Bugda Gwilt Resigns from Board of Health

Plus more takeaways from the Jan. 18 meeting

The Board of Health met tonight without member Bob Scarano.

In an opening statement, Kate Bugda Gwilt, who was elected to the Board of Health in April 2023, resigned from her seat.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share news with you all this evening,” said Bugda Gwilt. “Due to unforeseen circumstances in my personal life, I will be stepping down from my position on the Board of Health, effective this evening. I want to thank the community for bestowing their trust in me to serve the town’s best interests. My gratitude extends to my colleagues on the board for their warm welcome, and to our fantastic town staff for supporting all candidates in their endeavors. I am resigning now, rather than completing a full year as I originally intended, because my family and I share a common belief in the democratic process. I want my unexpired term to be filled during the upcoming election cycle by the same voters who put their faith in me. You may still see me pursuing my advocacy efforts in town, and please know that I will continue those as I am able to. Thank you all for everything, and best regards to the board.”

The Select Board will likely vote at its meeting next week to place Bugda Gwilt’s unexpired two-year term on the April 6 ballot. There are also two, three-year seats open. No resident has yet pulled papers for a BoH seat.

Member Susan Amato noted that one does not need a medical background to serve and encouraged anyone with an interest in giving back to the town to explore a run. Learn more about the process.

Chair Ray Barry, who along with Scarano is not running again, said it’s important for members to make meetings, so that business can be done; a number of meetings have been canceled for lack of a quorum.

“So historically, we’ve been more of a reactive board for that reason,” said Barry, who offered to help anyone who chooses to pull papers. He also reiterated that this is not a political board.

“It has to do with the drive and the passion,” he said. “COVID has definitely shown us that a health crisis can never in the future ever be managed again by politicians, because that’s not a good recipe.”

In her report, Health Director Shannon Gillis said two new food establishments have opened in town. Sal’s Pizza now has a location at 1700 Shawsheen St., and the new Hilton Garden Inn in North Tewksbury has its license to operate. Brelundi, Brothers Sports Bar & Grill and The Pullup are all very close to opening in newly renovated locations.

Gillis will interview candidates next week for the public health specialist position and then the shared service coordinator position. Finally, town Public Health Nurse Ashley Pavlakos is teaching a Youth Mental Health First Aid course on January 30 at the Westford Public Library. If anyone is interested they can reach out.

Amato asked about planned working groups. At the last meeting, Barry suggested setting up a working group this month with several board members and body art practitioners in town to discuss how to proceed. There was no movement on that effort.

Amato called out the amount of work that the BoH needs to accomplish and suggested increasing the frequency of meetings.

“I feel like it’s months and months and months before we do things,” she said. “I like the idea of possibly having two meetings a month because it just don’t feel, once a month, like we’re doing enough.”

Barry said that at one time the BoH did meet twice monthly, as the Select and Planning Boards do. That decision will rest with Amato and member Melissa Braga along with new members elected in April — or, if there are not three candidates, appointed by the Select Board later in the year.