Board of Health - Regular Meeting

[Music] Well, good evening everyone and welcome to the June 2nd, 2025 Grafton Board of Health meeting. As a preliminary matter, this is Jennifer Maynard, chair of the Board of Health. Permit me to confirm that all members and persons anticipated on the agenda are present and can hear me. Members, when I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Andrew Chuca. Andrew Chalupa here. Dan Finn. Here. Thank you. Staff and anticipated speakers on the agenda. When I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Nancy Connors. Nancy Connors here. Amelia H. Hotton. Ameilia Hton here. Molly Scanel. Molly Scanel here. Devon Thornton. Devon Thornton here. Thank you. I'd like to open the meeting. May I have a motion to open the meeting? Motion to open the meeting. There a second motion to open the meeting. I know Dan's um meeting is a little slow. Dan, you might have to turn your camera off because that might make your voice more apt to work. Dan, can you hear us? You might have to dial in.

Okay, there we go. Second that motion. I'd like to second that motion to open the meeting. Wonderful. Roll call. Dan Finn I Andrew Luke I Ben made it I thank you. All right. Uh this open meeting of the Grafton Board of Health is being conducted remotely consistent with the act extending certain CO 19 measures adopted during the state of emergency. Uh Governor Healey has further extended this act until June 30th, 2027 of the remote meeting provisions of former Governor Baker's March 12th, 2020 executive order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law. In order to mitigate the transmission of the CO 19 virus, the act extends the requirement of open meeting law to have all meetings in a publicly accessible physical location. Further, all members of public bodies are allowed to participate remotely. The order, which you can find posted to the town's website at www.gfton-mass.gov, allows public bodies to meet entirely remotely so long as reasonable public access is afforded so the public can follow along with the deliberations of the meeting. Ensuring public access does not ensure public participation unless such participation is required by law. There's no public hearing scheduled for this evening's meeting. If the public has a question or comment on the agenda items, please utilize the Q&A feature in Zoom. Please include your full name and address when submitting a comment. For this meeting, Grafton Board of Health is convening by video conference via Zoom as posted on the town's website identifying how the public may join. Please note that this meeting is being recorded and that some all attendees are participating by video conference. Accordingly, please be aware that other folks may be able to see you and take care not to screen share your computer. Anything that you broadcast may be captured by the recording. Any supporting materials that have been provided uh to members of this body are available on the town's website unless otherwise noted. The public is encouraged to follow along using the posted agenda unless I note otherwise. Before we turn to the first meeting on the agenda for moving to cover some ground rules for effective and clear

conduct conduct of our business and to ensure accurate meeting minutes, I'll introduce any speakers of the agenda for a topic. After they conclude their remarks, I'll invite the board members to provide any comment, questions or motions. Please identify yourself by name when speaking. Further, please remember to mute your phone or computer when you're not speaking. Please remember to speak clearly in a way that helps generate accurate meeting minutes. For any response, please wait until I yield the floor to you and state your name before speaking. If members wish to engage with other members, please do so through me, taking care to identify yourself. Finally, finally, any votes on motions made during this meeting will be conducted by roll call vote. Okay, welcome everyone. Um, we're going to get right into it. We have a few items here tonight. Uh, but I'm going to turn it over to the alliance for a variety of updates that, uh, Molly Um so our flu and COVID numbers are expectedly a lot less due to the season. Um uh for the month of May only one case of influenza was reported uh from the 11 that were reported in April which is still pretty low. Um for COVID only two were reported in May down from the six that were reported in April. Um there is a new co strain NB181. It's an omccron variant and um this new strain is currently surging in China and has been detected by the US center for disease control and prevention's airport screening program in California, Washington, Virginia, and the New York City area. According to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the COVID vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. um citing that over 95% of the US has population immunity at this time. Um the

