HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-08-10 Board of Health Minutes Town of Reading RECEIVED
Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Date: 2020-8-10 Time: 10:OO AM
Building: Location:
Address: Session: Open Session
Purpose: COVID-19 Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair Eleanor Tate Shonkoff, Kerry Dunnell; Associate Member: Richard
Lopez
Members - Not Present:
Paula Curren, Associate Member Kevin Sexton
Others Present:
Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Health Agent Laura Vlasuk, Town Clerk
Laura Gemme, Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Business Administrator Jayne
Wellman, Fire Chief Greg Burns, School Superintendent John Doherty,
School CFO Gail Dowd, Select Board Chair Mark Dockser, Lt. Christine
Amendola, Administrative Services Director Matt Kraunelis
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde and Jayne Wellman
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held remotely via Zoom.
Chair Eleanor Tate Shonkoff called the meeting to order at 10:09 am.
COVID-19 Discussion:
Governor Baker's New Orders
Ms. Shonkoff began by reviewing the most recent orders issued by Governor Baker on
August 9t" including: changes to restaurant protocols; new gatherings order; and
authorizing state and local police to issue fines to people who violate COVID orders. For
restaurants, alcohol cannot be served unless served with food that is prepared onsite. The
Board requested that the new orders be emailed to restaurants to notify them. The new
gatherings order reduces outdoor gatherings from 100 to 50 people. State and local police
are now allowed to issue a $500 fine for failure to comply with COVID limits and mandates
on public and private property.
Safe Voting
Town Clerk Laura Gemme was in attendance to present her plan for Election Day and to
seek guidance from the Board to ensure safe voting. There are eight precincts and each
precinct will have eight voting booths. Booths will be sanitized after each voter and pens
will be collected in a box to be sanitized before they can be reused. Lines will be socially
distanced in the lobby, which can be moved outside, weather permitting. Ms. Gemme will
ask to have the ventilation system operate at its maximum, and bring in large fans to
provide additional ventilation. A major concern is voters who arrive without a mask. Voters
cannot be turned away, even if they refuse to wear a mask, so Ms. Gemme plans to setup
one isolated booth for such voters per precinct. Each staff member will receive a kit which
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includes face masks, hand sanitizer, a pen, and gloves. The State will provide plexiglass
shields for staff at no cost to the Town. Ail staff, including Police, will be required to wear
masks. The Board recommended also using infrared forehead scanners to check
temperature for staff, which Ms. Gemme stated she would consider. Additional logistical
and operational details will be discussed with Command.
Reopening Protocols
Ms. Shonkoff reviewed the Board's decision to provide an office space checklist and
addendum to be distributed to department heads, instead of rewriting the protocols. If
there is a question or inability to check off a part, the Board could assist to work out a
solution.
Ms. Vlasuk suggested hosting a kids' mask distribution. The Board agreed it is a good idea,
but may be better to hold the event after the start of onsite learning to see if there are any
students struggling with masks, and if such an event would be useful. The matter may also
be discussed with Command, as Schools may already be planning something.
Incident Command:
Ms. Shonkoff turned the meeting over to Incident Command at 11:04 am.
[See Addendum for Incident Command meeting notes.]
Adiourn:
Associate Member Richard Lopez was elevated to voting member for this vote.
On a motion by Ms. Dunnell, and seconded by Ms. Shonkoff, the Board of Health
voted 3-0-0 to adjourn at 12:05 pm.
Roll call vote: Kerry Dunnell-Yes, Eleanor Shonkoff-Yes, Richard Lopez-Yes.
Addendum:
Summary Notes from Command Meeting
August 10, 2020
Board of Health meeting already in session - turned to Emergency
Management Director Greg Burns at 11:04 AM
Attendance:
• Board of Health: Eleanor Shonkoff(Chair);Kerry Donnell(Vice Chair);Richard Lopez
(Associate)
• Select Board: Mark Dockser(Chair)
• Staff:Fire Chief Greg Burns;Police Lt. Christine Amendola;School Superintendent Dr.
John Doherty; School CFO Gail Dowd;Health Agent Laura Vlasuk;Assistant Town
Manager Jean Delios;Administrative Services Director Matt Kraunelis;Business
Manager Jayne Wellman;Town Clerk Laura Gemme;Town Manager Bob LeLacheur.
1) Notes:Notes are now going to be taken from the meetings.Jayne Wellman is attending
to capture notes, Matt Kraunelis will back her up as needed.
2) Command Meeting Schedule:Chief Burns asked if BOH wants to continue joint
meeting with Command on a weekly basis. Eleanor Shonkoff announced that she is
resigning due to increases in her professional responsibilities and thus the BOH must
plan a transition. Chief Burns praised Eleanor and thanked her for her work,
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appreciated the formidable workload, and they agreed working together has been a
pleasure. Plan is to wait for the next reorganization(scheduled for 8/17/20)and then
reassess meeting biweekly at that point.
