Minutes of Meeting
June 4, 2007
A meeting of the Sharon Board of Health was called to order on June 4, 2007, at 7:40 P.M., in the Sharon Town Office Building, with the following members in attendance: Anne Bingham, Chair; Stanley Rosen, and Jay Schwab.
Meeting Dates: The Board members agreed on meeting dates for July 9th and July 23rd . August and September dates will be determined at the next meeting.
Minutes of Meetings
The Board postponed review of minutes of April 30th and May 14th.
VOTED: (Rosen/Bingham) unanimously to approve the minutes of the meeting of May 7th, 2007.
Position of Health Agent for Sanitary Inspections and Enforcement
Decision was deferred to June 25th.
Intoccia Development
Jim Andrews will report to the ZBA that, to date, the BOH has seen only preliminary plans for the Sharon Commons project; no construction plans have yet been received.
I/A System Testing Requirements
Discussion/decision on changing these requirements was deferred to June 25th.
Cape Cod Biochemical Company
Linda Rosen will review historical data on the BOH decision re ccls and draft a response.
Feeding Waterfowl:
The BOH will discuss proposed regulation/bylaw at the next meeting.
Hearing: Jeff Lane...53 Beach Road
Anne Bingham recounted that Dr. Teplitz had appeared before the last BOH meeting, with photos, asserting that the Lanes were feeding geese on their property on Beach Road. He also presented materials on the health hazards of goose dung. The Board followed up by sending a letter to the Lanes notifying them that feeding geese presents a health hazard and public health nuisance. Mr. Lane then requested a hearing before the BOH. Anne Bingham went to the Lane property a couple of days later and saw no evidence that geese were being fed; she apologized to the Lanes for having sent the letter without better research. Anne Bingham stated that she spends enough time on the lake to know when there is evidence of geese. She further stated that she still believes that, generically,
this is a serious problem, and that the BOH is inclined to work on a regulation forbidding feeding the geese. However, she stated that there is no evidence that feeding of geese is taking place on the Lane property. She noted that the BOH does not intend to involve itself in any issues ancillary to the issue of geese. When geese are chased off the main beach they do tend to go into this cove. Anne will further discuss this problem with the Recreation Director.
Jeff Lane stated, and the Board agreed, that he would appreciate a letter from the BOH stating that the BOH saw no evidence that he was feeding the geese.
Several neighbors were in attendance at the hearing. Mr. Rothstein asked whether there is anything homeowners can do to protect their property from the geese. Anne Bingham stated that the geese are a protected species; a depridation license from the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife is required to oil the goose eggs. The Recreation Director has been asked to investigate obtaining such a license, since the one previously held by the town has expired. Anne Bingham said this project would need to involve Recreation, BOH, and others. Jeff Lane stated that, two years ago, he counted 182 Canadian geese in the cove; this year he saw only 18. Mrs. Teplitz insisted that she has seen the Lanes feeding the geese on a daily basis. Mr. Teplitz stated there is a court record on file from
May 2005 in which the Lanes admitted they fed the geese.
Anne Bingham and Stan Rosen stated that the BOH does plan to pass a regulation/bylaw prohibiting feeding geese. However, people in the cove will most likely continue to have trouble with geese.
Dr. Teplitz stated that his primary reason reason for coming to the BOH was to provide, as a physician, consultant for NIH on infectious disease, information about a health concern, i.e., re Canadian geese possibly being the vector to bring avian flu to this country. He presented information from a Harvard conference held on October 27 - 29, 2006, on current clinical issues in primary care, from the keynote address presented before 5000 physicians. The primary discussion was on pandemic flu....and re H5N1 avian flu infection in migrant waterfowl. It was stated that supplemental geese feeding is the worst problem.
Anne Bingham and Stan Rosen agreed that, in the best interests of public health, the BOH plans to pass a regulation against feeding the geese, under the non-criminal method of disposition. This regulation must also harmonize with state and federal laws.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.
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