THEM. WHAT'S A CHARTER? THAT'S A CHARTING. I CAN I CAN READ. SO WELCOME TO THE BOARD. THANK YOU. [I. Opening Statement] [00:00:08] WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2024, IT'S THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD TO CONCLUDE THIS MEETING BY 9:30 P.M. ANY AGENDA ITEM? NOT CONSIDERED BY 9:30 P.M. WILL BE TABLED UNTIL THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, ADEQUATE NOTICE OF THE MEETING AS REQUIRED BY SECTIONS THREE D AND FOUR A OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETING ACT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC AND FILED WITH THE TOWNSHIP CLERK. SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'D LIKE TO HONOR, WITH A MOMENT OF REFLECTION, THOSE WHO PERISHED ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. AND IF WE COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO HOLD, IN REFLECTION, THOSE WHO HAVE PERISHED. I'M GOING TO DO MY. THANK YOU FOR THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE AND REFLECTION. NOW I'LL MOVE TO ROLL. CALL SO WE HAVE DOCTOR SARIAH HERE. DOCTOR GRAYSON HERE, DOCTOR MCGARRY HERE. DOCTOR FEISAL. WELCOME. JUST THANKS. THANK YOU. WELCOME DOCTOR SHARMA. YES. DOCTOR NEWMAN IS NOT HERE. DOCTOR MOHAN HERE. THANK YOU. AND DOCTOR PROXY HERE. HEALTH OFFICER DEVANG PATEL HERE, SECRETARY JENNIFER FOSTER HERE. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE LIAISON DENNIS ON [III. Public Comments] HERE. AND ADVISOR DOCTOR MANDELBAUM HERE. OKAY, NOW, I'D LIKE TO OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE JUST HAVE A BRIEF STATEMENT HERE. WE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ALLOTTED ONE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ANY NEW BUSINESS TO THE BOARD FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER. ALL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ARE TO BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENT, AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND SUBJECT MATTER, WHILE DIRECTING YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT PUBLIC COMMENT PORTIONS OF THE MEETING ARE NOT STRUCTURED AS A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION, BUT RATHER ARE OFFERED AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH THE BOARD. THE BOARD PRESIDENT MAY NEED TO REFER AN ISSUE TO THE HEALTH OFFICER REPRESENTING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR A PARTICULAR ISSUE, IF IT HAS NOT BEEN HANDLED THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE CHAIN OF COMMAND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BEFORE COMING TO THE BOARD FOR A RESPONSE, AND RESPONSES MAY OR MAY NOT BE PROVIDED AT THE END OF THE SESSION. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT FOR THE RULES OF ORDER. AND WE OPEN THE AGENDA AND TO AND WELCOME PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME. I THINK YOU'RE IT. YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO FOLLOW UP IN AN EMAIL. THANK YOU, GOOD EVENING MICHELLE PARIS, 325 DUTCHTOWN ROAD. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE SEPTIC RENEWAL FEE. IT'S A FEE THAT YOU'RE CHARGED EVERY THREE YEARS. IT'S $20 A YEAR. COMES OUT TO $60. THE FEE IS ONLY CHARGED TO THOSE WHO HAVE A SEPTIC THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED OR REPLACED. THAT THAT FEE IS NOT. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A SEPTIC. FORGIVE ME. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A SEPTIC AND HAVE NEVER HAD A MODIFICATION OR A REPLACEMENT, SO THEY PAY NOTHIN. I'VE BEEN PAYING THIS FEE SINCE I BOUGHT MY HOUSE IN 2001, BECAUSE MY SEPTIC FAILED AT THE HOMEOWNER INSPECTIONS AND THE QUESTION AT THAT TIME WAS, WHY AM I PAYING THIS FEE? AND THE ANSWER WAS, WELL, WE HIRE SOMEONE AND THEY COME OUT AND THEY WALK YOUR PROPERTY AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS DONE. SO THE FIRST YEAR I TOOK THE DAY OFF AND I SAT AND WATCHED WHAT TOOK PLACE. WHAT TOOK PLACE WAS SOMEONE GOT OUT OF THE TOWNSHIP CAR. THEY WALKED TO MY BACKYARD. [00:05:02] THEY LOOKED AT WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE AREA WHERE MY SEPTIC TANK WAS. WERE THE WERE THE LID WAS. THEY WALKED BACK AND THEY GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND THEY LEFT. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP OVER SEVERAL YEARS NOW BECAUSE MY OPINION IS I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD BE PAYING A SEPTIC FEE, PERIOD. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASONING. I WAS TOLD AT ANOTHER MEETING. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TIME THAT THIS WAS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FEES. I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. RESPECTFULLY. YEAH, IT'S I'M I'M BEING DILIGENT. I AM SUBMITTING AT YOUR REQUEST THAT MY SEPTIC IS BEING PUMPED EVERY 2 TO 3 YEARS, AND IT'S BEING SUBMITTED TO THE TOWNSHIP. AND AT THAT TIME, THE TOWNSHIP IS COLLECTING $60 FROM ME. I'M NOT PUMPING MY SEPTIC FOR YOU. I'M PUMPING MY SEPTIC FOR ME. IT KEEPS MY SEPTIC HEALTHIER. IT KEEPS THE LIFE EXPECTANCY LONGER. AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, IT CAN BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT BECOMES A BIGGER PROBLEM. