C h i l m a r k B o a r d o f H e a l t h
M i n u t e s
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Chilmark Town Hall
5:00 pm
Present: Katie Carroll, Matt Poole, Jan Buhrman
Also Present: Reid Silva (Vineyard Land Surveying), Chris Alley (Schofield, Barbini, & Hoehn)
Perc Season: The Chilmark perc season is now closed, although the Board will entertain proposals for out-of-season perc tests on a case-by-case basis.
Bannon, 15 Menemsha Inn Road (20-9) Chris Alley presented a septic construction permit renewal which had originally been approved in 2003 for a system which does not require variances and which was approved by the Board.
Lee, 4 Austin Pasture (33-85) The Board considered a proposed replacement well to be drilled in the immediate vicinity of a broken well by John Clarke of Island Water Source. The Board approved the permit application.
Balaban, 35 Menemsha Crossroad (26-137) The Board reviewed an Official Title 5 Inspection Report on the drip dispersal system at this property which was conducted by Douglas Cooper. The inspection received a conditional pass because the dosing pump alarm operated only intermittently, and the alarm module annunciator in control box required tapping in order to work. It is also necessary to cut vegetation over the shallow leaching bed. The Board asked Marina Lent to write a letter to the owners, informing them of non-compliance with Chilmark operation and maintenance requirements for this system, and requiring full compliance prior to being able to deem the Title 5 Inspection a “pass”.
Marijuana: The Board reviewed a community initiative on the part of several social service organizations to publish a letter in the papers outlining concerns about ensuring that youth, in particular, do not have inappropriate access to marijuana. The Board will follow this work with interest, but declined to sign on to such a letter at this time.
5:30pm Public Hearing
Scheuer, 7 & 14 Herring Run (34-3) Chris Alley presented a septic system construction permit application for systems serving a total of 11 bedrooms on two separate properties which are currently under the same ownership. The proposed system requires the following variances from Chilmark Board of Health Regulations: leaching field to wetlands separation will be 50’ instead of 150’; leaching field to water body separation will be 127’ instead of 200’; and leaching field to the proposed well on AP 34-3 will be 150’ instead of 200’ as required in the Coastal District.
It is proposed to replace three existing cesspools serving three existing dwellings with two FAST denitrification systems; the leaching fields for both systems are located on one of the parcels due to availability of percable soils, and the second leach field will be under an easement.
The Board noted that the proposed plan represents a significant improvement over the current systems. The FAST system will require and Operation and Maintenance contract with a licensed provider. The Board approved the proposed plan.
5:45 Public Hearing
Alden, 138 State Road (33-16) Reid Silva presented a septic system construction plan application for an existing 2-bedroom dwelling on Stonewall Pond which requires the following variances: Leaching to leaching facility 300’ required (coastal district), 25’, 198’ and 279’ proposed; leaching facility to salt water body: 200’ required, 164’ proposed.
The design includes a Presby system to address its location on a steep slope. While it does not meet the salt water body separation, it was possible to meet the well separation requirement, which could be viewed as a higher public health priority in this case. The proposed system is designed to be able to accommodate tying in the other existing three-bedroom system.
The Board noted that the proposed plan constitutes a significant improvement over the existing system, and approved the permit.
USCG septic system (27.1-78) The Board noted the DEP approval and plan for an upgrade to the Coast Guard station septic system that foresees installation of a Perc Rite drip dispersal system in this environmentally sensitive area. The Board noted that DEP conditions include use of a septic system installer licensed by the local Board of Health. The Board will continue to monitor the upgrade process.
Vila, 138 State Road (33-115) The Board noted that the property owners may be interested in discussing their options for installing an accessory apartment under the new Chilmark Bylaw. The Board felt that it needs a specific proposal to consider, and asked Marina Lent to convey this to the owners.
Public Nursing Contract FY’19: The Board welcomed the contract submitted by the Island Health Care Clinic, but noted that items will need to be adjusted in order to better match FY’19 appropriation. The Board instructed Marina Lent to meet with Island Health Care to finalize a work plan for the FY’19 contract.
Invoices: The Board approved the following invoices for payment:
- MVRD SEMASS $1,648.96
- MVRD Bulky town trash $20
- Marina Lent reimburse for Tick remover gadgets 100 count $164.95
- Marina Lent reimburse Cape Cod Air freight water test $25
The meeting adjourned at 18:40 hours.
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Katherine L. Carroll, Chair Matthew Poole Janet L. Buhrman
Chilmark Board of Health Chilmark Board of Health Chilmark Board of Health
A recording of this meeting is on file at the Board of Health office and available for on-site review.
| 
