Southborough Board of Health adopts local 'body works' regulations effective Aug. 1

Southborough Board of Health adopts local 'body works' regulations effective Aug. 1

The Southborough Board of Health voted unanimously July 15 to adopt new local regulations for body‑work establishments, saying the rules will take effect Aug. 1 and that businesses will have 30 days after that date to apply for any required permits.

Board members said the changes follow drafts reviewed by town counsel and examples used by other nearby towns, and that the board discussed inspection timing and enforcement.

At the meeting the board chair opened a public hearing and read a legal notice into the record, saying the hearing included a vote on the body‑work regulations and that written comments had been accepted at the health department prior to the vote. The chair moved to adopt “the body work regulations under its authority of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 111, Section 31,” and the motion passed unanimously after a second and an aye vote from Board member Medina.

The board discussed implementation details before the vote. Health department staff said the draft had been reviewed with the town police chief and that the regulations were modeled on ones other towns had adopted. The board added a narrowly worded change to the inspection section: establishments “shall be subject to unannounced periodic inspections” by the health department or authorized agents, replacing the prior phrasing that had suggested scheduled inspections. The board noted the town bylaw requires a public hearing for regulation updates but confirmed the Board of Health has authority under state law to adopt regulations.

The chair said the regulations will be effective Aug. 1 and that businesses would have 30 days after that date to comply, and the board discussed enforcement options if an establishment did not come into compliance within that window.

The board closed the public hearing after the vote and moved on to other agenda items.