Board of Health - Regular Meeting

evening and welcome to the Monday, April 6, 2026 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 Chalupka Andrew Shalupka here. Bill Muller. Bill Muller here. Karen Gin. And here.

Staff and anticipated speakers uh on the agenda. When I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Bridget Pearley. Bridget here. Thank you. And I believe um dialing in also uh Nancy Connor. Nancy Connor here. Thank you. Okay. I'd like to open the meeting. May I have a motion to open the meeting? This is Andrew Chalupa. I move to open tonight's board of golf meeting. Is there a second? This is Bill Muller. I second that motion. Roll call. Andrew Chuka. I Bill Mer. I

was ask. Okay. This open meeting of the Grafton Board of Health is being conducted hybridly consistent with the act extending certain CO 19 measures adopted during a state of emergency. Governor Neely 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 COVID 19 virus, the act extends the requirement of the 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.graphand-mas.gov, of allows public bodies to meet entirely remotely so long as reasonable public access is afforded so that 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 are no public hearings scheduled for this evening's meeting. If the public has a question or comment on the agenda on an agenda item, please utilize the Q&A feature in Zoom. Please include your full name and address when submitting a comment for this meeting. Grafted board of health is convened by video conference and in person as posted on the town's website identifying how the public may join. Please note that this meeting is being recorded and that some 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 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 item on the agenda, permit me to cover some ground rules for effective and clear conduct of our business and to ensure accurate meeting minutes. I'll introduce any speakers on 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 are not speaking. Please remember to speak clearly and in a way that helps generate accurate meeting minutes. For any response, please wait until I yield the floor to you and state the name your name before speaking. If members wish to engage with other members, please do so through me, taking care to identify yourself. Finally, any votes on any motions made during this meeting will be conducted by roll call vote. Okay. Thank you. Oh, and just acknowledging uh McKenzie Ber has also joined us today. Welcome. All right, so our new uh agenda item is the public comment period. Um as a reminder, public comment is open to all in attendance using the raise hand button on Zoom. Each attendee may speak for a maximum of three minutes. Total period of all comments should not exceed 20 minutes. Any additional public participation will be at the discretion of the chair. I just want to uh identify for minutes. I'll probably give just a few extra minutes in case anybody joins a little bit late. Um but other than the staff and um members of the board, there are no attendees dialed in on Zoom and there are no attendees in person with us except our IT support. Okay. So, we'll just give another minute or so and then we will close public comments and have the right to open public comments. Should anybody join us? Maybe want to add anything.

Okay, just recognizing that we are six minutes after the start of our meeting. There are no additional attendees in the room or on the Zoom uh to comment. So, we're going to go ahead and move past public comment. Uh I will let folks know if anybody joins and um pause for opportunity in case people wanted to have public comment. Everybody okay with that? Great. All right. So, moving right along, we will open this up to I'm not sure if Bridget or McKenzie wanted to go first. No, no, go ahead, Mackenzie. It's fine. Okay. All right. So, um yeah, Annette gave me the um updates just to share with everybody. Um so, for March, uh we did 17 food inspections. Um we also inspected one temporary event. We did two housing inspections and uh three maintenance inspections. Um in addition, um Allison, our coordinator, she's coordinated a mental health first aid training for municipal staff. Um it's going to be held on May 4th at the Shrewsbury Library. And um so far we have over 30 staff members across the three communities that are enrolled. Um, and this work is related to some of the uh priority areas that were were identified during the Shrewsbury and West Boilson opioid listening sessions. Um, also our department was awarded a $5,000 grant um through the NIH FDA retail flexible funding model. the grant program. Um, it supports local health department's ability to implement uh the standards that are required for food establishments. Um, and as a part of this, the health department is going to look to update the food regulations across the three communities. Um, so that they're

consistent with the 2022 FDA food code. Um, and Bridges, she gave me an update for you, but I'll I'll just let you you do that one. Um and then the last is that um at the last emergency management meeting, Annette was asked to help to support the uh the work the board of health started regarding the AED programs in Graten. Um she's been speaking to the departments that have AED programs and will be providing some recommendations during the May board of health meeting.

Perfect. Thank you, Mackenzie. I think she's also helping um with some of the work around the ambulance followup as well, just to make sure it's ticking and tying back to that committee for us. And your assistant did very well in that update. Uh it br some quick medicine updates. So for the month of March, I did 98 D investigations for grass. There were no food born illness investigations that relate to local food establishments. Um however, there were a few of those that were associated to the measles outbreak. So one of the outbreaks from Massachusetts, we had two positive cases so far. So one of those we had a few close contacts. Um nothing came about those. they were contacted by myself, DPH or from their primary care provider. We gave them education um necessary next steps if they needed to take any and again there was no concerns with any of those cases. They all follow protocol and answered all the questions that we had for them. And then just sort of for upcoming events. So, we also partnered with Shaw's pharmacy and we're going to offer a a co booster clinic on May 22nd from 9 to 12 at the municipal center gym. There will also be other vaccines available such as um RSC, Shinlicks, Presnar. However, you do need to pre-register for those vaccines. Co vaccines can be done on a walking basis. Uh there is a flyer that Shery and she's been so kind to post that on the website. And there's also flyers at the COA. Um, if someone has trouble being the QR code, there's a phone number they can also call or they can pre-register and fill a form available at the COA. On April 22nd at 10 a.m., I will be

doing a presentation at the COA on tick. So hopefully we have a good turnout for that. And then again in June, we're still planning to do our blood drive giving more details from the craft room with blood donor center. And once we have those as far as registration, make sure those out with everybody. Last Thank you. Uh members, any questions for McKenzie or Bridget? Which is the vaccination clinic is going to be at which?

