Handles public health rules — food safety inspections, septic system permits, and local health regulations.
135 items across 8 meetings.
June 16, 2026 · agenda
• Status unclear
Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM via Zoom.
• Status unclear
Open public comment period.
📋 Proposed
Board will discuss nominees and vote on the annual public health award.
💬 Discussed
Discussion of a Remote Area Medical (free pop-up health services) clinic planned for 2027.
📋 Proposed
Board to discuss a 3-year contract with Langdon Environmental for Howe Street Landfill management.
📍 Howe Street Landfill
💬 Discussed
Mosquito spraying scheduled for July 6, 13, 20, and 27 throughout town.
💬 Discussed
Recap of the June 10 Medical Reserve Corps Stop the Bleed training held at Town Hall.
📍 Town Hall
💬 Discussed
Active housing code/health cases at four addresses will be reviewed.
📍 20 Joanne Drive #22; 99 Warren Road; 274 Union Street; 33 Esty Street
💬 Discussed
Update on local cases of Alpha Gal Syndrome (tick-bite-triggered red meat allergy) in Ashland.
💬 Discussed
Update on the Community Baby Shower event scheduled for June 30.
💬 Discussed
Board will receive an update on ongoing disease investigations.
📋 Proposed
Routine approval of year-to-date budget reports and prior meeting minutes.
📋 Proposed
Board will reorganize, typically involving officer elections for the new term.
📋 Proposed
Board will discuss future topics and set the next meeting for July 7 or July 21, 2026.
• Status unclear
Meeting adjourned.
June 2, 2026 · agenda
• Status unclear
Routine opening of the meeting.
• Status unclear
Open public comment period.
📋 Proposed
Board will consider waiving the state minimum lifeguard requirement for the Lanterns at Warren Woods swimming pool under MA State Code 105-CMR-435.23.
📍 Warren Woods, Ashland
📋 Proposed
Presentation on the Community Baby Shower event planned for June 30, 2026.
• Status unclear
Recognition or introduction of AHS public health student intern.
📋 Proposed
Board will discuss nominees and vote on the annual public health award.
• Status unclear
Ashland Farmers Market 2026 season opens June 6, 2026 — informational update.
• Status unclear
Update on scheduled mosquito spraying dates in Ashland for June 2026.
📋 Proposed
Free community bleeding-control training at Town Hall, June 10, 2026, 6:00–8:00 PM.
📍 Town Hall, Ashland
💬 Discussed
Board will receive updates on active housing health cases at three Ashland properties.
📍 20 Joanne Drive #22; 99 Warren Road; 274 Union Street
• Status unclear
Update on ongoing rodent complaint investigations across town.
• Status unclear
Status update on sharps disposal containers and the prescription drug take-back program.
• Status unclear
Update on tick-borne disease activity and public health response in Ashland.
• Status unclear
General update on active disease investigations being tracked by the Health Department.
📋 Proposed
Routine approval of year-to-date budget reports and prior meeting minutes.
📋 Proposed
Board will reorganize — likely electing officers for the coming term.
• Status unclear
Board will identify items for future agendas; next meeting is June 16, 2026.
• Status unclear
Meeting closes.
May 5, 2026 · minutes
💬 Discussed
Nine residents testified sharply divided on a proposed Kratom regulation: three parents whose children died from Mitragynine toxicity urged a full ban; several chronic-pain users and harm-reduction advocates urged regulation over prohibition.
💬 Discussed
AHS students presented survey findings: 82.56% of respondents would decline nicotine if offered, but seniors showed the highest use rates; vapes/e-cigarettes are the dominant product, with some school spaces shut down due to in-school use.
💬 Discussed
Board discussed a draft regulation banning synthetic/concentrated 7-Hydroxymitragynine while permitting raw Kratom leaf and powder under the Kratom Consumer Protection Act framework, with required Certificates of Analysis and financial penalties for violations; Town Counsel will review before any vote.
💬 Discussed
Board received three nominations (including Amy Turncliff and Yucchi Cote, forwarded by the Town Manager) and will vote at the June 2 meeting, with the presentation at a subsequent meeting.
