1971-08-05City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Board of Health
Subcommittee:
Date: August 5, 1971
Place: Health Department Office
Board members present: Dr. Jacob H. Fine, chair, A. Joseph Callahan, Jr., and Angelo R. Massa
Board members absent:
Others present: Joseph W. Walsh, Jr., Acting Director of Public Health, Richard Montoni, Code
Enforcement Officer, and Alfred J. Semple, Code Enforcement Inspector.
Recorder: Joseph W. Walsh, Jr.
BOARD OF HEALTH - MONTHLY MEETING - AUGUST 5, 1971
Meeting called to order at 6:30 p.m. Members present were Dr. Jacob H. Fine, Chairman; A. Joseph
Callahan, Jr., and Angelo R. Massa.
Also attending were Joseph W. Walsh, Jr., Acting Director; Richard Montoni and Alfred J. Semple,
Code Enforcement Inspectors.
The minutes of the June 10, 1971 meeting were accepted as mailed and read.
OLD BUSINESS
Drug Appropriation
Mr. Joseph W. Walsh, Jr., Acting Director, reported to the Board that on July 19, 1971 Miss Patricia
Donlon, City Auditor; Jan Teresko, Director Project RAP; Robert Ledoux, Chairman of RAP's Board
of Directors, met with Mr. McKinnon of the State Controllers Office and Dr. Dumont of the Division
of Drug Rehabilitation and a tentative agreement was reached regarding the residency requirement
of the City Auditor. Mr. Walsh further stated that a contract is currently being drawn up finalizing
the agreement that the financial aid will be spent for services rendered to Beverly residents only and
that the Director of Project RAP will submit to the Board of Health monthly affidavits attesting to
the number of Beverly residents in the groups.
The Board of Health accepted this report as one of progress.
Change of Occupancy Regulation
Mr. Joseph W. Walsh, Jr., Acting Director, reported to the Board of Health that he had met with Mr.
Charles Drake of the Massachusetts Electric Company and together they are finalizing plans between
the two departments for the daily reporting of all turn ons and turn offs of electricity in Beverly. Mr.
Walsh further stated that the Salem Board of Health is very interested in our regulation and has
requested a report regarding our success with the regulation.
Mr. Walsh also reported that he had sent our 130 copies of the regulation and copy of Article II of
the Massachusetts Sanitary Code to multiple property owners as listed in the 1970 Assessors'
Records.
The Board accepted this report as one of progress.
NEW BUSINESS
Cabot Restaurant
Mr. Theodore Grevelis, owner of the Cabot Restaurant, 150 Cabot Street, Beverly appeared before
the Board of Health to discuss the numerous violations of Article X of the Massachusetts Sanitary
Code as listed by Mr. Leo L. Panunzio, Milk and Food Inspector, on his inspection report dated July
27, 1971.
The Board of Health went over each violation as listed on the inspection report with Mr. Grevelis and
after discussing in detail each violation the Board of Health gave Mr. Theodore Grevelis until
September 2, 1971 Board meeting to make the repairs or renovations necessary to show a reasonable
intention to improve the general condition of the restaurant.
The Board of Health requests that a report be submitted by the Milk and Food Inspector at the
September meeting.
Garbage Complaints
The following people met with the Board of Health to discuss their dissatisfaction with the method
of garbage collection and in their opinion lack of two collections a week as per the 1970 contract
specifications: Mr. Walter J. Doane, 204 Brimbat Avenue; and Mr. & Mrs. William Ghen, 203
Brimbal Avenue.
Also attending were Joseph Erias and Roy Ferriera of Eastern Contract Disposal Co., the garbage
collector responsible for the district.
Mr. Walter J. Doane explained in great detail to the Board his dissatisfaction with the collection
service, apparent lack of two collections per week, and the early collection time of his garbage. He
further explained that he had complained in 1968 and 1969 and in his opinion nothing was done to
improve the service.
Mr. Walter J. Doane presented the following petition to the Board of Health:
August 1971
TO: The Beverly Board of Health
ATTENTION:
Mr. Walsh
Garbage Collections
"It is our understanding that the City of Beverly has contracted to have garbage collected twice a
week during the warm weather.
In as much as our garbage is only collected once a week, it would seem that there has been a
misunderstanding as to the exact duties of the collector. We, therefore, feel it necessary to notify you
herewith of these conditions and further acquaint you with the fact that this is not the first year that
such a situation has existed.
We are aware of the fact that if someone makes a complaint a collection will be made at that
particular home, but that is hardly a satisfactory manner to handle a situation in which our city is
paying to have a service performed and that service is not being given to ALL the homes."
Signed,
Mrs. Walter J. Doane
Mrs. Joseph L. Standley
Mrs. Mecis Caus Kusiah
Norman 0. Baker
Mrs. W. Rose
Mr. & Mrs. Alan E. Joseph
Mr. & Mrs. W. A. Richards
George D. Tawse
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Lefavour
Francis J. Minton
F. J. Berkeley
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Pentronzio
204 Brimbal Ave.
10 Walnut Street
201 Brimbal Ave.
6 Walnut Street
206 Brimbal Ave.
133 Dodge Street
205 Brimbal Ave
105 Brimbal Ave.
9 0akmont St.