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CHARGE A FEE, WHICH I AM GOING TO SAY AGAIN, I DO NOT RESPECTFULLY AGREE WITH, PERIOD. NOBODY SHOULD BE CHARGE. WHY ARE WE NOT CHARGING THE FOLKS WHO ARE OFF THE GRID? OFF THE RADAR MAY NOT BE PUMPING THEIR SEPTICS MAY BE FLOWING INTO A NEIGHBOR'S YARD, MAY BE GETTING INTO GROUNDWATER, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. AND THEY'RE NOT PAYING A FEE. NOW, I THINK IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. YOU HAVE SO MANY HOUSES IN MONTGOMERY THAT PAY TAXES. SO OUT OF ALL THESE HOUSES IN MONTGOMERY WHO PAY TAXES. YOU TAKE THAT AND YOU IMMEDIATELY TAKE OFF THAT LIST. ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTACHED TO PUBLIC SEWER. AND FROM THAT, YOU NOW HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON PRIVATE SEPTIC AND OUT OF THAT LIST. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THE $60 LIKE ME. THEN YOU REMOVE THEM AND THEN YOU HAVE THE REMAINING FOLKS WHO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEIR SEPTIC HAS BEEN PUMPED IN TEN YEARS, 20 YEARS. I USED TO DABBLE IN REAL ESTATE MANY YEARS AGO, AND I WORKED WITH HOMEOWNERS WHO DIDN'T EVEN KNOW AT THE TIME THAT THEY NEEDED TO PUMP THEIR SEPTIC. THEY WEREN'T TOLD THAT PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM A CITY WHO HAD PUBLIC SEWER DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEIR PRIVATE SEPTIC NEEDED TO BE PUMPED, AND SOMEONE DIDN'T DO DUE DILIGENCE AND TELL THEM THIS IS A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU. SO THAT'S MY CONCERN. THAT'S MY THOUGHT AND KNOWING. FORGIVE ME. NO ONE HAS EVER GIVEN ME A GOOD REASON AS TO WHY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE BEING DILIGENT, BEING CHARGED THE FEE VERSUS THE ONES WHO GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THEIR YARD AND NOT PAYING THE FEE. AND I'M JUST GOING TO FINISH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I WENT OVER MY THREE MINUTES. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS. I HAVE A SICK COUSIN IN IN MARYLAND IN EAST IN EAST NEW MARKET, MARYLAND. I GOT A CALL FROM MY COUSIN LAST WEEK SAYING HER HUSBAND WASN'T DOING WELL, AND I KNEW THIS MEETING WAS TONIGHT AND I WAS GOING DOWN AND I WAS NOT GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT. I CHANGED MY WHOLE WORK SCHEDULE. I CHANGED MY WHOLE PLAN TO GO SEE MY COUSIN AND HER HUSBAND, TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I'M NOT SPEAKING JUST FOR ME. I'M SPEAKING FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THE $60 FEE. AND THEN WE HAVE OTHERS WHO ARE NOT PAYING ANYTHING. AND THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO SAY AGAIN IS I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD BE PAYING IT, PERIOD. I DO WANT TO ADD ONE MORE THING. I'M SORRY, THIS JUST POPPED INTO MY HEAD AND I PROMISE THIS IS THE LAST THING, OKAY? PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUBLIC SEWER HAVE PUBLIC SEWER NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT REPLACING THEIR SEWER. AND IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH THAT SEWER, IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM. SOME MAY PAY A ONE TIME FEE IF THEY WANT TO HOOK INTO THE SEWER, BUT THAT'S ONE TIME. SO I'M PAYING EVERY TWO YEAR I DO TWO YEARS BASED ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LIVE IN YOUR HOME. SO SOME PEOPLE CAN GO THREE YEARS, SOME PEOPLE CAN GO TWO YEARS. I GO ABOUT EVERY TWO YEARS. THAT'S WHAT I DO. YOU I LOST MY TRAIN [00:10:06] OF THOUGHT. FORGIVE ME, BUT I THINK WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY WAS, I. MY SEPTIC FAILS. I HAVE TO PAY THE TAB. THE TOWNSHIP ISN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING MY SEPTIC. WHERE AGAIN? PUBLIC SEWER. NO ONE'S PAYING ANYTHING. NO ONE'S PAYING $60 EVERY THREE YEARS. I'D RATHER TAKE THAT 60 BUCKS AND GIVE IT TO A FAMILY IN NEED IN TOWN. I'D RATHER TAKE MY 60 BUCKS AND GIVE IT TO THE FOOD BANK. I JUST DON'T I RESPECTFULLY DON'T UNDERSTAND. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THINK ABOUT IT. THINK ABOUT WHAT I SAID. MAKE A CHANGE AND GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. JUST WANT TO CORRECT ONE THING THAT YOU SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES. PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUBLIC SEWER AND PUBLIC WATER, THEY PAY A FEE EVERY YEAR FOR USING THE SEWER AND THE WATER LIKE IT'S LIKE 1500 AND UP A YEAR. IT'S PREDICATED UPON HOW MUCH WATER YOU USE AND THEN HOW THEY USE THAT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH SEWAGE YOU'RE GOING TO GENERATE. AND THAT'S CHARGED ON A YEARLY BASIS. OKAY, YEAH. THAT'S THE SEWER. ONE, TWO, WHEN YOU DO HAVE A PIPE PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE PUBLIC SEWER AND PUBLIC WATER, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT GOES FROM YOUR HOME TO THE CURB. CORRECT. SO THAT'S ALSO YOUR PROBLEM. SO TO SAY THAT YOU'RE GETTING A FREE RIDE, AS SOMEONE WHO USES PUBLIC SEWER AND PUBLIC WATER IS KIND OF A MISSTATEMENT ON YOUR PART. POINT, POINT TOTALLY TAKEN. AND ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO BE ON THE POINT TAKEN. