I USE THAT TO FIND EVERYTHING. I DON'T HAVE THAT. I HAVE A FITBIT. OKAY. JEREMY? YES. OKAY.
[I. OPENING STATEMENT]
[00:00:09]
WELCOME TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BUSINESS MEETING FOR THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF HEALTH. IT IS THE INTENTION OF THIS BOARD TO CONCLUDE THIS MEETING BY 9:30 P.M. ANY AGENDA ITEM THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED BY 9:30 P.M. WILL BE TABLED UNTIL THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.ADEQUATE NOTICE OF THE MEETING, AS REQUIRED BY SECTIONS THREE AND FOUR. A OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETING ACT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC AND FILED WITH THE TOWNSHIP CLERK, THE BOARD OF HEALTH IS A AUTONOMOUS BODY APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR TO MAKE PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY FOR THE TOWNSHIP. WE OPERATE UNDER THE REGULATION OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND NOT THE TOWNSHIP, AND WE ARE EMPOWERED TO ENACT LOCAL HEALTH ORDINANCES FOR THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE AND TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE TOWNSHIP AND ITS RESIDENTS. OKAY, JEN, YOU DO THE ROLL CALL. DOCTOR GRAYSON HERE. DOCTOR MCGARRY HERE. DOCTOR FAISAL. DOCTOR SHARMA HERE. DOCTOR NEWMAN. MR. SURTI, DOCTOR SARAYA HERE. DOCTOR PERATI HERE. DEVANG PATEL, HEALTH OFFICER HERE. STAFF SECRETARY JENNIFER FOSTER HERE. TOM CHICK, COMMITTEE LIAISON PATRICIA TAYLOR TODD AND ADVISOR BERT MANDELBAUM. OKAY, BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, DOCTOR BRADY, WILL YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE? YES. KEEP CATCHING ME OFF GUARD WITH THAT ONE. YES. SORRY. OH. OKAY. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. PUBLIC. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. I DON'T THINK SO. OKAY, OKAY. WE'RE DONE. SO WE HAVE QUITE A
[IV. CONSENT AGENDA]
FEW THINGS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD A MEETING IN OCTOBER.WE DIDN'T HAVE QUORUM. SO ALL THAT MATTERS LISTED HERE UNDER ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE IN NATURE AND WILL BE APPROVED AND APPROVED. EXCUSE ME. IN ONE MOTION, ANY MEMBER MAY REQUEST THAT AN ITEM BE REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. SO WE HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MONTHLY REPORTS FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER AND ANIMAL CONTROL REPORTS. WE ALSO HAVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH FROM SEPTEMBER 10TH AND 2025. SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE ITEMS? NOTHING STOOD OUT TO YOU. THE ONE THING ON THE ANIMAL CONTROL REPORT THING, I WILL SAY THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF DOG BITES. I WAS LIKE, DOG BITES, DOG BITES. YES, I SAW THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THEM. I DON'T KNOW. IS THAT ABOVE THE NORMAL OR I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT'S TRENDING UP. YEAH. WE'VE HAD MORE DOG OWNERS SINCE COVID. THAT'S OKAY. MAYBE IT JUST SEEMS I DO AGREE WITH THAT.
THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT'S OKAY. EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMED AS NORMAL. THAT AND WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN, SO THAT WAS THE OTHER PIECE WE HAVE A LOT OF FROM EVERYBODY'S REPORTS, INSPECTORS, ETC. WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN. SO THAT'S IT. SO DO WE. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I. APPROVE OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. WHO SECONDED THAT? TWO SECONDS. THAT'S HIS. THAT'S HE COMES. HE LIVES FOR THAT PART. YES. HE DOES THAT IN
[V. LOSS OF “SNAP” BENEFITS]
THE GAVEL. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS LOSS OF SNAP BENEFITS. YES. SO WE SO WE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE REDUCTIONS IN SNAP BENEFITS. AND WE I THINK WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS YOU KNOW MID TO LATE OCTOBER. SO WE WERE GEARING UP FOR WHAT WHAT WHAT TO DO FOR NOVEMBER. BECAUSE KEEPING THE REDUCTION IN SNAP BENEFITS ASIDE, WE'VE BEEN SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE UTILIZATION OF OUR FOOD PANTRY. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED ON A FOOD INSECURITY ASSESSMENT REPORT. SO THOSE NEEDS HAVE BEEN GOING UP ANYWAY. BUT THEN TO ADD ON, YOU KNOW, ADD ON THE SNAP LOSS IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT IS A HUGE IT IS A HUGE HIT TO[00:05:06]
THE COMMUNITY. SO IN MONTGOMERY WE HAVE OVER 350 ACTIVE SNAP RECIPIENTS. AND YOU KNOW, WHICH IS STILL YOU KNOW, WHILE IT IS LOWER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES, IT IS STILL A LOT FOR MONTGOMERY. YOU KNOW, WHEN CONSIDERING WE DON'T HAVE OUR OWN HUMAN SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS THE NEED TO INCREASE FOOD DRIVES AND FOOD COLLECTIONS, BUT ALSO TO HOST A FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT. AND SO THESE DISCUSSIONS STARTED AS SOON AS WE FOUND OUT ABOUT ABOUT THIS. SO YOU'VE YOU'VE ALL BEEN SEEING, YOU KNOW, UPDATES AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT OUR INCREASED FOOD DRIVES. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DONATING THE BIN FOR. THIS LOCATION IS RIGHT OUTSIDE HERE IN THE LOBBY. AND WE'VE BEEN BUSY, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH OUR OTHER TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENTS ON SORTING AND PREPPING EVERYTHING FOR THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST. SO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE INVOLVED. WE'RE GOING TO USE IT ALSO AS AN EXERCISE AS PART OF OUR POD PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE. YOU KNOW, BAGS OF FOOD IN THE QUICKEST WAY POSSIBLE TO THE MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND ALSO IDENTIFY ANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED OF FOOD RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST. IT'S A DRIVE THROUGH FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF DEMAND, BUT WE ARE HEARING AND SEEING THAT THERE IS DEMAND REGIONALLY AND EVEN WITHIN OUR FOOD PANTRY.HUNTERDON COUNTY HAD HOSTED A FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT ON FRIDAY, AND THEY HAD PEOPLE SHOWED UP TWO HOURS BEFORE THE START OF THE EVENT. AND THE THE CARS WERE LINED UP FOR OVER A HALF A MILE. SO THAT WAS IN HUNTERDON. BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT HERE. BUT WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO PLAN FOR FOR HIGH DEMAND. WELL, WHERE IS THIS GOING TO TAKE PLACE? KAUFMAN. SO WE HAVE OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT. FLIERS ARE OUTSIDE IN THE LOBBY, AND THE DISTRIBUTION EVENT IS FOR MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS ONLY. SO I HAVE A QUESTION LIKE, DO THEY HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF RESIDENCE HERE? SO FOR NOW, WE'RE SAYING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COLLECT PROOF OF ADDRESS ANYWAY. SO WE WOULD JUST ASK FOR THAT. OKAY. YEAH, I HAVE BEEN SEEING AN UPTICK ON OUR MONTGOMERY LOCAL FACEBOOK PAGE OF PEOPLE POSTING NEEDING HELP. SO THERE'S ONE THIS LAST WEEKEND OF ELLEN ROBBINS IS AWARE, BUT IT WAS LIKE A NEW MOM THAT NEEDED HELP WITH CHILDREN'S CLOTHING FORMULA. LIKE PRETTY MUCH ALL NEEDS PLUS FOOD. SO I HAD SEEN KIND OF PEOPLE HAD REACHED OUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT CHALLENGE BECAME THEY WERE NOT SURE HOW TO VALIDATE PROOF OF RESIDENCY, MEANING, YOU KNOW, THAT PERSON WOULD HAVE TO. IT WAS ON MONTGOMERY'S FACEBOOK PAGE, BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO VET SOMEBODY. RIGHT. SO I THINK THEY HAD URGED HER TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT MANY PEOPLE WERE GENEROUS. THEY'RE LIKE, GIVE ME YOUR VENMO, AND I WILL VENMO DIRECTLY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. SO I DON'T KNOW. I'VE DEFINITELY SEEN PEOPLE A LOT MORE POSTS ABOUT NEEDING HELP.