💬 Discussed
Public Health Nurse Anne Fitzgerald reported the marathon went smoothly with no injuries or incidents; lighter crowds due to weather.
💬 Discussed
Health Director and board member attended GreenUp Ashland Day; routine report, no action taken.
💬 Discussed
Farmers Market starts June 6; staff coordinating with Steve Mitchell to ensure all food vendors are permitted.
💬 Discussed
Multiple food trucks inspected and permitted this year, many associated with Clover Road Brewery.
💬 Discussed
Public Health Nurse will lead a Stop the Bleed training for MRC volunteers at Town Hall on June 10, 6–8 PM.
📍 101 Main Street (Town Hall)
💬 Discussed
Maternal and child grant funds will provide items for expectant mothers at a community baby shower on June 30 at the Corner Spot or Select Board Meeting Room.
💬 Discussed
Weekly pest control underway at 20 Joanne Drive #22 with improvement; 21 Main Street #204 has no update; an Order to Correct was issued to the owner of 99 Warren Road for trash and rodent concerns.
📍 20 Joanne Drive #22; 21 Main Street #204; 99 Warren Road
💬 Discussed
Dumpster removed at Brook St./Chestnut St. corner; Health Director expects rodent activity to subside.
📍 Brook Street and Chestnut Street
💬 Discussed
One campylobacter case closed; a few TB cases are under active follow-up.
✅ Approved
FY2026 year-to-date budget reports and April 7 meeting minutes approved 4-0.
✅ Approved
Meeting adjourned at 7:22 PM; next meeting June 2, 2026.
May 5, 2026 · agenda
📋 Proposed
Meeting opens at 6:00 PM.
📍 101 Main Street, Select Board Meeting Room, Town Hall
📋 Proposed
Open public comment period.
📋 Proposed
AHS students present findings from a local youth tobacco-use survey.
📋 Proposed
Board will discuss a proposed regulation on kratom (a plant-based stimulant/opioid-like substance) sold locally.
📋 Proposed
Board discusses nominees for the annual public health recognition award.
📋 Proposed
Director reports on Board of Health activities related to the Boston Marathon.
📋 Proposed
Update on the May 2, 2026 GreenUp Ashland community cleanup event.
📋 Proposed
Update on the upcoming 2026 Farmers Market season.
📋 Proposed
Status update on food truck inspections and permitting for the season.
📋 Proposed
Free community bleeding-control safety training at Town Hall on June 10, 2026, 6:00–8:00 PM.
📍 Town Hall, 101 Main Street
📋 Proposed
Community Baby Shower event scheduled for June 30, 2026.
📋 Proposed
Board reviews active housing health cases at 20 Joanne Drive #22, 21 Main Street #204, and 99 Warren Road.
📍 20 Joanne Drive #22; 21 Main Street #204; 99 Warren Road
📋 Proposed
Update on outstanding rodent complaint investigations.
📋 Proposed
Update on current disease investigation cases.
📋 Proposed
Board reviews and approves year-to-date FY2026 budget reports.
📋 Proposed
Approve minutes from the April 7, 2026 meeting.
📋 Proposed
Board members identify topics for upcoming meetings.
📋 Proposed
Next Board of Health meeting set for May 19, 2026.
📋 Proposed
Meeting adjourns.
April 7, 2026 · minutes
✅ Approved
Chair Ed Burman called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM; all five members present.
✅ Approved
Dona Walsh and Justine Grassey approved as Ashland's Animal Inspectors, as required by the State Department of Agricultural Resources.
💬 Discussed
High school students surveyed on nicotine use (180 responses); Youth Prevention Council plans to present results to the Board at a future meeting, tied to the Nicotine Free Generation initiative.
💬 Discussed
Mosquito larvicide treatment has begun for the season, particularly near the Hopkinton town line.
📍 Hopkinton town line area
💬 Discussed
State-mandated survey must be completed by all Board members and staff by April 10th.
