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Select Board Meeting Agenda

7 pm Monday August 23, 2021 at Town Hall

https://zoom.us/j/95369713318?pwd=aFNxV0RmeFB5SUJhT2lXWFErSkh6UT09

Passcode: 679661

or

Dial in:     +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592

Webinar ID: 953 6971 3318.      Passcode: 679661

• Approval of Minutes from August 9^th meeting
• Sign Vendor and Payroll warrants
• STRAP Grant Award – Updates
• Highway Dept Matters: Goals for next two weeks
• Mount Washington Broadband network – updates
• Select Board Management Information and Reporting
• RAO appointments- Nancy Wright
• Schoolhouse Project – updates from Ad Hoc Committee
• Any other matters that may come before the Board
• Citizen Speak Time

Meeting Notice and Agenda for Board of Health Meeting

Date: August 20, 2021

Time:  5:30 PM

Location: This is an IN-PERSON meeting, weather permitting, it will be held outside of the Town Hall. Should you wish to attend, please bring a chair. All members and attendees will be required to wear a mask if unable to observe social distancing. If the meeting has to move inside Town Hall for any reason, MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED.

Agenda – August 20, 2021

1. Review and Approval of Minutes of July 23,2021
2. Title 5, Questions and Answers
3. Discussion on managing rental properties
4. COVID 19 Update
5. Discussion on minimum standards for keeping of animals
6. Public Health Collaborative report
7. Setting of next meeting

Mount Washington Board of Health

Update on COVID 19

We are just a few weeks past Governor Baker’s announcement that officially ended most of the Health Emergency regulations in Massachusetts.

Current data for the two-week period ending July 29th indicate that the number of NEW positive cases for Berkshire County more than doubled from the previous two weeks (22 to 48). The highest number of new positive cases is in the 20-29 age group, next highest is 30-39 age group, and the third highest is the 40-49 age group. The 20-29 age group is more than 50% higher than the next highest group. As of July 29^th, 90.1% of the medical/surgical beds in Massachusetts are occupied and 76% of the ICU beds are occupied. As we progressed for the next week the numbers have kept going up. This information (and more) is available at https://www.publichealthwm.org.  The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts is an excellent, up-to-date website with graphics and data that you can understand. Check it out!

What is the message?

The most important message is that this health crisis is still with us and is affecting a lot of people across the country. If you are vaccinated, we believe that you have a significantly better chance of surviving a COVID 19 or VARIANT infection. Well over 90% of the DEATHS from COVID infections are unvaccinated individuals.

If you are not vaccinated: the CDC, the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Mount Washington Board of Health encourage you to get vaccinated. It’s free and widely available.

If you are vaccinated: we thank you for doing what we can to limit the spread of this disease. We agree with the CDC and MDPH that wearing a mask when you are in a crowd – at the grocery store, farmer’s market, any public gathering is vital.

Limiting exposure, even for vaccinated individuals, helps everyone. We know that earlier this month most of the patients in the hospital for COVID care were unvaccinated, but hospitals are now seeing more vaccinated COVID patients as well. The long-term outcome for vaccinated patients who are sick from the variant

seems to be better than for those who are not vaccinated, but some are still sick enough to be hospitalized.

Here are the updates to the CDC recommendations as of July 27, 2021:

• Fully vaccinated people should wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. Transmission Zones may be viewed at CDC.gov. Currently, Berkshire County is listed as MODERATE. Hampden, Plymouth, Suffolk, Bristol, Hampshire Counties are SUBSTANTIAL; Nantucket, Barnstable Counties are HIGH.
• Fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID 19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated (i.e. children under 12)
• Fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed CCOVID 19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
• Universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools; regardless of vaccination status.

The CDC website identifies all 50 states and counties as to risk level. Check before you travel!

Ad Hoc Schoolhouse Committee meeting
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
7 PM at the town hall.

Agenda

• Approve previous meeting minutes
• Status of quiet title for current location
• Septic in proposed location
• Environmental survey of wetlands in proposed location
• Cost estimators
• Mass Cultural Council status of extension of feasibility grant deadline.

Assessor Meeting
8/13/21 5PM

• Check Mail
• Discuss Reval progress
• Whatever else comes before the Board.

Tom Furcht
Jeb Rong
Vicki Torrico
BOA

Select Board Meeting Agenda
7 pm Monday August 9, 2021 at Town Hall

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/91698374430?pwd=M1hiL1hVUWtSbWxvVmJEYVEwb3RuQT09

Passcode: 518306
US: +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 916 9837 4430. Passcode: 518306

• Approval of Minutes from July 26^th meeting
• Sign Vendor and Payroll warrants
• STRAP Grant Award – Scope of Work for Bid Solicitation, Paul Montenegro visit, State Grant Contract
• Highway Dept Matters: Goals for next two weeks, East Street
• Mount Washington Broadband network – updates
• Select Board Management Information and Reporting
• Update from Tree Warden
• Public Record Compliance, RAO appointments- Nancy Wright
• Any other matters that may come before the Board
• Citizen Speak Time