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND, SOMEONE HAS NEVER GIVEN ME A GOOD REASON WHY I'M TAKING $60 AND GIVING IT TO YOU EVERY THREE YEARS. FOR WHAT? FOR WHAT? I'M NOT HOOKED INTO YOUR SEWER. I'M NOT OUTSPOKEN, A PUBLIC SEWER. I HAVE TO PAY SOMEONE TO COME AND PUMP MY SEWER. MY SEPTIC. AND I HAVE TO PAY THAT FEE. SO, RESPECTFULLY, ALL I'M SAYING IS SOME. IT'S NOT RIGHT. THERE'S AN OFF BALANCE. THINK ABOUT IT. I'M BEING DILIGENT, BUT YOU'RE NOT CHARGING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T. THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG RIGHT THERE. THINK ABOUT THAT. WELL, AS SOON AS THOSE PEOPLE WERE PLACED, THEIR SEWER, THEIR SEPTIC TANKS, THEN THEY COME INTO THE PROGRAM. IT'S BASICALLY PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T REPLACED THEIR SEPTIC TANK IN YEARS AND YEARS. THEY'RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO FAIL. AND THEN THEY'LL ALSO COME INTO THE PROGRAM WHEREBY WHICH THEY SPEND $60 ON A THREE YEAR BASIS FOR THE LICENSING AND ANSWER I'M LOOKING FOR IS, WHY IS THERE A PROGRAM? WHY AM I GIVING YOU $60? OKAY, THAT'S THE QUESTION. THAT'S THE QUESTION. SO HOW. THANK YOU. DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND AT ALL? THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THE THINGS I DID NOT KNOW. THANK YOU. DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND AT ALL TO ANYTHING OR. YEAH, I MEAN I WOULD I HAVE ONE QUESTION WHEN SHE'S DONE. YEAH. AND I WASN'T HERE WHEN, YOU KNOW, THIS ORDINANCE WAS DEVELOPED. BUT I YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ORDINANCE WAS REALLY WAS DEVELOPED TO HELP PROTECT HOMEOWNERS GROUNDWATER AND THEIR NEIGHBORS GROUNDWATER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TO ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEMS ARE MAINTAINED REGULARLY TO REALLY EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE SYSTEMS. SO THE PROGRAM WORKS BEST WHEN YOU GET THOSE NEW SYSTEMS IN, IN, IN PLACE INTO THE PROGRAM. AND YOU CAN REGULARLY SEND REMINDERS SO THAT PEOPLE ARE ARE MAINTAINING IT. WE DO GET, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AT THE TIME, WE DO HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF NON-COMPLIANT, OWNERS, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF REMINDERS. STAFF, THEY HAVE TO SEND OUT REMINDERS AND LATE NOTICES IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO PUMP THEIR SEPTIC. SO THE PROGRAM WORKS BEST WHEN YOU START OUT WITH THE BRAND NEW YOUNG SYSTEMS. YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER IF WE WERE TO FOCUS ON THE AGING SYSTEMS, THERE ISN'T AS MUCH VALUE IN THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE AGING OUT ANYWAY. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HOW I'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT I GET I GET THAT. BUT THEN MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS, IN THE BEGINNING, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE GROUNDWATER AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE KEEPING IT CLEAN. SO IF YOU HAD SOMEONE NOT PUMPING THE SEPTIC, WHERE IS THEIR SEPTIC GOING WHEN THEY'RE NOT PUMPING? AND IT'S GOING INTO THE GROUNDWATER. SO IT'S A STICKY WICKET, I GET IT. AND IT'S VERY HARD. AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN WHO I KNOW WHO HAVE TOLD ME, QUOTE UNQUOTE. I'M DODGING A BULLET BECAUSE MY SEPTIC HASN'T FAILED AND I DON'T HAVE TO PAY THAT FEE YET. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S A FINE HOW TO I MEAN, REALLY, I'M SITTING HERE NOT FOR MYSELF, YOU KNOW. WHAT ABOUT THE 7089 YEAR OLDS UP ON THE HILL THAT LIVED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD PAYING 60 BUCKS? COME ON. I MEAN, IT'S JUST I DON'T I DON'T UNDERSTAND AND FORGIVE ME. LIKE DOCTOR GRAYSON, I KEEP LOOKING AT YOU BECAUSE I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. BUT NO ONE HAS GIVEN ME THE ANSWER TO WHY. WHY? AND I [00:15:07] KNOW THE STATE HAD STARTED IT IN THE STATE IN STOCKTON AND THE STATE DECIDED, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THIS TO THE TOWNS AND NOW THE TOWNS CAN DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO DO THE FEE OR NOT. THE STATE DIDN'T KEEP UP WITH IT. THE STATE EVEN THREW AWAY AND SAID, HERE, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU GUYS. THAT'S HOW IT REALLY STARTED. IT WAS A STATE THING. THEN IT CAME DOWN TO THE TOWNSHIP AND THEN IT BECAME YOUR PROBLEM. SO THAT'S WHERE IT REALLY STARTED. I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU OUT, THAT'S ALL. AND WE'LL PUT YOUR QUESTION HOW WOULD YOU LIKE. SO I WANTED TO WE'LL FOLLOW UP. I DO WANT TO GET SOME MORE ANSWERS FOR YOU. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE THE ANSWER TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. THAT'S FINE. I JUST APPRECIATE AN ANSWER. SO HOW HOW WOULD IT BEST TO BE TO RESPOND TO YOU WITH A WITH AN ANSWER? SHOULD WE EMAIL YOU? YEAH. OKAY. YEAH, WE WILL DO THAT. COPY ALL MY NEW FRIENDS ON IT. AND YOU KNOW WE CAN ALL BE IN THAT LOOP. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE IF I'M JUST ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO WALK OUT THE DOOR TONIGHT LIKE I HAVE IN THE PAST. AND FEEL LIKE IT'S ALL FALLEN UPON DEAF EARS AND, YOU KNOW, DEAF. NO, OF COURSE NOT. YEAH. AND THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE HERE. WE'RE HERE TO HEAR THE CONCERNS THAT NO, NO. OF COURSE. YEAH. I MEAN, WE HAVE SIMILAR LICENSING FEES IN OTHER SPACES AS WELL. AND IT'S THE SAME SITUATION. IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLIANT ARE THE ONES WHO PAY THE FEE AND THE ONES WHO AREN'T DON'T I MEAN, IT'S THAT WE HAVE THE SAME THE VETERINARIAN ON OUR BOARD HAS THE SAME SITUATION THAT SHE BRINGS UP FORWARD. DOG LICENSING IS THE SAME. ALL THOSE ARE THE SAME. AND I GET THAT. I ACTUALLY GET IT. BUT, YES, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M GOING TO LET IT GO SO YOU GUYS CAN GET OUT OF HERE BY YOUR TIME. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE CHANGE IN YOUR SCHEDULE. WE APPRECIATE IT. TAKE CARE. OKAY THAT WAS YOUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY? DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES? HOW ABOUT YOU DO THAT? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD KNOWS WHO YOU ARE. MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA IF YOU JUST COME TO THE MIC AND JUST SAY WHO YOU ARE. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BY THE WAY. JUST GO AHEAD, HI, MY NAME IS VARSHA SENTHILKUMAR AND YOU ARE? I'M A PART OF THE ILC COMMITTEE. OKAY. THANK YOU. GREAT. AND WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN? SORRY, I'M IN 11TH GRADE AT MONTGOMERY. YEAH. JUNIOR OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HELLO, I'M RYAN PATEL, AND, I'M A SENIOR AT MHS AT MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL. AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY HOPING TO JOIN THIS BOARD, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, RELATING TO HEALTH ISSUES AS, I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HEALTH CARE AND ALL OF THAT. SO YEAH. AND I HAVE LIKE SOME EXPERIENCE, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AS, YOU KNOW, AS A VOLUNTEER AT A SENIOR CARE HOME. AND I'VE ALSO TAKEN PART IN MULTIPLE, LIKE, BLOOD DRIVES AT MY HIGH SCHOOL. SO IT'S JUST PRETTY MUCH ABOUT ME. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOU'LL GET RECRUITED BY THE, EMS REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD. OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO ALL [IV. Consent Agenda ] MATTERS LISTED HERE UNDER ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE IN NATURE AND WILL BE APPROVED IN ONE MOTION. ANY MEMBER MAY REQUEST THAT AN ITEM IS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. AND WE HAVE TWO MONTHS WORTH OF MONTHLY REPORTS FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MONTHLY REPORT. THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORT, AND THE ANIMAL CONTROL REPORT. AND WE HAVE OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR REGULARLY HELD MEETING ON JULY 10TH, TWO MONTHS AGO. AND DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY ALL RIGHT. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. OKAY. THERE WE [V. HEALTH OFFICERS COMMENTS ] GO. WE'RE APPROVED. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE HAVE HEALTH OFFICER COMMENTS. THESE ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LENGTHY TODAY BECAUSE SHE HAS TWO MONTHS WORTH. OKAY ALL RIGHT. THANKS, KERRY. AND SO FIRST I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WE ARE PLANNING OUR FALL FLU CLINICS. WE HAVE WE HAVE ABOUT TEN CLINICS SCHEDULED, WE ARE GOING TO BE PARTNERING WITH SOME [00:20:02] SMALL MOM AND POP PHARMACIES, SKILLS CARE PHARMACY RIGHT HERE IN TOWN, AMWELL PHARMACY AND SCHOOL HEALTH PHARMACY TO HELP US WITH OUR VACCINE CLINICS. WE WILL ALSO HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES AND SURGE VACCINATORS AS WELL, THE TWO BIGGEST CLINICS ARE GOING TO BE AT THE KAUFMAN COMMUNITY CENTER. THE FIRST ONE IS OCTOBER 2ND FROM TEN TO NOON. THE NEXT BIG ONE IS OCTOBER 9TH FROM 10 A.M. TO NOON AT THE KAUFMAN GYM. AND WE NEED ONE MORE VACCINATOR. SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY ON THE BOARD WHO'S AVAILABLE, IT IS A WEDNESDAY, AGAIN WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH, FROM 10 A.M. TO NOON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR SURGE VACCINATORS AND MOST OF OUR CLINICS. WE HAVE COVERAGE FOR, BUT WE JUST NEED ONE ONE MORE VACCINATOR FOR OCTOBER NINTH. WE ARE ALSO HAVING POP UP VACCINATION CLINICS AT MONTGOMERY CROSSINGS AND PIKE RUN. SO WE ARE HOPING TO SHARE THE SCHEDULE SOON. WE'RE JUST WAITING ON FINALIZING OUR APPOINTMENT SYSTEM AND HOPEFULLY TO HAVE SOMETHING IN BY THIS WEEK. REGARDING OUR FLU VACCINE CLINICS, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE, JOCELYN BROWN, HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN GETTING ALL OF THESE CLINICS SCHEDULED AND PUT TOGETHER. SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING FOLKS VACCINATED AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THEIR