Hanson Board of Health Orders 14 Overdue Food Inspections Completed by Next Meeting

HANSON -- November 18, 2025, Hanson Board of Health confronts health agent over yearslong inspection backlog, citing Dollar Tree food safety failures. The board voted unanimously to approve a well permit for 200 McCoan Street and a septic repair plan for 144 Woodbine Avenue before spending the bulk of its November 18 meeting rebuking Health Agent Gil over more than 14 food establishments, including Sandy's Coffee Corner, Camp Kowani, and Dollar Tree, that had received no Board of Health inspection in 2025, despite a state-required twice-yearly schedule for all 58 licensed facilities. Board Chair Kevin Perkins called the pattern "disregard and neglect," noting the Dollar Tree on Main Street had been temporarily closed by the fire department after inspectors found merchandise stacked nine feet high, expired food on shelves, and chemicals stored alongside groceries, all without a health citation. The agent was directed to complete all 14 overdue inspections and submit a written compliance plan before the December meeting, with board members warning that the failures put the community at risk and reflected poorly on the board as a whole.