FDA will only recommend COVID 19 vaccines for adults 65 years and older and those 6 months to 64 years old with at least one risk factor. Um I do have a link for those vaccine specific recommendations. I sent them previously to Nancy. if you're interested, I can send them as well. Um, for a measles activity update, um, according to the CDC, as of May 29th, 2025, a total of 1,088 confirmed cases, confirmed measles cases were reported by 33 jurisdictions encompassing 14 outbreaks, and none of these include Massachusetts. Uh, there have been three confirmed deaths from measles. Um, two have been children, one has been an adult. Travel health precautions for measles. Uh, cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles ms reubella the MMR vaccine. Um, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. So there's they don't really suggest an adult booster at this time. If you're vaccinated, it should be okay. Um, for bird flu activity, human cases, at least 70 people in the US have been infected, mostly farm workers exposed to infected dairy cows, and one person so far has died from bird flu. Uh, for animal spread, the virus has affected over 1,000 dairy cattle herds across 17 states. It has also been detected in wild birds, poultry, and even mammals um such as cats and seals. Uh for vaccine development, the US government recently cancelled over

700 million in funding for Madna's bird flu vaccine, citing concerns over scientific standards and safety. for surveillance and prevention. The CDC is closely monitoring the situation and has confirmed that no sustained human to humanto human transmission has occurred. However, experts warn that the virus could mutate. Um, preventing infection also comes down to maintaining good hygiene, keeping vaccinations up to date, and being aware of your surroundings. If a dead bird is on someone's personal property, they are responsible for disposing of it. um to and they should wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves to handle it. If there is a dead bird in the public way, then animal control is responsible for picking it up. Um to report five or more dead birds in one location, there's an online reporting site, which I have that link. I've previously sent it before, but if again, if anyone's interested, let me know. um livestock and poultry. Since wild migratory birds are natural carriers for bird flu, preventing wild birds from mixing with or having contact with domestic flocks is essential to disease control and prevention. Um there are current outbreaks oh for travel health precautions. There are current outbreaks of chicken gona which is a virus spread by mosquitoes in the area of the Indian Ocean. It is vaccinereventable and vaccination is suggested for travelers to areas of high rates. Some international destinations have current currently circulating polio virus and adults may may receive one lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine if traveling to areas where rates are high. Um, and then for other global outbreaks

and travel notices, I have a link from the CDC. Um, travel health notices. Um, mosquito season is approaching typically from June to the first hard killing frost, which is usually October. Um, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's DPH arbirus surveillance and response plan provides surveillance and phased response guidance for arthropod born viruses arbirus um affecting Massachusetts residents, eastern ecquin and sephilitis virus which is triple e and westnile virus in particular. uh local boards of health are asked to provide routine and emergency contact information for primary and secondary arbirus contacts during this season. These individuals referred to as I arbavirus coordinators are DPH's first and primary point of contact with regard to ibra arborvirus season information. Um, communication to local boards of health occurs through multiple me mechanisms. Routine communications and initial initial communication about any findings primarily occur through the HHN to the identified arbirus coordinators. Important summary communications such as weekly reports uh these are done by Amelia. Amelia does these weekly reports usually um are also sent out through the DPH office of local and regional health. Uh list serve urgent communications impacting multiple municipalities may be sent through the HHN to arbirus coordinators. Other local boards of health members and the OR list serve spray season has begun. The Central Mass Mosquito Control Project, the CMMCP, is a regional

program in Massachusetts focused on mosquito control and public health. It provides services like larvel control, adult mosquito spraying, ditch maintenance, and surveillance to reduce mosquito populations and prevent the spread of diseases. CMMCP also offers public education on mosquito prevention and allows residents to request mosquito spraying or to opt out of uh pesticide applications. The program operates through the summer applying laral control products in catch basins and monitoring mosquito activity. Since mosquitoes thrive in warm, humid conditions, prevention methods like using insect repellent, eliminating standing water, and wearing protective clothing are essential to reducing exposure. So, the 2025 spray season is scheduled to begin today, June 2nd, um, weather permitting. So, requests to spray can be accepted at the Central Mass Mosquito Control Project. going to have that link as well from Amelia. So, let me know if you need any of those links. Great. Thank you. And can I um just add one thing I noticed you had on your uh agenda RSV update and that really hasn't changed much from the World Health Organization. They recommend that the maternal vaccine be given to pregnant women during the third trimester of pregnancy from week 28 onwards. And this is what optimizes uh adequate transfer of antibodies to the baby. And it can be given during any routine antiatal visit as well um

