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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-05-18 Board of Health Minutes 0�, Org1gQ, Town of Reading rr _ Meeting Minutes Board - committee - commission - council: U(Ur �uL �i,l 12_ 17 Board of Health U Date: 2020-05-18 Time: 10:00 AM Building: Location: Address: Session: Open Session Purpose: COVID-19 Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Kevin Sexton, Eleanor Shonkoff, Emmy Dove, Ann Marie Messina Members - Not Present: Lara Romanowski Others Present: Jean Delios, Laura Vlasuk, Greg Burns, Sharon Angstrom, Bob LeLacheur, John Doherty, Paul Jackson, Gail Dowd, David Clark, Mark Dockser, Endri Kume, Laura Gemme Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Kevin Sexton Topics of Discussion: 10:05am - Call to order. • Dove - Wants to discuss opening the athletic tracks and the tennis courts. o Shonkoff- Is fine with that. ., Sexton - Is okay with those openings. BOH - Discussed protocols for use of the areas. Delios - Asked if the BOH could hold off until we have input from the Rec. Dept. • BOH- Agreed to extend the closings until that can happen. o Sexton - Asked if we should open the athletic fields as well? • Messina - Offered that we could open just the main athletic field turf 1. • Sexton - Thinks it would be okay for people to use turf 1 & 2 for single use participation only. • Shonkoff - Agrees, but is hesitant because people will use it however they want if it's open. • Cellos - Suggested waiting until Command get on this call to get guidance from them on the fields. • BOH - All agree that the track is fine to open at least. • Dove - Suggested that the BOH keep them closed until we get further guidance from the Police Chief, Superintendent and Rec. Dept. ., Sexton - Motion to extend the closure of all athletic fields, playgrounds and athletic courts until further notice. • Shonkoff - 2nd. • Sexton - yes, Shonkoff - yes, Dove - yes. • Dove - Wants to discuss the survey Shonkoff created. Page 1 1 BOH - Discussed that we would like to know how people in Reading are using information put out by the Town or if they don't use it at all. This survey can help the BOH better communicate with all residents. BOH - Will send edits/additional comments to Shonkoff to add to the survey and then discuss them at the next meeting. • Dove - Lead a discussion about future BOH meetings. • 10:58am - Command logged into the meeting. • Vlasuk - Let the BOH know she started the inspections on the high density Buildings (HDH) to see if they have the proper signage up in the correct locations. • Vlasuk - Wants to discuss how the Health Dept. is going to address the church openings? Shonkoff, Suggested we have a policy in place for places that plan to open, where they need to send us a plan on how they will adhere to state protocols for social distancing. Burns - Agrees that they should send a plan to the Town for review. Sexton - Would like to see how the state plans on helping the Town with enforcement on this since they are saying they will? • Burns - Summer camps discussion. o Sexton - Wants more information on the potential inflammatory disease the children are getting. He hopes it is not a result of having COVID-19 and feels we need more info on it to open camps. Doherty - Suggested that camps will fall into phase 2 of the reopening plan. Dove - Suggested that we keep camps closed. • LeLacheur - Added, we can wait until the Governor's address today and discuss it after. Burns - Election safety C Dockser - There is a poll going out to Town Meeting Members (TMM) about how to conduct Town Meeting. The SB is looking into an all virtual format and how every TMM could participate that way. o Gemme - CDC has guidelines on how to conduct an election. The CDC doesn't have handwashing station guidance though and she would like to discuss that. If we use hand sanitizer, we don't need handwashing. They can control how people enter and exit the field house and pens will get sanitized after use. • LeLacheur - How can we arrange poll workers so they are 6 feet apart? • Gemme - Not very well, but the state has lessened how many workers are needed, which will help. Masks will need to be used when closing out the ballot machines at the end of the day. • Sexton - Asked how they are handing the ballots to the voters? • Gemme - Said by law, they have to hand them to them, they can't have a stack of ballots on the table for voters to pick up. • Dove & Vlasuk - Suggested poll workers wear masks the entire time. • LeLacheur - Aske Gemme if we can shut off certain parts of the field house by precinct? Gemme - Stated we could. • Gemme - The state is pushing for mail-in-voting as much as possible, but poll workers still need to feed the ballots into the machines either way. • Dockser - The Town is working with the state on the mail-in-voting component. Talked about a late August date for the special election. • Jackson - Offered to have Planning work with Gemme on the logistics of an election. Clark - Offered the police to help as well. • Burns - Highschool Parade discussion. Clark - Police are setting up a traffic plan to arrange a parade route from Jordan's Furniture to the Highschool. • Burns - Finance - How are the gift cards received being distributed? Page 1 2 ., LeLacheur - The ones made out to the food pantry went to them directly. The others went to Elder Services for distribution. .. Burns - When does the town want to apply for funds through the Cares Act for reimbursement of OCVID-19 related things? • LeLacheur - Suggested Angstrom looks into a request soon and then at the end as well if we can. • Angstrom - Said we can do multiple requests. • Burns - Mask Distribution Event for 5/20/2020. o Jackson - Will coordinate staff and volunteers for Tuesday 5/19/2020 to prepare the mask for distribution. • LeLacheur - Suggested he set up an email/phone number to help the BOH deal with complaints as we reopen things. • Burns - Health inspections for closed businesses. Jackson - Asked Vlasuk how many sites has she inspected to date? • Vlasuk - All but two have been inspected. • Cellos - Is looking into ways restaurants can do outdoor dining. There are ways they can extend the side-walks to have outdoor seating. • Sexton - Motion to adjourn. 0 Dove - 2nd. 0 Dove - yes, Sexton - yes, Shonkoff - yes. Page 1 3