Board of Health - June 8, 2026

All right. Uh, good afternoon and welcome to the Westport Board of Health, uh, June 8th, 2026 meeting, which I'm calling to order. Under Mass General Law, chapter 30A, section 20F, uh, this meeting is being recorded. And we'll move to the Pledge of Allegiance.

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. Um, first order of business is much delayed. Um, board reorganization.

I forgot to do that after the election and then since then we haven't had a full complement of the board. Um so I'll open it up for uh anybody want to be chair any changes?

Um so I move that we um keep the um the board of health configuration the same with Tanya writing being chair uh Phil Weinberg being vice chair and Donna Amaral being secretary second.

Any discussion?

Uh okay unless it's a discussion by you because we're we're just saying I'm keep doing what you're doing.

happy to have somebody else. Um, okay.

Um, all in favor?

I I That's unanimous. Thank you. Lucky me. Um, okay. Moving on to the director of public health, the written report, which was just pretty basic. Um, since we're limited staff.

Okay. Oh, don't you have a verbal report?

Um I can um so the uh board of health as you mentioned is short staff. Um I you know I think they're in the middle of new you know just starting negotiations.

So I'm hoping that when that's finalized um we'll get more of a sense of where we're going to go and what direction for to get a health agent. Uh because right now we haven't got any we haven't received any resume since the um end of February.

So um transfer station is chugging along.

They've had a very good couple weeks in terms of um just people and and and disposal and people getting punch cards and stickers.

It was very good couple of weeks. Um with that animal control we can talk a little about after. And um yeah, things have just moving. They're just very busy and uh just moving very fast.

Okay. All righty. Thank you. Any questions? Not we'll move to director approved plans.

Okay. We have a um four bedroomedroom new construction on 80,100 ft lot at 8 Strawberry Lane for James and Karen Emerald.

um is is not it's new construction and it's been through Concom.

We have a four bedroomedroom repair on a 30,000 foot lot on a 30 William Street for Kathy Richard. Um it's been through Concom and it is replacing a cess poolool and it will need a deed restriction.

Three-bedroom repair on 29 Bayberry Drive for Patricia Condan trustee. Um, it's been through concom and it will need a deed restriction. 4 bedroomedroom repair on a 383 328T lot on 752 drift road for Jared ping pier quer ping his new planning board.

Um, and it's been through concom and it is replacing a cesspool according to the list. Um, we have a five bedroomedroom new construction on River Road on a 631,620 foot lot for a Jenna and John uh as this one's been through contract.

Okay, I have no questions. You, Phil?

No. Okay. So, I move that we endorse the director approved plans at 8 Strawberry Lane, 30 William Street, um 29 uh Bayberry Drive with a deed restriction, three-bedroom deed restriction.

752 River Road.

Drift.

Did I say is that drift?

Okay.

Oh, and the next one is River Road. And then um River Road at Wait a minute. Which River Road is that?

It just says River Road. So, it's a lot 86 26G.

Um and can you add to the motion a deed restriction on 30 William Street, fourbedroom and Okay. in a deed restriction for uh 30 William Street, fourbedroom.

I'll second a motion made and seconded to approve those um five plans as so enumerated with the conditions um as expressed. All in favor?

I that's unanimous. Thank you.

Okay, minutes.

Might have one change to the minutes.

I wrote it down. It's just in the um section board member updates um where it says um I reminded residents of the in town care group. It's a caregiver support group. Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Do you have any other additions or Okay.

So that I move that we approve the minutes for May 11th, 2026 with the uh change to um it stating a caregiver support group.

Second.

U motion made and seconded to approve the amended minutes. All in favor?

I. That's unanimous. Thank you.

Here. Okay. We have a bunch of other business though. So take us some time. Um we'll start first with um the public health nurse position and Matt I'm going to have you open up the discussion.

Okay note for the minutes. Um so as we know Lind is retiring effective uh July 3rd will be her last day and um talking with the town administrator regarding um the position um he asked me to um you know revise and update the job description as needed.

So, I did and um I told him I'd be running it by the board tonight, get their approval so I could move it on to him uh for next steps, which would be hopefully posting the position.

Okay.

Are there any significant changes or Okay.

No, it's pretty standard.

Uh any comments, Donna?

I'm going to miss Linda.

Yeah.

And I think it's going to be hard to replace her, especially at the rate that we pay her.

It's going to be fun discussions with the town administrator of, you know, I'll give them the going rates. I did my research recently and um see if what the the town administrator and the select board want to do with that. Um otherwise, we'll post it as we're told with the hourly rate and see where it goes.

We're between a rock and a hard place.

And and do we have a plan for how if we get applicants, how that those applicants will be um interviewed or what the interview process will be like because I like to be involved in that.

Sure. So I can just tell you in the past the interview process was that we I get the resumes, I would set up the interviews.

However, now that we have an HR person department that I think the pre-screening should all this is just my idea of things okay should start there the basics you know um make sure they qualify and all that then when we get to you know second interview then we kind of you know sit down as you know myself or you and with HR and kind of do a kind of a group interview

with the person and um go from there.

Will to be involved in that at all? No.

Well, I I would like her to be, but I don't by the time this all gets off the ground and move in, you know, because all retiring, you know, that just would be helpful. I don't know if we've thought about if we can pay her to help the person, new person get organized to the role and what she's done and how she's operated and whether or not that would be something we would consider. But

sure, let me take that would be something that um also Linda would have to agree to. But yeah, the whole idea of that first before I even present it to anybody.

Yeah. Well, first we have to get through select.

I know.

Okay.

We should videotape a of of Linda. We think she does transition thing that she can watch.

Yeah.

Well, that's an idea. Val, do you have time to do a videape of interviewing Linda?