💬 Discussed
Lengthy state-mandated departmental survey due April 30th.
💬 Discussed
NY Pizza permitted; Giovanni's 67 still under renovation; 135 Discount has unresolved water issues under plumbing inspection; Sunnyside Café fined after failing reinspection; four Pond Street Plaza establishments cited for trash violations.
💰 Fines issued to Sunnyside Café and four Pond Street Plaza establishments
📍 Pond Street Plaza; 135 Discount Store
💬 Discussed
Second Stop the Bleed community training at Town Hall went well; more MRC trainings, including Shelter Training, planned.
📍 Town Hall
💬 Discussed
Health Director attended seminar covering PFAS contamination and well water testing topics.
📍 Holyoke, MA
💬 Discussed
Health Director will be away for Marathon day; Public Health Nurse Anne Fitzgerald will cover, joined by Board members and Red Cross volunteers.
💬 Discussed
Shared Services received a $30,000 grant for maternal health; third Community Baby Shower planned for June 30th at Town Hall or the Corner Spot depending on weather.
💰 $30,000 state/shared-services grant
📍 Town Hall or Corner Spot
💬 Discussed
Active housing complaints include a leaking ceiling at 2 Cirrus Dr (owner says fixed), ongoing pest control at 20 Joanne Dr #22, nearly all violations cleared at 321 Leland Farm Rd, and no response yet from 21 Main St #204 management.
📍 2 Cirrus Drive #2311; 20 Joanne Drive #22; 321 Leland Farm Road; 21 Main Street #204
💬 Discussed
Multiple rodent complaints received; bus company remediating activity at Brook and Chestnut Streets; Texas Meat Market directed to add pest control in their nearby parking lot.
📍 Brook Street & Chestnut Street; Texas Meat Market
💬 Discussed
Two sibling cases of Giardia under investigation; one imported chikungunya case from a traveler returning from Bolivia.
💬 Discussed
Public Health Nurse Anne Fitzgerald running weekly blood pressure clinics, Community Center presentations, and conducted a vaccine clinic at the Hindu Temple.
✅ Approved
FY2026 year-to-date budget reports and March 17 meeting minutes approved 5-0.
💬 Discussed
Kratom (an herbal stimulant with addiction concerns) to be added to the May 5th agenda following a conversation with Rep. Jack Lewis.
✅ Approved
Meeting adjourned at 6:22 PM.
April 7, 2026 · agenda
📋 Proposed
Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM via Zoom.
📋 Proposed
Open public comment period.
📋 Proposed
Board to nominate/approve Dona Walsh and Justine Grassey as Ashland's Annual Animal Inspectors for the coming year.
📋 Proposed
Board member David Kinsman will present on a topic titled 'Decisions at Every Turn'; no further detail provided.
📋 Proposed
Kickoff of the 2026 regional mosquito control program affecting Ashland properties and open spaces.
📋 Proposed
Board and staff to complete workforce and performance-standards surveys for the Health Department.
📋 Proposed
Board to address fines issued against five local food establishments: NY Pizza, Giovanni's 67, 135 Discount Store, Sunnyside Café, and Pond Street Plaza.
💬 Discussed
Report on the second Medical Reserve Corps Stop the Bleed community training held March 18 at Town Hall.
📍 Town Hall
💬 Discussed
Update on Medical Reserve Corps shelter-readiness training held April 1.
💬 Discussed
Staff report on the Title 5 (septic system regulations) seminar attended in Holyoke on March 17.
📍 Holyoke, MA
📋 Proposed
Health Director to update the board on the April 1 Boston Marathon coordination meeting.
📋 Proposed
Planning update for an upcoming community baby shower event in June 2026.
📋 Proposed
Board to review active housing code or health violation cases at four Ashland addresses.
📍 2 Cirrus Drive #2311; 20 Joanne Drive #22; 321 Leland Farm Road; 21 Main Street #204
📋 Proposed
Health Director to provide a status update on outstanding rodent complaints in town.
📋 Proposed
Update on any ongoing communicable disease investigations.
