The Fall River Board of Health convened its ritual meeting on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023. Board members Thomas Corey, Michael Coughlin, and Dr. Gagliardi (who joined late) were present, along with Secretary Sandy Baraby. Director Tess Karen was absent. The board approved the minutes from the August 24th meeting. A request for a tattoo apprenticeship license for Kiana Espinoza, intended to work at Samara Souza Beauty, was tabled. This decision came after it was revealed that Kiana Espinoza was no longer working at the stated location, and Samara Souza, the mentor, would not sign off on her license. The board then held a hearing for a tobacco violation, a first offense, against Mama G's at 168 Rodman Street. Jennifer, representing the health department, reported finding flavored tobacco products, including Black and Mild jazz, Black and Mild casino, and Bluntville cigars (vanilla), during an inspection on August 30th. Mr. Big, representing Mama G's, appealed the $1000 fine, stating a misunderstanding about product names and that the items were not intended for sale. The board, after discussion, voted to uphold the $1000 fine. No director's report was given due to Tess Karen's absence, and there was no citizens' input. The board confirmed the date for its next meeting as Tuesday, October 24th, 2023, accommodating Thomas Corey's teaching schedule. The meeting concluded shortly thereafter.
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City Officials
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good afternoon to everyone and welcome to the Board of Health ritual meeting on Tuesday September 26th scheduled for 3 30. my name is Thomas Corey present with me via Zoom is Michael Coughlin and Sandy barabi our secretary of the board various guests and participants in today's meeting the director Tess Karen is not with us today and Dr Gagliardi hasn't come on yet I don't have my open meeting advisory
0:29thing hold on just a second
0:58my apologies pursuant to the open meeting law any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or Transmissions that are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible Sandy can we have a roll call please Thomas Corey yes Michael Coughlin
1:27yes okay we have the approval of the minutes of the August 24th meeting are there any additions deletions or corrections to be made to the minutes is printed to accept oh second can we have a roll call Sandy okay next we have a request for an approval for a tattoo apprenticeship license for Kiana Espinoza Fall River Mass to work at Samara Souza Beauty 274 South Main Street Fall River Mass 02721
2:11Lisa I assume you're the presenter um Tiana is here but Samara is not um evidently something happened at to show us the marvelously and she said that Kiana just stopped going there she gave her rules and she didn't abide by them and then she just didn't come back so she she does have all her paperwork here but she was not you know watching over Samara I don't know when this happened
2:46um all I know is I talk to Samara today and she said she would not sign off on anything for her to get her license even though they don't sign anything but um so I don't know she does have her paperwork but doesn't have a place to to work well a uh an apprenticeship application is tied to a location yes it is if there's a situation there I would suggest that she can either you
3:13can either withdraw it in her behalf or we'll just table it forever I don't know what she wants to do uh Tiana exactly yeah that was Keanu in the corner she looks very similar so okay she's not here then she said she was going to be at the meeting she told you that Sandy right this morning yeah and Samara told me she would not be here because she's working tonight okay
3:48so well it's 3 39 so she would have plenty of time to sign on okay so move to the table this all right a second can we have a roll call Thomas card yes yes okay next we have a tobacco violations hearing first offense of an act to modernize Tobacco Control Mama G's 168 Rodman Street Fall River this opens the hearing Jennifer you're presenting yes yes um so on Wednesday August 30th at around
4:268 44 a.m I did a routine inspection at Mama G's and during the inspection I found flavored tobacco products which included Black and Mild jazz Black and Mild casino and bluntville cigars which were flavored vanilla I took pictures of the products that I saw in the store um and when I left I sent a cease and desist order uh for since it was the first offense the fine issued was a thousand dollars Mr Big
4:59yes sir first of all can you say your name and address for the record my name is 654 Central Avenue Pawtucket Rhode Island okay Miss Mr big uh you you wrote us a letter yes sir which we have in front of us and I've read it through but let's hear your side of the story so she found the the flavored but I was not intend to sell it there was like a
5:29by mistake um one is vanilla it could be a like a only one but was not unfact like a was not loose there was like a brand new as it is on the Shelf the second Casino I think I misunderstand about the flavor because because of the name name is Casino so basically it doesn't look like it's a flavor so I bought it from the private vendor so I think it's my mistake that I
5:56bought it from him as by the name it doesn't look like it's a flavor so and in past four years the store is under my management they never have a violation or nothing like that and every Department come check it and no no violation for anything we don't have no tickets for anything so that that's my story so like maybe some misunderstanding of the name of the uh product okay Mr Big where where did these things
6:24come from that's usually I borrowed from the J Paula but the case you know I bought it from the private vendor his name is he has a wholesale license so that there was no problem with tax stamps on this no the the there's a there's a cigar okay I'm just making sure because if there's a tax stamp that that's another issue entirely no sir it is not a cigarette or the different items has a
6:58stem it doesn't have any stems on that and you weren't their present I was not there okay um Mr Big I'm a small business owner too so I understand sometimes staffs do things that they're not supposed to do uh yes sir but uh the people that I answer to uh wouldn't let me off the hook for this so I don't think we can let you off the hook for this um I request for the first violation
7:30it's like uh if I was uh selling like a for two three times so it's going to be like a big version thousand dollar is a big violation good for me well generally we uh we we take the education route um so that you don't do this again uh we hopefully you'll you'll speak to other convenience store rollers that you know and say listen uh this is not the thing to do um
8:04if Dr Souza was here there would be thunder and lightning coming down on you but um Michael do you have anything to add no just declare this is just the first offense for this um establishment right yes and so we're not talking about a suspension here correct no there's no suspension right
8:33tactic agliardi welcome hey how are you we're doing fine we're we're here with Mr Big discussing the tobacco violation um the only reason this is before us is because of the appeal right we we don't usually even here have hearings on SEC on first offenses right if he yeah if he hadn't appealed it just would have uh just the ticket and fine right okay we let the ticket stand I mean that's where I'm at
9:08yeah that's usually where I am at too um against our small business owners well it's just again that's it's just it's just it's just a ticket and we're hoping that it's the learning experience for you it won't happen again and you'll you'll still be able to continue to do business so uh to the city okay uh can we have a motion to uphold the ticket second second Sandy can we have a roll call
9:46Thomas card yes yes Michael Coughlin yes okay I'm sorry Mr big but thank you thank you Jennifer thank you I can hang up now either yes thank you uh the director's report is listed on the agenda but of course Tess isn't with us today Sandy do you know if there was anything in citizens input there was nothing okay next item would be to confirm the date for the next meeting following our new procedure it would be
10:20the Tuesday the 24th or Tuesday the 31st Halloween because there are five Thursdays in October okay we either one's fine with me yet thank you for accommodating me I'm continuing to teach on Thursday nights uh 24th sure okay we have a motion for the 24th motion second Sandy can we have a roll call Thomas card yes Stephen guys yes Michael Coughlin yes okay that concludes this meeting of the Board of Health gentlemen
11:02have a lovely weekend Sandy thank you Lisa thank you Alex thank you have a pleasant rest of the day