BOH Minutes
Wellfleet Board of Health
Minutes of Meeting of December 14, 2016
Senior Center, Duck Pond Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Ken Granlund Jr., Chair; Moe Barocas, John Cumbler, Janet Drohan, Health Agent Hillary Greenberg-Lemos, and Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary
Regrets: Gary Locke
Chair Ken Granlund called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Correspondence
Health Agent Hillary Greenberg-Lemos reviewed items of interest in the Correspondence file. These included the Town’s Whitecrest Beach septic system installation agreement, a number of emails, and information on innovative alternative septic systems that will be on the agenda for the next meeting.
Licenses
Board members approved and signed the licenses that had been presented.
104 Fresh Brook Lane
The 104 Fresh Brook Lane issue had been resolved in advance of the meeting.
245 Baker Ave. Advantex System
The Health Agent reviewed the one variance to the well at 245 Baker Ave. The home is now connected to the Municipal Water System and would like to turn off the Advantex System. Board members discussed the wisdom of closing down a system that with improved nitrogen reduction.
John Cumber moved to allow the disconnection of the Advantex System at 245 Baker Ave. Janet Drohan seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
State Effort on Raising Minimum Age of Access to Tobacco Products
The Board discussed joining a state-wide effort to raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products and banning e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products in convenience stores. The Health Agent said she would like to hold an advertised public hearing and invite the tobacco sales business people to express their opinions. An amendment to the present regulations will be proposed before holding a public hearing.
Parent Farm, 125 Duck Pond Rd. / 15 Bittersweet Rd.
After sending the Board of Health another e-mail, Randy and Liz McDonald, abutters to the farm, were present to hear the Board’s thoughts on the renewal of the permit of the Parent Farm with the Board of Health. Mr. Parent has not yet submitted his permit. The results of the latest well test have not yet been reported. Mr. McDonald asked about the noise regulation for roosters because the alpacas create as much noise. The McDonalds also discussed the density of the number of animals now present.
Hillary Greenberg-Lemos reviewed the total number on animals on the farm. The original permit was for 27 alpacas. The 2016 permit was for 42, but there are now around 70 alpacas. That permit will expire at the end of December. John Cumbler suggested that an alpaca expert should be contacted to see if the operation is working the adequately.
Suggested recommendations before permitting for 2017 of the Parent Farm were to cut the number of animals, get the water tests and bring an alpaca expert to examine conditions at the farm.
Hillary Greenberg-Lemos will contact the U Mass alpaca expert. As of January 1, 2017, Mr. Parent will be out of compliance and subject to fines. She also reported on water samples from the Housing Authority property and from Paine’s Campground. The numbers for the McDonalds showed that nitrates are rising. Dye testing is a possibility for checking the correlation between nitrates in their water and the farm. The Health Agent said she is now interested in pursuing dye testing.
Minutes of 11/9/16
Moe Barocas moved to approve the minutes of November 9, 2016. John Cumbler seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 7:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary