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Meeting Opening and CALM Survey Update (Link: 00:00:00 – 00:29:00)
Tom Massaro called the Marblehead Board of Health meeting to order at 7:30 PM on November 10th. He began by congratulating McMahon for completing a 5K race and beating almost everyone except the Marblehead cross country team, praising this as an example of health promotion and wellness.
Massaro provided an extensive update on the CALM survey, announcing that the coming Sunday would be the last day for the survey to be officially open, though the computer system would remain active for a few more days. He reported that the town had experienced its best single day ever with 161 new responses, likely due to a code red alert sent by Andrew Petty the previous night. The survey had reached 2,310 total responses with another week remaining, and Massaro expressed hope of reaching 2,500 responses for statistical legitimacy. He described spending the weekend distributing postcards and table cards, noting that everyone he encountered was supportive of the initiative.
Massaro emphasized that given the town’s financial situation, new funding for additional public health services would almost certainly need to come from external sources, particularly considering upcoming recycling and trash pickup expenses. He requested that Petty investigate how to create a 501(c)(3) organization, possibly called “Friends of the Board of Health” or “Friends of CALM,” that the board could endorse for fundraising purposes. Petty confirmed he would seek legal guidance about the board’s permissible involvement with such an organization.
Massaro discussed learning from Dr. Coyle that towns benefiting most from wellness profiles are those ready to act on recommendations immediately. He referenced a column by Seamus in the Current newspaper stating that if you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter how you get there, but expressed confidence that the board knows its direction in advancing public health in town.
Regarding a grant application, Massaro reported that the submission deadline had been extended from November 17th to November 21st, providing an additional four days. The grant structure had changed from nine renewals to eight renewals, with funding reduced from three million to approximately one and a quarter million dollars for fiscal year 2026. Despite 178 questions being posted after a webinar on October 17th, mostly from larger institutions, Massaro believed it was worth applying to get their “toe in the water” and learn the required state acronyms.
Massaro outlined his proposal to merge early intervention with youth and young adults through education, training, and skills development, focusing on promoting public mental health and improving community health literacy. He suggested using adolescent substance use as a specific topic through case study education, noting that people remember stories better than abstract science. He referenced Harvard’s successful business case model, estimating costs of approximately $2,400 for purchasing cases for a 25-person, 12-session program.
Massaro reported contacting the chief of police about the police academy, learning that the 2025 program would be restructured from nine Friday morning sessions to five more advanced sessions, including a field trip to the Middleton jail. He expressed interest in finding partners in younger age groups to work on adolescent substance use issues, potentially collaborating with the counseling center and schools.
Massaro detailed his vision for a comprehensive health literacy program consisting of twelve 80-minute sessions covering topics including the American healthcare system, international healthcare comparisons, federal public health systems, local public health and health inequalities, trust issues from COVID-19 handling, parenting in Massachusetts, public health tools, information toxicity, vaccine policies, and social determinants of health. He noted that adults typically run out of steam after 80 hours of classroom learning and suggested partnering with a nearby university to provide certificates of completion.
The board scheduled a meeting for November 19th at 11:00 AM via Zoom to finalize the grant application, with Massaro planning to submit materials in advance and make a final decision about whether to proceed with the application based on any insurmountable obstacles that might arise.
Grant Application Discussion (Link: 00:29:00 – 00:29:00)
Petty requested that Massaro stop sharing his screen. Massaro acknowledged the request and indicated the meeting would move on to the next agenda item.
Underage Drinking and Social Hosting Issues (Link: 00:29:00 – 00:43:00)
McMahon reported that there were no bills since the last meeting and provided an update on a recent meeting with members of the select board, school committee, and Parks and Recreation regarding moving forward on substance use issues. He explained that they had needed an answer to schedule something for April 2026, but that timeline was not feasible, so they were hoping to look at something for 2027, potentially using grant money if obtained. Massaro suggested they could meet with that group as hypothetical partners and include funding in the grant budget.
McMahon outlined several initiatives discussed during the meeting, including requiring parents to attend a session about social hosting and its consequences prior to prom. They also introduced the idea of a speaker series featuring someone affected by drinking and driving or substance use to put a real face and story on the issue for parents. The select board and school committee planned to research current laws regarding social hosting to understand what differentiates Marblehead from other towns and identify potential improvements. The select board member would reach out to town counsel, and then all four board members would meet with school administration and the superintendent to understand school policies, followed by independent meetings with the police chief.
