HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - BoH - 04/14/2016 Board of Health Meeting FINAL 1 of 3
April 14,2016
COHASSET BOARD OF HEALTH MINUTES
DATE: April 14, 2016
TIME: 7:00 P.M.
PLACE: COHASSET TOWN HALL—BASEMENT MEETING ROOM
41 HIGHLAND AVENUE, COHASSET, MA 02025
Board Members Present: Robin Lawrence
Harvey Dickstein
Board Members Not Present: Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
Director of Public Health: Susan Sarni
Recording Secretary Present: Chrissie Dahlstrom
7:02 P.M. ADMINISTRATION
VOTE TO APPROVE MARCH 15, 2016 MEETING MINUTES
MOTION: By Member Robin Lawrence to approve Meeting Minutes from March 15, 2016
SECOND: Member Harvey Dickstein
VOTE: 2—0 MOTION CARRIES
At the May meeting the Board will swear in a new member.
7:04 P.M. APPROVAL OF WARRANT
VOTE TO APPROVE WARRANT DATED APRIL 14, 2016
7:06 P.M. SET THE NEXT MEETING DATE
Next meeting date will be Friday, May 13, 2016 at 8 am in the Board of Health Office in the Town Hall.
7:09 P.M. PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE REPORT:
Nursing Reports: 80
• Home Visits: 3
• Office Visits: 77
Communicable Disease Reports: 1
Keep Well Clinics:
• Harborview: 8 Clients
Community Outreach/Meetings:
• 3.07.16 Massachusetts Association of Public Nurse's Executive Board Quarterly meeting held at
the Milton Public Library.
• 3.09.16 Meeting with Cohasset Police Department. Finalized the letter and pamphlet which will
be mailed to any resident requiring emergency care for an overdose. A follow up call will be
made by the Public Health Nurse and a home visit to include a nurse and a police officer. The
police do have Narcan.
• 3.20.16 Cohasset Health and Recreation Fair was held at the Deer Hill School. It was a very large
turnout. The Dana Farber Blum van screened 41 residents and identified 8 who needed further
evaluation by a dermatologist.
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April 14,2016
7:12 P.M. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT
Building Permits:
Ms. Pilczak is coordinating a flow of sign offs on permits so all departments are collaborating with one
another. The projects that include foundations, additions, decks, sheds and pools will require a signature
by the Board of Health.
Cook Estates:
Ms. Sarni is working with Attorney Henderson on creating a Master Deed for Cook Estates. The
document for 68 bedrooms on a shared system was never recorded. The master deed will have the
number of bedrooms per unit.
31 Otis Avenue:
The potable well was approved with no variances. The homeowner and contractor re-routed the sewer
line and moved the underground propane tank to avoid a public hearing.
Blu Mussel:
Tony Ambrosia, the owner, is anticipating opening Blu Mussel at the end of April contingent upon the
Board of Health approval.
Perch 143:
The interior demolition permit was granted and the kitchen design has been approved. There is not an
opening date set.
7:15 P.M. COHASSET REVISIONS: REGULATIONS RESTRICTING THE SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS
In attendance for this Agenda Item: Bruce Sinclaire, 24A Atlantic Avenue; Sarah McColgan, Mass Health
Officers Association; Paul Siciliano, Shaw's Supermarket; Larisa Swenson, Greater Boston Tobacco— Free
Community Prevention; Chris Murphy, 38 Cedar Acres Lane; Laurie Lim, Shaw's Supermarket
Items for this Agenda Item: Draft of New Cohasset Regulations Restricting the Sale of Tobacco Products;
List of 7 Current Tobacco Retailers; Legal Notice; Blue Hills Community Health Alliance Letter;
Chairman Robin Lawrence asked anyone that is in favor of the new tobacco regulations to come forward
and speak.
Ms. Swenson is in favor of raising the tobacco age to 21. She noted an average 18 year old looking
for someone to buy tobacco most likely wouldn't have a peer at the age of 21 or older. In March
2015 the Institute of Medicine reported if the nation raised the legal sales age to 21, there would be
223,000 preventable deaths in the 19-21 age range. Ms. Swenson is also in favor of restricting the
sale of flavored tobacco. The liquid nicotine is marketed to entice youth with over 8,000 known
flavors and some have ingested the flavored liquid nicotine and have been hospitalized.
Ms. McColgan is also in favor of raising the tobacco age to 21. She doesn't believe this will have a big
effect on local tobacco retailers. The age range of 18 to 21 only contributes to 1% to 2% of sales.
Approximately 100 communities in Massachusetts have already raised the legal sales age to 21. The
flavor restriction doesn't ban the sales of flavored tobacco, it only restricts where it can be sold. She
supports the decision to sell flavored tobacco to adult only establishments. She supports having
flavored sold where minors don't see them. She supports capping the number of permits to seven
retailers is reasonable for a town the size of Cohasset.
Ms. Murphy, a co-chair for the Safe Harbor Cohasset Coalition, conducted a youth risk behavior
survey. Tobacco is perceived as dangerous among youngsters and the level of danger drops the older
they get. In the last 30 days the following grade level students have used tobacco:
Board of Health Meeting FINAL 3 of 3
April 14,2016
9th grade—0%
10th grade—2.3%
11th grade—6.7%
12th grade—9.4%
Ms. Murphy met with Scituate, Pembroke, Duxbury and they are reporting an increase of tobacco
use among teens. The brain doesn't mature until age 25 and allowing nicotine to enter the brain can
cause addiction down the road. Safe Harbor Cohasset Coalition fully supports the changes and would
like to see the new tobacco regulations be part of Cohasset's by-laws.
Mr. Sinclair of A Taste for Wine and Spirits is in agreement of the proposed tobacco regulations for
Cohasset.
Ms. Lim of Shaw's Supermarkets was confirming the permitting process will remain the same. The
seven retailers that currently have a tobacco permit will continue to re-apply every year. The amount
of tobacco retailers will be capped at seven under the new regulations.
Move to close the hearing
MOTION: By Member Robin Lawrence to move to Continue on May 13, 2016
SECOND: Member Harvey Dickstein
VOTE: 2—0 MOTION CARRIES
8:20 P.M. ADJOURN THE MEETING
MOTION: By Member Robin Lawrence to close the meeting
SECOND: Member Harvey Dickstein
VOTE: 2 —0 MOTION CARRIES