The Board of Health (BOH), and the Health Agent, are responsible for a wide array of health and safety issues that affect the residents of the Town of Pembroke, and that the public may not associate as a function of the department.
Lisa Cullity has been the Health Agent in Pembroke for 16 years, having spent the previous 9 years as a member of the Board of Health. Her job is to enforce the regulations enacted by the Board of Health. These regulations cover septic systems, bodies of water (such as the ponds), livestock, substances that are consumed (such as cannabis and kratom), private wells, and guidance regarding public health set by federal and state health agencies.
The BOH sets policy for the town, not the Health Agent. The Agent can report and make recommendations to the Board, but the actual regulatory work is done at the Board level. The Agent is charged with overseeing and enforcing those regulations. The vast majority of ordinances made by the BOH, as long as they are tied to public health and safety, do not need to go to Town Meeting for approval. There are exceptions. A recent example was fluoride in the water supply. It was subject to the Town Meeting vote because "once a town had made the decision, by vote, to include fluoride (in the water), it would have to go back to Town Meeting to be removed", Cullity explained.
In Pembroke, there is an overlap with other departments to ensure the regulations for health and safety are followed. "Most people don't understand how closely the work of the Health Agent dovetails with the other inspectional services, the Building Department, Conservation, the Planning Board, because it's all construction." Cullity points to septic as the example where this work is seen clearly. "There is a big difference in the focus of a BOH in a more rural community...that relies on septic...versus a community that has all sewer." The Health Agent must be physically present for all perc tests (A field test to assess the suitability of soils in a defined area for the subsurface disposal of sewage as described at 310 CMR 15.104 and 15.105 - from the MassDEP website), a new septic system will require a minimum of three inspections, and larger systems will require multiple inspections. And if you were not aware, the Mattakeesett plaza (Big Y, Ace Hardware, etc.) is actually a wastewater treatment plant, not a septic system. This is true for the public schools, Pembroke Woods, Lowes and others.
The Agent's second largest chunk of time, after septic, is spent on sanitation, both for restaurants and homeowners. The restaurant inspections are done to keep business operating in a manner that is safe for the public; these can be covered by contracted inspectors, which Pembroke does use. This cost is covered by the inspection fees themselves, not the taxpayer. Inspections are done twice a year for restaurants but for convenience stores that provide packaged foods, the state allows one annual inspection. Community sanitation can cover hoarding situations, yards that present a hazard to the homeowner or the community, and many landlord and tenant situations.
One of the biggest challenges facing, not only Pembroke, but many towns on the South Shore is one of economics. Increasing local aid budgets are being reduced from the state, yet costs continue to rise with few options to balance the budget. It increases pressure on not only the citizens, but on the town departments as well, including the BOH and the Health Agent. In Cullitty's opinion, the "biggest challenge, not just facing the BOH, but Pembroke as a whole, is that citizens have come to expect a certain level of services. However, there is a price that goes with that. The question is, how do you maintain these levels of services?"
Cullity was asked what was the most important thing she would like people to know about the BOH and the job of the Health Agent? She answered that she would like people to know that the BOH does not want to keep people from living the life they choose, but that their priority is keeping people safe. She uses the example of livestock. "Everyone wants to make jokes about livestock, if I want to have 2,000 chickens I can do that." "Yes, you have the right to have chickens, goats, live your life, but you also have, by the terms of living within a community, the obligation to keep people safe and insulated."
All decisions made by the BOH are made to keep the residents of Pembroke safe, not to burden or restrict individuals. Pond water testing is done to ensure the health of those using the ponds, not to ruin a summer day. The septic rules are not meant to penalize homeowners thousands of dollars, but to keep the water supply safe for all the lives that use it. And restaurant inspections are not done to burden local business, but to ensure sanitary practices are followed. The responsibility of the BOH and the Health Agent is health and safety, and Pembroke benefits directly from this charge.
