By Journal Staff
The Revere Board of Health held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, April 24, in the City Council Chambers. On hand for the session were chair Dr. Drew Bunker, Kathleen Savage, and Viviana Catano, as well as Director of Public Health Lauren Buck, Health Agent/Director of Inspectional Services Dept. (ISD) Michael Wells, and Bd. of Health Clerk Paula Sepulveda.
Buck presented the Communicable Disease monthly report. which covered the month of April. “Our disease burden in April was very low,” said Buck.
Buck made note of the loss by the state of millions of dollars of federal funding for health-related matters, plus cuts in funding for the state’s drug rehab and mental health programs. However, she said that these cuts will not affect Revere directly.
Buck noted that May 17 and June 21 are the dates for pop-up spring farmer’s markets. She said that SNAP benefits are eligible to be used at those pop-ups, as well as at the Friday Farmers Markets from 11-3 at Waterfront Square which also will accept WIC vouchers.
Wells presented the ISD report for March. Wells said that ISD issued 39 certificates of fitness for housing units; performed five reinspections; investigated seven in-process interior complaints; two new interior complaints; and one pool/spa reinspection.
In the food department, ISD performed 38 routine food inspections, eight reinspections, six complaint inspections, two pre-opening inspections, and 11 temporary food inspections.
In the exterior sanitation division, ISD agents issued 46 citations for accumulation of trash, litter or debris; one for carts out at improper times; one for rodent harborage; 22 for overflowing dumpsters; 317 for improper placement of trash and bulky items; one for improper signage on public property; five for junk heaps, dumps, and automobile graveyards; six for unclean or unsanitary land; and one for a sump pump violation.
Anthony Gulizia, Revere’s Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer, provided an update on the lead service line test pits. “We began test-pitting last week for unknown lead locations and working to confirm the material for those lines,” said Gulizia, “and we’re scheduled to perform 350-400 excavations over the next 6-8 weeks to verify those materials and are scheduled to begin projects to remove known lead lines which will include removing 82 lead services this year to remain in compliance with the changes to the lead and copper rule.
“We are proud of the work last summer of removing 77 lead lines and decreasing the unknowns from about 1900 to 550,” Gulizia continued. “Our unknowns, as they continue to decrease, also means that the number of lines being removed is decreasing.”
“It sounds like you guys are doing some good work, so keep it up,” said Bunker.
Gulizia also said that the Water and Sewer page on the Revere.org website provides updates on the status of the work being performed. In addition, residents can click on an interactive map, type in their street, and find out whether they may have lead water lines.
Gulizia said that the lead lines stem from older pipes that were installed in the 1950s. He said the city is replacing all of those old lines at no cost to homeowners and residents whose pipes are determined to have lead are provided with a pitcher filter that can filter-out the lead.
The board approved heating variance requests for six older condominium buildings in the city to enable them to change over from heat to air conditioning outside of the dates in the state’s Health Code law, which requires that heat may be turned off in a residential building only from May 31-Sept. 15.
However, those older buildings have only one HVAC unit that provides both heat and air conditioning. They annually come to the Board of Health to seek permission to make the switch from heat to AC sooner than the May 31 date mandated by the state law and to keep the AC on later than September 15.
The six buildings are: Breaker’s Condominium, 474 Revere Beach Blvd; Friendly Gardens Co-op-, 35 Revere Street; Ocean Gate Tower Condominium, 382 Ocean Avenue; Seaview Towers Condominium, 510–515 Revere Beach Boulevard; the St. George Condominium, 350 Revere Beach Boulevard; and the Seawatch Tower Condominium-, 376 Ocean Avenue.
The condo-unit owners in those buildings voted to seek the variances and the board unanimously voted in favor of their request.
The board also approved issuing a temporary Body Art Business License to Let Er Rip, LLC. & Boston Harley-Davidson and a temporary Individual License to David Martinell for a fundraiser that will be held at the establishment on May 10.
Buck told the members that she had inspected the premises and that both the business and Mr. Martinelli meet the requirements for a temporary license.
