Shutesbury Board of Health approves two septic permits, eyes exit from health district

Board of Health · Meeting of February 11, 2026

Shutesbury's Board of Health approved two septic permits and laid out a detailed plan to exit the Eastern Franklin County Health District at its first meeting of 2026. The board, meeting February 11 for the first time since December, voted unanimously on a new-construction permit on West Pelham Road for owner Richard Rabe and a voluntary repair permit at 119 Lakeview Road, the latter with conditions requiring secured riser covers and watertight manhole covers as recommended by reviewer Megan Tudrin. Board Chair Catherine Hilton disclosed that the town's prospective health agent has been placed on administrative leave and may be terminated, calling the situation a catalyst to accelerate the town's move to a Greenfield-based public health collaborative — a transition she said cannot be fully completed until after June 30, 2027, when a constraining state grant expires.

Hilton also reported that she had submitted comments to the Planning Board opposing draft data center zoning language that would have required the Board of Health to certify adequate groundwater volumes, a standard she said the board "can't, with any certainty" apply, and she flagged that the town's hauler's permit fee, still at $50, lags well behind the $100 to $250 range charged by comparable towns.

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Source: the Board of Health meeting of February 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.