MINUTES OF MEETING
SHARON BOARD OF HEALTH
November 21, 2011
A meeting of the Sharon Board of Health was held on Monday, November 21, 2011, beginning at 7:30PM at the Sharon Town Office Building. In attendance were Suzi Peck, Chair; Jay Schwab, Vice-Chair; Stanley Rosen, Andrew Stead, and Ed Welch.
Meeting Dates:
VOTED: (Peck/Schwab) unanimously to accept the following proposed meeting dates for the first half of 2012: January 9, February 13, March 5, March 26, April 23, May 21, and June 11.
Minutes of Meeting of October 17, 2011
VOTED: (Schwab/Welch) Schwab, Welch, Peck, and Stead voted to accept the minutes of the meeting of October 17, 2011, as amended. Rosen abstained.
Vote to accept donations: $332....
VOTED: (Rosen/Stead) unanimously to accept donations in the amount of $332 for the purpose of defraying the cost of future flu clinics and other health promotions...and to place these funds into the Health Department Donation Fund.
Variance Hearing for 117 Billings St.
The Board reviewed a request from Tyrene Johnston, homeowner, to continue the variance hearing for 117 Billings Street to December 12th at 7:45 P.M.
VOTED: (Rosen/Welch) unanimously to continue the variance hearing for 117 Billings Street as requested.
Variance Hearing for 216 North Main Street
The Board reviewed a request from Merrikin Engineering and property owner Keevin Geller to continue the hearing for 216 North Main Street to the first BOH meeting in January 2012.
VOTED: (Peck/Welch) unanimously to approve the request to continue the hearing for 216 North Main St. to January 9, 2012, at 7:45 P.M, and to require that the applicant notify abutters by regular mail (since it will have been several months since the initial hearing).
LEPC update
Jay Schwab provided highlights of the LEPC meeting held on November 1st...just following the power losses in town: working on temporary shelters....problem of people calling 911 simply for information...working to establish some protocols going forward to deal with such problems. Linda Callan is in the process of preparing a booklet regarding emergency protocols to be provided to every Sharon household. Jay Schwab suggested a separate card with “where to go/who to call, etc. Andy Stead also suggested including the call numbers for Sharon Public Radio on this card....and, if possible, magnetizing this card.
Proposal to ban sales of tobacco in pharmacies and health care institutions
Ilan Behm, MPH, Sharon resident, and data analyst for Center for Global Tobacco Control, Harvard School of Public Health, and D.J. Wilson, Tobacco Control Director, Public Health Liaison, Mass. Municipal Association, were present to provide an update on bans of sales of tobacco in pharmacies and other health care institutions. Suzi Peck noted that the BOH had voted against this proposal earlier this year...basically due to a feeling that the ban should be statewide. She further noted that the state is now considering such a ban. Ms. Peck asked the Board members if they wished to hear a presentation. The Board agreed they did wish to hear from the presenters.
Mr. Behm provided data on the topic asking the Board to reconsider its prior vote. Ed Welch asked if the town could ban sales throughout the town, including supermarkets. Mr. Wilson responded that 23 cities and towns have enacted this ban of sales in health care institutions. He stated there is a bill for a statewide ban making its way through committees. He doesn’t see a lot of action right now and, historically, the Public Health Council does not move quickly. Concord Board of Health did send to Town Meeting a question on banning tobacco sales throughout town. The question did fail. Mr. Wilson stated that the town would probably be sued if it passed such a regulation/bylaw.
Andy Stead asked: in those communities which passed a ban of sales in health care institutions over a year ago , have they seen fewer sales? Mr. Wilson responded that they won’t be able to parse out that information. He further noted that, according to the ban, if you provide medical advice you can’t sell tobacco products. Andy Stead asked: of different types of stores that sell tobacco...which do you see as most accessible to minors? Mr. Wilson responded that there have been had problems with CVS...hefty fines were issued. Biggest offenders are gas stations and mini-marts. Andy Stead: wouldn’t it be a more effective statement if pharmacies were the only place to sell tobacco products...and would be required to provide counsel and hand out educational materials as condition of
their license? Stan Rosen: Sharon Board of Health does not control the state Board of Pharmacy. He asked if there have been towns that have tried to restrict the sale of cigarettes city-wide by requiring additional signage, showing pictures of lungs, etc.? Mr. Wilson: the City of Boston requires the phone number for the state tobacco quitline be posted. Suzi Peck noted that she would be in favor of requiring the quitline number be posted. Mr. Behm noted that most other countries do not allow sales of tobacco products in pharmacies. Mr. Wilson raised the possibility of limiting the number of places in a community which can have license to sell. Stan Rosen: FDA just received authority to regulate tobacco a year and a half ago...will take time.
Stan Rosen asked if any Board member was predisposed to change his/her prior vote based on the presentation?
Suzi Peck stated that she would be in favor of requiring signage that the quitline number be posted as a condition of a license to sell tobacco products. She further stated her feeling that the ban should be state-wide. D.J. Wilson will send sample regulation requiring signage about calling the quitline for the Board to review at a future meeting.
Amended approval letter for Sharon Commons
The Board reviewed and signed the amended, updated approval letter for Sharon Commons, as provided by Marie Cannon. Discussion took place about the applicant’s request to waive the additional $2500 fee for the modified permit. Suzi Peck noted that costs were incurred by the town. Jim Andrews stated this is a modification of the original permit.
VOTED: (Welch/Rosen) to waive the fee for the modified permit for Sharon Commons. Welch, Rosen, and Stead voted in favor; Schwab and Peck were opposed.
Septic Monitoring Program
Andy Stead again raised the issue of possibly reducing the annual fee for residential I/A systems. He noted that Linda Callan had recommended reducing the fee from $100 to $25.
Linda Rosen will check with Linda Callan to ascertain whether or not a letter has been sent to the monitoring companies to ascertain whether or not the appropriate inspections/testing are being done (or whether or not results are simply not being sent to the BOH). Suzi Peck stated that the fee should not be reduced until we see the actual compliance rate.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM.
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