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Town of Reading 'fCE C E I V E U <br />Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK <br />F <br />°ourc,..^"' 2021 NOV 30 AM A8 <br />Board -Committee -Commission -Council: <br />Board of Health <br />Date: 2021-10-07 Time: 7:00 PM <br />Building: Location: <br />Address: Session: <br />Purpose: Open Session - Remote Meeting Version: Final <br />Attendees: Members - Present: <br />Chair Richard Lopez, Vice Chair Kerry Dunnell, Paula Curren; Associate <br />Members: Geri Cramer, Kevin Sexton <br />Members - Not Present: <br />Others Present: <br />Staff: Interim Health Director Peter Mirandi, Assistant Town Manager Jean <br />Cellos, Public Health Nurse Shuang Shen, Public Health Nurse Kristine <br />Harris; <br />Select Board Members: Vice Chair Anne Landry, Carlo Bacci, Chris Haley; <br />Public: Nancy Docktor <br />Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde <br />Topics of Discussion: <br />This meeting was held remotely via Zoom. <br />Chair Richard Lopez called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm and previewed the evening's <br />agenda. <br />Public Comment: <br />Nancy Docktor of Pearl Street, and Precinct 1 Town Meeting member, asked the Board <br />about the merging of Public Safety and Public Health with regards to Article 5 of the October <br />18th Special Town Meeting. The article seeks funding for proposed renovations to the Police <br />Station to repurpose the meeting room into office space to be shared by the Coalition and <br />Public Health staff. Ms. Docktor asked the Board how residents will access the Health <br />Department, as they may have reservations about entering the Police Department to seek <br />help for mental and public health, and what the new name of the building will be to include <br />Public Health. Board members clarified that it is a facility move, and not a merging of the <br />departments. The organizational change places Public Health under Public Safety, alongside <br />Police and Fire, but it stands as its own department. The location move allows Public Health <br />to partner with Police and Fire and work collaboratively with the Coalition by sharing the <br />space. The private space is needed for both Coalition staff and Public Health staff to not <br />talk about confidential matters out in the open. <br />Select Board Vice Chair Anne Landry called the Select Board to order, as a quorum was <br />reached. She noted that Select Board discussions determined there was insufficient <br />community input about priorities on capital investments, but the Board chose to include the <br />article on the warrant, though two members chose to abstain from endorsing it. <br />Page I 1 <br />