Barry, Scarano Will Step Down Plus More Board of Health Takeaways

One in five Tewksbury tobacco outlets are within a half mile of a school, says agent

The Tewksbury Board of Health met last night without members Kate Bugda Gwilt or Bob Scarano. Toward the end of the meeting, longtime Chair Ray Barry announced that he would not seek  reelection; his term expires in 2024. Barry added that his understanding is that member Bob Scarano also will not run, leaving two open seats.

Barry was elected to the BoH in 2013 to fill an unexpired term and has served since, including multiple terms as chair. A graduate of Northeastern University with a Master’s Degrees in Civil Engineering, Barry is also an EMT and member of the Upper Merrimack Valley Medical Reserve Corps.  

Scarano, an attorney and local developer, was appointed in 2017 to fill a seat vacated by Kathleen M. Brothers. He had run for BoH in 2016 but narrowly lost that election. Scarano went on to win reelection and serve several terms as vice-chair. He raised some eyebrows in 2021 when, during a meeting, he recommended alternatives, including ivermectin, to the Covid vaccine. 

The two join Select Board chair Todd Johnson as multi-term incumbents who are not seeking reelection in 2024.

Back to the meeting.

After approving minutes and its 2024 calendar, the BoH took up the town’s Health Department fee schedule, which covers restaurants, keeping of animals, dumpsters and other licenses and permits. The cost for food service establishments change based on risk level, which Barry clarified indicates the likelihood of food-borne illness at the food establishment. A convenience store is lower risk than a busy restaurant. The schedule was approved unanimously.

Smoke Shops In Decline

In May, Ron Beauregard, the town’s tobacco control agent, suggested that Tewksbury might wish to change how it licenses stores that sell exclusively tobacco items. If a permit-holder closes such a business or lets the license expire, the number of available licenses goes down by one. If an active business is sold, the license may be transferred. 

Beauregard works with Tewksbury and 17 other communities and so has insights into what works elsewhere. 

“It’s an evolving process, trying to curb tobacco use among youth and the public at large,” he said. Billerica has implemented the cap reduction, as have Andover and Westford. 

He cited statistics that indicate that retail density is linked to youth use of tobacco — 20% of tobacco retailers in Tewksbury are within walking distance, less than a half mile, of a school, said Beauregard. Tewksbury’s retail density is 4.63 per 1,000 people under age 18 compared with 1.38 for Andover and 3.38 for Wilmington.

Barry said the board could take a number of paths and will likely hold a public hearing to gather resident input. He clarified that this regulation is about tobacco only, not retail marijuana. 

Susan Amato and Melissa Braga asked whether there is a correlation between a very low number of retail outlets and a lower proportion of smokers in a community, and the economic effect of removing these licenses from circulation. Beauregard will dig into that data but said there is generally no pushback from the business community. If one outlet closes, buyers tend move to another nearby retailer. 

While Tewksbury has 28 tobacco outlets, only two are exclusively tobacco, down from a high of five. Director of Public Health Shannon Gillis said she doesn’t know of any businesses currently seeking a tobacco-only license.

Working Group Planned

Barry previously noted that there is no statewide standard for tattoo artists or microblading salons and other similar cosmetic modalities. Regulations are left up to local communities. Tewksbury requires that those applying for permits have medical oversight and that practitioners have taken blood-borne pathogen and skin safety courses for infection prevention, and successfully complete a quiz to prove mastery. The town is in need of a new quiz.

Barry suggested setting up a working group in January with Gillis and several board members and inviting body art practitioners in town to discuss how to proceed. 

New Grant Positions

In her report, Gillis advised the board that food service permits were handled through the town’s OpenGov system, and only Cracker Barrel failed to respond on time. Tobacco renewals are due by Dec. 31.

Gillis also discussed two new positions funded by a regional Public Health Excellence grant that Tewksbury shares with Tyngsboro, Billerica and Chelmsford. Grant funding currently covers the cost of a full time public health nurse and health agent. The towns will now add a public health specialist, in a case manager role, as well as a shared services coordinator. She said those positions will be posted soon.

“The goal is to regionalize,” said Barry, to allow towns to access services they may not otherwise be able to afford.

Two More Incumbents Out

Barry then announced that he will not seek reelection, and he conveyed that Scarano said he will also step down. Barry encouraged residents who are interested in giving back to the town to pull papers, even if they have no healthcare background.

“It helps to have a wide range of experiences on the board,” he said. As an example, Amato owns Angelina’s and brings insights into best practices for restaurants.

Anyone interested in running can pick up papers beginning Jan. 2. Learn more about how to run.

Finally, Braga said the Wellness Committee met and that SBIRT (screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment) program screening has been completed at the Wynn. The town also received a Farm to School initiative grant. 

The next BoH meeting will be Jan. 23.