55 Putnam St.
51A Putnam St.
65 Brimbal Ave
Mr. William Ghen spoke to verify the fact that he was receiving only one collection per week.
Mr. Joseph Erias explained the collection system used by his company and the incentive plan and
bonuses that are incorporated into the employee's pay if their district is collected properly and they
maintain minimal amounts of complaints. He further stated that to the best of the company's ability
they are fulfilling the contraet requirements as to two collections per week. He also stated that once
Mr. Doane complained about the early time of collection and they had ceased that practice and now
collect at a more reasonable time and, in addition, he stated that since the date of Mr. Doane's
complaint Mr. Doane is receiving two collections per week. Mr. Doane injected, at this point, that
since July 12, 1971 he is receiving two collections per week.
The Board of Health discussed the garbage complaint statistics for the year 1970 and 1971 as broken
down into complaints from their neighborhood; requests for 2 collections per week; and total
complaints regarding garbage collection in general and explained that the ratio of complaints per
citizen did not constitute the justification of the complaint as presented by the complainants to the
Board.
The Board of Health further explained that if the citizens do not register a complaint with the Health
Office, then they assume that the contracts are being fulfilled and instructed the Acting Director to
contact each person on the petition to discuss their complaint regarding the collection of their
garbage.
Salem-Beverly Water Board
"The sub-division plan of Colonial Estates in Beverly approved by the Planning Board May 17, 1966
shows lots on Noble Hill Road and Marshall Road, both of which are within the watershed of
Longham Reservoir. The plan is endorsed to require the approval of the Salem and Beverly Water
Supply Board and the Beverly Board of Health in regard to sewage disposal conditions.
I inspected the area on July 21, 1971 and have also checked various plans on file with the Beverly
Health Department and of the present owner of the development.
My inspection revealed no surface ditches or streams within 100 feet of the lots. The only drainage
affecting our water supply is the sub-surface drain servicing the catch basins on the streets.
Comments on the individual lots are as follows:
Lot #5.Leaching as shown on plan at Beverly Board of Health is 100 ft. from catch basin which is
satisfactory.
Lot #6. Leaching field is well over 100 ft. from sub-surface drain. Satisfactory.
Lot #7. Leaching field is approximately 100 ft. from the sub-surface drains in each street, which is
satisfactory. The proposed future addition, if needed, will be a minimum of 65 feet from the drain in
Noble Hill Road and may require a variance at the time of construction. Satisfactory at present.
Lot #8. The builders site plan shows the sewage disposal facilities to be a minimum of 100 feet from
the catch basin in Marshall Rd. Satisfactory.
Lot #9. This lot is remote from the sub-surface drainage system. Satisfactory.
Lot # 10. Existing leaching system is approximately 80 ft. from the sub surface drain at the catch basin,
which is the best that could be done. It is well over the 50 ft. required under Article XI of the Sanitary
Code at the date of acceptance of the subdivision and the variance appears to be in order.
Lot #11. No plans for sewage disposal on this lot are currently available. However, the sewage
disposal facilities may have to be less than 100 ft. from the catch basins. When the system is designed
a variance should be requested from the current restrictions in the State Sanitary Code.
This sub-division was approved at a time when Article XI of the State Sanitary Code allowed
individual sewerage disposal systems to be as close as 50 ft. to "tributaries to reservoirs including
open and sub-surface drains." On August 15, 1966, the code was changed to require 100 ft. distance.
Regulation 20 of the Code provides for variances under certain conditions. It is my opinion that
variances are in order where necessary on Lots 5 through 11 so long as the distances are kept the
maximum possible and no case under 50 feet."
7/26/71 (signed) Kenneth F. Knowlton
Salem-Beverly Water Supply Board
The Board of Heaith acknowledges receipt of the above letter and files the correspondence until such
time as the approval of the Board is needed.
Correspondence - Board of Aldermen
June 30,1971
ORDERED: That the Board of Health be and they are hereby requested to submit monthly statistical
reports of sub-standard housing in the City to the Board of Aldermen.
A true copy,
Attest: (signed) JOHN F. COUHIG
CITY CLERK
The Board of Health acknowledges receipt of the above request from the Board of Aldermen and
instructed the Acting Director have the two Code Enforcement Inspectors submit to him the required
monthly statistics and the Acting Director will in turn forward the information to the Board of
Aldermen.
News Release
The Board of Health instructed the Acting Director to issue the following directive to all staff
members regarding the issuance of news releases that pertain to the records or policies of the Board
of Health.
That no information or records regarding the Health Department matters be released either verbally
or in written form for publication until such information or records have been approved by the
Director and/or Board of Health for release.
Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Joseph W. Walsh, Jr.
Acting Director of Public Health