2003-06-26City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board:
Board of Health
Subcommittee:
Date:
June 26, 2003
Place:
Beverly Council on Aging, Arts & Crafts Room
Board members present:
Frank Carbone, Jr., MD, Joseph W. Walsh, Jr., and William J. Alpine,
Jr., Esq.
Board members absent:
Others present:
William Burke, Director of Public Health, Thomas Scully, Director of
Community Services and Patricia Zingariello, Public Health Nurse.
Recorder:
Judith Balboni.
Chairman Carbone called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m.
The Board accepted the minutes of May 15, 2003 meeting as mailed.
Mr. Burke welcomed and introduced to the Board, Ms. Sue Twombley, RN from Beverly
Hospital who is earning BSN from Endicott College and has been interning at the Health
Department with Pat Zingariello.
The North Shore Tobacco Control Program has asked Beverly to join their group since
The Coastal North Shore Boards of Health Tobacco Control Collaborative, which Beverly
belonged to along with Essex and Gloucester, was recently eliminated because of state budget
cuts. By joining with them, Beverly may have some help with compliance checks and enforcing
the new 100 percent ban to go into effect in August. The Board voted all in favor to join the
group. The Board’s new regulations have been published and will be mailed out to restaurants
and bars that currently allow smoking.
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Mr. Burke met with City Council on June 17 regarding the FY 04 budget. The Dental Clinic line
items were discussed as possible reductions but Mr. Burke urged them not to eliminate the 87-
year old clinic that has survived the depression years. Chairman Carbone suggested that we may
seek assistance and support from some community organizations, i.e., Kiwanis, Rotary.
Mr. Burke informed the Board that Diane Kurkjian has been working on licensing the twenty-five
recreational camps in the city. This year more extensive background checks are required and Pat
Zingariello is also helping with the immunization records and Cori checks on staff members.
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Joe Reale has been busy with swimming pools. Beach testing began June 18 and will continue
each Wednesday. Results from this week were acceptable. Next testing June 25th. G & L Labs
will be doing the testing this year. The State will pay for testing if their regional contracted lab is
used. It will not pay for retesting.
Mr. Burke and Ms. Zingariello have been inquiring of other communities just what they have for
biotech regulations and fee schedules. Beverly has a Bio-tech regulation on the book but is rather
antiquated and could be updated. The Board may want to invite bio-tech industry representatives
to future meetings for input into new regulations.
Ms. Sturm, 110 Dodge St. talked to neighbors and abutters regarding her request to keep
chickens and she will consider coming before the Board in August or September.
Mr. Burke introduced Pat Scanlon, a consultant with Wheelabrator Technologies who has urged
the Board to adopt some type of regulation banning contractors from disposing of mercury
thermostats in the trash. Wheelabrator operates the Saugus incinerator where the city’s trash is
taken. Mercury is a neurotoxin that is harmful to development of young children. Mr. Scanlon
said that contractors don’t want to be bothered by turning in old thermostats. There may be a way
the building department and health department can work together to stop the disposal of mercury
in our waste system.
Mr. Scanlon says his company has successfully implemented a thermometer exchange program
which Beverly takes part in but thermostats are still a problem.
Mr. Burke discussed the thermostat program with Bob Nelson, Building Commissioner who
stated that his department would be willing to assist with implementation.
There will be no Board meeting in July. The next scheduled meeting will be August 21, 2003.
Meeting adjourned at 8:20 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Balboni