HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-20 Board of Health MinutesTown of Reading
Meeting Minutes
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Board of Health
Date: 2024-05-20 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Select Board Meeting Room
Address: Session: Open Session
Purpose: Open Meeting- Public Hearing Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair Richard Lopez, Kerry Dunnell and Paula Curren, Joan Wetzel, and
Kevin Sexton
Members - Not Present:
Geri Cramer
Others Present:
Health Director Ade Solarin, Jaime Hoebeke, Marilyn Shapleigh, and Nancy
Ziemlak
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Cassidy Keegan
Topics of Discussion:
The meeting was held in-person.
Call to Order and Motion to Open Meeting
Richard Lopez calls the Board of Health Meeting to order at 7:02PM
Roll Call: Joan Wetzel, Kevin Sexton, Richard Lopez, Kerry Dunnell, and Paula Curren.
Richard Lopez calls to open the Public Hearing, moved by Kevin Sexton and Seconded by
Kerry Dunnell.
Roll Call: loan Wetzel, Kevin Sexton, Richard Lopez, Kerry Dunnell, and Paula Curren.
Introductory Announcement and Ground Rules
Richard Lopez announces that this meeting is to hear feedback on the needs assessment
that the Board started, in collaboration with Pear Associates. Ground Rules consist of the
board not engaging in a dialogue but just hearing opinions or suggestions. The ground rules
are for anyone making public comments to state their first and last name and address. The
board asks the public to limit comments to about 5 minutes.
Overview of Community Health... -Needs.. Assessment Process and Communitv Health
Improvement Planning Process
Jaime Hoebeke begins to explain the year-long process the Board has taken on, what has
been discussed and what the Assessment Plan consists of. The process includes identifying
frameworks, reviewing secondary data sources and conducting community engagement.
The Planning Committee identified 3 priority health needs based on ranking and
collaboration. The first health need is preventive health screenings and treatment services.
This includes improving awareness and creating access to preventive health screenings as
well as supporting mental health and behavioral health treatments. The second health need
is healthy environments and inclusive programs. This means showing support for healthy
places, spaces and programs for all ages as well as creating opportunities for community
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connections. Lastly, healthy eating and active living which is about increasing healthy
behaviors across all lifespans by making the healthy choice an easy choice.
Public Comment
Marilyn Shapleigh, planning committee member, states one of the challenges the seniors
face is that people don't pay attention to the elderly population as being a part of the
community just like any another age groups. She states that the building of a new school,
as an example, is important and she is in support of a new school, but it doesn't benefit the
seniors. She hopes to see more opportunities for the elderly population in this community.
Nancy Ziemlak, current chair of the Council on Aging wasn't planning on speaking but felt
she would like to point out the first health need's goal. She states the problem the
community needs to address first is reaching out to all the elderly people who need the
services or need to know about the services and how to access them. With physical
newspapers being phased out in favor of digital communication, it can be extremely
challenging for the elderly population to be able to reach out or get information they need in
order to access much needed resources.
Adiourn
Motion to close Public Hearing, moved by Kevin Sexton, seconded by Paula Curren.
Motion to adjourn meeting at 7:30PM, seconded by Kevin Sexton.
Roll call: Joan Wetzel, Kevin Sexton, Richard Lopez, Kerry Dunnell, and Paula Curren
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