At first, I say you write write stuff out, but then I thought it might be better to just have somebody Yeah. Yeah. Well, she'd also have to be willing to to do that as well, but um I mean that's an orientation video would be helpful.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, lots of good ideas there. Let's see what that's one step at a time.

Going to do a presentation about what her experiences have been.

She doesn't like talking. She has to go there.

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay.

Okay. Um well, first before we move on, any um concerns, questions, thoughts about the job description.

Otherwise, I would take a motion to endorse the job description so Matt can move that forward to the town administrator.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor? I I. That's unanimous. Okay. We also now have to do this for the brand new town meeting approved. Thank you very much.

Town meeting um a part-time job uh part-time clerk job description.

Um so Matt, I'm going to turn to you again to give us background on that.

So this is um much this much the same as I envision what Pat's job is is um you know as the job description says but we really um do need somebody to help with scanning and filing and answering phones, taking messages, data entry, all of that. Um and and then eventually learning to do, you know, permits and all these different things to be able to um at some point in time or eventually

um step into a full-time role over there. But it would be great to have somebody come in and help out with everything I just mentioned, plus kind of learn the ropes a little bit. So that's my idea for pushing for this position. Plus, we really just do need to help. Pat and Nancy are swamped. we, you know, especially with the scanning and the the files and the with the septic and all that, it's um quite

overwhelming when you're trying to get a minute to scan some files uploaded to the software, but the phone's ringing off the hook and people are just constantly coming in. It's frustrating because you can't get anything done. So, yeah, and I know how far behind um they can get and Nancy puts in hours that doesn't even get reimbursed. So, um Okay. Is does this look like what Pat's job description is?

I would say it's similar, just not as ex extensive.

It looked pretty comp. I mean, yeah, from my experience seeing them in action in the office, it looked like it covered everything that you needed for now.

I think I covered it, but you know, it's not like a two or three page job description like the one that's currently in place. right kind of condense it down to cover cover all type of thing.

So um but the first you know I think we're just going to narrow I think it has to be under 20 hours. I think that's the cut off between benefits. So I think we could go 19 and 3/4 hours based on the money we we got approved at town meeting. Um so it'll be a non-benefited part-time position. Again, probably hard to fill, but at the rate that we can offer, but um

and you know, normally I would suggest um we, you know, run it through a staffing agency like we usually do, but in this case, I I don't think I don't think we should do that because of the the the fee we pay on the other end. We kind of wipe the hours down from 19 3/4 maybe down to 12.

So, we just want to be careful, strategize about that a little bit.

Okay. Any other specific questions or feedback on the job description? Then again, I take a motion to endorse that job description so Matt can move it on to the town administrator.

So moved.

Second.

Motion made and seconded to approve the part-time clerk um job description. All in favor?

I. That's unanimous. Thank you.

Okay. Um item number two, um ReWorld, which is also Coanta, where we dispose of our municipal trash. Um, Matt.

Uh, so our current uh agreement runs out this year and now we're in a renewal phase and um after some back and forth and checking prices with some other disposal outfits. Um we're really good pricing structure here. Um it's locked in for five years.

It's locked in for five years when nobody else would be willing to lock us in for six months. Well, I think we really got a good um thing with this, but you know, and the um the rates are pretty good. Not pretty good. They're extremely good.

Okay.

Um based on you know what your research? Yeah.

Yeah. Okay.

Are you um you are able to sign this contract, right? Would just have to be the town.

I have for you know a few times in the past, but um when they turn it in, we'll see.

Okay. Mhm.

Okay. Um, any questions or concerns about that? Not move on. I don't think we have to. I mean, we endorse that. I don't think we have any objections. So, um, okay. Annual appointments.

Okay. Um, this is the usual the burial special agent, medical adviser, etc.

Mhm.

tobacco control special agent. Um I will read them um for the record and then um just I think we can just go to a motion. So we move to we would move to appoint Kristen Stim reappoint Kristen Stimson as burial agent special agent. Dr. Dennis Callen MD as the medical adviser. U Jonathan Potter Jr. This is non-paid burial agent special agent. And Shane D. Ericson Potter, non-paid, also as a burial

agent, special agent. Jennifer Doexera for tobacco control, special agent, non-paid. And Mary Beth Buglio, tobacco control special agent, non-paid. Um, I just have a question. You know, is there a job description for Dr. Ken for being the medical advisor?

Not from us that I know of.

Okay. But there's on a state level there's language for that.

Okay. I I mean I I just don't recall a situation where we've ever reached out to him. I just was curious as to what where what would cause him to intervene or for us to reach out to him.

So if we have standing orders um for different vaccines, we need that standing order from our medical advisor to be able to administer that vaccine.

So we we do reach out to him for a few things throughout and maybe um you know the public health nurse so Linda might need to contact him to ask him a question or advise her on how to proceed with something. So okay I think is maybe fully retired if not pretty close to it. So, um, so it's not just an easy walk across the street and you want to talk to

It might be a good idea if he's available at some point to come in and address the board and what his role would be and what he has, you know, what he's available for and how he advises us and what issues he can advise us on. And part of the what motivated me to ask that is, you know, because on the climate resiliency committee, we're getting part in the report where kind of developing all these recommendations

for you know what how to address you know various kinds of risk and for us you know there a lot of these health components you know with you know vector disease transmission and how how he and and uh uh and so it just occurred to me, you know, that there, you know, I mean, as we develop more written materials about this kind of stuff, you know, whether it's something that we could reach out to someone who

was in this position.

Okay, we can follow up on that. Okay.

All righty. Um, thank you.

Oh, did we make a motion to No. So, I move that we approve um all the annual appointments um for fiscal year 2027.

Second.

Motion made and seconded to approve the um appointments as um listed. All in favor?