📋 Proposed
Health Department to report on current community outreach activities.
📋 Proposed
Routine approval of year-to-date FY2026 budget reports and March 17, 2026 meeting minutes.
📋 Proposed
Board to identify items for the next meeting, scheduled for May 5, 2026.
📋 Proposed
Meeting adjourned.
March 17, 2026 · minutes
• Status unclear
Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM via Zoom.
💬 Discussed
Six residents spoke in favor of regulating natural-leaf Kratom while supporting a ban on the synthetic derivative 7-OH; board thanked participants.
💬 Discussed
Kinsman noted a Decisions at Every Turn meeting scheduled for March 18; will report back at the next BOH meeting.
💬 Discussed
Owners still completing renovations, awaiting hood-installation info before opening; no inspection clearance yet.
💬 Discussed
Pre-operational inspection completed with minor issues; follow-up inspection scheduled for March 20.
💬 Discussed
Second MRC/Stop the Bleed training at Town Hall, 6–8 PM March 18, with 12 registrants; Anne Fitzgerald will train.
💬 Discussed
Regional shelter training information forwarded to Natick-area board members for April 1 event.
💬 Discussed
Health Director will be absent; Anne Fitzgerald will lead BOH coverage; one or two board members asked to attend.
💬 Discussed
Sanitation remains inconsistent; an Order to Correct was issued after a student's Chromebook was returned to school IT infested with dead insects.
💬 Discussed
All but one housing violation item has been addressed; case remains open.
💬 Discussed
Case closed after tenant paid the $600 fine.
💬 Discussed
Tenant reports no heat or hot water — same complaint since October — and management has not acted; Health Director flagged this as an imminent threat requiring 24-hour response pending tenant's consent to inspection.
💬 Discussed
Three new rodent complaints received at Cherry Street, Cirrus Apartments, and the corner of Chestnut and Brook Streets, likely tied to warmer weather.
💬 Discussed
One case still under quarantine; others have been cleared.
✅ Approved
Both the FY2026 year-to-date budget reports and February 17 meeting minutes approved 5-0.
💬 Discussed
Board agreed to continue Kratom regulation discussion at the next meeting; a revised draft regulation (similar to a pending state version) will be circulated to members.
✅ Approved
Meeting adjourned at 6:28 PM, 5-0.
March 17, 2026 · agenda
📋 Proposed
Routine opening and public comment period at 6:00 PM via Zoom.
📋 Proposed
Board member David Kinsman will present or discuss a topic titled 'Decisions at Every Turn'; subject matter not specified in agenda.
📋 Proposed
Health Director will report on two food establishments — Giovanni's 67 and NY Pizza — likely covering inspections or permit status.
📋 Proposed
Second MRC / Stop the Bleed community training at Town Hall, March 18, 6:00–8:00 PM — open to residents.
📍 Town Hall, Ashland
📋 Proposed
Upcoming Medical Reserve Corps shelter training exercise scheduled for April 1.
📋 Proposed
Health Director attending a Title 5 (septic system regulation) seminar in Holyoke on March 17.
📍 Holyoke, MA
📋 Proposed
Board will discuss Board of Health preparations for the Boston Marathon on April 20.
📋 Proposed
Health Director will recap the Citizens Academy session held March 11, 2026.
📋 Proposed
Board will review active housing code or health violation cases at Chestnut Place Apartments, 321 Leland Farm Road, and 21 Main Street Units 201 and 204.
📍 Chestnut Place Apartments; 321 Leland Farm Road; 21 Main Street, Units 201 & 204, Ashland
📋 Proposed
Health Director will update the board on rodent complaints received in town.
📋 Proposed
Health Director will provide a status update on ongoing communicable disease investigations.
📋 Proposed
Board to approve the FY2026 year-to-date budget report and minutes from the February 17 meeting.
📋 Proposed
Board will continue a prior discussion on Kratom (an herbal supplement with public-health concerns), with possible regulatory action.
📋 Proposed
Meeting adjourns; next Board of Health meeting set for April 7, 2026.