The Marion Board of Health on July 6 considered adding some dumpster regulations to the town’s Health Code to combat an increasing issue with pests, particularly raccoons, causing problems at the dumpsters of area establishments.
Health Agent Anna Wimmer told the board that she and Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais researched the regulations held by other Massachusetts municipalities in light of several complaints of raccoons and other pests invading dumpsters seemingly in search of food.
Dumpster regulations, which Marion does not currently have, would help ensure that businesses, particularly those involving food, keep their dumpsters tightly closed and have them emptied in a timely manner, Wimmer said. In Mashpee, for example, Wimmer said there are separate hauling regulations aimed at hauling companies requiring them to “keep up their end of the bargain” and oversee a regular schedule of dumpster emptying.
According to Wimmer, many of the complaints in Marion are related to one housing facility, and that facility’s housing association is not at fault for the ongoing problem with the dumpster, she said.
Potential dumpster regulations in Marion could address the need for tight-fitting lids and covers, which must remain closed when not immediately in use, and routine schedules of dumpster emptying and cleaning. The primary issue is cleanliness, said Wimmer, “to make sure that they’re not attracting any pests.”
Also during the meeting, the board held its public hearing to adopt regulations titled “Guidance for Body Art Establishments.” The adopted draft appeared “pretty reasonable” to BOH member Dr. John Howard, and BOH member Dot Brown commented that Wimmer’s suggestion to have the new regs take effect later in August or September was also reasonable, given that the ones seeking to open a microblading and permanent make-up business in Marion will not be ready to apply for the appropriate licenses with the town until late summer or early fall.
Wimmer said she would soon be out of the office on maternity leave, so the one who will replace her in the interim would likely be the one to perform the newly established inspections for the applicants to receive their licenses to operate.
The board adopted the associated fees for such establishments after Wimmer and Desmarais researched the licensing fees of surrounding towns. The town will charge $150 for a license (area towns charge a range of $100-$200), and practitioner and apprentice license fees will be $75 and $50, respectively, both within the average range of other towns.
In other matters, Desmarais gave a COVID-19 report, announcing that there have been zero new cases in June and zero during this first week of July. Marion saw a total of 425 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
On the mosquito front, the Department of Public Health began testing mosquitos for West Nile Virus and found its first positive sample in Medford in Middlesex County.
There are two confirmed cases of the tick-borne disease babesiosis, five cases of anaplasmosis, and seven Lyme disease cases in Marion, emphasizing the need for residents to remain vigilant and take measures to protect themselves from tick bites.
Raccoon sighting calls have decreased to zero over the past three weeks, according to Desmarais, who has been in contact with Marion’s animal control officer.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health will be scheduled at the end of the summer.
Marion Board of Health
By Jean Perry