I. That's animal that's approved. I'm moving on to animal control. Um, and I'm going to turn that over to Matt to describe what we what needs to happen there.

Okay. So, we had a situation last week while the uh ACO was on vacation and I'm not going to get into the details, but although our intent was to assist the resident, the incident highlighted the risks and challenges associated with board of health staff performing animal control functions. So, as a result, I'm asking the board to endorse the following policy.

The health department staff will not assume the duties of the animal control officer during periods when the acco was unavailable because those responsibilities require specialized training, certifications equipment and operational authority that fall outside the scope of health department functions. Assigning ACO duties to the health department personnel could create safety risks, increase liability,

exposure, and divert staff from their primary public health responsibilities.

Maintaining a clear separation of duties ensures that animal control services are performed by qualified personnel.

Accordingly, when uh when the animal control officer is unavailable, border health staff will not pick up, handle, transport, or otherwise perform animal control functions.

Residents seeking assistance with bats, wildlife, or other animal removal matters will be referred to the animal control web page where a list of qualified wildlife removal services providers is available.

If approved by the board, this policy will be communicated to all relevant town offices to ensure residents receive consistent guidance and remain clear operational boundaries between public health and animal control functions.

What I mean by that last paragraph is a lot of times when somebody can't get touched with animal control, they call the select board office. So they just start randomly calling every office until uh they get somebody. But if we put out um if we know Nick's going to be on vacation or out for the day and we kind of just put out a general email saying the animal control officer is out

for the day and the other departments have our policy, they'll know how to advise the person on the other end of the phone.

also important for the police department.

Yeah, because they sometimes get calls. Um, if it's an emergency situation, then we often fall back onto the police department, but a lot of times it's not um an emergency situation that can wait um until next for a day or two. We can wait till, you know, a day or two. We we've tried entering into IMAS with other communities with no success. even the um even the new town administrator tried to

help all with that with no success. So, and we've been trying to fill a part-time acco position for what three years now. So, it's just not going to I don't think that situation is going to change um either. Um again, similar kinds of issues. Um, so I think it's something that we should um I mean we could write a um column, health notes column about that just um you know putting that policy out as well

to the general public um putting it on the website and so on to get the word out that we only have one animal control officer and when he's not available um we can help.

And if they have qualified candidates they want to send our way that'd be great.

Um, okay. Uh, any question?

Do we have to move to endorse this policy?

I'm sorry.

Do we have to move to endorse this policy?

Yep. I'm just checking to see if anybody has any questions or concerns.

Just checking.

Okay.

Well, I had moved it, but I move that we endorse the animal control policy and protocol um created by the director.

Okay. Um a motion made to approve the revised um um animal control policy when the officer is not available. All in favor?

I. That's unanimous. So we'll go forward and let other departments know.

Yeah. Let our head down. I'll send it out to you office.

Police fire.

Yeah. Police fire.

Um who else might get called? Yeah, that that should be it. Okay, thank you.

All righty. Um okay, we move on to board member updates. Um Donna, you've just finished a big big month, so why don't you start?

Thank you. So although mental health awareness month is officially over, um being aware of um the importance of mental health to overall health is is still critical. Um, it's a year- round thing.

It's a year- round thing. It's not just once a month, but we bring awareness. We put more emphasis on it. So, um, as a result, um, the collaboration between the town of Dartmouth and the town of Westport and the, um, the South Coast Public Health Collaborative was a success. On Saturday, we had the feel-good fair which was well attended.

Um, we had a beautiful day. Um, and one of the um um the things that was available for people to look at is what is in this room. And I don't know if you want to go around the room, Val, and just take um a look at some of the uh deconstructing stigma displays that are around the room. There's also others around uh the annex. Um it's a way to focus on changing the attitudes about

mental um health issues. Um, and each panel, um, is a testimony from somebody who's been impacted by mental health issues. And, um, I don't know, Val, if you're able to focus in the back of the room, but someone famous is back there.

It's Howie Mandel, as people know that he um, struggles with um, or he um, uh, lives with OCD, obsessivecompulsive disorder. Um and it's his testimony and he says you are no different than me. Um mental health is everyone has mental health. It's to what level does it become then become an illness? And so um it's really important to be aware that to deconstruct stigma we have to be

aware that any of us could be impacted by depression, anxiety, substance use disorders um or our families. someone in our family could be struggling with any of those um disorders. So, these displays are here now. We're working on where they're going to be next, whether anyone else in the collaborative um wants to display them around town. Um Olive is going to be calling about that.

The library has told me that I can put one or two of them in the library. So they're I may rotate them through cuz we only have them until I think the uh second or the second to last week in June. Um but anyway, so that that endeavor is completed and I will say that the hope project which I had in the library which is the art installation

um I had it at the event on Saturday and there were so many more people that went up and added to it. So, I was glad that I did bring it there even though I had it up displayed for in um in just in Westport. Um so, it was I think um I had two articles in the shorelines about mental health awareness. Um and and so um I just want to thank um everybody who

participated and helped. And I also told um Val, who runs Community Access TV here, that Dartmouth had someone there filming and interviewing and um I asked him to forward it to um us so that we can also put it on our community access TV. Great.

Well, thank you for all your work and dedication to this. I know this is near and dear to your heart and uh you really put a lot your heart into it.

Yes. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Is there any that any of these over at town hall?

No, they could allow for traffic over there as well.

So, I have to I have to ask um I haven't had an opportunity to do that. Um we had we had wanted to get these for May so I could have do it through May and post them around town, but um you know, I can certainly I'm going to need some help to transport them other ways. I have to take them all apart. Um I transported these in the back of a truck from

Dartmouth. Um, so I may need help to transport it to another or walk it down the street. So, uh, but yeah, so I will check with the town hall and see if I can display some of them in the town hall. I'd like to put one in Le, but I don't know if they would like. They're kind of big driving at the farmers markets.

