56 Unit 308 Complaint emails City of Northampton Mail - 56 Maple St. Unit 308 Page 1 of 2
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? i• .,, of Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
56 Maple St. Unit 308
2 messages
Sharon Whittemore<phmgr@hamphousing.org> Tue, Dec 13, 2016 at 9:32 AM
To: "cbishop@northamptonma.gov" <cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
Cc: Cara Clifford <execdir@hamphousing.org>, Maria Walton <asstexecdir@hamphousing.org>
Hi Chris,
Thank you for meeting with our tenant Mr. Pinto. Out protocol with complaints regarding SHS has been to
9 9
install weather stripping on doors to block smoke/odors. The majority of our residents complaining about
SHS state the smoke comes through their apartment doors. We will contact Mr. Pinto for permission to
install weather stripping on his doors.
Additionally, Tobin Manor is a non-smoking building. We will also be contacting Mr. Pinto's neighbor(s)
regarding possible lease violations if they are indeed smoking in their apartments.
Thank you,
Sharon Whittemore
Public Housing Programs Manager
Northampton Housing Authority la
49 Old South Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-584-4030
PH Mgr(a.hamphousinq.orq
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City of Northampton Mail - 56 Maple St. Unit 308 Page 2 of 2
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Christopher Bishop<cbishop@northamptonma.gov> Wed, Dec 14, 2016 at 9:45 AM
To: Sharon Whittemore <phmgr@hamphousing.org>
Cc: Cara Clifford <execdir@hamphousing.org>, Maria Walton <asstexecdir@hamphousing.org>
Good morning Ms. Whittemore,
Thank you for the information! I appreciate your team looking into the situation.
Could you let me know how it turns out?
Thanks again.
Best regards.
-Chris
Christopher Bishop, RENS
Health Inspector
City of Northampton Health Department
[Quoted text hidden]
Christopher Bishop, REHS
Health Inspector
Northampton Health Department
413-587-1339
it
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City of Northampton Mail - 56 Maple Street, Unit 308 Page 1 of 1
ir?T can of Christopher Bishop<cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
mpfon
56 Maple Street, Unit 308
1 message
Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov> Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 10:22 AM
To: Cara Clifford <execdir@hamphousing.org>
Cc: Maria Walton <asstexecdir@hamphousing.org>
Good morning Cara and Maria,
I hope you both travel safely today!
I am contacting in regards to an inspection I conducted last week at 56 Maple Street(Tobin Manor) Unit
308, for a tenant, Mr. Isidro Pinto. We received a complaint from him regarding strong second hand smoke
(SHS)from a neighboring unit.
Mr. Pinto stated that the majority of the SHS intrusion occurs during the late night/early morning
hours, causing him sleeping and health problems. At the time of inspection, I was unable to detect SHS or
to find a source. Do you have protocol for when complaints of this nature arise?
From what I understand, air sealing to prevent SHS migration is an option: sealing door sweeps, fans,
outlet covers, pipe holes, etc... and recommending tenants do not use range or bathroom fans(when SHS
is present)which may cause migration through HVAC piping.
Unless y'all have a more effective alternative, that is what our department is recommending.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you could let me know about how y'all proceed with this, I'd
appreciate it.
Best Regards,
-Chris
Christopher Bishop, REHS
Health Inspector
Northampton Health Department
413-587-1339
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City of Northampton Mail - Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice Page 1 of 4
, ilfCNN of Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice
5 messages
Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov> Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 12:22 PM
To: "Smith, Edmund" <smithe@amherstma.gov>
Hi Ed,
Hoping all is well with you!
I had a quick question about how you dealt with second hand smoke complaints in affordable housing. We
received a complaint from Tobin Manor about strong second hand smoke coming from a neighboring unit. I
spoke with Merridith and she said you had coded something like this before.
Thanks for your continuing assistance!
Best regards,
-Chris
Christopher Bishop. RENS
Health Inspector
Northampton Health Department
413-587-1339
Smith, Edmund <smithe@amherstma.gov> Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 2:04 PM
To: Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
Cc: "moleary@northamptonma.gov" <moleary@northamptonma.gov>
These are the most difficult situations in many ways, but, I just read this at lunch:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/nyregion/us-will-ban-smoking-in-public-housing-
nationwide.html? r=0
which will help in Tobin Manor for sure! "Early next year" is probably not soon enough in this case, but
it's coming!
