Great Bington health agent to depart July 6; collaborative will provide interim coverage

Rebecca, the town’s health agent, told the Great Bington Board of Health that her last day will be July 6 and reviewed a handoff plan with the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative to maintain inspectional services and permit processing during the transition.

Rebecca said, “My last day is July 6th,” and told the board she and collaborative staff had been preparing materials and an access folder to help onboard the next health agent. The board discussed scheduled office hours, voicemail and email forwarding, and the likelihood of collaborative staff providing on-site or remote assistance until a permanent hire is in place.

Why it matters: Board members described hiring and retention as the department’s top priorities. Several members urged the town to provide administrative support and to restore a part-time inspector position to reduce the workload borne by a single health agent.

Interim coverage and operational details Jane and other collaborative staff said they will run reports, assist with permitting through the town’s full-circle permitting program, and be available for inspections and mentoring the new agent. Jane said the collaborative will try to schedule at least one day of regular office hours and recommended voicemail and email forwarding to ensure continuity for residents and businesses.

Board concerns and next steps Board members noted the department historically required more than one person to carry out its duties — a full-time health agent, a part-time inspector, and part-time administrative support — and said the town should recognize that workload when recruiting. Dr. Ruby Chang said the situation is “not viable” long-term without added support, and members agreed to ask the town manager for administrative assistance while the position is vacant.

Rebecca also noted recent grant activity: the department received funding under a sustainable materials program (up to $3,000) and purchased four animal-resistant food-waste containers to be used if the town’s composting service resumes. The board listed other priorities to revisit after a new agent is onboarded, including nuisance regulations and revision of the solid-waste hauler regulations.

What comes next Board members said they plan to be involved in the hiring process; in the meeting they discussed prioritizing applications received before July 3 and indicated the next regular meeting is penciled for Aug. 6, when they expect further updates on staffing and enforcement matters.

Sources: Meeting of the Great Bington Board of Health, remote session. Quotes attributed to participants are taken from meeting remarks.