McMahon described spending considerable time talking with parents who feel helpless about the current situation. He noted a significant change from when he grew up in town, explaining that there were no parents hosting underage drinking parties then, but now some parents are almost bragging about it, with pictures visible on social media. Parents who don’t want their children involved feel helpless because they worry their kids will be left out, and they don’t understand why there are no consequences when everyone knows which houses are hosting these parties.
McMahon revealed that he had asked parents for specific names and addresses of problem locations, and five addresses came up repeatedly from every person he asked. He announced his intention to turn these names and addresses over to the police department, questioning why they might not already have this information. He publicly identified the locations as Kenneth Road, Abbott Street, Gregory Street, Clifton Avenue next to the Hobbs Playground, and Liberty Road, stating he was putting this information out there hoping these people would realize there’s no sitting back anymore and that other parents are done with their behavior.
McMahon and Petty reported on a community meeting regarding the curbside collection contract, which they felt went well. The main questions concerned the historic district and barrel sizes, with most attendees appearing to favor weekly trash and recycling collection. Some people pushed for more drastic changes, particularly pay-as-you-throw programs, but McMahon stated he was not on board with major changes given his position with one vote out of three. He directed those interested in major changes to follow the proper process of gathering ten signatures for a town meeting article and selling the idea to the select board and town.
McMahon provided an update on the Mental Health 5K, which had a record turnout of 200 registered runners with good weather conditions. He noted that he didn’t get hurt and that the event raised $350, though he joked about being beaten by middle schoolers due to his age. He recommended the event for future participation.
A committee member asked about police response to the underage drinking parties, noting that since the activity is illegal, there should be arrests. McMahon confirmed this was the frustrating issue they had discussed – while police are breaking up parties, arrests are not happening and no fines are being issued. He explained this was why they planned to bring in town counsel to understand the exact laws and consequences for social hosting, and to meet with the police chief to understand what happens when parties are broken up.
McMahon stated that if they discovered other towns have stronger laws on their books, he would draft a town meeting article, believing that any article stopping parents from social hosting underage drinking parties would pass by a landslide at town meeting. When asked where he drank when young, McMahon explained they went to beaches and had to be sneaky, waiting for someone’s parents to be away for the weekend, but never went to houses where parents were actively hosting and providing alcohol.
A committee member suggested that some parents have a misconception that if their kids get drunk around them, they’ll be safer. McMahon called this extremely selfish because while one child might be safe, everyone else’s children have to leave and drive home, making the hosting parents responsible for that risk. He noted that in the past, these incidents were settled out of court with no names released, and suggested this might need to change. He also noted that the police log apparently no longer includes names, which he considered a huge mistake, arguing that hosting an underage drinking party should result in public shame through inclusion in the police log like any other incident.
Massaro asked about Mothers Against Drunk Driving and mentioned someone named Cynthia Bellmer. McMahon confirmed he had been in touch with Bellmer, who was passionate about arrival lab programs and had found other programs to examine. He reported that Mothers Against Drunk Driving appeared focused on providing information about stopping parents from drinking at Marblehead football games, which he found shocking, expressing disbelief that parents couldn’t watch their children play sports sober or wouldn’t want to remember how their kids performed.
Riverhead Sign Amendment and Food Security Discussion (Link: 00:43:00 – 01:00:00)
Massaro noted that the projects had to be multifocused. Ritvo reported on a slight change to the Riverhead sign discussed in collaboration with Parks and Recreation. Instead of warning that “water not suitable for swimming,” the sign would read “water may not be suitable for swimming” because they don’t know for certain, and it’s not a swimming beach where bacteria levels are not monitored. McMahon confirmed he had talked to Chris about it and they had agreed. McMahon made a motion to amend the wording on the sign, Massaro seconded, and the motion was approved.
Ritvo addressed food security and community health, explaining that access to healthy food is one of the main drivers of good health. She noted that when families struggle to put meals on the table, especially with recent disruption of SNAP benefits, the impact reaches beyond hunger to affect children’s growth and learning and adults’ ability to work, care and thrive in the community. She reported that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health had announced that families who missed payments last week should have received their full benefits, and those on track to receive benefits this week should receive their full November benefits, though times remain uncertain.