3) School Re-Opening:John Doherty explained the phased-in plan. Schools open in three
weeks.Want to ensure that all systems are working. Teachers starting August 31,with
lots of training around health and safety, among other things. First Day of School is Sept
15. All Athletics and extracurriculars on hold until 09/14, awaiting further guidance
from DESE,potentially later this week.
a. Police,Schools,&Transportation:Crossing Guards not needed until 09/15 at
the earliest.High needs students at all schools will start on the 156. Parents are
encouraged to drive,both special ed and regular ed,rather than bus students for
health reasons.There may be more car traffic for drop-off. Question from Bob—
Who contacts Vocational Education students regarding transportation?If we are
mandated to transport the students, and parents transport them,then we have to
reimburse them,so Town Hall will have to cut checks to those students.
b. Extended Day?Plan is to offer it for students that are in-person. Hoping to have
Kindergarten students in.Biggest challenge is Birch Meadow.
c. Board of Health offered some articles to share regarding surveillance testing.
d. Drills:John Doherty asked Chief Burns to have some conversation about how to
handle emergency prep drills,particularly fire drills.How to conduct and plan.
That discussion will be offline. Fire Drills will still need to be conducted.
4) Public Health Campaign to encourage Mail-in voting.
a. Jayne updated Command on the campaign calendar as developed;that the
mailer is out and should drop this week, that the Library is posting a banner,and
that we have a special focus on the mail-in ballots as a focus of public health.
BOH approved the Press Release. Command to approve text.Jayne emailed
Command the statement and the logo.
5) New Limits on Outdoor Gatherings from 100 people to 50 People. Question raised by
Bob.Does this apply to protestors? Eleanor found a state link where the same exception
for these groups applies,but we should encourage safety.
6) New Rules on Testing for travelers—how does it apply to residents?If a resident has a
test three days in advance of returning home, the last three days of travel the resident
could be exposed. Does the resident also quarantine on the return?Bob has asked the
state for clarification. Health Agent Laura Vlasuk notes that travelers and residents have
to go online and fill out a state form. Does the Town find out who the people are who
are supposed to be quarantining—does that information appear in Maven? Adding
queries to the Thursday BOH agenda.
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7) Voting Precautions:Mark asked if the ability to vote doesn't have the same mask
requirement according to Governor.Does that extend to people in line, people working
the election,etc.? The Town Clerk said that staff can be required to wear masks.We can
suggest voters can wear a mask,but we cannot turn them away.Thinking of developing
a way to have those voters that refuse to wear a mask can vote socially distanced from
other voters. Discussion about unmasked voters standing in line has not happened-
Mark wants to know what guidelines Police are looking to enforce.The fieldhouse will
be set up differently to accommodate entrances and exits. Increase in the mail-in is
expected to increase voter participation big time. Plan is aimed at reducing people
waiting in line. Fieldhouse layout was shown and precautions explained. Each lane is
now wider and longer, and there is a lane dedicated to processing mail-in ballots which
must be processed in public view. Also the Town Clerk still needs poll workers. She
only has about half of what she needs. She conducted Zoom calls over the weekend to
help reassure poll workers.To be a Poll Worker;have to be 18 and a registered voter. As
of August 15,if still short on poll workers, the town can hire younger workers.
8) Town Clerk questions for Command regarding upcoming election logistics:
a. Signs to direct voters to parking: Is Command ordering those signs or the Clerk?
Putting sign boards up to promote mail-in voting; is the PD taking care of that?
Can we move those signs to help with traffic flow,or is that up to the Police
Department? Logistics will order the signs. Operations will move the sign
boards,etc.Who is writing the plan?Scouter,has drafted an outside parking
plan, and worked on where to put the signs. That will be submitted to
Command.Policing entrances will also be a factor-so detail officers will be
critical-currently thinking 7 officers this time. Put together kits for the election
staff.PPE supplies will come from Facilities. So-Chief Bums will direct these
inquiries to the Planning Section this week in order to work with Facilities,
Police and Town Clerk to create a plan. One concern election staff has had is
ventilation in the Field House-we need big fans at the doors and we want the
ventilation to be as much as possible. And need to work with someone about the
snack shack too.
9) Financial and Budgetary Issues:Chief Burns has submitted costs to the state and
waiting to we what is happening with that.
10) PPE-Chief Bums stated a large shipment of PPE is being delivered to Reading this
week from MEMA. Facilities will pick it up.Big savings for the Town to have these
supplies furnished by the state.
11) Current Weather Heat Concerns-Chief Burns spoke to K.Bohmiller about senior heat
concerns.No requests for cooling centers have been requested. Pleasant Street Center
remains closed to the public.Jean indicated Seniors have expressed that they are fearful
of being in group settings and are avoiding gathering places.
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Meeting concluded at 12:04pm
BOH adjourned:12:05
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