn Larn
1. CALL To o R—Dr. Scanlon called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
Motion Wade by B. Spight to approve the September 25, 2025 minutes. Seconded by J. Abou-Ezzi.
The vote to approve is unani mous, MOTION APPROVED.,
4. NEW:BUSINESS
Tobacco Regulations,
Ronald Beaure ard, from Healthy Communities Tobacco Awareness Program,presented on
proposed revisions to local regulations. These revisions ai'm to align with state regulations, which are
some of the strongest in the nation.
The following changes are intended to align local regulations with state law:.
• Definition [.update: The tern "Electronic Cigarettes" will be changed to "Electronic Nicotine
Delivery System." This broader definition encompasses any device used to vaporize or
aerosolize nicotine, CBD,variations of THC, or "any other substance."
• The sale of flavored tobacco products including t obacco Product Flavor Enhancer(flavors
such as watermelon, grape, etc,, containing no nicotine to be used for the purpose of mixing
with a tobacco product) are prohibited.
• Signage: The state-mandated 5 required signs must be displayed 105 CNIR 66�5
• Identification: The requirement for identification is being changed from applying only to
those aged 40 and over,to applying to all individuals.
Penalties for Violations §17 - Mirroring Mate Law).,
Violations will result in the following fines
• First offense: $1,000
• Second Offense $2,000
• Third offense: $5,000
Language Choice for Regulations:
• The board must decide between the"words ""may" and "shall" in the regulations.
• The word ""i-ay" provide more flexibility.
Tolling Period;
e The state law sets a 36-month tolling period.
* The board needs to decide whether to establish a separate local tolling period or keep it
consistent with state law.
Violations and Suspensions:
e There should be no suspension for a first violation.
e The penalty for the sale of products to underage individuals should be a I-day suspension.
e A tirne period needs to be added to section 17.1 a.
o Mr. Spight recommends,maintaining consistency in the regulations.
Identification and Scanning
• There is an ongoing debate regarding the requirement for all individuals to present
identification, noting that some businesses object to this mandate.
• The estimated cost for ID scanners ranges from $300 to $2,000.
• A concern was raised about the potential for selling information collected from scanned Ills.
• It was suggested that the ID scanning requirement could be tested as an experiment in a
smaller community.
The "'Nicotine Free Generation (NFG)" concept was briefly mentioned, which proposes increasing
the legal age to purchase nicotine products each year.
It was recommended to hold a public hearing on the matter
S. COMMUNICATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS,AND DISCUSSION
Dl*scussl"on of Food Regulaflons
B. LaGrasse brought up the following discussion points.-
• The Food Code mandates a water,temperature of 85' degrees, but the state plumbing code
requires 120' degrees. Mr. LaGrasse recommends aligning with the higher state plumbing
code requirement.
• To encourage timely renewals, a late fee for overdue permit holders will be doubled,with a
daily assessment until the fee is paid. The town may also resort to shutting down the
restaurant as an enforcement measure.
2026 Meeting Schedule
Motion made by B. Spright to approve the 2026 Board of Health Meeting Schedule. Seconded by J.
Abou-Ezzi. The vote to approve is unanimous, MOTION APPROVED.
General Updates,
C. Lam—
o Flu Vaccinations Administered: 629 (down by 69 from last year) at the Flu Clinic hosted,by
the Health Department.
o COVID-19 Vaccinations Administered (at clinic): 32
o Reported Flu Cases in North Andover.- 30 total (5 in November; 25 in December); The
reported flu strains this year differs from the strain included in the vaccination.
o Reported COVID-19 Cases: 25
o The department is giving out COVID-19 test kits to residents.
Dr. Scanlon reported that a pharmaceutical company is developing an rnRNA vaccine for the flu.
Currently, vaccine manufacturers struggle with strain matching because the production process 'is
based on the previous year's strains and requires nine months to create. Switching to mRNA vaccine
would allow it to be produced in thirty days, enabling a more accurate prediction and match with the
current flu strain.
BOH Aheating Alinutes,1211812025 Page 2 of 3
Mr. Spight inquired about the presence of Norovirus and Carolyn confirmed that her were no
reported cases.
C. eCosta—The intern's work is concluding, she's turned a corner and it is going well; Attended a
couple of conferences,which were informative, mainly focused on septic system learning; The annual
renewal process for both trash hauler and offal permits is underway; Restaurant inspections are
almost complete for the year; Due to a recent rise in rodent activity, measures are being taken to
ensure compliance with trash.
B. aGrasse—Reported that the septic work is winding down and will be wrapping up for the season;
has some soil testing to finish up so that the engineers can design the plans to be ready for spring;
Food 'Inspections are almost complete for the year.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Motion made by J. Abou-Ezzi to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by B. Spight. The vote to adjourn
was unanimous (5-0). MOTION APPROVED. The meeting adjourned at :59 p.m.
Pi-e paredbw
Jennif'er All. Battei-sby, Health Depallinent Assistant
Rey ieiyed by:
All Boar-d ofHealth Menibel,-s &Health Directoi-
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Mectijig Materials:Agenda-, Septernber 25,2025 Minutes- Proposed changes to North Andover Tobacco
Regulations. Draft BOH Meeting Schedule.
BOH Meeting Allinutes 1211812025 Page 3 of 3