Plainville Board of Health Approves $147,699 Budget, Warns Cuts Would End Nursing Program

NORTH ATTLEBORO -- February 5, 2020, Plainville Board of Health approved a $147,699 operating budget while warning a mandatory five-percent cut scenario would eliminate public health nursing entirely. Health agent Deb told the board the department has held to level funding or level service for 16 consecutive years, collecting roughly $50,000 annually in inspection fees that effectively cover its $32,009 operating budget, yet a town-requested five-percent reduction would require cutting $10,342, wiping out the public health nurse line and eating into other operations. The board also granted a temporary housing variance allowing a family caregiver to sleep in a camper at 1 Ewald Avenue through April 15 while the resident's ailing mother receives around-the-clock care, and unanimously approved a stormwater waiver for a 5,642-square-foot-impervious Forest Way lot, 642 square feet over the board's threshold, conditioned on dry well installation and building inspector oversight.