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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-05-11 Board of Health Minutes Town of ReadingRECEIVED TOWN CLERK Meeting Minutes i' FAI941P elf Board - committee - commission - council: Board of Health Date: 2020-05-11 Time: 10:00 AM Building: Location: Address: Session: Open Session Purpose: COVID-19 Discussion Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Chair Emmy Dove, Kevin Sexton, Eleanor Shonkoff, Associate Member Ann Marie Messina Members - Not Present: Others Present: Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Health Agent Laura Vlasuk, Chief Financial Officer Gail Dowd, Town Manager Robert LeLacheur. Superintenent John Doherty, Fire Chief Greg Burns, Assistant Fire Chief Paul Jackson Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held remotely via Zoom. The Chair Emmy Dove called the meeting to order at 10:01 am. The Health Agent Laura Vlasuk informed the Board that the Health Department has been inundated with complaints about Covid-19 violations. Ms. Eleanor Shonkoff asked for clarification on how the Health Department handles the complaints and if the inspectors follow up on the violations. Ms. Vlasuk listed a few types of violations and said it is just routine follow ups. Ms. Ann Marie Messina stated the Board needs to know about these types of violations. Ms. Dove asked about the businesses that opened without approval. Ms. Shonkoff questioned if the Board received the inspection report from the Health Agent. Ms. Vlasuk apologized and said she will send as soon as possible. She said the inspectors will start on the High-Density list. Ms. Shonkoff asked about the inspection process. Ms. Vlasuk explained the inspectors will go to the businesses once, but if a complaint is received the inspectors will go back to the business. Ms. Shonkoff suggested dropping off the face covering signs during the inspection. Ms. Dove opined emailing the signs to the businesses is not necessary. Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios reviewed the Multi-Unit Building Excel spreadsheet. She added educational outreach is ongoing. The Board discussed what was approved by Command and if the website was updated. Mr. Kevin Sexton brought forward the Covid-19 State wide data on the deaths and asked if there was an explanation for the spike? Ms. Dove responded the deaths are not reported when it happens and the numbers are reallocated. Ms. Shonkoff asked why the State would Page 1 1 have a different number compared to the Town data. Ms. Vlasuk responded she did not know why there is a discrepancy. She explained the contact tracing process and said Reading would not monitor someone from another town. The information is released to the town the resident lives in. Ms. Shonkoff said the State does clean up the data and reassign when necessary. Ms. Dove said there was a case where the address on file for a patient who is a resident at a care facility was wrong. Mr. Sexton suggested the Board discuss in the near future opening playgrounds and playing fields. He said people are getting "itchy" and will start using them as the weather gets nicer. Summer Camps Ms. Delios informed the Board Command will be discussing summer programming. She added there was a survey asking residents if their child will be attending camps. Ms. Vlasuk said most towns have cancelled summer programming already. Ms. Delios suggested the BOH make the decision on cancelling. Mr. Sexton said as of right now this decision is decided by each town and not the State. Ms. Dove said there could be guidance from the State on gathering sizes that would have an impact on camp. She said Reading Recreation camps has a considerably more than 10 campers. The Board discussed the survey and when parents could potentially go back to work. Ms. Messina opined if she had small children she would be ready for them to attend an organized outlet after all this time. Mr. Sexton asked if it would be possible for the Health Department to get the camps up and running and to have social distancing in place? Ms. Vlasuk responded the Health Department would be able to handle the preparation of opening a camp. Mr. Sexton said there would be a lot of education and follow up that would fall onto the Health Department. Ms. Vlasuk opined there are a lot of camps that will not open even if the Health Department allows. Ms. Shonkoff agrees the decision about summer programming should come from the Board. Ms. Vlasuk said one concern is a nurse will have to be removed from the Maven system to review camp files and there is still a great amount of work required with tracing. Ms. Dove said the Board should be proactive and start thinking about if school goes back into session and the nurse needs to go back to work. Ms. Vlasuk said there is a concern with the nurses not getting paid during the summer. Mr. Sexton said the nurses pay should fall into pandemic expenses; and suggested Ms. Vlasuk ask the nurses if they want to be rotated to give them a little relief and allow for additional people to be trained. He said the nurse at Woodland Elementary School is retiring and perhaps she would be willing to help with the tracing. Ms. Dove redirected the discussion back to camps and asked the Board for their opinion on how to handle the camps. Ms. Shonkoff said she has not looked into what other camps are doing or what the CDC and State is recommending, however if other Towns are cancelling she would probably lean towards cancelling. Mr. Sexton said next Monday there will be additional guidance from the State. He suggested asking the camps to give the Board a proposal on how they will open and be able to follow the guidelines. Ms. Vlasuk asked for clarification on what questions she should be asking the camps. Ms. Shonkoff opined some CDC guidelines will be difficult for camps to follow. The Board talked through ideas on what Mr. Sexton can discuss at the Select Board meeting. Ms. Shonkoff asked if there was any information on the high school graduation. Mr. Sexton said on May 2V there is a rolling rally scheduled but said he is not sure if that is the actual graduation. Discussion with School Staff The Town Manager Robert LeLacheur joined the meeting and asked the Board if there are any concerns they would like to discuss. Mr. Sexton asked how nurses will be paid during the summer? The Superintendent John Doherty responded the nurses last day for the summer is