Board authorizes $150 for permethrin distribution and tick-education materials

The Sherborn Board of Health voted unanimously to authorize up to $150 from its FY27 Public Health Initiative fund for a one-time purchase of permethrin and tick-repellent samples and educational materials to distribute to town field staff.

Public Health Nurse Gael Varsa presented the item, describing the proposal as modeled on a program implemented in nearby Dover. Varsa recommended providing permethrin—a clothing-applied tick repellent—and materials to Division of Public Works staff, with the option to include Conservation Commission agents and Board of Health field staff. "I propose using the Board of Health’s Public Health Initiative fund for a one-time purchase of permethrin and educational materials," Varsa said during her presentation. Board members suggested including lifeguards and gate guards who work near vegetation.

Board members framed the expenditure as an educational entry point to build ongoing public-health relationships with town departments rather than committing the Board to annual funding. The Board noted the FY27 Public Health Initiative balance of $150 and heard that a comparable Dover purchase cost roughly $75 for six bottles. Co-Chair Julie Dreyfus asked Varsa to return to the Board in December—at the end of tick season—to report on adoption and effectiveness.

A motion to authorize the purchase, with funds not to exceed $150, passed 5-0. "Funds not to exceed $150" was the motion described and recorded in the minutes; the Board requested a follow-up report on outcomes at season’s end.