Yeah, I could put them down in the in the gym and put a couple in the gym.

Oh, the farmers market's outside now.

Oh, yeah. That's right. Okay. So, I I'll think about it. I mean, I I want to make sure that um you know that the collaborative has an opportunity because it was paid for by the collaborative.

And the other thing I have is um we have River Day on the 20th and I don't know if anybody on the board is going to help me with that, but I would appreciate I would appreciate some help. Um, we have a tent. So, uh, the canopy, um, we'll need help with that. And then we can, you and I can talk about how we're going to tag team it, but and then what we want to display.

Yeah.

We talked a little bit about that. I was planning to attend, but I have uh, since have a conflict, so I I can't unfortunately this year.

You know, there's all this, you know, talk about this big um, uh, you know, El Nino and the perspective of, you know, intense heat that's going to hit norththeast. And so I was going to try to write up like just this one pager about about that just to hand out to people. I know we have a bunch of other stuff there that we've done in the past.

Blocking the views.

This one she leans that way.

Okay.

I I'll try not to lean.

Um yeah, maybe that could also be a call out.

Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. I've just really been flat out doing stuff for the conservation commission and just then more recently uh what I was going to talk about for the the climate resilience committee which is really accelerating its objective to get a draft report uh at least to put uh before the select board sometime over the summer and then actually moving to having a public um you know the

public participation process to get comments on the report. And um and so the thing I was most recently working on as a good chunk of today was um uh taking the um is being able to um propose more specific recommendations of how to address the um risk factors that the report was addressing having to do with health and water um historic um structures uh infrastructure and uh and so I've been uh I had put

some of ideas um in the draft report that I've been working on for three years almost and and then I translated them into very very specific relatively specific recommendations.

And um and if and if we had an opportunity at um the um at a working meeting for at for people to look for you all and Matt in particular to look look them over and to see um you know if they resonate for you if you know because I'm really conscious of the resource limitations and so for the recommendations ations um you know they are very aspirational as

to what we would try to be able to do you know particularly in term not I'm not not saying not saying the board of health will but saying um you know you know developing you know communications and outreach strategies and you know providing tools to people and these various things and it would I've been doing it largely in vacuum and it would really helped to get at least to say, you know, don't say

this or say this in a different way before it goes public.

Okay. And uh so it's in the process now where later this week um it's going to not mine in particular but there's collectively going to go in front of the um you know the group and I'm not really quite sure what the filtering process is for that but I it's at kind of the preliminary stage in terms of every subcommittee putting out their laundry list and so I just I don't

want to be in a situation where it's out there from us and then you hear about it public hearing kind of thing you know and I haven't had a chance yeah I haven't had a chance to look over what you sent um to to uh to me so I will look at that this week yeah well I before the meeting yeah and I didn't necessarily want to put it on you alone because I know you're really

busy and then uh uh and I have put um goals in you know for resourcing for getting resources and doing things like that but yeah it's um so anyway I just so there's progress being made and I think there's I think by the end of 2026 there'll there'll be a final report out um but I just think this is a more um just looking at going forward how we might want to participate in you

know the next round of implement or this this first round of implementation and really um prioritizing you know a lot of different objectives.

Okay.

So that's great. Well, thank you. you've been you've been a dedicated beaver.

Um so thank you also for your um long-term efforts on that front. Um so just circling back we have a working meeting this Thursday. Okay.

Um that is the focus is the cesspool like we we we have a lot of bubbling projects well right storm water we need to come to resolution. So let's just focus on cespool strategy because we know what we have right now in place in our regulation is not feasible with our current staffing um or probably future staffing um and um so let's that that but I think what what I'm hearing is that we need to

maybe in July I think June is the end of the fiscal year is way too crazy um to do another working meeting. go in maybe in July we can be looking at the climate resilience um storm water yeah just August August because we're still we're still dealing with year end and new year stuff all the way through July okay so early it might just be for you know I mean once I get through um

it gets through this phase I might just circulate it again and you can let like look at it at your leisure If there's something like there's a huge red flag that would be helpful, you know, for me. I don't I don't I don't think we have to it's okay.

You know, for me it's at that level. It's not like necessarily I'm asking you to edit it and you know make it more expressive. I think there's time to finalize all that.

How about we say we you you circulate it to us for feedback and then should there be something that says wait a minute like we can't I doubt with that then we can have I doubt it we've been working on this for a long time.

Yeah.

And also Dr.

should be any great surprises and it isn't uh but uh right you're on the committee too. Oh, I'm I'm on I don't I was yet the other day I sat down and I wrote down all the committees I'm on.

Exactly.

I don't know which direction I'm going and I'm on too many committees. But that's that you know that's an appeal to people in the community. Please get involved because a lot of us are on multiple committees because other people are not on committees.

All right. I just um noticed the time and um so I'll hold off on my updates and we'll we'll come back to that. Um, what time is the open meeting? I mean, our meeting 11:00 on Thursday.

Okay.

Um, okay. I'm going to call the 4:30 discussion. Moren Thomas layer cake systems discussion.

Should I go?

You come sit down.

Sorry, I'm lost track of time there. I'm sorry to keep you late.

No worries. Thank you so much for um scheduling this. I'm Moren Thomas. I'm here on behalf of five property owners in Westport who graciously volunteered to install layered soil treatment area leechfields, also known as layer cakes.