postpartum um in the third trimester or any medical consultations there on. So that was just uh the World Health Organization recommendation. So that's it. Thank you. Any questions members for Molly or Amelia? Oh, thank you Molly and Amelia. Yep. Thanks, Devon. Hello everyone. I'm Devon Thornton, environmental health inspector for town of Grafton. Since our last meeting, uh there have been 14 comprehensive food inspections. Any violations uh observed were addressed or corrected on on the spot. Uh we also received one food establishment complaint. Uh that complaint um has been reoccurring. Um uh and it has to do with a dumpster at the rear of the establishment uh during the weekend. employees don't shut the top, close the top of the dumpster and the resident that lives right behind the restaurant um doesn't like it because sometimes animals are able to get into it and items are uh usually left outside of the dumpster. So, his concern is uh pest. It could draw pest. I've uh reached out to the uh establishment and notify the managers about the issue as I did the first time, but I think um the communication wasn't as um stern as it should have been. Uh, so there's actually going to be some signs

put up in the restaurant that whenever anyone throws anything away in the dumpster in the back to make sure that they close the top on the dumpsters during all uh business hours and make sure they close at the closing of business hours as well. We've had um two housing complaints and it was actually outside nuisances uh trash and just too many items on the property. Uh one we sent out one order to correct to one of the properties and I'm working with the building commissioner to address one of the other properties. There is also one pool in pool pool inspection done and that is it. Any questions? Questions for Devon. Dan, go ahead. Um, yeah, Devon, on that dumpster issue at the restaurant, will you be able to have time to swing by there before the end of the month? Um, just to spot check it as opposed to waiting for another complaint. Oh, definitely. Definitely. I'm actually I'll be in Grafton tomorrow. I'll go check tomorrow. I'll actually try to swing by every day I'm in Grafton to make sure they stay on top of it. Okay, great. Thanks. The the problem is they're they're not closing it on the weekend. That's the problem. That happens, of course. But I I'll stop I'll stop by uh fre well frequently to just give a gentle reminder. Yeah. Yeah. But it sounds like it might need more than that if they don't comply, you know. Okay. Thanks. You're welcome. Thank you, Devon. Welcome. Great. Thank you. Um, any

updates from the group on the opioid settlement fund? I guess I can. Go ahead, Dan. I know you're in and out freezing. Mention. Dan, you might want to turn your camera off just because sometimes everybody saw because Can you hear me? We could. Okay, there we go. That now now we could probably hear you. We It was Let's give Let's give it a try. Can you hear me? Yeah. Yes. So, I think most people saw last Thursday uh Evan and Mary presented uh well, they had a signed agreement with with Gap Recovery and uh presented a mark check for a photo and they we now have a one-year agreement with this local organization to provide recovery coaching and they're all certified for that and have experience as well as harm reduction support community outreach and assistance with residential um placement if that's required. So, we're kind of happy to get that off the ground. Um we have another meeting coming up on the 17th and um we're going to probably address more NAN training uh with folks at that time. Great. Thank you, Dan. Great news. Um Dan, do you want to take item number four and five, the FEP rep and board of health members? Yeah, I was going to make a suggestion um on the FEP rep that we wait a month or two and see how things

uh sort of settle in with the board of health. Um um Andrew is brand new and and he's going to be great. And then Andrew, I apologize. I don't know that I have gotten to you yet to mention that I've decided not to seek reappoint myself. So there may be another uh candidate coming on board. And um and not just that, but I think FEP itself is probably um in some reorganization in that uh Jamie Terry is leaving after June 30th and she's sort of been the go-to person uh in terms of reporting. Um and IA won't be able to take on I was actually just the um sort of back rep but reserve corps and she said she'll be able to attend meetings um she gets all the information and I think Kathy um Kathy from also is in touch Nancy may have to pick up the quarterly drill if one comes up over the next month or two, but there's so many changes I'd feel comfortable waiting another month or two before you folks put somebody in that position, you know? So, I think we should if it's everybody agrees or that we should maybe if that's the consensus, we should just table it for another month or two. Right. So, so Dan, you would stay um as as you are as the the rep for now there, right? while you're rolling off at the end of June. Um and then um Maryanne Deere would also continue to she's able to join in on some of those. Yeah, she'll be able to attend the meetings

