Two Granite Avenue gas stations face $1,000 fines and 14-day suspensions of all tobacco sales after a compliance check caught employees selling to a 19-year-old. The Milton Board of Health took swift action on Monday night against the Shell station at 11352 Granite Avenue and Milton Fuel at 352 Granite Avenue following reports from the Massachusetts Health Officers Association. Health Director Caroline Kinsella informed the board that the March 10 youth access checks resulted in illegal sales at both establishments, triggering mandatory penalties.

Jason Audi, representing both locations, appeared before the board to explain the lapse, noting that the employees involved were observing Ramadan and may have been fatigued. I spoke to all the staff together as a group and explained the severity, Audi said. You have to check ID regardless of what age you think the person looks like. I don't know what happened... but there is no excuse. I retrained them. While Audi requested to keep tobacco on the shelves but covered during the suspension, the board remained firm that all products must be physically removed from view. Motion Made by R. Musto to impose a $1,000 fine and a 14-day restriction on tobacco sales at both Milton Shell and Milton Fuel, effective the following Wednesday. Motion Passed 3-0.

The board also grappled with a unique proposal from resident Mitchell Vasquez, who sought a residential kitchen variance to run a business called 2 Lane out of his home. Vasquez intended to store and distribute pre-packaged, shelf-stable canned snails, or escargot, to local restaurants. I'm going to buy a shelf to store maybe 20 to 50 cans. These are pre-canned, I am not doing any processing, Vasquez explained. However, the board expressed significant reservations regarding the scale of the operation and its classification. Member Mary Stenson noted, It's not a kitchen, it's a business. We have to check zoning for that.

Chair Roxanne Musto raised further concerns about the safety and neighborhood impact of a wholesale operation in a residential zone. I have questions about parasites and botulism if things aren't stored properly, Musto said, adding that she was concerned about running a business in a residential neighborhood if delivery trucks began frequenting the area. Assistant Health Director Carolyn Ho noted that selling to restaurants constitutes wholesale rather than retail, which typically requires a warehouse location. The board tabled the request to seek further guidance from the Department of Public Health and the building department.

Shifting to financial planning and public health initiatives, the department is pivoting its strategy for utilizing opioid abatement funds. Director Kinsella reported that the state has barred the use of these funds for digital mental health platforms like Care Solace and Interface, arguing they overlap too heavily with existing state helplines. In response, the board discussed redirecting the funds toward a small grant scholarship program for children impacted by opioid use disorder. We were thinking of a $2,500 cap per child/family, Kinsella said. Member Laura Richards emphasized the need for strict verification for the new program, suggesting, We should require a recommendation from a pediatrician, teacher, counselor, or member of the clergy to guarantee there is an issue, rather than just a testimonial from a family member. The board directed staff to finalize the application language for a rolling scholarship process.

In infrastructure news, the board reviewed a local upgrade request for a septic system at 71 Ford Ranch Road. Engineer George Collins explained that traditional percolation tests were impossible due to high groundwater levels at the site. We conducted two deep observation holes and had groundwater coming in at 30 inches, Collins said. Instead, the project utilized a laboratory sieve analysis to establish the soil's percolation rate. Collins noted he has implemented an aggressive erosion control plan consisting of a double straw wattle because the system sits on a side slope. Motion Made by R. Musto to approve the local upgrade request for 71 Ford Ranch Road pending approval by the Conservation Commission. Motion Passed 3-0.

Director Kinsella also provided updates on several long-standing housing and health enforcement cases. Repairs are underway at 68 Smith Road, where the Temple Salem Adventist Church is replacing windows following previous asbestos remediation. Meanwhile, the department continues to monitor 5-9 Thatcher Street for pest control and 333 Thatcher Street for court-ordered repairs. Kinsella also warned summer camp organizers that the department would strictly enforce documentation deadlines this year. With only nine applications received compared to last year's 19, Kinsella noted that all paperwork, including immunizations and emergency plans, must be submitted two weeks before opening. We told them we're not going to open it if the information isn't in on time, she said.