FLU VACCINE. MODERN LINE FURNITURE A LEADING DESIGNER AND MANUFACTURER OF MODULAR. SO THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SHARE WAS OUR. YEAH SO WE JUST GOT ABOUT 200 COVID TEST KITS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE. IF THERE ARE ANY RESIDENTS IN TOWN THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT ARE IN NEED OF COVID TEST KITS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS. LET US KNOW YOU CAN ALWAYS HELP SPREAD THE WORD FOR US AND LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS ACCESS TO FREE COVID TEST KITS. WE WILL BE GIVING THEM OUT AT OUR BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS. THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE TODAY. THERE WAS ONE YESTERDAY, SO YOU'LL SEE SOMEBODY FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT EACH OF THE BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, AS WELL. AND WE'LL BE GIVING OUT, INFORMATION ON VARIOUS HEALTH EDUCATION TOPICS, UPCOMING PROGRAMS, AND JUST OUR CONTACT INFORMATION. IT'S A REALLY GOOD TIME FOR US TO MEET WITH NEW RESIDENTS AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT ABOUT US AND ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER. WE ALSO ARE PARTICIPATING IN SAVE A LIFE DAY. SO THIS IS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT. IT'S THE LARGEST DAY OF NARCAN DISTRIBUTION TO DATE. IT'S GOING TO BE SEPTEMBER 26TH, OVER 300 COUNTIES FROM 330 STATES ARE SIGNED UP AND ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE. WE ARE GOING TO HOLD THE EVENT HERE AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING FROM 10 TO 2, AND AT PIKE RUN AT THE, AT THEIR CLUBHOUSE FROM 4 TO 6 P.M. SO WE, WE SHOULD HAVE THE FLIER UP ON OUR WEBSITE, AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE AWARE OF ANYBODY WHO IS IN NEED OF NARCAN, HAVE THEM REACH OUT TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR SAVE A LIFE DAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH. WE ALSO ARE PARTNERING WITH AMERICAN RED CROSS FOR A COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM. ON SEPTEMBER 29TH, FROM 9 A.M. TO 2 P.M. WE HAVE ABOUT CLOSE TO 38 APPOINTMENTS SO FAR, BUT WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE. IF ANYBODY YOU KNOW, IS INTERESTED IN BEING A DONOR, PLEASE HAVE THEM REGISTER AND YOU'LL GET A FREE $15 GIFT CARD. THE MONTGOMERY EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH IS ALSO HOSTING A COMMUNITY DRIVE. SORRY, COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE. ON SEPTEMBER 21ST FROM 8:09 A.M. TO 2 P.M. SO IF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH DOESN'T WORK, THERE'S ANOTHER, BLOOD DRIVE. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST AT MONTGOMERY EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH AND BLOOD DRIVE HOSTING BLOOD DRIVES AND PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HOST BLOOD DRIVES IS ONE OF OUR HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 OBJECTIVES OR 2030 OBJECTIVES? I SHOULD SAY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE IN OUR FUTURE STRATEGIC PLANNING. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. THERE'S MORE. YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY I KNOW THERE'S MORE. WE HAVE, POSTED OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNER POSITION. WE'RE REVIEWING RESUMES AND SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS. SO THE PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNER POSITION IS, IT'S ACTUALLY A STATE REQUIRED POSITION. BUT DUE TO FUNDING [00:25:03] CUTS, SO MANY PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNERS WILL LET GO OVER THE YEARS. SO BECAUSE WE HAVE GRANT FUNDING, WE HAVE ADVOCATED AND BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT, WE ADVOCATED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNER IN THE DEPARTMENT, AND THE POSITION REALLY ENTAILS THREE MAJOR AREAS COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT, HELPING WITH DATA REPORTING, AND, HELPING US ANALYZE THE DATA, HELPING DEVELOP THE COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN. AGAIN, THIS IS ALL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEALTHIER SOMERSET. SO THE DATA THE DATA PART IS ONE AREA. THE SECOND AREA IS PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS. OUR REQUIREMENTS WITH PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS ARE GROWING. THERE ARE MORE REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED ON US. OUR REVIEW PERIODS FOR REVIEWING ALL OF OUR EMERGENCY PLANS AND PROTOCOLS HAS BEEN SHORTENED TO EVERY TWO YEARS, AND IT'S BECOME DIGITAL, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE ALL OF WE HAVE ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS IN ORDER. THE PUBLIC HEALTH ANNEX IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ANNEXES IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND SO IT WOULD BE IT'S VERY VALUABLE AND NEEDED TO HAVE A DEDICATED PERSON TO, TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT, THE PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS ROLE ALSO INCLUDES HELPING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MEET ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS WITH THE STATE AS IT RELATES TO EXERCISES AND DRILLS, TABLETOP EXERCISES, AND MAKING SURE THAT STAFF ARE RECEIVING APPROPRIATE TRAINING IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. THE THIRD MAJOR AREA FOR THIS POSITION IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL SOCIAL SERVICES RESPONSES. SO THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE LOCAL HEALTH OUTREACH COORDINATOR POSITION, EXCEPT THAT THAT IS NOT ALL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING. SO APART FROM ALL OF THE DATA ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS WORK, AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS WORK, THEY'RE GOING TO HELP US RESPOND TO ANY SOCIAL SERVICES RELATED RESPONSE REQUESTS FOR HELP THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FROM EMS, FROM OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. AND I THINK IT'S IT WILL BE GREAT THAT THIS PERSON WOULD ALSO BE INVOLVED WITH DATA, BECAUSE THEY CAN ALSO HELP IDENTIFY AND STREAMLINE CERTAIN PROCEDURES WITH THE VARIOUS AGENCIES, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST RESPONDERS, ON THE TYPES OF INFORMATION THAT WE ARE COLLECTING, HOW WE ARE FOLLOWING UP ON THESE CASES, HOW WE ARE, THE TYPES OF DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTING, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COLLECTING DATA IN A WAY THAT'S HELPFUL AND USEFUL TO THE DECISION MAKERS IN TOWN. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DEALING WITH AND RESPONDING TO A LOT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES RELATED REQUESTS FOR HELP. AND, YOU KNOW, I KEEP REITERATING THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES ARE TWO DISTINCT ENTITIES. BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO HAVE SOME MANAGING CONTROL IN HOW WE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THE GROWING SOCIAL SERVICES NEEDS. SO WE WANT TO HAVE SOME INPUT IN THAT. AND THIS PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST US ON THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS TO HELP US WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH REACCREDITATION EFFORTS AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER A BIG LIFT. THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON NOW IN THE NEXT COUPLE NOW AND THROUGH THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. SO I'LL KEEP THE BOARD UPDATED ON ON OUR PROGRESS WITH RECRUITING A PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNER. WE HAVE A NEW INTERN, ADRIJA SETHI. SHE IS CURRENTLY A STUDENT IN THE BS MPH PROGRAM AT RUTGERS. SHE'S ALSO A RESIDENT IN TOWN. SHE'S GOING TO BE HELPING US, ON VARIOUS PROJECTS. FOOD INSECURITY INVENTORY. SHE WILL ALSO BE HELPING MAKE SURE WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH NEW JERSEY SMOKE-FREE AIR ACT, MEANING THIS BUILDING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW JERSEY SMOKE-FREE AIR ACT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE APPROPRIATE NO SMOKING, NO VAPING SIGNAGE IN AND AROUND THE BUILDING HERE AS THIS IS A NO SMOKING, NO VAPING CAMPUS. SHE WILL ALSO BE HELPING US WITH OUR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS. SOME REACCREDITATION WORK AND, I THINK OTHER THINGS ESCAPES ME RIGHT NOW, BUT MOSTLY ON PUBLIC HEALTH, THE ACCREDITATION WORK AND ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER SUPPORT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE THINK OF BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE STAFF AS WELL. FALL IS THE BUSIEST TIME FOR US. SO IT'LL BE NICE TO HAVE NOT ONLY, AN INTER, BUT ALSO SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN TOWN. THE OTHER UPDATE WAS NEW JERSEY TRANSIT. THEY ARE THEY HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. REGARDING THEIR SENIOR CITIZEN AND DISABLED RESIDENTS, TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. SO WE WANT TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS PUBLIC HEARING IN CASE THERE THERE ARE RESIDENTS IN [00:30:05] TOWN WHO WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE INPUT. THE PUBLIC HEARING, EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THERE'S ONE IN CENTRAL, IN THE CENTRAL REGION, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST TO US. THAT'S GOING TO BE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH FROM 6 TO 8 P.M. AND THESE ARE BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL. THE CENTRAL JERSEY ONE IS AT THE ISELIN BRANCH LIBRARY IN ICELAND, NEW JERSEY. BUT PEOPLE ALSO HAVE THE OPTION OF LOGGING IN OR CALLING IN. SO WE CAN POST INFORMATION ABOUT THIS HEARING ON OUR WEBSITE. AND THE GOAL IS THAT ALL MATERIALS TO BE REVIEWED AT THIS HEARING ARE AVAILABLE IN ALL ACCESSIBLE FORMATS UPON REQUEST. AND IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK AT ONE OF THESE HEARINGS, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ARIELLE LEWIS AT 973491772 BY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH. OR YOU CAN EMAIL A P LEWIS L E W I S AT NJ TRANSIT DOT COM. AND THE OTHER THING WAS PEOPLE, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEND OR EMAIL THEIR PUBLIC HEARING THEIR COMMENTS, THEY CAN DO SO VIA EMAIL AT PUBLIC HEARINGS AT NJ TRANSIT.COM BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2024. SO WE THEY HAVE SOME TIME AND AGAIN WE'LL WE'LL POST THIS ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT IF SO THAT YOU CAN REFER PEOPLE TO THIS INFORMATION OR, OR YOU CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH PEOPLE YOU THINK MIGHT BE INTERESTED, THE OTHER UPDATE WAS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE, THEY'RE ROLLING OUT THEIR ARRIVE TOGETHER PROGRAM. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY. IF EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THE ARRIVE TOGETHER PROGRAM. THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WAS WAS REALLY CREATED AND DEVELOPED WITH THE SOME OF THE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN SOMERSET COUNTY. SO MONTGOMERY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PARTNERING WITH HILLSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP, BRANCHBURG TOWNSHIP, MANVILLE, AND THEY WILL PARTNER WITH BRIDGEWAY BEHAVIORAL HEALT. AND THEY WILL BE THE FIRST MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL MUTUAL AID PARTNERSHIP IN SOMERSET COUNTY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM. AND SO ARRIVE THE ARRIVE AND ARRIVE TOGETHER STANDS FOR ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES TO REDUCE INSTANCES OF VIOLENCE AND ESCALATION TOGETHER PROGRAM, SO THE PROGRAM IT TEAMS UP OFFICERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING AND A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN FROM BRIDGEWAY WHEN THEY RESPOND TO CALLS RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND THIS PERSON WILL ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOLLOW UP OF THOSE CALLS. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW WE CAN DELEGATE OR ASSIGN, SOME OF THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT MONEY TOWARDS THIS, TO FUNDING THIS, SOME OF THE NEEDS OF THIS PERSON. AND A NEW BUSINESS. I'LL BE PROVIDING AN ANIMAL CONTROL [VI. NEW BUSINESS ] UPDATE AT THE OCTOBER 10TH TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING. THE ANIMAL CONTROL CONTRACT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH ANIMAL CONTROL SOLUTION ENDS AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A DECISION ON HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. IF WE, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE REALLY HAVE VERY MANY OPTIONS. SO, PRIVATIZING ANIMAL CONTROL IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE BEST SOLUTION, I TELL PEOPLE, BUT IT'S THE ONLY OPTION. IT'S OUR BEST OPTION RIGHT NOW. BUT IF ANY. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE CHRIS TODAY, BUT IF ANYBODY ON THE BOARD HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. REGARDING ANIMAL CONTROL SOLUTIONS, WAS SHE ABLE TO REVIEW THE CONTRACT? DO YOU REMEMBER SHE WAS GOING TO DO THAT? I'M NOT SURE IF SHE I'M SURE SHE DID, BUT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY FEEDBACK FROM THAT CONTRACT. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO YOU CAN HAVE THAT INPUT A LOT OF PEOPLE. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN YOU WANT TO PLAY THE QUESTION WHERE DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT. SURE. SO WE RECEIVED VECTOR BORNE DISEASE REPORTS ABOUT EVERY WEEK. AND SO WE ARE IN WEEK 35 OF THAT PERIOD. SO WE'VE, WE'RE PAST THE PEAK. WE'RE PAST THE PEAK OF MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES AND TICK BORNE DISEASES. WE'RE ON THE [00:35:03] TAIL END, EVERYTHING USUALLY DIES DOWN AROUND WEEK 37. SO THERE WAS THERE WERE SOME NEWS ARTICLES AND SOME NEWS IN THE MEDIA ABOUT, WEST NILE VIRUS CASES AND POSSIBLY TWO DEATHS FROM WEST NILE IN NEW JERSEY. SO THAT HAD CAUSED SOME ALARM AMONG SOME RESIDENTS. BUT I JUST WANTED TO REASSURE THE BOARD THAT WE DO KEEP TRACK OF THE VECTOR BORNE DISEASE REPORTS. AND BASED ON THE SURVEILLANCE REPORTS, THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SENDS OUT PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONABLE ALERTS TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IF WE DO NEED TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, ELEVATE CERTAIN MESSAGING, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO SCARE THE COMMUNITY IF THERE ISN'T A REASON TO DO SO. THERE'S ALWAYS DISEASES CIRCULATING IN, IN THE STATE AND EVEN OUR, OUR AREA. BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS GO TO THE LEVEL OF REQUIRING PUBLIC MESSAGING AND, AND PRESS RELEASES. I THINK IN THIS, THE CASE WITH THE WEST NILE VIRUS, THERE WERE TWO DEATHS THAT HAD OCCURRED AND THEY WERE AMONG, TWO ELDERLY PEOPLE. SO WE DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS ABOUT IT, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE WASN'T ANY PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS THAT THAT WERE ISSUED BY THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THERE WAS A AN