Ritvo outlined several local food resources available to the community. The Marblehead Food Pantry, located at Navy Atlantic Avenue across from the Star of the Sea Church, is completely community funded without federal or state dollars. Food donations can be brought to the Masonic lodge on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 AM, and the pantry is open Tuesdays 9 AM to 12 PM and Thursdays 5 to 7 PM. The Marblehead Council on Aging offers grab-and-go lunches on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The Salem Pantry market is open to everyone regardless of residence, offering fresh produce, dairy and eggs, with visits allowed once per week to the main pantry and once per week to pop-up locations. My Brother’s Table in Lynn provides free meals seven days a week with no questions asked, and Project Red Food Source hotline at 1-800-645-8333 provides statewide assistance for finding food programs.
McMahon expressed strong support for food pantries and criticized the federal government’s handling of SNAP benefits as a bipartisan embarrassment. He described his experience living near a busy Market Basket in Somerville while volunteering at a food pantry in Chinatown with a girlfriend, noting the difference in quality and community at food pantries. He conducted an exercise to demonstrate that healthy eating is not more expensive than unhealthy eating, having gone to Market Basket on Saturday to price a full day’s meals for a family of four adults.
McMahon detailed his pricing exercise, calculating breakfast of three eggs and an apple at $1.18 per person, a Chobani yogurt snack at $1.33, lunch of canned tuna, banana and carrots at $1.77, and dinner of chicken breast, sweet potato and rice at $3.48, for a total of $7.76 per person per day. Ritvo pointed out that this would cost over $900 per month for a family of four, while SNAP benefits provide approximately $430 per month for a family. McMahon challenged anyone to find three unhealthy meals for less than $7.76, arguing that it’s cheaper to eat healthy food despite it being less exciting or flavorful.
The discussion continued with McMahon emphasizing that the belief that healthy eating is too expensive is a myth, possibly pushed by lobbyists to make people feel helpless. Ritvo noted that canned and frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same nutritional value. Petty pointed out that even with McMahon’s careful shopping, SNAP benefits still wouldn’t cover the cost. Massaro disagreed that healthy food had to be boring, suggesting additions like garlic and tomato, and noting that rice and beans with flatbread could be tasty without requiring animal protein.
McMahon described his personal approach of viewing food as fuel during training periods, eating the same meal of shredded chicken and Brussels sprouts five nights a week. He reiterated his belief that the government should provide more SNAP benefits while possibly limiting certain items like sodas that have no nutritional value. Petty noted that safe drinking water, while not bottled water expensive, still has costs that weren’t included in McMahon’s calculations. McMahon concluded by mentioning that Kim Crowley at Lighthouse Fitness was offering a deal where people could bring food for the food pantry and receive a free group exercise class.
Budget Planning for FY27 (Link: 01:00:00 – 01:07:00)
Petty provided an update on the FY27 budget process, explaining that they were rolling into the budget process early this year with level funding. He outlined two different budget sides: the health budget and the waste budget. On the health side, he reported that last year they had tried to increase funding for the Marblehead Counseling Center to $120,000 but had to reduce it to $60,000, where it had been since he arrived. They planned to request the $120,000 again and fight their way through the system. Everything else would stay the same, with employee salaries increasing according to existing agreements.
For the waste side, Petty explained they would maintain level services with level funding, but noted that curbside collection disposal contracts were being renewed and would result in a large increase. He confirmed that town officials understood this increase was coming. Petty stated he would prepare the budgets over the next couple of weeks and have them ready for the next meeting.
Petty outlined the budget process timeline, explaining that budgets would be submitted in the next couple of weeks, followed by the State of the Town meeting in mid-January, which all board members should attend. This night meeting serves as the kickoff to budget season and presents the state of the town’s financials. Following this, they would meet with their Finance Committee liaisons to review the budget, with the chair and Petty attending these meetings. They would then present the budget in an official capacity to the Finance Committee, and once approved, it would go to town meeting.
Ritvo asked when the nurse was retiring, and Petty confirmed it would be in April, but noted that the position and function would remain unchanged in the Health Department. Petty explained that they receive the SAFE 2.0 grant, also called the Public Health Excellence Grant, which promotes public health across Massachusetts and aims to level the playing field for all public health departments in the state. The town participates in a coalition called the North Shore Shared Public Health Services, which includes Lynn, Swampscott, Marblehead, Salem, Danvers, Peabody and Beverly.
