The meeting convened at 2:05 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 October meeting were approved with corrections.

Vouchers totaling $478.95 were approved for payment from the Board of Health Budget.

Members were briefed on the agenda and any scheduled appointments.

Mr. Pisinski gave the Board Members an overview of the items that will be discussed at this meeting, which include several housing issues that Mr. Pisinski and Mrs. Brefka have responded to as well as new job description for positions that are being requested for FY08. Mr. Pisinski advised the Board that Daniel Ottenheimer of Mill River Consulting was in attendance, but that he had not received the outline of possible sewer collection regulations that he had expected from Fuss & O’Neal. Police Officer, David Hagen arrived at the meeting wishing to speak to the Board about “working with the police department on wellness” and the Board asked that he return at 3:00 PM so that they might give full attention to his interest in Police and Board of Health working together.

PETITIONS/PUBLIC HEARINGS
Daniel Ottenheimer of Mill River Consulting introduced himself to the Board Members by giving a bit of his background. He is a past Public Health Director in the city of Gloucester, MA, and an active member of the Massachusetts Health Officer’s Association. Currently he owns the Mill River Consulting Service and works with several Massachusetts Board’s of Health. Mr. Pisinski asked Mr. Ottenheimer to come to the Board of Health meeting to discuss Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Procedures for large or pressure dosed systems, permitting processes and development of a system for the Board of Health to monitor O&M compliance. Mr. Pisinski also asked Mr. Ottenheimer to offer a proposal for a “needs assessment” consultation and assistance in addressing and meeting the new Board of Health goals.
Dr. Fazen explained that the Board is interested in seeing how a small Board of Health might look towards the future as the Public Health sector is required to change to meet the demands of the post 9/11 world.
Mr. Ottenheimer suggested that the O&M goals, policies, etc. would be addressed on a contractual agreement with Mill River under a scope of work proposal requiring interaction with Mr. Pisinski, Mrs. Luther and the Board Members.
Mr. Pisinski advised the members that he had spoken to Venessa Hale, Assistant to the Town Administrator and she advised him that although it is not a strict requirement, it is good to get three (3) estimates. Although Mr. Pisinski has heard back only from Mr. Ottenheimer, he has contacted all of the following individuals/agencies:
Daniel Ottenheimer 1-800-377-3004
Mill River Consulting 1-978-282-0014
5 Blackburn Center
Gloucester, MA 01930

Ms. Jean McGuire 1-617-373-7729
Northeaster University
College of Health Services and Assessments

Harold Cox 1-617-638-4964
Boston University School of Public Health

Mr. Mark Morse 1-617-426-8049
Mass Municipal Association (M.M.A.)
Consulting Group
41 West Street
Boston, MA 02111

Mr. Ottenheimer explained to the Board Members his wide range of experience in Public Health as he had to deal with a heroin problem in Glouster, 70 restaurants, and 45 massage establishments. He participated in a Community Health Needs Study while in Gloucester looking at what the specific needs were in the community and which ones the Board of Health is charged to address. He advised the members that the outcome of that study set the tone for the Board of Health in Glouster and remains the track on which the department is focused even today. He explained that as the Gloucester Board of Health headed toward disease control, and because his background is more in the environmental segment of Public Health, he resigned from Gloucester and opened Mill River Consulting. As a company they do wastewater consulting, pools and many other inspections in several towns.
Advising that a community assessment is a major task that could not be complete before Mr. Pisinski goes into retirement he suggested a start by using information already gathered or understood by Mr. Pisinski, Mrs. Luther, Board Members and the Board of Selectmen. Dr. Fazen asked Mr. Ottenheimer how Mill River interfaces with other Boards of Health. Mr. Ottenheimer explained that all enforcement was carried out by the Town/City, but inspections were requested through the Board of Health Office and then scheduled through Mill River. Some towns are on a unit basis and others on a contractual basis. In his experience fees are paid by the Town Board of Health to prevent any compromise of integrity.
Regarding a “community assessment”, Mrs. Sacco said, we believe that we know the direction this community wants to go in the future because they elected two nurses and a doctor to their Board of Health. Dr. Fazen agreed, with Mrs. Sacco, saying that the Board is heading toward disease/pandemic control and prevention. A ”needs assessment” will help us to better understand what specific issues are most important in this community.
Mr. Ottenheimer explained that on a daily basis Mill River addresses the environment issues, but his firm has a good understanding of the future needs and directions local Boards of Health are being required to go and is familiar with and can assist in interactions with the State.
Mr. Pisinski explained the need for developing a system that will insure that the large systems in town are being inspected and reports are being submitted to the office. Several years ago he proposed a renewable license with a fee. As long as the O&M requirements were met the license would be renewed, but the proposal gave the Board of Health a mechanism to insure proper maintenance of the systems. The Board, at that time, had him send a letter to all the large system owner/operators, and to engineers for comment. Most responses came back that between the cost of installation and the new fees companies were being overburdened and his proposal went no where. Mr. Ottenheimer, advised that not only is this a good regulatory practice, but it is in the best interest of the owner/operator of the system because it protects their investment. He explained that he had set up this type of system in Glouster.
Dr. Fazen said that he sees a two part need for this Board of Health; one to address the environmental issues and a second consultant to guide us toward the new, New Board of Health.
Mr. Ottenheimer provided a diagram on possible consulting services his company could provide.

