TEWKSBURY — The Board of Health met on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. Members Melissa Braga and Charles Roux weren’t current.
The board heard from Assistant Town Manager Steve Sadwick who mentioned the proposed retail marijuana bylaw and native properly laws.
The proposed retail marijuana bylaw was being delivered to the Board of Health’s consideration ought to they’ve any questions or considerations, in keeping with Sadwick’s feedback. The proposed bylaw would permit retail marijuana in particular zones in the neighborhood, and supply licensing authority much like the granting of liquor licenses.
According to Sadwick, regionally, the city can restrict the quantity of licenses. Board members requested a range of questions concerning examples of siting, use, and allowing.
On the subject of properly laws, Sadwick mentioned the superfund website often known as the Sutton Brook Disposal Area, additionally known as Rocco’s Dump. The city was named as one of the accountable events within the remediation plan for the positioning.
According to Sadwick, the city took on the upkeep part of the positioning which incorporates groundwater properly monitoring. The city is placing institutional controls in place to forestall any properly drilling within the space of a plume that has been recognized from the positioning.
Further, Sadwick mentioned house owners who could also be within the doubtlessly affected zone who don’t presently have a properly, however might promote their property to a brand new proprietor who might need to drill a properly and never remember of the historical past or situations. Currently, the Board of Health will not be concerned in any sort of notification or inspection when a properly is drilled. The board agreed it will return and talk about the matter and collaborate additional with the city.
Next, Ron Beauregard, the city’s Healthy Communities Tobacco Control Officer, mentioned with the board the necessity for an replace to the tobacco laws to incorporate state laws. The state has some laws which might be stricter than Tewksbury’s, and the board must deliver the present laws as much as that normal. Per the board, none of the adjustments would require a public listening to; slightly, they’re administrative in nature.
The board heard from tobacco retailers in Tewksbury who had been cited for violations of the tobacco management laws. The laws require a enterprise to appear earlier than the board to clarify what occurred and to debate a plan for prevention sooner or later.
1899 Smoke Shop of 1899 Main St. didn’t seem as requested. The enterprise obtained a letter from the board, and the board debated additional motion, together with extension of penalties for not showing.
Life’s Too Short, Inc. dba as Tewksbury Mobil at 1785 Andover St. was represented by Sheryl Sutherland for a violation of promoting tobacco to an underage person who occurred on July 13, 2022. Sutherland defined that the shop was busy and a younger worker didn’t examine the age of the patron earlier than executing the sale of tobacco.
After dialogue, the board requested the proprietor for a submission of an enhanced plan for coaching and checking the age of patrons buying tobacco, together with signage and level of sale enhancements that would probably be carried out.
Next, Dawn Fisher of E Market, LLC, 1699 Shawsheen St. appeared and requested for leniency as a consequence of a “perfect storm” of occasions that led to the sale of tobacco to somebody below the age of 21. Fisher mentioned that an worker’s daughter was serving to as a consequence of again ache the worker was struggling.
The board said it’s not capable of waive the state regulated high quality regardless of the extenuating circumstances, however will examine if the high quality must be paid all of sudden, or if it may be made in installments.
Beauregard commenced dialogue of the tobacco laws, noting areas of the Tewksbury laws that want updating to match the state laws. Updates deal with flavored tobacco merchandise, vape product disposal, and fines, for instance.
It was agreed that Beauregard would create a abstract sheet for the board for the following assembly.
The house owners of Lisa’s Pizza appeared earlier than the board to handle unsanitary situations that had been noticed within the restaurant, and ongoing work because of this of a fireplace on the plaza at 2312 Main St.
Health Director Shannon Gillis mentioned prior “critical violations” and famous that regardless of work that has been carried out to handle points, there are nonetheless areas of meals prepping that aren’t as much as code.
Pest reviews had been referenced, as had been the remark of “grease dripping from vent openings in the back of the building.”
The board requested for extra detailed reporting in regards to the progress of updates and plan for administration of the enterprise corresponding to pest management and cleansing. Additionally, the board said that landlords should be half of the method and are increasingly being included within the occupancy readiness dialogue.
Gillis reported that Long Pond nonetheless has a excessive cyanobacteria stage and can remained closed. The state will retest in September. Drought situations aren’t serving to the state of affairs statewide.
Oliveira Farm continues to be below a $100 per day high quality for noncompliance of Board of Health orders, and city counsel will likely be requested to ship a letter to the legislationyers for the farm.
The subsequent assembly of the board is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2022 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.