Petty clarified that the coalition receives allocated funds each year based on budgets and decides how the money is spent. A key requirement of the grant is that they must maintain services locally and cannot decrease their budget while expecting to continue receiving the grant. Massaro asked for clarification, and Petty confirmed that if he decreased his town-provided budget, he would lose the grant, meaning the grant money cannot be used as a substitute for town funding. McMahon asked if the Finance Department understood these requirements, and Petty confirmed that Town Administrator Thatcher Keezer receives annual reminders about the grant requirements and that he had discussed this with both the Finance Department and Finance Committee.
Massaro referenced a previous meeting with the Finance Committee in the same room where they were told the Finance Committee wasn’t the entity that actually made budget cuts. When Massaro asked when they could speak to the actual decision-makers, Petty explained that there’s no meeting with the “cutters” – they can speak to Thatcher Keezer or Aleesha Benjamin, who are generally the ones who make cuts, but there’s no organized meeting process. When Massaro asked what information the cuts are based on, Petty stated he had never seen a formula for deciding where to cut.
Petty provided an update on transfer station projects, announcing that a notice to proceed would be issued on November 13th. Excavation had begun that day on the foundation for the scale house, with excavation for the scale pit scheduled to begin toward the end of the week. He anticipated approximately 25 days of shutdown for the commercial side while trying to maintain residential operations throughout the project, though some days would require traffic rerouting.
Petty explained that the project would require hiring a geotechnical engineer to review contractor processes and compactions, conducting geotechnical testing including compaction, asphalt and concrete testing, and hiring Meridian Associates for survey work to reestablish benchmarks. While the contract specified 90 days, seasonal constraints would prevent paving within that timeframe, with paving scheduled for April when weather permits.
Transfer Station Projects and Site Visit Planning (Link: 01:07:00 – 01:09:00)
Massaro referenced their discussion after the open meeting law session, noting that town counsel had specifically confirmed that the board could visit the transfer station without calling a special meeting. He expressed a strong desire to arrange a formal visit where all board members would go up officially to thank the transfer station staff, acknowledging it was still a tragedy that they couldn’t provide something tangible for what the staff did to keep the board comfortable during the strike. Massaro suggested bringing donuts and coffee for an informal meeting, emphasizing they wouldn’t need to worry about open meeting law requirements.
Petty agreed to set up a site visit and suggested putting together an email to coordinate a suitable time. Massaro noted that while Petty was at the transfer station frequently and McMahon had visited, he felt it should be a formal visit. He reflected that it was inappropriate for him to have been on the board for a year and a half without being formally introduced to the team, crediting Petty for encouraging him to go up and meet the people who serve the board and work for them.
Massaro mentioned that Joanne Miller, described as a people person, had made the effort to visit on her own initiative, but he had not. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the two new board members coming next year would also make similar visits, viewing it as important for building the team. Petty concluded that this covered all his updates.
Public Comment and Executive Session Transition (Link: 01:09:00 – 01:13:00)
Massaro suggested a motion for adjournment was appropriate, but McMahon reminded him to take questions for public comment first. Petty confirmed there were no hands raised online for public comment.
A speaker asked about progress on expanding to a five-member board and whether anything needed to be done to ensure it happens for the next election. Petty confirmed their understanding was that everything was in line. McMahon explained that while the wording was questionable, three people would be on the ballot with the person receiving the most votes getting three years, similar to what the select board did, with the second and third place finishers getting shorter terms to create staggered terms for continuity.
The speaker suggested that Petty write a column about the transfer station to help people understand what’s available, how to use it, and what a great resource it is. The speaker noted there were no reporters present and suggested better signage was needed, though acknowledged that many people don’t read or comprehend signs. For reaching younger people, the speaker recommended contacting scouts, sports groups, the JCC, and the YMCA. Massaro responded that the JCC had been very helpful, noting they had delivered 20 table cards and large posters, and the JCC had worn out two posters before the current meeting.
The speaker mentioned that when he was a scout about 20 years ago, people would periodically come in to talk about different aspects of waste management. He reported conducting a personal experiment with a 65-gallon recycling container for just two people, testing every-other-week collection and finding they still filled the barrel, concluding that weekly collection wouldn’t be horrific. The speaker concluded by praising how the board was working together as a group.
Petty reminded the board they had an executive session scheduled. Massaro asked what he needed to read, and Petty directed him to the agenda. Petty made a motion to move into executive session pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Article 21A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiation with non-union personnel, specifically regarding the health director employment contract. Petty noted they would not be returning to open session. The speaker offered water to anyone before leaving, mentioning he always kept water in his truck, and departed with well wishes from the board members.
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