either remotely or in person. So we have some representation for the town for sure. Um and a lot of a lot of it basically so Andrew you know also involves um supplies for emergencies and things like that which Amelia was on top of and and um I can when somebody does come on board I'm going to be around both with the opioid committee um recovery partnership and then also with the medical reserve corps to give advice or help anybody that goes into that role eventually, but I think we're covered for now until things shake out, so to speak. Great. Nancy, any concerns with us kind of keeping keeping that for now until things start to settle? Go ahead, Nancy. We have some um stop the bleed kits coming in for the emergency dispensing sites. And if they have any questions and there's no one there to represent Grafton um I don't know what would happen. So I don't know if you want to point Maryanne just so we have somebody. Dan, do you usually attend those or Yeah, either in person or remotely. There's one this Thursday and I I'll be home in time to attend that one. And in the meantime, I'll I mean after that, I'll check with Maryanne and see if she can uh make the next meeting if that's okay with you folks. So, Nancy, I think Dan saying he'll he could stay on as as a um representative from Grafton even though he won't be on the board after June. Uh, but we'll talk to Maryanne about helping out until we

sort of settle who we would like to have appointed to that to assist. So, June will be covered and then he'll check. Is it um monthly, Dan, that they're meeting in for FEP? Uh, no, it's just quarterly actually. Okay. There is a monthly meeting though. Well, okay. There's a Zoom meeting Thursday usually. Yeah. So, uh, anyway, I I'll attend this Thursday and Amelia, you might be on two as well. I will be. Yeah. The other thing I would say is to um a discussion will need to be had about an arbor virus coordinator because once the reports start I'll keep it going but I can only do it till the end of June and then someone else will have to kick in either for the new alliance or one per town. I don't know how that's going to work. I think that's that's kind of where Dan's going with um you know just us kind of pausing until um maybe July when we kind of recommend who to appoint once we once we figure out all those pieces as to who might be available to us to to assist in some of those. Yeah, that's right. I just would hate to drop into somebody's lap and we don't really know who to report to or any of that. And as it turns out, I thought this was going to be my last official meeting, but it looks like we're going to have another one in the middle of the month. um that Evan's trying to put together and I think we can iron some of that stuff out at that meeting, you know. Okay. All right. So, you'll attend on Thursday. Uh we can check in with Maryanne and we'll figure out um the lie moving forward. Yep. And we need an arbor virus

coordinator. Okay. All right. That's what we'll do for there. Well, and while while we're on the topic, um so it looks like this will likely be your last uh official board of health meeting with us. Um so on behalf of everyone, I'd really like to thank you for all your years of service uh to the board and your continued year uh your continued involvement. As you said, you're going to be on some of our subcommittees still as as like an adviser. Um I know certainly you've taught a lot to a lot of us newbies um and been very welcoming to to get us engaged. So thank you for for all you've done. Yeah, you're quite welcome and it's been a it's been a pleasure working with everybody and you know I think we've all gotten some friendships out of it as well as you know professional service. So absolutely you will be you will be much missed Dan but we'll we know where to find you don't worry. Right. Right. Great. All right. Um, so quick update on the ambulance subcommittee. It's kind of the ambulance kind of the emergency kit subcommittee. Um, we met last week. Um we're going to finalize um sort of what the numbers look like for standardizing access to AEDs in town in in you know really specific areas like the schools, the municipal center, um police, uh fire, uh but present that information to Evan for him to be able to sort of digest uh what that could look like and what we have current state today. Um it's kind of a lot to digest. So we'll try and distill some of that. Um Nancy, I'll probably work with you to put together um some sort of a letter to some of those stakeholders that we've been engaging to let them know why we're doing this and that we're you know going

