The Marion Board of Health at their November 5 meeting took one step toward making school lunches safer for children and roads safer for pedestrians at night.
At the police station’s conference room, the board approved town schools becoming a member of the state’s Shared Table program, which requires more training for staff and more requirements to keep food fresh and safe for consumption.
In a separate move, the board agreed to purchase 400 reflective vests for walkers and joggers who sometimes walk during the night hours. Member Edward Hoffer said he found a bulk deal so the town will spend less than $500 and then run a campaign for people to obtain the vests from the town’s health office.
Hoffer admitted that he nearly struck a pedestrian walking a dog at night and people should be wearing reflective gear.
The vests will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Public Health Director Lori Desmarais proposed that the board approve the town becoming a Shared Table community. She noted that school staff are educated on various allergies and families are educated on what foods should be allowable in school.
According to the state’s website, allowable foods include “unopened pre-packaged items, such as a bag of baby carrots or sliced apples, stored in a cooling bin,” as well as “whole pieces of fruit with a peel, such as bananas or oranges.”
However, whole pieces of fruit with an edible peel, such as apples and pears, must be rewashed unless wrapped.
Students can consume unopened milk, if immediately stored in a cooling bin maintained at 41°F or below.
Unallowable foods include unpackaged items, such as a salad bowl without a lid, packaged items that can be opened and resealed, as well as perishable items with no cooling mechanism in place.
At the busy Board of Health meeting, the board also discussed how accessory dwelling units will factor into homes that have private septic systems.
The state has approved ADU in light of escalating housing prices and encouraging families to build small ADU units that are attached to homes.
Board Chair Albin Johnson said many ADU proposals are in North Marion, which are on private septic systems, which now by law are the more expensive denitrification systems.
Desmarais said the accessory homes should not require a separate septic system or tie-in and should be treated as an expansion to a regular home.
Board members tabled action on whether to include more regulations for home demolitions, such as a rodent inspection before a home is demolished.
Earlier this year, a home on Crapo Street was demolished and a resident in that area told the board at the November 5 meeting that the neighborhood was infested with rats and mice. She said neighbors worked together and used their own financial resources to eliminate the rodents.
There is another Crapo Street home scheduled for demolition and Desmarais told the board that some communities require notifications or other regulations to protect neighbors.
Johnson said he usually is not in favor of more regulations, but board members said they would continue the discussion at the next meeting.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, November 20 at 4:30 pm at the Marion Police Department.
Marion Board of Health
By Jeffrey D. Wagner