The Plymouth Board of Health convened on Wednesday to establish a new rigorous meeting schedule aimed at improving administrative efficiency. Chair Barry Potvin introduced the transition to bi-monthly sessions starting in October, noting that the first meeting of each month will prioritize guest presentations while the second focuses on administrative actions and variances. Highlighting the need for a disciplined approach to the board’s growing workload, Potvin asked, How much time should we allot so that we're not all getting somebody for an hour? Lorenzo Pizarro emphasized that the long-term planning would benefit the public, stating, I think having this schedule all the way through next June will be... people can go around it and plan their life around attending. To maintain efficiency, the board agreed to 15-minute limits for most future guest speakers. Member Amy Palmer signaled her support for the structural change, noting, I think it's a great idea.

Local business regulations dominated the discussion as the board considered several grease trap variance requests. The board denied a request from BJ’s Wholesale Club, upholding staff recommendations for a larger external system to handle their food operations. Karen Keane emphasized the technical necessity of the upgrade, explaining that they really need to have a 2,000 gallon grease trap external due to the nature of their deli and bakery services. Teri Reid supported the data-driven approach, remarking, I'm familiar with BJ and I would just go along with the recommendations. Conversely, the board tabled a request from Gillis Family Restaurant after owner James Gillis described the severe financial impact of ongoing town construction. Gillis told the board, We are getting destroyed with this excavator in the driveway, leading the board to grant a one-month extension to develop a feasible compliance plan.

The session also addressed a significant volume of residential septic variances, focusing on upgrades near sensitive wetland areas. At 25 Center Hill Road, the board approved a modified plan to protect neighboring wells, with Kevin Grady presenting designs for concrete chambers that maximize setbacks. A similar upgrade was approved for 239 Manomet Point Road, though the board mandated a three-bedroom deed restriction to prevent future expansion beyond the system’s capacity. Motion Made by Barry Potvin to table this until next month so that the public health division can work with Gillis to come up with the timeline and a plan of action. Vote Passed 5-0. The board continued to work through a series of technical approvals for properties on Clifford Road, Naughty Pines Road, and Sandy Beach Road to ensure aging cesspools are replaced with Title 5 compliant systems.

Concluding the meeting, Blake Dinius from Plymouth County Extension provided a comprehensive update on regional tick-borne illness risks, specifically highlighting the emergence of Alpha-gal syndrome. Dinius noted the sensitivity of local tick populations to environmental factors, explaining that the deer ticks especially are very sensitive to drying out and require high humidity to survive. Despite recent drought conditions, frequent rain events have maintained high tick activity throughout the season. Dinius encouraged the board and residents to focus on personal protection rather than year-to-year population fluctuations, stressing that tickborn diseases are the same pretty much every year in terms of public health risk. The meeting was adjourned at 6:07 PM