Uh they are um the property owners of 55 Drift Road, 63 Boat House Row, 88 Cummings Lane, um 185 Helen Road, and 1945 Main Road. And um you may remember that you all participated and collaborated with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and um the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Technology Center along with property owners to do a pilot demonstration project in the Buzzers Bay wershed to demonstrate the

efficacy of the layer layer cakes. And um all of the systems in Westport uh were monitored for 2 years in accordance with the agreement between uh the coalition, the property owners and the test center or technology center as it's now called. And um they did not perform as well as hoped. So originally uh everyone hoped that they would remove 80 to 90% of total nitrogen. uh the performance was quite varied and ranged

from about 30% total nitrogen removal to I think the best one was about 68% total nitrogen removal and um or percent reduction I should say and uh the test center moved on to a second generation uh layer cake uh a different design that they thought would work better. Uh the grant also expired in September 2023 which helped to uh pay for the operation, maintenance and monitoring of

those systems over 2 years. And so um once the grant expired and all the systems were operating for two years, I requested that the DP essentially allow the owners to stop being a part of the pilot program. they had essentially done what they agreed to and um there is a condition in the pilot approval that allows them to cease participation and originally I requested that in October 2023.

Uh we did not have a decision. And so in January 2025, I sent um other letters also signed by the property owners. And um in July of last year, D replied saying that they'd like uh the board of health uh recommendation uh for the ongoing operation and maintenance requirements for each of the systems. So there are five in Westport.

And that's why I'm here this evening to um see if you all have any ongoing operation and maintenance requirements for each of these five systems in Westport.

Thank you. Um let me see just check in with Matt if you had any comments to start with. I have some questions.

No. And um I don't have any comments. I read all the letters. I understand what's happening. So thank you. Um, so I know that other communities have participated and what has the been the outcome in the other communities around their boards of health and and any requirements because it should be consistent if possible I would imagine.

Yes. I you know I don't think it's going to be consistent because every town is a little different and honestly I've been so busy in the past year that this is the first meeting I've had with the local board of health. Um, I will say that in the town of Dartmouth, the agent there did not think they had any jurisdiction over the layer cakes and any ongoing uh requirements. And so they were very

persistent in seeking uh a response from D and D did eventually uh release the one layer cake in Dartmouth from the pilot program. they only did it for that one Dartmouth system unfortunately and so now you know I'm going before each of the boards and thankfully um one of the property owners in Westport wants to sell their home which gave me a nudge to uh get going on this u and so here I am.

Um and then secondly, um we I remember hearing the description about the layer cake systems and the hope was that having a sort of a a passive, if you will, system that would it would be cheaper. It would just be would be great because we have a lot of cess poolools in town. We really this would have been wonderful because a lowcost solution. So um but is it performing as well as a

standard title five compliant septic system? I know you said the reduction is Yes.

So a conventional title five system or leech field I should say um could remove up to 25% of total nitrogen at best. I don't think uh it could possibly remove more. So these are functioning uh one is at about 30%. So that's better, but most of them are performing much better than a conventional title five system. And that's why I was advocating to curtail the monitoring requirements of the layer

cakes because conventional systems aren't required to be monitored and these are performing better. So why?

Yeah. But are they performing better in part because the monitoring helps ensure that everything continues to function?

Well, I mean, I think they'll continue to function well. Um, you know, I guess as as a testament to those systems continuing to perform well.

I haven't been called by any of the property owners about any issues with function. Um, so operationally, they're still performing really well. And I think anytime you have pressure dosing uh of a leech field, you're going to have much better uh results. So even if it's conventional system and not a layer cake, uh conventional um leech field with pressure dosing would probably remove more than 25%.

But I think that's a little different than a conventional. I'm not sure you have any um leech fields here, residential leech fields that are pressure dosed. I think there's probably very few of those in Massachusetts. Um and so that would be a modification to a conventional leech field that would allow more nitrogen reduction, I think, because it's a shallow installation and there's more um soil to infiltrate

through and so more removal. Um so um would a are are there any standard O andM requirements for a pressure dose system that we should know?

I guess it's depending on the type of system with most of them are commercial that we see like um we have proposed plans for a large establishment going in that's pressure dosed and it has you know vantexes and all that and yes it requires on&m and all that stuff. Um, I would say I don't I can't answer that.

No. Okay.

Just off the top of my head.

So So do do I understand that what you're asking is whether the board would release you from any obligations to continue to monitor or otherwise maintain the systems. Is that what you're asking us to do? So uh whatever your decision is I have to provide it to the D for them to decide what to do about the release of the systems from piloting. So, the actual D pilot approval letters state as a condition in

those pilot approvals that after 24 months of monitoring, if the homeowner wishes to cease participation in the piloting of the alternative system, then the homeowner shall notify the department and the local approving authority. the homeowner can continue to use the layered soil treatment area for the septic system and comply with monitoring requirements from the local approving authority.

Okay.

So, Okay. So, so I interpret that to read that you can discontinue, you know, without our approval unless we impose new new requirements through our authority and you're asking us to abstain from that.

I actually I wouldn't phrase it quite that way. I think it's um I I don't Yeah, I think it's just they want our approval for the release from the pilot program because and you know either we have some conditions associated with that or we don't. Okay.

And my inclination would be to say um if they're performing better, we shouldn't have any more conditions than on a standard system. And so, you know, except pumping pumping the tank every three years kind of thing, right? Right.

Would be all we normally require on our standard system. So, okay.

Okay.

I mean, I don't actually interpret it that way, but that is um but I I concur with your conclusion.

Okay. So it's yeah that's how I understand it to read as well that this condition and I think um DP is maybe exerting more authority um which is their prerogative right uh they wrote the approval letter um to me it reads that we simply need to notify D and then ask the board of health if there are any conditions and and D would just go along with it but it sounds like they might be

making their own separate decision.

Right. Right.

Right.

So, um you have an obligation to notify us, but unless we take action, then you don't.

It's not as if, as I said, that um I'm not asking you to I'm not asking you to abstain from making a decision.

