The opening of the Silvershell Beach parking lot and the town docks and floats dominated discussion during the Board of Health meeting on May 5.
Silvershell’s parking lot has not leaned itself toward safe-spacing practices, but the overhaul being performed by the Department of Public Works is trending toward a May 15 completion at the earliest, and is timing out nicely with the potential reopening of the state on May 18.
The lingering question is a crowd-management strategy. The plan, for now, is to use lines and signs to space people out safely and in compliance with coronavirus standards and to require patrons to wear facemasks. But will residents comply?
Board clerk Dot Brown has suggested measures taken in Brookline, where security guards stand watch and hand out facemasks to those that are not wearing them.
Board Vice Chairperson Dr. Ed Hoffer and Recreation Department Executive Director Jody Dickerson agreed a teenager working at a low wage should not be expected to confront patrons who ignore the rules of spacing or masks.
The idea of employing citizens involved in the town’s Senior Working Program was floated, and Board of Health Chairperson John Howard suggested police cruisers circulate hourly, “then if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.’
“We typically do that anyway,” said Police Chief John Garcia, who encouraged the board to approve a plan to have the attendee call the station as necessary. “My personal feeling is just stick with the gate attendants… don’t argue with (patrons). Just give the station a call and let them deal with it.”
“Let’s try this first. If it works great; if it doesn’t, tweak it and try to do it some other way,” said Dickerson.
Hoffer suggested an email blast from the board counting on citizens to be cooperative and, if it doesn’t work, “hey… close it again,” he said.
Harbormaster Isaac Perry reported to the Marion Board of Health that he planned to open docks and floats on Wednesday, May 6. Marion will restrict its floats to the owners or those approved by the harbormaster.
“This isn’t going to be a transient dock where the people are going to be coming and going,” said Perry, who will oversee a 20-minute limit of usage.
The floats are going to be restricted to the slip owners only.
In addition to following all state-prescribed orders and advisories, Marion is also keeping its public bathrooms and public showers closed.
There is concern about safe usage of the mobile harbor pump-out service and the discharge from the vent. Perry said that, when the service does open up, no one will be allowed on the vessel but the owner. Boat owners will do their own pumping of sewage.
Policy details will be posted on the notice boards.
“The way the dock is constructed… it’s 10 feet wide so social distance is good,” said Perry, who noted the situation can be monitored as the floats are right outside the harbormaster’s office.
Perry said the harbormaster’s office itself is too cramped to achieve social distancing, but facemasks are required for everyone in that building.
Marion’s Recreation Department will hold off on deciding the fate of summer programs until May 18 when Governor Baker is expected to announce either the reopening or extend the closure of the state’s non-essential businesses and public facilities.
Public Health Nurse Kathleen Downey indicated that the state Department of Public Health has advised towns to treat summer camps and kids camps that COVID-19 remains a risk and each program needs to look at preventative measures. The delay could adversely affect staffing.
“Everybody’s concerned,” said Downey. “You have to hire people in advance, and if you don’t give them notice you’re not going to get the people you want.”
Dickerson agreed “100 percent correct… We have great counselors in our Recreation Department.” He said 95 percent return annually and it’s the same for lifeguards, calling last year’s staff the best the town has seen in 10 years. “I’d love to have them return this year, I probably get one or two messages a day asking… I tell them we’re waiting on the state. It also affects the counselors; many use the income to attend college. It does affect a lot of people.”
Dickerson said the Recreation Department is “ready to go.”
Marion’s summer programs are scheduled to begin on July 1. “I can go up to about June 10 before I have to pull the trigger,” said Dickerson.
John Schnaible of Coastal Engineering has been hired by Marion to fill in for newly retired Health Director Karen Walega until the town hires a permanent replacement.
Town Administrator Jay McGrail reported to the Board of Health that the first round of interviews will be conducted next week. Meantime, Schnaible has met with board clerk Dot Brown and will handle sanitary roles, inspections, and perc tests.
“I’m glad to be here to help you guys,” said Schnaible, who has been in the business 40 years as a registered sanitarian, septic inspector and soil evaluator who also worked with McGrail when the latter was employed by the town of Sandwich.
“He’s well aware of the best practices and can do all the things that we need especially in this interim,” said Brown.
McGrail has hired another consultant to handle restaurants, beach, and pool inspections. That person has applied for the full-time job.
In her update, Downey reported that Marion has two active COVID-19 cases, and the town received a boost upon the news that Sippican Healthcare Center had 180 nursing-home residents tested and all came back negative.
The board approved a motion to make public not only the active coronavirus cases but all cases. The state listed seven total cases in Marion as of last week.
Downey stressed the importance of a solution for residents in isolation or in quarantine who choose not to comply with the town’s efforts to execute contact tracing.
“We’ve had a couple of challenges to be able to enforce it. The Board of Health has to be the one to initiate the action,” she said, noting that a schedule of meetings every two weeks would require emergency meetings upon the need for the board’s intervention.
Brown urged the town to consider invoking Chapter 40, Section 21D, giving the town the authority to levy fines for non-compliance.
“There needs to be some teeth,” said Board Vice Chairperson Dr. Ed Hoffer. “(Hypothetically), there’s a group of 20 people having a party… we don’t want to have them arrested, but we want to stop it.”
Brown pointed to Brookline making masks available and said the same is happening at Revere Beach. She reported that Coolidge Corner had 200 people gathered recently and only two were not wearing masks. Joggers, on the other hand, are subject to criticism of late for not wearing masks.
Hoffer suggested in light of Downey’s enforcement dilemma that residents who refuse to give the town information on their contacts should become subject to fines. Howard suggested that Town Counsel Jon Witten may be able to shed light on the matter.
Brown reported on a webinar scheduled for 9:00 am on Saturday, May 16, an informational meeting held by George Heufelder and geared toward homeowners to educate them about alternative septic systems followed by a question-and-answer session.
McGrail said that the webinar addresses a potential change to Marion’s septic code and is important for residents to understand. Heufelder manages septic systems on Cape Cod.
In light of the state’s timeline, the Board of Health confirmed availability to attend a joint session with the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, May 19, before holding its own scheduled meeting.
Marion Board of Health
By Mick Colageo