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New Marlborough Board of Health flags septic design mismatch, notes nursing budget and preparedness updates
Summary
At its Jan. 13 meeting the Board of Health for the Town of New Marlborough recorded a payer action on an outstanding SBPHC invoice, noted a proposed 3% FY27 increase to public-health nursing, discussed a septic installer bylaw initiative, reviewed multiple septic plans (one design was not approved), and logged a new well-permit application.
The Board of Health for the Town of New Marlborough met Jan. 13, 2026, at Town Hall and recorded administrative and permitting actions, including review of septic-system plans and a new well-permit application.
Scott McFarland, the board’s agent, was recorded as completing payment of an outstanding FY26 invoice to the South Berkshire Public Health Collaborative (SBPHC) for public-health nursing services. The board also noted that SBPHC is planning a 3% increase in the FY27 public-health nursing budget; the board said it will account for that change in its FY27 budgeting process.
Jim Wilusz, of SBPHC/Tri-town, notified the board that he is initiating a south-county septic working group to consider installer bylaws, citing recent inconsistencies in workmanship. The board assigned Jordan Chretien and Scott McFarland as Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) contacts; Chretien will attend a PHEP tabletop exercise in Great Barrington on Jan. 15, 2026, and the coordinating meeting was rescheduled to Jan. 23, 2026.
The board read and recorded several septic-design submissions. A resubmission for 815 Hartsville–New Marlborough Road corrected a property name and reported no design changes for the proposed new construction (ADU and poolhouse, three-bedroom). Applications for upgrades or new systems were recorded for 1698 Clayton–Mill River Road (Tilley, four-bedroom upgrade), 61 Steepletop Barn (Devine, new construction, three-bedroom), 763 Hotchkiss Road (Roston, three-bedroom upgrade for the house only), and 764 East Hill Road (Roston, six-bedroom upgrade).
A proposed plan for 810 East Hill Road was not approved: the submission described a six-bedroom design while the property was recorded in the minutes as an existing four-unit residential building with 11 bedrooms, creating a mismatch between the design and the building’s documented occupancy. The minutes record the non-approval but do not specify next procedural steps for that parcel.
A new well-permit application for 426 New Marlborough Hill Road (Barenblatt) was received and entered into the record. The minutes also state there were no new percolation (perc) tests and no new Title 5 inspections since the prior meeting.
The board scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM. A motion to adjourn was seconded and accepted, and the meeting ended at 7:10 PM. The minutes were signed and submitted by Scott McFarland, agent.