I'm trying to remember what I may have done in the past, Merridith will tell you I rarely do things the
same way twice. SHS is an established Public Health Nuisance, so you could cite the Nuisance law... but
my personal favorite might be:
410.602:Maintenance of Areas Free from Garbage and Rubbish
(B) Dwelling Units. The occupant of any dwelling unit shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean and
sanitary condition and free of garbage, rubbish, other filth or causes of sickness that part of the dwelling
which
he exclusively occupies or controls.
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City of Northampton Mail - Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice Page 2 of 4
You do have to establish that there is compelling evidence that smoking is originating in a particular place.
And I've always thought that this:
410.700:Inspectors Duty to Classify Violations
Any one or more of the conditions specified in 105 CMR 410.750, when found to exist in residential
premises,shall always be deemed to be conditions which may endanger or materially impair the health or
safety, and well-being of an occupant or the public. The conditions specified in 105 CMR 410.750 are
specifically not intended as an exhaustive enumeration of such conditions. In addition to the conditions
specified in 105 CMR 410.750, the inspector shall determine if any other violations of 105 CMR 410.100
through 410.620, or any other conditions, are conditions which may endanger or materially impair the
health or
safety, and well-being of an occupant or the public.
Meant that we can't really ignore a condition like SHS; unfortunately we don't have all the tools we need
to enforce it—but at least in public housing it sounds like we are going to get a very helpful regulation
and an excellent precedent for everyone else.
Good luck!
Ed
Edmund R. Smith
Health Inspector; (413)259-3153
my regular hours: Monday—Friday, 8:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
Amherst Inspections Services Department
main phone#: (413)259-3030;fax(413)259-2402
Town Hall
4 Boltwood Avenue
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City of Northampton Mail - Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice Page 3 of 4
Amherst, MA 01002
From:Christopher Bishop [mailto:cbishop@northamptonma.gov]
Sent:Thursday, December 01, 2016 12:23 PM
To: Smith, Edmund
Subject:Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice
[Quoted text hidden]
Merridith O'Leary <moleary@northamptonma.gov> Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 2:11 PM
To: "Smith, Edmund" <smithe@amherstma.gov>
Cc: Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
Hi ed,
Yes great news about HUD setting smoke free policy. If I remember correctly Amherst housing authority is
already smoke free..or maybe a portion there of. The official HUD rule is found in the link provided below.
I found that it was an interested read.
http://portal.h ud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=smokefreephfinalru le.pdf
Follow up? -Do you recall any recommendations that you had made to the housing authority or any
corrective actions the NHA might have made to minimize the amt of shs from entering a non-smokers unit.
M
Merridith A. O'Leary, R.S.
Public Health Director
City of Northampton
ph (413) 587-1214
fax (413) 587-1221
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[Quoted text hidden]
Smith, Edmund <smithe@amherstma.gov> Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 2:41 PM
To: Merridith O'Leary<moleary@northamptonma.gov>
Cc: Christopher Bishop <cbishop@northamptonma.gov>
Several times I've told tenants that were suffering from their neighbors smoke that they should not think
turning on their range or bathroom venting fans as a sure fire way to bring in fresh air—sometimes it
pulls air in from the offender. Performing air sealing in the sufferer's apartment can help keep the
migration of air from coming in (door sweeps,foam sealant, caulking, including around the fans in the
suffering apartment, and airseal the offender's too of course, if possible). The ventilation system itself
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City of Northampton Mail - Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice Page 4 of 4
may need service—Meadowbrook's fans were attic or roof mounted and several apartments stacked
vertically were all piped into the same stack and fan.
Best/Ed
Edmund R.Smith
Health Inspector; (413)259-3153
my regular hours: Monday—Friday,8:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
Amherst Inspections Services Department
main phone#: (413)259-3030;fax(413)259-2402
Town Hall
4 Boltwood Avenue
Amherst, MA 01002
From: Merridith O'Leary[mailto:moleary@northamptonma.gov]
Sent:Thursday, December 01, 2016 2:11 PM
To:Smith, Edmund
Cc: Christopher Bishop
Subject: Re:Second Hand Smoke Complaint Advice
[Quoted text hidden]
Christopher Bishop<cbishop@northamptonma.gov> Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 2:52 PM
To: "Smith, Edmund" <smithe@amherstma.gov>
Thanks for the info Ed, really appreciate the input.
[Quoted text hidden]
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