The meeting convened at 7:00 PM. Present were Chairman Louis Fazen, III, Members Ruth C. Brefka, and Nancy A. Sacco, Public Health Director Paul C. Pisinski and Administrative Assistant Barbara M. Luther.

The minutes of the February 8, 2006 were tabled for review at the next meeting.

Vouchers totaling $397.98 were approved for payment from the Board of Health Budget.

Members were briefed on the agenda and any scheduled appointments.
Mr. Pisinski advised the Board of a dental office at Town Center Mall that wants to expand. The owners may come before the Board tonight, requesting a variance to the Title 5 Code. The variance would be to the estimated sewage design flow required for dental chairs, which is 250 gpd per chair. The office now has six (6) chairs and would like more. Mr. Pisinski explained that any variance like this would have to be approved by the Department of Environmental Protection as well as the Board of Health. He explained the criteria, by which the Title 5 Code allows the Board to consider a variance request. One being “manifest injustice”, which means that not granting the variance request a hardship or injustice would be placed the petitioner. The fact that the dental practice is currently operating out of an office in the Town Center Mall appears to negate any injustice. Mr. Pisinski further explained that he has met in the past with the management company for the mall to discuss similar requests. At those meetings he explained the process and how they might present the facts for the Board for their consideration. One of the necessary components for review would be obtained through regular tracking of the flows into the septic system from maintenance records. This requirement of the Maintenance and Operation Manual has not been met, and there is no way to determine how much effluent the system is receiving now, or how additional flows would affect the system.

Public Health Director’s Contract - Mr. Pisinski”s contract was signed by all three Board Members and by him, a copy of the executed contract will be given to Town Counsel. Dr. Fazen explained why the budget looks as though Mr. Pisinski received a 6% increase in 2007. This is because the $2,500.00 stipend Mr. Pisinski received for taking over the Food Inspections, was included the salary line for the first time this year. Mr. Pisinski's actual increase for FY 2007 is 3.67%, which is well within the Personnel Board guidelines.

BUDGET
Board Members and Staff spent time in preparation for the Advisory Committee Meeting. Dr. Fazen will speak in general terms about Emergency Preparedness, wellness, and the Board of Health’s role and Mrs. Sacco and Mrs. Brefka will speak to the nurse’s duties and communicable disease follow-up, and any questions regarding septic systems or the details of the daily activities of the Board of Health office will be addressed by Mr. Pisinski. All agreed that one of the most important roles of the Board of Health is communicable disease follow-up as a way to prevent the spread of disease in our community. Mr. Pisinski suggested that most of the Advisory Committee Members need to be educated as to just what the Board of Health’s functions are. Dr. Fazen hopes to help them understand that we can see trends based on surveillance done at the local levels and submitted to the state. Dr. Fazen will also speak about the low per capita cost of Public Health in Southborough; last calendar year it was approximately $3.51 per person. The major increase in the Board of Health Budget this year is actually small, but because it is doubling the Public Health Nurses hours from 2 hours per week to 4 hours per week, it is expected that the 100% increase in that line item will draw attention. The meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM to attend the Advisory Committee Meeting and reconvened at 8:40 PM

REPORT ON CORE DIRECTIVES
Tobacco - Mrs. Sacco explained that the deadline for participation in this year’s anti-smoking calendar program passed on February 20th. However, Mrs. Sacco in now in contact with the right people and Southborough schools can be involved in next year’s program. The program encourages school children to draw pictures which discourage people from smoking. Twelve pictures are chosen to appear in an annual calendar, the winners are invited into the State House with their parents. Each child that enters receives a letter a thanks from the Massachusetts Medical Society. Mrs. Sacco has an appointment with one of the school nurses and will discuss Southborough’s participation during that meeting. Mrs. Brefka asked Mrs. Sacco if there was any follow-up as to how participating in the program kept children and their parents from smoking.
Mr. Pisinski informed the members of an invitation from the Tobacco Control Commission for board members to attend meetings. The next meeting of the WRTCC is on April 6, 2006 from 9:00 to 11:30 AM. During meetings things such as grants and compliance checks are discussed and the group would like to have input from elected board members

Emergency Preparedness –
In response to a discussion which took place at the Advisory Committee Meeting it was decided that the members would look into stockpiling items that might be needed in a pandemic.
Each member was given a copy of the Region 4A Family Disaster Planning Brochure, and a draft letter written by Dr. Fazen, which introduces the Family Disaster Plan to the residents of Southborough and briefly addresses the expected Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), which will need volunteers from the community. Mrs. Luther explained that she had not been able to get additional Region 4A brochures, but that the MassSupport Family Disaster Plan was essentially the same thing as the Region 4A brochure. She was able to order 3,000 of those brochures and with the 1,200 Region 4A brochures we already have, will be able to do a town wide mailing. It was decided that the letter authored by Dr. Fazen would be signed by all members, copies would be made and it would be used as the “wrapper” of the brochure mailing. This is the most economic way to mail the 4200 letters and brochures. Mrs. Luther explained that Mrs. Chamberlin thought that the seniors might be interested in folding and stabling the brochures. They must be divided into mailing routes and then brought to the Post Office. Mr. Pisinski will contact Region 4A to request reimbursement for the mailing.
Archana Joshi – New Region 4A Coordinator will be invited to the April 5, 2006 meeting. The majority of the meeting will be dedicated to Emergency Preparedness. Deliverables, such as Mutual Aid Agreements, 24/7 coverage, and etc. will be discussed with Ms. Joshi.
Mr. Pisinski explained that several towns have issues with a Mutual Aid Agreement. For example, the Town of Acton is not in favor of participating because they spend a great deal more than the surrounding towns of Public Health. No town wants to subsidize other town’s that aren’t spending enough on Public Health issues.

Working with Other Departments- Public Safety/Highway Safety is a new core directive for the Board of Health under “Working with Other Departments”. Dr. Fazen attended a meeting at Algonquin High School two weeks ago and was quite impressed with the how the Police and Fire Officials from both Northborough and Southborough are addressing the issues of drinking, drug use and driving with the high school students at Algonquin Regional High School. Dr. Fazen believes that the police and fire know how to relate with the kids and to speak their language, so to speak. The issues addressed were dangerous choices kids make such as drug and alcohol use, and driving recklessly. The schools and the public safety departments in each town can and are doing a great deal to try and curb these dangerous practices, but the responsibility really falls on the parents to stop their kids from engaging in these activities. Kids need also to really learn how to drive as well as knowing that they should not drive after drinking or smoking pot. One proposal at the Algonquin meeting was to develop “Safe Party Groups”. The parents in these groups will contact each other to confirm that a party is actually going to take place at the parents home, that parents will be there and that there will be no alcohol. Some kids are holding “slumber parties”, which really aren’t slumber parties and it was the belief of the group that met at Algonquin, that after seventh and eighty grade “slumber parties” should stop. Some parents make the poor choice to take everyone’s keys let the kids drink and then sleep over. This is not considered a wise practice. Dr. Fazen explained that other groups such as Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) were also addressing the issue of underage drinking and therefore thought that the Board of Health should focus on what it can do involving seatbelts and their use by all ages. Mrs. Sacco explained information that she had received in her kids school information packets regarding National Child Safety Week. The information explained criteria for booster seats and seatbelts. Noting that she thought it was good that the schools are addressing these issues, she said that the information received reported that in Massachusetts seatbelt use is very low. The Board members all felt that this is something that they can get involved with and work with the Fire Department and Police Department on ways to promote seatbelt use and Dr. Fazen will follow-up with the Police and Fire Departments.

Executive Session At 9:00 PM Chairman Fazen moved to go into executive session under MGL Chapter 39, section 23B, to discuss an issue which may come under litigation. A role call vote was taken; Mrs. Brefka voted in the affirmative, as did Mrs. Sacco. The executive session adjourned at 9:31 PM and the regularly scheduled meeting reconvened.

Board of Health received $4,043.00 in Flu Clinic Medicare reimbursement - Mrs. Luther advised the Board Members that reimbursement from Medicare Billing brought in $4,084.00. It is her understanding that she will be able to set up an “Agency Account” so that the money received can be used for nursing services related to any Public Health issues, but especially Emergency Preparedness. Mrs. Luther will be meeting with the Accounting Department to set up the account.

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 PM

Respectfully submitted by: Barbara M. Luther, Administrative Assistant to the Board of Health