The Duxbury Board of Health greenlit a major expansion of the Mayflower Cemetery on Thursday night, addressing a looming shortage of burial space with a $2 million project funded entirely by cemetery trust funds. Cemetery Trustee Bob Hayes informed the board that the town is legally required to provide burial locations, and the current developed space at Mayflower—the only town-owned cemetery with available lots—is projected to reach capacity by late 2027. Hayes noted that the 2026 development area constitutes a majority of the remainder of the 1920s expansion area not developed to date.

The project at 774 Tremont Street will introduce 3,800 full burial lots and 464 cremation lots. Cemetery Superintendent Chip Letti explained the addition of a columbarium, which he described as basically a wall where it has panels on it... you put urns in it so people that don't want to be buried in the ground can go in the wall. A significant portion of the budget, exceeding $500,000, is earmarked for a complex stormwater management system to meet modern state regulations. Board Chair Karen Tepper voiced support for the design, stating, I think the renderings are wonderful and I think it's a good thing. Motion Made by K. Tepper to approve the renderings of the Mayflower Cemetery as presented. Motion Passed (4-0-0). Board member Bruce and the rest of the board joined the unanimous vote to move the self-funded project forward without taxpayer impact.

The meeting shifted to urgent water quality concerns as the Duxbury Safe Water Committee raised alarms regarding PFAS levels in the public supply. Becky Chin highlighted Article 19, a $1.6 million request for improvements at the Tremont and Depot Street wells, but focused specifically on the Lakeshore Drive well. Chin reported that the well has been active to compensate for other facilities under renovation, despite having some of the highest PFAS levels in town. She expressed particular concern for residents living along the line who receive water directly from the well before it is blended in storage tanks. They should have some kind of notification that the well is turned on and that maybe they shouldn't use that water to mix with baby formula, Chin said, adding that the Water Superintendent has been resistant to such public alerts.

Board member Melissa agreed that the board should investigate the timeline for the well's use. I think it might be good for us to check in on what the schedule is for this well and whether it is going to be turned off in the near future. And if not, what's our best avenue for notification? she asked. The board plans to coordinate with the Town Manager and the Water and Sewer Advisory Board to address these potential health risks, especially as the town faces a projected $43 million to $100 million "debt shadow" for long-term PFAS filtration infrastructure.

Community safety regarding e-bikes also took center stage following a presentation by resident Mary MacKinnon. She described witnessing children as young as eight or nine performing dangerous maneuvers on high-speed bikes without helmets on Washington Street. Seeing young kids on e-bikes with and without helmets... doing wheelies on lawns was disturbing, MacKinnon told the board. Tepper noted that people might not realize the injuries that can be incurred, while Melissa suggested hosting an educational forum featuring an emergency room physician to detail the trauma and abdominal penetrating wounds associated with e-bike accidents.

Dr. Kyle Trarten, Chief Medical Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth and a Duxbury resident, offered the hospital’s expertise for such safety initiatives. Presenting the hospital’s "Blueprint 2030," Trarten detailed plans to provide 70% of our care in the community rather than at academic medical centers, including a major ER expansion and a new oncology facility at Cordage Park. Board member Dr. David Brumley welcomed the collaboration, suggesting the hospital also focus on regional needs like tick-borne illnesses, which he called tremendously valuable for the South Shore.

In regulatory business, the board addressed two septic system variances necessitated by property transfers and upgrades. At 52 Bay Pond Road, Freeman Boon of Duxbury Construction presented a plan to move a leaching field further from wetlands to accommodate a new garage. Boon noted that by accommodating this design we're able to put it further away from the wetlands... we're not increasing flows. Motion Made by K. Tepper to grant a variance to Duxbury Supplemental Rules and Regulations 1.101A and 1.11.1B for 52 Bay Pond Road. Motion Passed (4-0-0). For 676 Franklin Street, engineer Joe Webby secured approval to repair a failed system using concrete chambers rather than plastic. We stopped designing any plastic chambers and so we've gone back to the concrete, Webby explained, citing higher failure rates for plastic in sandy soil. Motion Made by K. Tepper to grant a variance to Duxbury Supplemental Rules and Regulations 1.101A for 676 Franklin Street. Motion Passed (4-0-0).

Health Agent Lauren Gauby concluded the session with updates on local illness trends, reporting 25 COVID cases and 70 total cases of Influenza A and B since mid-December. Gauby also announced that the town is seeking a grant to study nitrogen sources in the Bluefish River, continuing the board's long-term efforts to mitigate coastal pollution.