Minutes

Board of Health · from the Town's website · 3 pages · 102 KB
open the file ↗ · original at the source ↗

Meeting Minutes 
Winthrop Board of Health
September 30, 2026, at 4:00 pm
Harvey Hearing Room, Town Hall 
Call to Order : 4:00 pm 
Roll Call : Co-Chairs Lisa Sefano and Heidi Fantasia; member Jeanne Maggio were
present 
Review of Minutes for August 25, 2026: Unanimously accepted. 
Commissioner of Inspectional Services Update : Sharon Sicurella unable to attend;
She sends her regrets and provided an email summary to the BOH: 
1. Sharon has been in email contact with Nikki Connors who is in the process of
establishing an esthetics business on Crest Ave. Ms. Connors is working with the
State regarding licensing issues and there may be more correspondence
forthcoming. Inspectional Services and the BOH will wait to hear back and
address issues if they arise. 
2. Food inspections in the town are in process. To date, all the Winthrop schools
have been inspected. 
3. A food vendor in town was shut down for a day while conditions were addressed.
The vendor has now reopened. 
4. Two homes have been inspected for their Cottage Food Applications. Both
passed inspection without any issues. 
5. Inspectional Services has received a number of complaints regarding rodents in
the area of Read St. Baits were set and a resident was assisted with cleaning the
outside area of their property. There have been no further complaints. 
6. Inspectional Services also received complaints about rodent activity in the vicinity
of Veteran’s Road near the Temple and the apartments. A resident in the area
was feeding the ducks and birds but has stopped since speaking with
Inspectional Services. 
Matthew Rodes, Director, Council of Aging: Unable to join today and sends his
regrets. Will attempt to reschedule for a future meeting. 
Director of Public Health and Clinical Services Update : Meredith Hurley provided an
update regarding public health activities and initiatives in the town: 
1. Influenza (flu) vaccines for children age 2+, adults, and senior citizens (high dose
influenza) are available at the Winthrop Department of Public Health and Clinical
Services, 1 st floor, EB Newton, 45 Pauline Street on Tuesdays from 9am-6pm.
Residents may also contact the Public Health Department for an appointment.
Other vaccines, including RSV, pneumonia, and COVID are available to
homebound residents only and can be scheduled with the Public Health
Department. Dr. Fantasia signed the standing vaccine orders for the town.

2. August 31 st was International Overdose Awareness Day. From 8am-8pm empty
chairs were set up in public locations throughout the community as a
remembrance to those lost due to the opioid epidemic. 
3. On September 16 th the 5 th annual Recovery Event was held from 6-8:30pm. The
event took place on the lawn of the Winthrop Town Hall and a recovery vigil was
held. The event went very well and featured 4 speakers who discussed their
personal recovery. 
4. An update was provided on Project Safety Net. This is a radio-frequency tracking
device that can be used for nonverbal children with autism, people with
dementia, cognitive decline, or those with cognitive impairment who may wander
from home or get disoriented or lost if outside alone. It is good for a radius of 1.5
miles. The devices are funded through the Commission on Disabilities. Training
was held with the police department. Individuals using this device are not
monitored or tracked 24/7. The device is only activated if the individual is
reported missing. The state police air wing has a transponder on a helicopter that
is used for search and rescue. The health department will help enroll eligible
individuals and track battery life. The device is activated after a 911 call which will
send information to local police. Outreach planned for the Senior Center, housing
and individuals can also contact the health department. 
5. Blood pressure screenings are done at the health department and the senior
center. Individuals who want their blood pressure checked can contact the health
department and arrange with the public health nurse or check the senior center
schedule for availability. 
6. The Department of Public Health works closely with Boston University and public
health students. Student interns held 2 listening sessions with youth and
members of CASA regarding health and community needs. Meredith will present
the results of those sessions once they have been analyzed. 
7. Used needles can be disposed of at the Department of Public Health. 
8. Unused or unneeded medication can be disposed of at the police station. 
North Suffolk Public Health Collaborative: Winthrop is part of the North Suffolk Public
Health Collaborative (NSPHC) which includes Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. Heidi
Fantasia will join their advisory board representing the Winthrop Board of Health.
Moving forward, Dr. Fantasia will provide updates to the Board of Health after NSPHC
meetings. 
Dog waste: Concerns presented to the Board of Health regarding dog waste not being
picked up by dog owners, especially in the area around Ingleside Park and along the
beaches. This is a public health issue due to the possibility of disease transmission. All
dog owners and walkers are reminded to please pick up after your dog and dispose of
waste properly. Do not leave dog waste bags on the sidewalk, in the gutter, or place in
storm drains. 
Alcohol nip disposal: Concerns were presented to the Board of Health regarding nip
bottles being discarded in various locations in the town, including the beaches. The
Board of Health wants to clearly state that there is no proposal or discussion to ban the

sale of nip bottles in the Town of Winthrop. We address citizen complaints as they are
received. The Board of Health encourages all citizens to dispose of their trash properly.
The complaint to Board of Health was made during the summer, there could be a
seasonal pattern with more people being outside, using the beaches, and attending
outdoor events. 
Public Comment : Aaron Williams, Precinct 1, representing Swett’s Liquors; Paul
Lucerto, Precinct 4, former owner Sweet’s Liquors, Elvis Tran, representing Magee’s
Corner Liquors 
Aaron Williams , Swett’s Liquors: Many products are discarded such as coffee cups,
lottery tickets, other trash. One product, such as nips, should not be singled out as the
sole contributor to trash in the town of Winthrop. There needs to be an ongoing
conversation regarding keeping the town clean. 
Paul Lucerto , former Swett’s Liquors: Discarded nips represent a broader problem.
People may be drinking prior to events, nips are small and easy to conceal from others.
Need to change culture of trash disposal. Referenced other Massachusetts towns and
states that had “Nip it in the Bin” campaigns as part of anti-litter initiatives. If nips are
banned in Winthrop people will go to surrounding towns to purchase. 
Elvis Tran , Magee’s Corner Liquors: Even with trash barrels available, people can still
choose to throw trash on the ground. This is more of an issue related to trash than
related to businesses. 
All individuals who contributed to the public comment encourage the Board of Health to
consider the complaint regarding discarded nip bottles in the broader scope of trash and
litter in the town. The Board will invite a representative from the DPW to a future
meeting to continue this discussion. 
Next Board of Health Meeting: Wednesday October 28 th at 4pm. 
Adjournment: 3:45 pm 
Respectfully submitted, 
Heidi Fantasia 
Lisa Stefano 
Co-Chairs, Winthrop Board of Health