on June 19, 2020. Mr. Sexton briefed Dr. Doherty on what the Board discussed Page 1 2 earlier regarding the nurses during the summer. Dr. Doherty asked for clarification on the compensation. Ms. Delios suggested Elyse Warren be added to the nurse rotation to allow for coverage when the school nurses leave for the summer. She requested Ms. Vlasuk contact Kevin Bohmiller, Community Services Director, to see when Ms. Warren is available. Mr. LeLacheur said the nurses can become special employees to be able to pay them during the summer. Chief Financial Officer Gail Dowd explained the nurses rate stays the same until August. Dr. Doherty said if there is a need the school can figure out how to proceed. Ms. Delios asked Ms. Dowd to reach out to the school nurse team to see who is available during the summer. Command Meeting The Board of Health turned the meeting over to Command at 11:04 AM - see Addendum (below) for Command minutes Ms. Shonkoff left the meeting at 12:00 PM. Minutes: Minutes were not reviewed. On a motion by Ms. Dove, and seconded by Mr. Sexton, the Board of Health voted to adjourn at 12:15 PM by a vote of 2-0-0. Roll call vote: Kevin Sexton-Yes, Emmy Dove-Yes. Command started at 11:05 a.m. In Attendance: Fire Chief Greg Burns, Deputy Fire Chief Paul Jackson, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Doherty, Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Select Board Chair Mark Dockser, plus BOH as noted above and Health Agent Laura Vlasuk, Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios. There was discussion of public health nursing needs and collaboration with Schools as well as EHS. Nursing coverage is being provided by the public health nurse, school nurses, and the EHS Nurse Advocate. These resources are meeting the COVID-19 needs for public health nursing (e.g., MAVEN, contact tracing etc.). Mary G., Elmy, and Sharon are the School nurses. Alyse Warren is the EHS Nurse Advocate. Kristine is the public health nurse. Dr. Doherty will work with Mary G. on coordinating the nursing services from the Schools. Goal 5: Summer Camps and Recreation discussion. Chief Burns reviewed the guidance on Summer Camps. The survey was discussed that the Town sent out and the results so far are split on whether there is interest in having Summer Camps. Mr. LeLacheur summarized his understanding of State guidance pending and coordinating with the Y. Dr. Doherty stated that the expenses that they anticipate may become a challenge and should be considered in planning Summer and Fall activities. The finances were discussed including how Schools and Rec operate their revolving fund. Chief Burns noted that we will wait to get guidance from the State. Goal 5: School Department draft plan to allow teachers to come back to pack up their rooms. A plan has been developed for how to end school including allowing students to come back to pick up their belongings and return any school property (library books, etc.). The dates in the plan are tentative and will be based upon when the Governor relaxes some of the stay at home restrictions. The process will be completed using bins similar to how the RPL handled book returns. The BOH was in agreement with the plan as drafted including how many people would be allowed in the building at the same time. The estimate was no more than 20 or 30 people in the building at one time. Mr. Sexton indicated the bigger concern was related to high touch services; Ms. Dowd indicated that they will work with Facilities. Discussion continued about having sanitizer on the person. Sanitizer was noted as being at high traffic area installed as sanitizing station. Masks will be required of everyone. Page 1 3 RMHS Parade for Seniors, Saturday, May 23rd at 10:00 a.m. Chief Clark is working with the group that is organizing the parade. The details of where the parade would start (Jordan's) then continue through Town (Parents would be driving) and RPD, RFD, RMLD, DPW, Facilities and possibly others. Parade would end at the RMHS. The pace will be controlled by the police cars leading the parade. One car per family will be allowed. Mr. LeLacheur mentioned that they should coordinate with Kevin Bohmiller on the flags on the common and RMHS Seniors photo signs on the common at Town Hall. It might be nice to include this area in the route. The announcement will be made that this is not a social event and what the expectations are for the event. Informing the Downtown businesses was also discussed. RPD will send out a community announcement (via Code Red) and have the message boards on the common. Goal 9: Review the community mask distribution event held on May 6t". Chief Burns asked if there was any feedback on the event that was heldp and there was discussion about holding another event and flyer. Mr. Dockser noted that the SB received a question asking why the masks weren't delivered. Chief Clark commented on how early people came to the even (more than an hour before the start time). Chief Burns stated that the traffic pattern worked well. Mr. LeLacheur noted that the messaging may have caused some of the issues that we had a limited supply of masks. The quantity of masks that was available was 11,000 but the demand was far less. Another mask distribution will be planned following the same procedure. Planning will work out the details including reaching out to get volunteers. Ms. Dowd will do the same on the School side. Mr. Dockser asked about frail elders and if they are getting the masks. Chief Jackson stated that EHS is providing that. Chief Burns stated that RFD is delivering masks to Frank Tanner, Elderberry Lane, and PSP. Goal 1 and Goal 2: Chief Burns noted that Mystic Valley Elder Services has developed a resource guide for information and referral for specialists, care managers and consumers and they are requesting we provide information that we would like to share to them for this guide. Chief Burns will coordinate with Jayne Wellman and follow up. Goal 6: Chief Burns review this goal, Status of implementing Health inspections, to ensure closed restaurants are ready to open when the Governor's order and Board of Health orders are lifted or modified. The discussion continued on how best to facilitate this. Chief Burns reviewed the status and progress of Command Goals dated April 13, 2020. Plans are in place to address the goals. Senior housing facilities were discussed including how the RFP responded and addressed this. Page 1 4