So, it's going to be at the um municipal center which is partnering with SH. They're providing the vaccines. It's the S and Shberry. It's the same pharmacy that we used in the fall for the food clinic and the co clinic. So there's a new recommendation 6 months after a new recommendation for a co booster. So they put out an offer to do another booster clinic. Okay,

great. Thank you, ladies. Okay, let's see. Um, so the next item on our agenda for this evening is just give me a second here. Um, the TUS biomed consultant. Um, so each year we're uh provided or each every two years, excuse me, a little background. Every two years we're provided uh an in an invoice and a contract um for um this uh biomedical consultant work done at TUS and what happens is that it comes to the board of health uh and then we vote on whether or not it goes to the select board for approval and um we get the invoice pay it and then TPS reimbures the town for that. Um this she I know we had some questions in followup. Uh and this this is for effective of July. So we do have some time if we wanted to pause. Um I know Andrea had asked for um Colleen CV just so we can familiarize ourselves. Um and I just wanted to note in case there's any other discussion or questions uh for this evening. So, the the quote for the two years um the 2026 quote for the 2-year contract uh is in the amount of 8,352 and each line is itemized. Um and just prior years for context, 2024 was 7,200 and 2022 was 6,800. Um so, I don't know if anybody has any discussion or um follow-up questions besides the CV from Colleen. um if we wanted to pause on any kind of um recommendations this evening or if we wanted to proceed or ask further questions thoughts.

Um thank you Jen. So one of my questions had been about the funding. Um and I had seen in the bylaws that TUS does pay um uh a permitting fee that will cover this. So that I'm I'm glad to to see that. I would just because I'm so unfamiliar with the process and because this is such an important uh thing that we are dealing with. Um I would like to hold uh hold off on voting until the board gets a chance to review uh her CV. um you know I I have full faith in her and I know she's been doing it for the board of health uh for the past few cycles but um as I say this is an important uh task that we are entrusting to her and I would just be curious um to to see who else she has inspected uh for and um you know hopefully we're in good company.

Yeah, that makes sense to me. Uh others thoughts on that or other follow-up questions? Um and I don't know if we wanted to just ask her. Uh I know Nancy has a a message out to her um that we just And Nancy, I muted you, so if you're trying to talk, just come off mute. Um just so we don't have feedback. Um I know Nancy requested that of just probably didn't get a chance to respond uh prior to our meeting. Um I don't know if it would be helpful for folks. Um she does have a sort of a write up of what she does in those areas for the itemized list. I don't know if we wanted to ask any follow-up questions about um you know how she sort of came to the calculated increase for this year. It does go up each year, but it did go up um a bit more than it's gone up previously. And it could just be, you know, the cost of things, but um we could also just use some time to probably look through and see if she identified uh where some of those cost drivers where that could have changed because it the the request did go up more than $1,000 this year from the last two, which is a jump from, like I said, prior percentage increases. members on the phone. Any other questions that we should float to Colleen? Great. Okay, Nancy, hopefully you heard that. All right. And we will make sure she gets that. All right. So, we'll hold off on that. Um, as I said, it's for effective July, I think, as long as we get it to um the select board before their June meeting so they can vote. And certainly, I think if we have any insights for them, it would be helpful as well. That way they won't have to ask additional questions.

Do you know um how Colleen was initially hired? You know, was this I imagine might predate anyone on the board. Well, probably not Karen. Yeah, not me, but I I know there was a whole process we went through. Oh, okay. Yeah. All right.

But I don't remember it in detail. But yeah, it wasn't just like randomly out of the blue type of situation. And it was I'm pretty sure Nancy you can you know check me on this. I'm pretty sure she came in cuz I think at the time you might have been like not virtual at all. Um but definitely there were discussions and obviously reviews of CV etc. proposal so on and so forth. Um so yeah that was and I don't remember like if there were other applicants etc. And I know TUS obviously, you know, has their paying and stuff, you know, they were part of it and then we recommend to the select board. Um,

that is one of my questions. Was she recommended by TUS? Was she found independently? And I understand it might be kind of long ago to remember those details. Yeah, I don't remember without us like literally having to dig through minutes or ancient emails. No, it's it's fine. I don't think we need to do that if but if we can, you know, I I didn't find much of an online presence for her. I just would be curious to learn more about her background. That's all. Thank you guys.