Right. Yeah.

Um, so any questions from So I would suggest the motion would be something along the lines of um the board of health um endorses the homeowner's request to um um exit the pilot system and we have no additional monitoring requirements other than requiring the normal um septic tank pumping every 3 years.

Well, if it's an effort, I so move.

Okay. Second.

Motion made and seconded. Does that work for you? Just making sure.

It does. Yes. And um if it would be possible to get a letter in writing um for each of them just so I can submit.

Can we do one letter with all five addresses?

Hopefully hopefully Dort staff hopefully D would accept that. If if not um I will come back and ask for individual letters. Let's try one letter and just say we voted for these five properties to that works for me.

Um um be released from the pilot. Okay. Um motion made and seconded. All in favor?

I that's unanimous.

Thank you very much for coming with your other communities.

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Um and I'm glad that the systems are at least performing better. I wish that they met the you know the standard for for um yes moving on to provisional. doing really well. You know, around 70% which is it's too and interesting that they're so erratic, but I guess it's sight specific conditions probably.

It's true. Yes.

Yeah. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Byebye.

Okay.

I just want to add a postcript if you we have time.

Sure. You know, so it it's the the uh the difference in the percentages is interesting because it kind of mirrors this discussion that we had with the the sledgehammer proposal in which in which you know they were looking for a certain percentage did the EPA have a certain percentage approval D approve a a standard like 50% reduction associated with their technology And um the fundamental distinction

between how they wanted to approach it and how the test center wanted to approach it is that they have a uniform uh influence uh concentration of nitrogen. And so it um and so when they achieve 19 it's based on an influence that the test center essentially creates and standard across all the different systems.

Sledgehammer it works in a field context field context. So the concentration of nitrogen in one system could be really different than the concentration in another system. And uh and so the sledgehammer representatives and the DP people and I was participating in the meeting kind of went around around how to how to deal with how to deal with that because the system is based on uniform test

center approach. Their thing is no we don't want to do it in the test center.

We want to go out in the field but we'll commit to getting 50% was interested and this is similar to say I don't that the spread between 30 and 68% may less be about how the system functions and more as to what the influences the number of people or you know whatever it is what's going down the drain you know it's just different right and so okay well thank you um I'm going to call

the 4:50 p.m. um variance hearing. This is uh for 128 Old Bedford Road owned by Pro Home Buyers. Um Outback Engineering is representing. This is a four-bedroom repair with I believe a fast system, not a stone bed anymore on a 27,6 ft lot.

Good afternoon.

I'm Jason from Outback Engineering.

Okay, let me get caught up in.

So, you are correct. This system has been res uh revised to a fast system um for advanced treatment of the effluent in the septic tank. Once it's treated with the fast system, it then discharges to a leeching field for um recharge to the ground um of that treated effluent.

Um and from the last meeting, it was uh reduced down to a four bedroomedroom.

Okay.

Versus the five from before.

Okay. Um, we have had some discussion about this one already. This was coming back um to us.

Um, and I know that there were some discrepancies around some of the historical information. I assume that's all been clarifi clarified. Okay. Matt hasn't for me though. Are you talking about the bedrooms or just in Well, the bedrooms been reduced to four.

So that's But in the assessors, it's a three-bedroom house. That's what um did a bedroom count.

Thank you. There was a lot of rooms that qualified as bedrooms if if you, you know, back in the 60s or whatever. There was only four bedrooms that met the criteria of um a bedroom by today's standards. So that's what we base the bedroom count on. There was no real because there was no real indication that these bedrooms were just added or not added. It just they're um so that's why we kind of settled on

the four bedrooms.

Okay.

And I think there was a as built that was from a different property or something. So anyways, but that was the one that was the one next door. Okay. The multif family next door.

So So all those have been resolved.

Okay. Um so can you just uh remind us of the um specific um approvals you're looking for? So we were looking for a reduction in the separation of ground water from 4 feet to 3 feet um to reduce the size of the mound next to the house. Uh we're asking for a um and again with with the um advanced treatment of with the fast system providing that that uh you can actually go down um another another

foot.

Um but we're not asking for that. We're just going to the three um a civ at the time of the perk. We could not do the perk. The groundwater was high. Um I think it was almost the actual water was three feet down.

Um and there was some fill there. So um couldn't do the actual perk.

And then because the groundwater is so high, the septic tank um the invert uh the inlet and outlet um we don't have the separation. The 12-in stood groundwater. Um so we asked for that waiver. Um we did buoyancy cals make sure the tank would stay uh would not float. Um and that was all set. And then we also per title five had the requirements for pipe boots and hydraulic cement so that um no leakage

would come out of those um those joints.

Okay. All right. And then with the fast that's a I'm assuming a D9 the D9 system right?

Yep.

Um so that because it's a small lot too.

So that helps. Um okay. Um Matt, any further comments or questions?

No, I can see.

Okay. Um board members, anything else?

Good.

Okay. Um then I would entertain a motion to approve the project with those for those um variances.

I wasn't here the last time, but I I took notes so I could try for what was here. So, I'd give a shot to uh move to approve um the proposal for pro home buyers um care of um Clinton Reynolds at 128 Old Bedford Road, a four bedroomedroom repair on a plan dated 123125.

Yeah, I would imagine it's been revised.

There must be a revision date of 51826.

Okay. 51826. I don't think that was anyway 51826 um subject to concom approval a 4 bedroomedroom deed restriction um a maximum compliance waiver to reduce um groundwater separation from 4T to 3 ft and also to allow um a 12 in separation between the inlet and outlet TE's and the ground by groundwater.

order approval of SIM analysis and a whole harmless agreement.

Y and then of course the complaint um all the DITE stuff but okay Donna you have a concern.

