Wayland Board of Health approves appointments, backs ADU information night

WAYLAND — October 20, 2025 — Wayland Board of Health hears regional health equity report and approves annual appointments. Chair Robert Defrancesco and member Kathryn Holland Stiff led Monday's meeting, with Jonathan Storer joining remotely; Genevieve Anand and Brett Mordas were absent. Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative program manager Brandon Golnick, epidemiologist Kimberly Garcia and nurse Katherine Rines presented a seven-town needs assessment showing average home values jumped from $886,000 to $1.3 million between 2019 and 2024 and that more than 50 percent of Wayland's population has USDA-defined limited food access. Garcia said "recovery has definitely favored property owners more than renters." The board unanimously appointed Julia Junghanns as health director, Darren McAfee as sanitarian, Ann Lowery as sanitarian and Beth Grossman as food inspector, and voted to co-sponsor a Nov. 12 ADU informational meeting. New public health nurse Laura reported 134 seniors vaccinated at the town's first flu clinic.