INFORMATIONAL RELEASE THAT WAS RELEASED, BUT NOTHING FOR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO OUR NORMAL EDUCATION AND SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES AS IT RELATES TO THESE DISEASES. BUT JUST I JUST WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT IF THERE'S ANY IF THERE'S EVER ANY, ANY SITUATION THAT WARRANTS ELEVATING MESSAGING, I'LL BE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW. AND YOU KNOW, THROUGH KERRY. AND SO, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT IF YOU SEE SOMETHING IN THE NEWS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ALSO LET ME KNOW AS WELL, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THAT. THIS WHAT IS THE IS THERE A THRESHOLD LIKE CERTAIN NUMBER OF CASES OR HOW DO YOU ELEVATE THEM OR MAGNITUDE OF THAT? THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE LIKE ON THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SIDE, WHAT THOSE FACTORS ARE. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF MAYBE IF THEY NOTICE INCREASED NUMBER OF CASES OR IF THEY IDENTIFY A COMMON SOURCE, MAYBE THEN IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, TOO, I THINK THIS YEAR THE IT WAS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST WEST NILE CASE. AND SO THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A PRESS RELEASE TO AT LEAST DESCRIBE THAT THIS 25TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY HAD PASSED, AN, AT THE TIME, I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE DATA AND I THINK THAT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST AND THE CASE NUMBER IN THE WHOLE STATE OF NEW JERSEY FOR THIS YEAR WAS SIX CASES. AND LAST YEAR IT WAS 14. AT THE SAME TIME. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE SO I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY RESPOND TO SOME INTERESTING DATES AND OTHER THINGS THAT THEY THINK THEY WANT TO ELEVATE. BUT THERE WASN'T AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THERE WASN'T ANY ELEVATION OF CONCERN FOR MONTGOMERY SPECIFICALLY. YEAH, BUT MOSQUITOES AND TICKS, THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE AROUND, SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST RECOMMEND THAT RESIDENTS CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR STANDARD PRECAUTIONS AS IT RELATES TO LIMITING MOSQUITO BITES, YOU KNOW, USE REPELLENT, WEAR LONG SLEEVES, MINIMIZE YOUR TIME DURING HIGH MOSQUITO AND, AND, TICK ACTIVITY USUALLY BETWEEN DUSK AND DAWN, REMOVE STANDING WATER, IN AND AROUND YOUR PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING INTO HURRICANE SEASON. JUST FOLLOWING JUST BASIC PREPAREDNESS STEPS, THAT'S THAT'S BECAUSE IT GOES THROUGH OCTOBER. RIGHT YEAH. MOSQUITO SEASON. YEAH MOSQUITO SEASON THROUGH OCTOBER. SO YOU STILL HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS. AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S SO COLD RIGHT NOW. YEAH. YOU KNOW, ONCE IT GETS COLDER AND THERE WILL BE MORE. YEAH, THAT IS TRUE. ANYTHING ELSE? WE ARE. WE WILL ALSO BE DOING A VACCINE CLINIC FOR BOWDOIN. VACCINE HERE. IT'LL BE IN THE LIBRARY MEETING ROOM AND ANOTHER VACCINE CLINIC ON OCTOBER 10TH. THIS IS DURING THE SAME TIME AS THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING. WE'LL BE BACK HERE IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM. WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH SKILLS CARE PHARMACY TO COME OUT AND DO A VACCINE CLINIC. SO FEEL FREE TO COME AND GET YOUR FLU VACCINE THEN AND MEET OUR NURSES AS WEL. AND VOTE AND VOTE IF IT'S ON. YEAH, IF IT'S ON NOVEMBER, I THINK FIFTH. OKAY. THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS? NO DENNIS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE THAT YOU WANT? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, BUT I'D LIKE TO, THANK YOU FOR THIS DETAILED [00:40:06] UPDATE, NEW JERSEY TRANSIT IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BUS THAT GOES FROM ONE END OF TOWN TO THE OTHER, LIKE PEOPLE, IN PRINCETON, KIND OF PART OF MONTGOMERY. THEY CAN'T GET UP TO SOMERVILLE IF THEY WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SENIORS WHO WHO CAN'T TRAVEL, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND MAYBE, I'LL DEFINITELY TRY TO SEND SOME INFORMATION OVER TO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. AND IF I SHOW UP TO ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT. BLOOD DRIVE AS WELL. THE I KNOW THAT IT'S I THINK THE ENTIRE STATE, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY RUNNING LOW ON, ON, ON BLOOD. SO IF ANYBODY CAN COME OUT TO HELP OUT AND HELP THE DRIVES, IT'S VERY APPRECIATIVE. BUT THANK YOU. SO OTHER NEW BUSINESS. GOING ONE LOOK THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT. NO, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT. OKAY. HAVING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS THIS MEETING WILL NOW ADJOURN AT 8:14 P.M. MOTION TO ADJOURN. OKAY. OH, SORRY. SECOND. OKAY. YOU GUYS CAN DO THAT. WHO WAS FIRST? IT WAS SECOND. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YO * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.