Town of Mashpee
16 Great Neck Road North
Mashpee, Massachusetts 02649
BOARD OF HEALTH – EXECUTIVE SESSION
Mashpee Town Hall – POPPONESSET MEETING ROOM
Minutes of the Meeting of Thursday, March 19, 2015
Board Members Present: Also Present:
Lucy Burton, Chair Glen Harrington, Health Agent
Burton Kaplan, Co-Chairman
Kalliope Egloff, Clerk
Chair Lucy Burton called the Executive Session Meeting to order at 7:51 PM.
Roll Call Vote: Kalliope Egloff, yes; Lucy Burton, yes; Burton Kaplan, yes.
394 Cotuit Road.
Glen Harrington stated that the discussion item in Executive Session is 394 Cotuit Road, the hoarding case that has been on-going. The Fire Department, Council on Aging, and the Visiting Nurses Association visited the property. Vickie McFarland-Richter was at home but would not answer the door. Mr. Harrington must now take this to the next step. A “Show-Cause” letter will be sent to Ms. McFarland-Richter to appear before the Board. She will be advised to clean the property and cooperate with the human services people. If this goes to court, the court will order her to attend one of the “Buried in Treasures Training” and also obtain grief counseling which would help tremendously. The Board of Health has the ability to remove her from her house and order the property cleaned up, but it does nothing for the disease. The patient must be
treated.
The daughter and son-in-law have received funding from the Veterans Administration and were able to get housing elsewhere. The granddaughter was removed from the home by the Department of Children and Families and placed with a foster family. All this is favorable.
The Board suggested sending a letter to Ms. McFarland-Richter and following up with a phone call by explaining the resources available to her. She needs to be made aware that the Board of Health will not ignore the situation; otherwise, the Board will take action against her.
Mr. Harrington commented that Paul Halfmann, from Community Sanitation from the Department of Public Health, deals with hoarding. Mr. Halfmann remarked that timeframes must be followed with hoarding situations. The Board can always grant extensions, especially if progress is being made.
Burton Kaplan made a motion that the Board of Health adjourn the Executive Session Meeting of March 19, 2015. Kalliope Egloff seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
Roll Call Vote: Burton Kaplan, yes; Lucy Burton, yes; Kalliope Egloff, yes.
The Executive Session Meeting was adjourned at 8:10 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Frances Boulos
Administrative Assistant
Mashpee Board of Health
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