Environmental Health Administration Disease Control & Prevention
Wastewater, Inspections, Regulatory, Housing, Food, Pools, and Camps, etc. Grants and Communication, Interaction with State, etc. Pandemic, Emergency Preparedness, etc. (This is where the study needs to be done.)
To Dr. Fazen’s question of how to get money to fund these things, Mr. Ottenheimer explained that this is one of the things the needs assessment will accomplish. After the needs assessment the Board can go to Town Meeting with a “sales pitch” so to speak, showing what the needs are and which ones are not being met, then offering a solution on how to meet the unmet needs and asked for funding. Giving several examples, Mr. Ottenheimer also suggested that the Board look at other towns with the same demographics to see what they have done and if there is a model that might work in Southborough. Mrs. Brefka stated that she felt that Southborough was unique in the way that the Director and the Administrative Assistant worked as a team and she wants to maintain that atmosphere. Dr. Fazen advised that the department will be okay through July 1, 2007 because Mr. Pisinski will still be here on a part-time basis, but that he would like to be able to present something to Town Meeting in 2008.
Mr. Pisinski explained that the Board doesn’t need to go to Town Meeting to ask for money to work on a proposal for a Large System O&M Program because of money held in a Board of Health Fund for just this purpose, septic management. He believes that he has a “staffing scenario” on how the department will look as of July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008 but the third years is yet to be deliniated. The fact that Southborough has no public sewer requires a consultant that is familiar with Title 5 Environmental issues. Mr. Ottenheimer has familiarity with both environmental and disease control and prevention issues. The other consultants contacted seemed only familiar with disease control and prevention on a Statewide or National scale. A total needs assessment can become very expensive because the area of disease control and prevention is so often in flux Often times the media drives the communities feelings. The Board needs to look beyond the media to what the real issues are, not just the perceived issues..
Dr. Fazen told Mr. Ottenheimer that the Board would like him to make a presentation on Large System procedures and said that if he had any ideas on how Southborough might move ahead to the “new Board of Health” they would like to see those too.

Officer David Hagen, Southborough Police was welcomed to the meeting by Dr. Fazen and the other members of the Board. Officer Hagen explained that he had stopped in because he had seen two items on the agenda under Core Directives that interested him and the Chief of Police, namely Working with Other Departments and Wellness and Obesity. The Police Department has made a determination to insure that all the men and women of the department are physically fit to perform their jobs. There are also other areas of common concern for both the police and the Board of Health, such as emergency planning for non-traditional threats. Officer Hagen thanked the Board for inviting the Chief to the MRC meeting saying that they understand that a pandemic situation will affect the Police both in manpower and emergency planning coordination. Officer Hagen said that the PD would like to work with the Board of Health towards keeping their officers healthy. Dr. Fazen asked if many police officers had attended the Flu Clinic advising that the flu is not just a cold, but a serious illness and that they are susceptible when then get within 3 ½ feet of an individual who has or is coming down with the flu. Dr. Fazen felt that it should be a strong directive by the Chief that people must be on duty during flu season and therefore be protected against contracting the flu.
Mrs. Sacco asked if officers are required to pass a physical fitness test. Officer Hagen said not now, but that maybe something that is negotiated into future contracts. The Chief gives each officer 2 hours per week, while on duty, to work out in the department’s gym, but are looking to the Board of Health for advice on how to make the department healthier from a holistic perspective. Board members suggested TB testing, Hepatitis B, and Tetanus vaccinations are all a good idea to protect both police and fire department staff because they deal with the general public on a regular basis, and not always under the best circumstances. Dr. Fazen offered to make a presentation to the officers explaining these vaccines and how they are made, etc. Dr. Fazen also told Officer Hagen that if the Police Department comes up with a fitness program, the Board of Health would very much like to work with them to expand it to the schools, recreation and possibly even hiking trails.
Stating that the new Board of Health is moving into disease control, prevention and emergency preparedness, Dr. Fazen said that he felt that the Board of Health should be located in the same complex as the public safety will be housed. He asked Officer Hagen to take that idea back to Chief Webber, advising that the Board of Health is being called to provide 24/7 response and therefore should be located with the other public safety departments. Officer Hagen assured the members that he would bring the idea before the Chief and said that he knew that the Chief would give it consideration and some brainstorming before he responded back.

