The Arlington Board of Health convened for a meeting on May 24, 2023, which was conducted remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions.
- Hen Keeping Applications: The meeting agenda included applications from residents at 1 Oak Hill Drive, 40 Peter Tufts Rd, and 55 Greeley Circle for keeping hens. The applicants’ reasons included educating their children about animals and introducing a touch of farm life to Arlington. Concerns about attracting wildlife were addressed by the Health Department, which confirmed no such issues with well-maintained coops. The board approved all three applications, pending final site inspections.
- Sushi Variance Requests: Anthony’s East Side Deli and Thai Sticky Rice, two local establishments, requested variances to use acidification to make cooked rice a non-time/temperature control for safety food. This change is in preparation for adding sushi to their menus. The Health Department recommended approval of both requests, which the board unanimously approved.
- Environmental Health and Restaurant Updates: AbCellerar, previously known as Tetragenetics, submitted a proposal for large-scale activity, currently under review. The Health Department hosted a rodent forum on May 18th, which the community well received. The U.S Department of Agriculture made an unexpected visit and offered help in tracking illegally imported foods.
- Community Health Needs Assessment: The Public Health Nurse team reported ongoing work on a community health needs assessment. They will share the data in a future meeting. There were no new updates regarding COVID-19.
- Public Comment: The floor was opened for public comment, but no comments were made by the public during this time.
Source: https://arlington.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/DisplayAgendaPDF.ashx?MinutesMeetingID=1280