===PAGE 1=== LUNENBURG BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING MINUTES Monday, March 1, 2021 The Board of Health met at 7:00 pm at the Ritter Memorial Building Roll Call conducted by Vice-Chairman, Perry Jewell: Perry Jewell, George Emond, Paul Fortin and Evan Watters. Agent, Jim Garreffi, was also present. Vice-Chairman Perry Jewell prefaced the meeting with the following reading. In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over Lunenburg Publi c Access and this meeting of the Board of Health is being conducted remotely. The Town of Lunenburg, in response to the COVID -19 (Corona Virus), is currently following the guidance from the Lunenburg Board of Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the CDC regarding the virus and steps communities can take to prevent the spread and all town facilities are currently closed to the public. In accordance with the Governor’s Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L.c.30A, Section 20, all public meetings are being conducted remotely. The Governor’s Order, which you can find posted on the Town’s website COVID-19 Information Center page, accessed through the Town Manager’s webpage allows public bodies to meet entirely remotel y 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. This meeting will featu re public comment. For this meeting the Board of Health is convening by video conferencing via Zoom and FacebookLive as posted on the Town’s website identifying how the public may join. For Zoom meetings, please note that this meeting is being recorded a nd 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. Perry Jewe ll then covered the ground rules for effective business and to ensure accurate meeting minutes. All voting by Roll Call Votes. 466 MASS AVENUE Dan Proctor was present to represent the owner. This syste m is in failure, the property is served by town water. A variance for groundwater offset to 4 feet is requested to maintain grading , soils tested at 2MPI . The surrounding properties are served by public water. Agent Jim Garreffi st ated that this is a fairly large lot with good soil. The groundwater w as higher than expected. He stated that the variances make sense and he had no issues with the requests. After discussion and on Motion by Jewell and second by Fortin, the variances were unanimously approved by roll call vote. 75 RUTH STREET Jack Maloney met with the board on behalf of the owner. This system is in failure. This property is going from a 2 bedroom system to a 3 bedroom system and meets all Title 5 requirements. ===PAGE 2=== Currently, the property is served by a shallow well with a well pump in the house. As proposed, a new well will be drilled to meet the 100 foot requirement from a septic system. Chairman Edmond stated that the new well will need to be drilled and tested before COC for the septic system can be issued. Variances requested are only one deep hole (2 are required) and distance to Lake Shirley from 100 feet to 57.4 feet. Agent Jim Garreffi stated that it is a good size lot at 1.75 acres and the soil is good. The topography slopes toward Lake Shirley. The system is more shallow and a new well will provide better water quality. Member Evan Watters questioned the difference in a 50 foot distance from a wetland as opposed to a 100 foot distance and the need for a variance. Chairman George Emond stated that the state allows a 50 foo t offset, whereas Lunenburg has a regulation that requires 100 feet. By having this regulation, it allows the board to take a closer look at what is being proposed. After discussion and on motio n by Jewell and second by Emond, the board voted to approve the variances with the condition that the well be installed and tested prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance for the septic system. All in favor by roll call vote. 60 WOODLAND DRIVE Jack Maloney met with the board on behalf of the owner. This system is in failure. This house is close to the road with the existing system behind the house and the rear portion of this lot goes up in grade. Testing showed 9 MPI soils. Variances requested are less than 12” on inlet and outlet tees and distance to well from 100 feet to 79 feet. Jim Garreffi stated that due to this house being on a slab the plumbing is set so an inlet and outlet tee variance is necessary. This will be a raised system with a tank and pump chamber to a Presby system. The system, as designed, is much better than the system that failed. Agent Garreffi further stated that he does not recommend granting the well variance. Public water is available in the street and he recommended that this property be connected to public water. Jack Maloney was asked if he had discussed retaining the well as opposed to connecting to public water with the homeowner. He stated that he had not. Vice Chairman asked that this matter be continued until the next Board of Health meeting on Ma rch 15, 2021 to give Mr. Maloney an opportunity to speak with the homeowner. All Parties were in agreement. This matter was continued until March 15, 2021 at 7:15 pm by agreement of the parties. (Later changed to 6:15 pm due to Caucus) MEETING MINUTES On motion by Jewell and second by Emond, the January 4, 2021 minutes were unanimously approved by roll call vote. COVID UPDATE Jim Garreffi stated that the State will be moving into Phase 3 Step 2 because of the improvement in Covid numbers. ===PAGE 3=== The state feels that this will be good for business and that retail stores can go to a capacity of 50%. Restaurants have no capacity limit other than the distance between tables and a limit of 1.5 hours and 6 people at a table. The Governor will be looking at movi ng to Phase 4 Step 1 beginning March 22 nd and the vaccine continues to roll out. Agent Garreffi stated that although the numbers for Lunenburg are going down, Lunenburg has been stubborn with cases and is going down more slowly. Agent Garreffi stated tha t they are pushing mass vaccination sites. The thinking being that mass vaccination sites can administer the vaccine quicker, possibly bring more vaccine into the state. All of Nashoba vaccine has been reallocated to Mass Vaccination sites. Nashoba will be able to administer the second shot to those that got a first shot through Nashoba on either March 11 or March 25 th but there will be no more clinics unless more vaccine becomes available. Agent Garreffi stated that there are 11 statewide collaboratives that have been approved. In order to be a part of a collaborative, you need to be able to administer 750 doses a day/5 days a week and must be open to all residents of the state. Chairman Emond stated that the lack of vaccine in local communities is most bothersome. No matter how much vaccine the state receives, the local communities do not receive vaccine. Mr. Emond feels that 1/3 of the population of Massachusetts has been disenfranchised. The State has completely cut Nashoba’s allotment of vaccine and re-allocated it to mass vaccination sites. Mr. Garreffi stated that the difference in the State’s number and Nashoba is due to counting probable cases. Probable cases are cases that are diagnosed by other than a PCR test. 224 TOWNSEND HARBOR ROAD Doug Smith met with the board on behalf of the owner. This is an A-Frame house that was built in approximately 1955. Mr. Smith designed a plan for replacement in 2000 but it was never submitted. Mr. Smith is reactivating the plan. All properties but on e are on public water. The closest well is 65 feet away. This plan was before the Conservation Commission and it was approved. Variances requested are offset to well - 100 feet to 65 feet Offset to crawl space – 10 feet to 5 feet Offset to wetlands – 100 feet to 50 feet Jim Garreffi stated that this is a small lot and that location of the wetland knocks off the back portion of the lot. There is an existing cesspool and the system, as designed, is an improvement over what is there. After discussion and on motion by Jewell and second by Fortin, the septic variance was approved by unanimous roll call vote. 310 SUNNY HILL ROAD Dan Proctor met with the board on behalf of the owner. A new, fully compliant system has been designed so there is no need for a hearing. Having no further matters before the board and on Motion by Watters and seconded by Jewell, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm. By roll call vote, all in favor.