Board of Health 03/12/14 meeting minutes
Wellfleet Board of Health
Minutes of Meeting of March 12, 2014
Senior Center, Long Pond room, 7:00 pm
Attendees: Richard Willecke, Janet Drohan, Gary Locke and Ken Granlund
Regrets: Lezli Rowell
Chari Willecke opened the meeting at 7:00 pm
Title V Variances Requests
Variance: Hill, 20/30 Ryder Court, Jason Ellis represented the applicant and gave an overview of the project. He stated the property is two contiguous properties and had approval for one septic and one well for the two properties. This request is for approval for a shared system between two separate owners, as the one parcel is being sold. Agent Greenberg recommended well testing once a year because the well is being shared. Change the system sampling schedule sampling once per year. Janet Drohan moved the restrictions be accepted as described and sampling will take place once per year with no rescheduling for transfer of property; seconded by Gary Locke; passed 3-0.
Public Hearing:
Transfer Station Fees & Closures
Closures: DPW Director, Mark Vincent, requested an amendment to days open/closed. The Transfer Station will be open 7 days per week one Friday before Memorial Day and the Tuesday after Labor Day. The rest of the year the Transfer Station will be closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Gary Locke moved to approve the changes; seconded by Janet Drohan; passed 4-0.
Fees: Appliances fees are currently $5.00. Mark Vincent requested the fee be increased to $10.00. Janet Drohan moved to approve the increase in fees from $5.00 to $10.00; seconded by Ken Granlund; passed 4-0.
Sticker Fees: Chair Willecke stated the fee had been $55.00, then reduced to $40.00 in 2013. 2,600 stickers are sold per year. Mark Vincent stated there is an additional $40.00 per ton recycling fee which the town has not had to pay in the past and, due to PAYT, it is anticipated there will be an increase in recyclables. The Board discussed reviewing a 12 month cycle to review data. Chair Willecke stated he would like to reduce it to some degree and a commitment was made to the public that there would be a lower sticker fee. Vincent stated recycling totes will be available to the public through grant money. Gary Locke moved to reduce the sticker fee to $30.00; seconded by Ken Granlund. Discussion took place regarding not having data for a year and the Board agreed they would not want to raise the sticker fees in the near future. Vincent stated approximately 130 tons of solid waste was not coming to the transfer station during the past 3 months. Chair Willecke suggested an amendment to Gary Locke’s motion to change the sticker fee to $35.00; seconded by Gary Locke; passed 3-1. Amended motion passed 3-1.
Agent Hillary Greenberg Lemos expressed concern about the poor condition of the Swap Shop. She recommended having it open for set days and times when someone is monitoring when materials are left there. It looks like a dumping ground. This will be on the agenda for April. Volunteers work at the shop. Mark Vincent stated materials left outside are sorted by the DPW.
Business:
Glaze, 625 Old Wharf Rd., Sampling Reduction. The applicant would like to have seasonal sampling reduction; Agent Greenberg-Lemos stated the previous restrictions and conditions were placed in their Declaration of Restrictive Covenants. There is no insulation or heat for winter use. Gary Locke moved to approve the seasonal exclusion from October 1 to May 1; seconded by Janet Drohan; passed 4-0. Agent Greenberg-Lemos will write a letter.
Organic Land Management: The Board of Selectmen approved a Town of Wellfleet Organic Land Management Policy fpr municipal owned property only. There was no formal approval from the Board of Health. The members of the Board of Health recommends the Board of Selectmen adopt this as a policy for the Town of Wellfleet property.
Town Warrant Recommendations:
- The Board of Health becomes elected officials. This would allow the Board of Health to be its own entity and not have to go before the Board of Selectmen for transfer station fee approvals. There was discussion regarding the lack of interest for people to “run” for a position and the fact that the Board of Health deals with many health issues other than transfer fees.
2. Take away the Board of Health advising transfer fee setting and have the Board of Selectmen make determinations. Agent Greenberg feels this reduces the public’s opportunity for hearings.
Gary Locke moved to not support the two warrant articles as presented; seconded by Ken Granlund; discussion: Janet Drohan stated she would like to put together a list identifying the reasons the Board is not in favor of the recommendations (i.e. opportunity for people to come to meetings, additional duties that the Board of Health do throughout the year). Further discussion will take place at the April meeting and members will provide Agent Greenberg-Lemos with “bullets”. Motion passed 4-0.
Licenses - signed
Correspondence Agent Greenberg-Lemos reviewed the correspondence file.
Janet Drohan moved to adjourn at 8:30; seconded by Ken Granlund; passed 4-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Christine A. Bates, Committee Secretary