Mutual Aid Article for Annual Town Meeting.
Mr. Pisinski explained to the Board Members that both the Attorney for the Department of Public Health and the Southborough Town Counsel have reviewed the Mutual Aid Article language and say that it is okay to enter into such an agreement. The first step is to have the Article placed on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant, which will require a vote of the Board of Health. Mr. Pisinski explained what the mutual aid agreement will do and Mrs. Sacco moved that the Board of Health Sponsor the Article at the upcoming Town Meeting. Mrs. Brefka seconded the motion and Dr. Fazen made it unanimous.

MRC - The Board decided that the next MRC Meeting, which will be scheduled for the end of February, will be designed to teach the volunteers how to organize an Executive Committee. Mrs. Brefka will contact Mark Orham of Ashland Board of Health and will try to get either him or Liisa Jackson to attend the January Board of Health Meeting to instruct the Board Members and then have Liisa Jackson attend the February MRC Meeting to instruct the volunteers.

BUDGET
Board Members were provided copies of the proposed FY08 Budget and three new job descriptions. Mr. Pisinski asked that the Board Members read the job description so that they can speak to them before the Advisory Committee and the Board of Selectmen. He explained that in his proposal the FY09 staffing is the same with the exception of probably increasing the Public Health Nursing hours to 15 per week and having her work more with Tobacco Control and Emergency Preparedness. The third year is ambiguous only because we haven’t done a “needs assessment. Mr. Pisinski sees the Public Health Agent or Director as a fulltime person with a strong background in the medical side of public health. At that time Mr. Pisinski could, if the Board was willing, take over the Environmental Sanitary Inspector position. Making note that the proposed Sanitary Inspector and Environmental Sanitary Inspector positions are benefit free, Mr. Pisinski explained a possible scenario. There is a litany of inspections that the Board of Health is required by law to make under the State Title 2 Code, which requires a response to housing complaints. Normally we have approximately 2 per year, but in the last month we have had 4 complaints. Mrs. Brefka asked what would happen if we used up all the money budgeted for inspections and more complaints came in. Mr. Pisinski explained that because these are mandated by State Law, we would go to the reserve fund for the money. If the Board of Health doesn’t do the inspections the State has the right to do them and charge the town at the State rate. Members agreed to review the job descriptions and come to the hearings.

NEW BUSINESS
Housing Complaint 50 Turnpike Rd.
Mr. Brefka was called over the Thanksgiving holiday to a housing complaint at 50 Turnpike Rd. An oil line had broken and the smell of oil permeated the building. Residents thought that it was septage and therefore contacted the Board of Health for an inspection. Mrs. Brefka did the preliminary inspection and contacted all the concerned residents. Mr. Pisinski did a joint inspection with the Fire Chief, the Building and Electrical Inspector. They walked through with the owner taking pictures of al the violation, most of which were electrical, building and Fire Code violations. It is believed that this facility actually falls under the “Rooming House Code”, which has many other requirements and is not part of the “Housing Code”. Mr. Pisinski enumerated all the Housing Code Violations, such as holes that rats could get into. He advised that there are some septic issues and within 30 days he will need to see an engineered plan showing the repairs needed to the septic system. Dr. Fazen praised and thanked Mrs. Brefka for responding to the complaint at the call of the Fire Department.

Executive Session At 4:10 the Board temporarily adjourned the regular meeting and went into Executive Session under MGL Chapter 39, 23B to discuss and issue that could lead to litigation. A roll call of all three members was taken and each member, Mrs. Brefka, Mrs. Sacco and Dr. Fazen affirmed the decision to go into Executive Session
The Executive Session ended and the regular meeting reconvened at 4:47PM.

Reconvened Regular Board of Health Meeting.
The Board Members would like to have Public Health Nurse Leslie Chamberlin come to the next meeting to give a recap of the MHOA Conference that she and Mr. Pisinski attended. It is the hope of the Board to be able to budget enough to send two people to the conference next year, the Administrative Assistant possibly being one member of the staff attending.

Dr. Fazen would still like to look into the possibility of 24/7 coverage. Mr. Pisinski said that it might be possible to have an “on call person” on a retainer, and it is his hope the Mr. Ottenheimer might give them some suggestions on how to provide 24/7 coverage. There is a need for 24/7 coverage not only for local issues, but also for Emergency Preparedness.

The meeting adjourned at 5:10 PM

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