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Board of Health — May 7, 2026

While the board was unified, the meeting featured significant tension between the occupant's plea for leniency and the board's strict enforcement of safety protocols.

Date Thursday, May 7, 2026 Duration 1.0h Speakers 12 Public comments 2 Decisions 5 Mildly contentious
▶ Video

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Public Health and Safety Enforcement (30 Selfridge Road)

Direct legal order of partial condemnation and requirements for professional remediation of biohazards and fire risks. Affected: The occupant of 30 Selfridge Road and the surrounding community regarding biohazard and fire risks.
safety change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Motion to call the special meeting to order.
Moved by Maureen and seconded by Anita.
4-0-0 (Passed)
Motion to open the hearing relative to the property unfit for human habitation and condemnation at 30 Selfridge Road.
Moved by Maureen and seconded by Anita.
4-0-0 (Passed)
Motion to declare portions of 30 Selfridge Road unfit for human habitation and issue an order of partial condemnation.
The order includes 11 specific conditions, most requiring signed contracts or completion by May 18, 2026.
4-0-0 (Passed)
Motion to close the special hearing.
Moved by Maureen and seconded by Anita.
4-0-0 (Passed)
Motion to close the Board of Health meeting.
Moved by Maureen and seconded by Bea.
4-0-0 (Passed)

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 04:05 Technical and Administrative Preparations

The board manages technical issues including Zoom link setup for an upcoming executive session and coordinating with Bedford TV for meeting broadcasting.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 13:46 Property Unfit for Human Habitation Hearing: 30 Selfridge Road

A hearing regarding the condemnation and sanitary conditions of 30 Selfridge Road, involving extreme clutter, fire hazards, and biohazard concerns.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Partial Condemnation of 30 Selfridge Road

The decision involves a high-stakes conflict between public health/safety mandates and an individual's ability to meet strict compliance deadlines due to financial and physical limitations.
Board position: The board moved to declare portions of the property unfit for human habitation and issued a partial condemnation order with strict deadlines for remediation.
medium concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Secure the second floor of the dwelling and ensure it remains secured at all times.
Assigned: Suman (Occupant) · Due: Within 24 hours of order
Provide evidence of biohazard cleanup (kitchen surfaces, appliances, food removal) and signed contracts for maintenance cleaning, pest control, and electrical repairs (smoke/CO detectors).
Assigned: Suman (Occupant) · Due: May 18, 2026, by 4:00 PM
Follow up with the fire department regarding whether carbon monoxide detectors must be hardwired.
Assigned: Marissa Morello
Serve the letter of the hearing and the order to the occupant.
Assigned: Constable · Due: Monday, May 12, 2026

Notable ⁠statements

In June of 2024, the police department answered a medical call... stating that there was a clutter rating of seven out of nine. — Marissa Morello · Providing background on the ongoing health and safety violations at the property. ▶ 15:03
I think that's probably the first floor... I agree, substantial progress needs to be made. And cooperative. — Suman (Occupant) · Responding to the health department's summary of the property's condition. ▶ 17:49
The truth is that room, you've seen it. It's a disaster area. And there's no way to get a ladder. — Suman (Occupant) · Explaining the difficulty in meeting the requirement to install carbon monoxide detectors in the room above the garage. ▶ 20:50
If I can't get this done by the end of the summer, go ahead, condemn the house. — Suman (Occupant) · Responding to the potential for full condemnation if the partial condemnation requirements are not met. ▶ 47:00

Member ⁠positions

5 issues · 0 explicit · 5 inferred
Present
Motion to call the special meeting to order YES ✓
Motion to open the hearing relative to 30 Selfridge Road YES ✓
Motion to declare portions of 30 Selfridge Road unfit YES ~
Motion to close the special hearing YES ✓
Bea
Present
Motion to close the Board of Health meeting YES ✓
Motion to declare portions of 30 Selfridge Road unfit YES ~
Present
Motion to call the special meeting to order YES ✓
Motion to open the hearing relative to 30 Selfridge Road YES ✓
Motion to declare portions of 30 Selfridge Road unfit YES ~
Motion to close the special hearing YES ✓
Motion to close the Board of Health meeting YES ✓
Present
Motion to declare portions of 30 Selfridge Road unfit YES ~

Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
2
Total speakers
1
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Suman Nandy
▶ 29:00
Partial
Suman expressed a desire to cooperate and noted that the health department's support has been vital to his well-being. However, he highlighted significant physical and financial barriers to cleaning the home, particularly regarding the unsafe condition of the second floor. He also noted that while he is committed to progress, the current requirements for signed contracts by a specific date are difficult to meet due to the state of the house. Key concern
Difficulty meeting strict deadlines for professional contracts due to the hazardous/cluttered state of the home and personal financial/health constraints.
Board response
The board and health department acknowledged his struggles but maintained that a written plan and signed contracts are required by May 18th to avoid full condemnation.
The board listened to his constraints and offered empathy, but they did not waive the requirement for a plan and contracts; they instead reiterated the necessity of the deadlines to ensure safety.
Nicole (from Minuteman)
▶ 65:38
Addressed
Nicole stated that her role is to encourage Mr. Nandy to follow up with necessary services rather than providing them directly. She noted that while financial and health issues are present, she believes he has a clear understanding of the requirements and intends to cooperate. She suggested taking the process one step at a time. Key concern
Clarifying the timeline and the distinction between agency support and private-pay services.
Board response
The board acknowledged her comments and thanked her for her input.
The board allowed her to speak to clarify the resident's situation and acknowledged her perspective on his ability to cooperate.

Accountability ⁠flags

Documented procedural gaps. Each item links to its source.

Transcript vs. official minutes

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Report composed by gemma-4-26b, claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-05-19.