Yeah. Yeah, it's a good question. Um yeah, so we'll get that and then um I'm just scanning real quick. I don't think it says anything about the increase. Um, and not that the town isn't going to get reimbursed, but just always being good stewards. Um, you know, we can, as I said, we can compare a little bit to the 24 to the 26, but it did, it did strike me as a little bit higher than prior years. Great. All right. So, we'll get back and look to add this to our May date. All right. It's going by awfully fast. Okay. Um, why don't we, while we're talking about motions and things like that, why don't we move nominations up to next, um, we have the, um, I believe it's the annual nominations for, um, animal inspector, there are two, and assistant animal inspectors, and those are listed. And these are folks um, currently in those seats, I believe. And they would need um each nomination would need to be done independently and I believe it is for a term of one year. I'm just double checking. There you are. Nancy, can you confirm is it one year term for the animal inspector and assistant animal inspector? Yes, it is.

Perfect. Thank you. Um, so each of these are going to come as an individual nomination for a term of one year. I move that we nominate Melinda Mckendendrick for a one-year term as animal inspector. Is there a second? I second that. Roll call. Andrew Chalupa. I have an eye. or I uh this is Andrew Shalooka. I move that we appoint Jay Hassen uh to a one-year term as animal inspector. Is there a second? Mrs. Bill, I second that. Andrew Chalooka I

Bill Mer. I This is Andrew Chuca. I move that we appoint Keith Elmisus as assistant animal inspector for a one-year term. Second I second that

Andrew I thank you. Okay we'll take pause from all the motions and we'll look at the calendar. Uh Nancy has requested that we try to schedule ourselves through the end of the year. Um, and I think while we talk about this, we can talk about if we want um, hybrid or um, virtual. Um, and so looking at July, we already have May and June both going to be hybrid. Um, July, just given that um, the first Monday is the I'm sorry, the first Monday is the 6th right after the holiday. So, uh, would the 13th work for folks? And we want that hybrid. I'll just say yeah works. Speak up if it doesn't work. All right. So, we'll do the 13th hybrid and August. How about the 10th? And it's okay. I know uh when you go into the summer months, we all might not be planning a nice long weekend to get away, but we might change it and we can adjust. Uh September 14th, which will get us through uh Russiana is the 12th and the 13th, and Labor Day is the 7th. I think we holidays than if we do the 14th. Is that right?

Okay. Do we want to do our last hybrid in Oh, go ahead. Uh, do we want to do that as our last hybrid instead of you? Let's hope no snow in September. Strange things that happened. Um, moving through October, uh, the 12th is, um, indigenous people or Columbus Day, however folks identify that as. Um, how about October 5th then? And then we have November, let's see, ninth trying to avoid making sure everybody can vote in this Veterans Day, which is later on that week. Let's see. November and December. Hard to believe we're thinking of this. How about Okay, I don't think we can avoid that. um like the first night of my so December 7th. I'm not that good with dates. It's on my calendar. I'm cheating a little bit. Okay. Uh December 7th and we'll do those um last three months virtual if that works for folks. Okay, great. All right. And then we had

four four sets of minutes. Um, I know Nancy said she's doing some um just formatting changes on those and then just a couple of uh typos that I think the scribe picked up a little bit differently which show correct. Um, but bearing um the bearing any typos or formatting uh did anyone have any uh feedback or discussion on the four sets of meeting minutes? And I think they just remind you what month did you join? First question. Let's see. Um, okay.

Oh, okay. I was I was just going to say the only ones you don't vote on are the ones that you weren't on the board for, but I think you were on for all of these. Let's double check.

Yeah, you can. Even if you missed it, you can you can vote on it. That's fine. as long as you're on the board. I couldn't I just couldn't remember your month. I can barely remember my month. Okay, great. Any further discussion on the minutes? Thanks for getting those to us. Was a big job getting all those out. Um would anyone like to make a motion? We have to do one for each of them. This is Andrew Chalupka. I move to approve the minutes for the meeting on November 10th, 2025.

Still I second that. Andrew Chalooka. I Karen I this is Andrew Chalooka. I move to approve the minutes from December 8th, 2025. Second. M. I second that. Andrew Chalooka I

This is Andrew Chaluka. I move to approve the minutes from the meeting on January 12th, 2026. Mer second that. Roll call. Andrew Chaluka. I Bill Mer I mean I This is Andrew Chuka. I move to approve the minutes from the meeting on February 9th, 2026. Bill, I second that. Welcome.

Andrew Iron J. Oh, you're an efficient bunch this evening. You think of us lots of tasks. All right. Is there any old or new business to flag for these uh this meeting today? No.

Okay. Uh we have no mail or correspondence to report. Um we have upcoming meeting minutes or excuse me meetings uh hybrid um conference room F on May 11th 6:30 June 1st 2026 hybrid of room A. Uh, and I just before we close out want to acknowledge that we have not been joined by any attendees in person or virtually to offer public comments to with that make a motion. This is Andrew Chuka. I move to close tonight's meeting. This is Bill Mer. I second that motion. Roll call. Andrew Chuka. I

may. All right. We're ajourned. Thanks everyone. Have a nice rest of your week.