Um I will second it.

Okay. Um motion made and seconded to approve the project as described with those um um uh waiverss. All in favor?

I I that's unanimous. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

You guys have a nice day.

You too.

I think it already has concom on there.

Oh, it does.

Yeah, it's just at the top of it and upside down.

Well, that's already. So, yeah, they've already gotten that.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, we have a couple minutes to the um hearing for um three velvet. Am I close enough? Let me see if my Oh, it's 5:00 on my clock. So, yes. Come on.

It is. I'm going to call the the 5:00 p.m. variance hearing uh for three Velvet AB owned by Manuel Bandara um uh with a 4-bedroom repair with a presby septic system on a 12,145T lot. Uh deed restrictions already on file and George AU is representing. Good afternoon Mr.

Good afternoon. For the record, my name is George AU. I'm representing Mr.

Manuel Bandara, three Velvet Avenue.

I have the uh I already notified the mailing here. I didn't get the green one. I made all the copies. Okay.

Okay. What we have here is a an existing four four bedroomedroom house that has a matter of fact fairly new system that already failed. It was done I don't know 2018 that that's what I noticed in the database.

The lot has 12,145 square ft and uh we did the perk almost the same location that the existing uh leeching field was and u I'm proposing a a new uh septic system basically complete septic system new leeching field and uh instead of a regular conventional the regular 1500galon septic tank I'm using a uh two compartment department's tank to help the situation.

Mhm.

Uh as you could I'm using the I'm not asking for any variances except for the two wells, the subject well and a neighbor well. Basically the they are more than 50 ft both of them.

We did some water test and as you could see I'm not sure if you you guys have the results. You do have the results.

Okay. Ammonia is not deter does nothing.

Nitrate is less than what is required here which is one of them is four one one of them is two I believe and caulifform bacteria there's nothing.

Mhm.

Ecoli there's nothing and copper there's nothing not deter not detected.

Um, I'm using the quick four standard chamber. It is going to be slightly larger than what we had before over there. And we're not asking for any other variances. And in addition, we're adding a 5ft overdig around the system. And uh that's it basically. Hopefully we uh this new system will uh take care of the uh issue over there and hopefully get your approval.

Okay.

All righty. Um, thank you. Let me turn first to Matt.

So, um, it's a small lot and, um, there's two wells. There's the drinking wells and irrigation well. The, um, the property started its life as a three-bedroom house and then at some point it transitioned to a fourbedroom house. Um, at least that's according to our records.

We have not been able to get in to do a bedroom like we would normally do. Mhm.

Um, so but I mean if we're going to design it for a fourbedroom or George designed it for a fourbedroom I mean you know if it's going to be allowed to go as a fourbedroom without detite then this is fine.

Okay. Um do we have the well test results from the neighboring property?

Yes we have Oh both of them. Okay. Yeah.

All right. Yes, we do.

Nothing detected over there. Everything nitrate especially you're concerned when the nitrate is less than five. I know you guys limit is five milligram.

There's nothing.

Oh, here's the maximum compliance waiver. Sorry, I didn't go and the wells are deep. Okay.

Yeah.

All right. Um questions, comments from board members.

I'm just struck by how many of these assessed homes are at le less bedroom and at what point did people decide that they were going to increase the bedrooms? I'm just it's um Can I say something?

That house was sold in 2018 last time.

It was recorded as it was sold as four bedroomedroom and the septic design then was designed for four bedroom. Basically this fourbedroom for many years and Yeah.

Um well, hopefully um do we have on a butter notice?

Yep.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah. Um it won't fail so quickly cuz that's pretty unusual in 8 years.

Well, it wasn't I mean I think I think putting a a ground pool on top of the lui field.

Oh, that was okay. I So I think that's why it failed a little. Yeah. Okay. Right. I forgot about that. I remember hearing about that a while ago. Okay. Um Okay. Anything else, Phil? Any other questions? Okay. Um I would entertain a motion.

Okay. I'll move that we approve the plans for three Velvet A by Emanuel um Lindara dated May 23rd, 2026 for a fourbedroom repair.

um with the variance of the well distances the setbacks of for three velvet at A at 57 ft and for 22 no 226 Sanford Road at 63.1 ft um with the following conditions a whole harmless and the fourbedroom deed restriction that's already on file it's on file already yep okay Uh yes, three years of well testing.

Sorry. Yep. Three years of wall testing.

Okay. Um and that's both properties, right? Um all in favor?

I Oh, sorry. Second jumping the gun. Um motion has been made and seconded. All in favor?

I I And that's unanimous. Um for approval of three velvet app. Thank you very much.

I don't know who these people are though. Where are these needles? Maybe down.

Okay, thank you. Thanks for coming in.

Okay, so um we were returning back to um uh board member updates. Phil, did you have anything else? I know we talked just want to make sure I didn't cut you off on anything doings. Um just quick updates. Um, as you recall, we had a special meeting about the um um open meeting by law violation claim, which was a failure to supply minutes under open meeting law. Who knew? Um um

and we responded to Mr. Higgins, made them available. Um he was not happy with um um our response that they would be available in the office. So, um, but to just which to be fair, open meeting law does not specify the format or anything unlike public records law. Um, so, but to put this to bed, um, Nancy went and scanned all those handwritten minutes from the 1970s um, that he asked

for um, and has, um, emailed them, uh, to him. and uh our website has the you know the last three or four years the most recent years um on our website so he can access them there and hopefully that will put that um issue to rest. So that's just um um one last thing um but I forget I mean I'll I'll I'll check in with Bob afterwards. There's one sess executive session minutes that we have

to catch up on. Um okay and then it was just the basically the reminder um for the working meeting on Thursday. We're focusing on our um cesspool repair strategy um going forward um and then we can talk about other you know sort of another meeting in August and some of the other topics that we want to get to related to that.