to try and do something more coordinated um through the town. Um and then last meeting we reviewed the data that Todd um had had for us um on essentially um ambulance trips, how long it takes for uh folks to get access to an ambulance and emergency services when they need them. Um you know, looking at the data of how many times people actually get transported to the hospital or when they decline after evaluation. Um and our numbers look pretty good in Grafton, but we could always do a little bit more to make sure that we're freeing up access and also that um residents have what they need and that maybe that's that's not necessarily uh the phone call the first phone call that they need to make. Um so we'll have some followup with um some other stakeholder groups. We're going to try and convene um some learning sessions and find out what the needs are, maybe um develop some kits. U Molly, we might reach out to you as well with some of your insights since she's you've been out and about in some of those communities that um may benefit from some additional resources. And I know you're doing a lot of that now. So, we'll we'll want to download some of that. But um sounds like you know some um connections with um people in the community that are you know doing like senior housing, the council on aging um and really just making sure that we're identifying if people have unmet needs maybe we can help connect them with some of those and and reduce some of those calls if necessary and appropriate. Andrew, anything to add to that? Great. Nothing to add. Thank you. All right. So, Nancy, I'll follow up with you and uh Devon, actually, I'll probably loop you in on some of those, too, because you might have some of the people that we might want to connect with um on your list of people that you already connect with as well. So,

great. All right. And then, so we have a couple of um updates on the TUS IBC. Uh we have uh two members um the Alyssa Arad Aradi um ex officio non- voting member and Jennifer Nakajoba alternative alternate exeicio non- voting member whose terms are up and they are not seeking reappoint for those um but we um and so TUS is looking for replacement uh but um Dr. Um, Bill Mueller of our very own group here, uh, has said that he would be willing to serve as exopicio non- voting member. Um, we cannot appoint him, but we can certainly make a recommendation that the select board nominate him for that role. Uh, so with that, would anybody like to make a motion to nominate Dr. Muller to as exeicio non- voting member to the TUS IBC? I move ahead. Oh, go ahead. No, no, you I can't remember all that. Andrew Chalupa, I move that we uh recommend the nomination of Dr. Bill Mueller as the exeicio non- voting member of the Tufts IBC to the select board. To the select board. This is Dan Finno. Second that motion. Great. Uh roll call. Andrew Shalup. I Dan Finny. Jen Mayor. I know that's a little bit of a mouthful. All of those. Um and then we actually have um the TUS uh the TUS community uh representatives

uh um term is also up. That is uh David Deua. Um and he is interested in um being reappointed to that role. So, would anybody like to make a motion that we um recommend to the select board that they reappoint David to um as the community representative to the TUS IBC? This is Dan Finn. I'd like to make a motion to re to recommend to the board of to the select board David Noinga as a um re re-uping member of of the IBC board. So and this is Andrew Chalooka and I second that motion. Roll call. Den Fen I. Andrew Chaluka I. Jen made it I great. Um, I think Nancy, remind me. Did we get minutes for the 7th and the 5th? I don't remember. We did. April 7th. Yeah, we did. You're probably It was probably a while ago and I just forgot about it. Um, so, um, would anybody like to make a mo any recommendations or discussion on the April 7th, 2025 meeting minutes? No. So, I I would like to Dan Finn, I'd like to make a motion to accept the minutes of the April 7th, 2025 minutes of the board of health. This is Andrew Luke. I second that. Okay. Roll call. Dan Fai. Andrew Luke. I Jen Mayor. I Okay. So, we had April 7th, but not May 5th,

right? Okay. All right. I have uh no old or new business or mail correspondence. Um we for upcoming meetings, we do have uh not a full board of health meeting, but just a public hearing scheduled for June 16th. Um, Nancy, do we know is that going to be fully virtual? That will be both. I have I do have Okay, great. So, that will be both um at the municipal center and available um online. Um members of the public are certainly recommended if you want to submit um questions or testimony um beforehand to do so um or attend the meeting. Um, and then we have our standing meetings scheduled for July 14th, August 11th, September 8th, October 6th, November 10th, and December 8th. As we get closer to those meetings, we will um indicate if they are hybrid or uh virtual or in person. Um, I have nothing else on our agenda for this evening. Are there any other items to bring forth or any motions to be made? This is Dan Finn like a motion to to adjourn this particular meeting and and wish everybody a nice evening and a happy happy summer. This is Andrew Jalipkai second. Roll call. Dan Finny. Andrew Jalipy. Jen May and I. Oh, your final your final adjournment motion, Dan.