Hubbardston Board of Health approves limited pay for new assistant, schedules fall vaccine clinics and reviews permits

The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health on Tuesday approved paying the board’s new administrative assistant up to five hours per month from the Board of Health revolving account and reviewed public-health case counts and plans for fall vaccination clinics.

The board’s chair, Kathy Hinsgate, moved the payment arrangement for the assistant, Sadie (full name not specified in the meeting record), and Judy seconded the motion. Members voted unanimously in favor.

The vote came amid a wider update on local public-health work: the board heard that the health office is tracking a recent child COVID-19 case, one pertussis case (a child) and one Legionella case that both require follow-up. Health staff said follow-up calls and visits to providers and hospitals have been completed where required.

The board also reviewed plans for two fall vaccination clinics to expand access locally. Health staff said a clinic will be held Oct. 17 from 3 to 6 p.m. (weekday) and another on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the clinics will offer COVID and influenza vaccines and other immunizations by request, including measles (MMR), tetanus boosters, shingles and RSV shots. Staff said they will collect advance sign-ups by phone and at the senior center to determine which vaccines to stock.

Nate (last name not stated), the town administrator, briefed the board on an e-permitting rollout that will route building, health and related permits into a single digital flow. Nate said the goal of e-permitting is to “automate the boring” and reduce manual handoffs, and he asked board members to consider forward-looking work the board can do as permitting becomes streamlined. He confirmed that the new assistant will help the board implement the e-permitting system when she starts next week.

In other business, the board reviewed multiple Title 5 septic reports and “passes” that staff said were completed and are being signed at the meeting for the town record. Addresses cited in the discussion included 29 Common on Road North; 31 (ragged cover); 3 Mohawk Street; Apartment No. 4, 131 Westminster Road; 56 Malvard Road; and 6 Underwood Road; staff said some files required additional documentation (for example, a missing perk test or soil suitability assessment) and those items would be returned to the inspector for follow-up.

The board received an application for an animal-welfare/zoo permit for a business referred to as Bridal Adventures. Staff reported that the applicant has a USDA animal-welfare document that expires Oct. 1, 2027, but that state fisheries/wildlife paperwork listed on mass.gov appeared to have expired in February 2024. A staff member recommended holding off approving the town permit until the applicant provides updated state confirmation and pays required inspection fees; the board did not approve the permit during the meeting pending those items.

Board members also discussed a failed regional trash request for proposals (RFP). Town Administrator Nate said the RFP deadline passed with no submissions; one vendor expressed interest if the board extends the deadline. He told the board he is frustrated that several people on the working group did not complete tasks and that the town may need to re-open the procurement.

The meeting record also shows two complaints under investigation: a septic-odor report on Brigham Road, which staff said may be eligible for the town’s septic loan program, and an ongoing rodent complaint at a Main Street rental property. Staff said they had visited the property, observed evidence of access points around bulkhead doors and will contact the property owner this week to seek remediation; the board also noted an ongoing housing-court case in Worcester related to that property.

The board reviewed records cleanup and file-management work staff and volunteers completed in recent weeks; members discussed keeping large engineering plans in paper form while scanning and storing routine records electronically. They also discussed the need for a computer and an electronic-signature tool (for example, DocuSign) so the chair can sign documents during meetings and then have staff scan them into the e-permit system.

The meeting concluded with administrative reminders about upcoming meetings and appointments and adjourned at 8:43 p.m.

Why this matters: The actions finalize a short-term pay arrangement to compensate the board’s new administrative assistant for meeting time, while the town advances e-permitting and schedules vaccine clinics aimed at increasing local access to immunizations. Holding the zoo permit pending state paperwork underscores the board’s reliance on state and federal certifications for animal-welfare oversight.