Yes. Um, let's see if I can find the the um I had a question from our state rep, Stephen Wlette, about they're going to be doing uh requests for funds. Um, and I mentioned it to Matt.

Um, let's see if I have it in this sequence.

This is the environmental bond bill, correct?

I believe so. Yes.

Um, and I made some suggestions for who you should contact.

Uh, are you aware of environmental projects that need funding? And I mentioned it to Matt. Um, we have environmental bond bill coming up on Wednesday. Um, and Matt, what was your suggestion to me of what we could look at and maybe make a suggestion about was that had to do with the septics?

Yes. So, my suggestion is this. I'll put something together tomorrow morning, you know, formally, but um for you to look at anyways is anybody that's um seeking community septic home. U we offer if we can get some money out of this environmental bond bill up to maybe5 or $6,000 to help cover the cost of title 5 inspection, the septic design, and maybe um some of the filing fees.

uh it'll help with with the overall cost of of doing that. And it'll be a grant.

I'm assuming we can set it up as a grant separately um with whatever if we do get funds for it and um like I said, help offset the cost of the people getting those homes.

So, if we get x amount of dollars, we can average it out because it's, you know, so many loans.

Yeah. Um uh I uh also got a similar text and I followed up um I talked to Matt as well. Um um the environmental bond bill is not like an earmark. So it is much more difficult to get a like a community I mean you can't a community specific project unless it's something like a concrete project like a covert repair or you know uh he mentioned the bio reserve

is another one that um there is also in this bond bill at this point the senate has put it in um and I encouraged him to support it is the um the whole um bay septic finance financing commission because infrastructure needs whether it's um sewer or you know individual homeowner repair kind of things is um a baywide issue. It's a really big issue.

Um and I mean it needs billions of dollars ultimately and we know it failed the sewer failed in Westport but um it doesn't mean the problem went away. Um and so looking at creative ways to um finance like the Kate uses um they add on fees to short-term rentals and they've used that to help support a something like that um like a you know cesspool um support fund if you for better. Um so

um I I just suggested that we um he you know get the financing commission through first. Um and um so but if we want to make a suggestion, we have to give them specific legal language and I wasn't prepared to do that.

Okay. So be helpful if I So is there a number to the bill? Then I can review the bill and find it easily just so I can I'll look and see if I can get something for you.

There wasn't.

No. And so and it's all organized around providing funds, right? It's not Well, yeah. My understanding of environmental bond bill is the state goes out to and sells bonds to finance these various projects. which I will um hopefully some question.

So um so um I think there's some you know we can do some more um kind of teing that up for the future.

I'm not sure that um well I don't know how often they do a bond bill actually environmental bond bill but I know there's a lot of competing interests. I know um I hear from Mass Ottabon they want to get there some big like fund to support conservation land you know. So right um I have a feeling of small the pot for you know something well maybe small that small but depends on what you considered small

versus large in this yeah well I think it would be it's not unique to Westport I think Westport is more heavily cesspool um than many other communities um so we would be bigger beneficiaries of it but um we we can follow up tomorrow and see if we can put something um together that would you know just at least open the discussion. It's very late at this point 2 days before the bill to Yeah, it is

um get something unless Well, I mean if Ottabbon is asking for money that will that has benefits to Buzzard Bay if they're doing anything.

Yeah. And the financing commission is a bigger so you know it may come up with things like a set aside a fund um for homeowners to help with cess poolools in particular because at least cess poolools that are never going to there's never going to be sewer down at the point let's say or down you know there's just not the um volume and demand and the cost would be exorbitant.

So, um, so we have to come up with a solutions for people who have cesspools.

Um, Mhm.

So, well, I I gave him a a list of things that I thought that we've been working on that were important to um consider, but um I just sent him a message.

He thinks it's 3050.

The bill is 3050. He's not he's not in the office right now. He's having um so S it says S3050 Senate um just the cost of everything we see every day, right? Gas every time we go to the store, whether it be the hardware store or grocery store, whatever. Um my only thought was to try to help the people that need the assessible repairs that you know this community septic loan

would you know can be very um it can take a lot out of your monthly quarterly budget. However you pay the taxes here goes on that bill and to pay another three four $500 on top of that it's like a car payment um that you've adopted because you've had to and you forced to.

So any help we can give somebody to to deal with that I think would would just go a long way in helping people with their anxiety and their stress.

And I guess this is kind of um something that was un you know we couldn't plan for to have a discussion about because I just got the information from Steve. So, um, but I just thought it was something for us to think about and even if it's not for now, there may be may maybe be a way for us in the future to um come up with a um something for him to help us with. So,

well, I know I talked to him a while ago, you know, this idea that all the like with the the grant u the tax credit and uh you know removing the allocation that the system had failed which is really up people be very easy to do legislatively the way the statute is written. Um but uh it uh but it's a lot more complicated for the uh deceptic loan program thing. The way

the statute is the way it's written it's it's a be much more complicated to do it there.

But I it doesn't sound like that this bill would be the place to do that in so that's the reason I ask the question if you could solve the other problem.

Well it's certainly a good idea I think for us to um at some point to to kind of develop some proposals that can get the conversation going get started can always be refined down the road. So good.

Um, so good. Um, thanks for bringing that up, Donna. And I think we'll we'll circle back on the immediate, you know, if there's something we can send along, but um, that should stay on our sort of working group discussion may come up in the context of cess poolools on Thursday, but um, we'll uh, we'll keep on plugging away.

Yes, we do.

Okay.

All right. Well, if there's no further business, I move that we adjourn this meeting at 5:18 p.m.

Second.

All in favor?

I That's unanimous. Thank you.