SO IT'S AGAIN, SAD TO SAY, BUT IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH WITH THOSE KINDS OF REQUESTS FOR HELP, I KNOW THAT WITH SERVICES WE SHOULD HAVE THEM. WE WERE INITIALLY TOLD AT LEAST THROUGH NOVEMBER 10TH, BUT I'M NOT SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS FOR BENEFITS RIGHT NOW. BUT OUR FOOD PANTRY, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE COLLECTING DONATIONS AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT NEW MOMS AND BABIES. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE IF YOU IF YOU ALL COME ACROSS ANY ANYBODY NEEDING HELP, IF YOU CAN DIRECT THEM TO THE FOOD PANTRY. THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF ASSESS TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER NEEDS THAT ARE UNMET AND CONNECT THEM TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES, YOU KNOW? AND THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS THIS FALLS UNDER THE HUMAN SERVICES WORLD. AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT. WE DON'T HAVE THAT DIVISION OR DEPARTMENT IN TOWN.
SO IT FALLS ON, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER TO HELP PEOPLE.
BUT WHEN WHEN THE DEMAND GOES UP, IT DOES GET DIFFICULT TO TO MANAGE THAT. BUT FOR NOW, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL, IF YOU COME ACROSS ANYBODY NEEDING HELP, DIRECT THEM TO THE FOOD PANTRY AND IT WILL HELP US ASSESS WHAT THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS ARE. YOU KNOW, STAFF, WE DON'T FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT IF YOU GUYS COME ACROSS AND SEE THINGS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LET US KNOW OR JUST DIRECT THEM TO TO I THINK AT LEAST ELLEN IS OBVIOUSLY VERY ACTIVE ON IT. SO PEOPLE WERE TAGGING HER ON THIS POST. SO I DID SEE HER RESPOND. AND THEN I'M ON A KIND OF A
[00:10:01]
SIDE WHATSAPP GROUP FOR FOOD INSECURITY. SO ELLEN IS ON THAT GROUP. SO SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BEST WAY IS TO DIRECT THEM TO OUR FOOD PANTRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OTHER SERVICES THEY NEED. SO I AGREED WITH THAT. YEAH. IS THERE ANY STATUS OF THE CHANGE OF THE NOVEMBER SNAP? I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING. WE HAVEN'T HEARD. NOPE. NOT YET. SO WE WHAT WE LAST UPDATE WAS THAT ALL OF THE BENEFITS FOR NOVEMBER WERE RELEASED TO PEOPLE INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS.OKAY. BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, CLAWED BACK OR WHAT THE NEXT MONTH LOOKS LIKE. WE DON'T KNOW. BUT NEW JERSEY HAS FUNDED THE DEFICIT I BELIEVE SO. SO THIS THE COMMISSIONER ISSUED THE STATEMENT RECENTLY THAT THEY HAD FULLY FUNDED THE SNAP BENEFITS. AND NEW JERSEY HAS A SUPPLEMENT TO WHATEVER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVES ANYWAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW ALL THE PARTICULARS ABOUT THAT, BUT THEY THE AVERAGE THE AVERAGE THAT ARE ACTIVE SNAP RECIPIENTS HAD BEEN RECEIVING FOR OUR AREA WAS ABOUT $211 PER PERSON PER MONTH. THE NEW JERSEY ONE, I THINK IS $95 A MONTH. I THINK THE SUPPLEMENT. OKAY. YEAH.
OKAY. SO SO EVEN EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THE BENEFITS WERE RELEASED, I'M NOT SURE IF IF THE AMOUNTS WERE SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY'RE USED TO OR IF THEY WERE A REDUCED AMOUNT. WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. YEAH. BUT YEAH. SO LIKE ALL THE DONATIONS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING, THEY'RE GOING TO MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS. AND WE HAVE WE CREATED A FLIER OF THERE'S A FOOD PANTRY FLIER OF ALL OF THE ITEMS. SOME OF THEM INCLUDE SUPPLIES FOR NEW MOMS AND BABIES. AND THEN THERE'S A SEPARATE FLIER FOR HIGH NEED ITEMS. OKAY. AND SO BOTH OF THOSE ARE ON THE WEB, OUR WEBSITE. BUT WE ARE ALSO IN NEED OF SHELF STABLE MILK. THAT'S ONE OF OUR TOP ITEMS. OKAY. FOR THE DISTRIBUTION EVENT FOR THE 21ST. SO IF YOU IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT'S DONATING OR WILL BE DONATING, YOU KNOW, SHELF STABLE MILK LEFT OFF THE LIST ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE TO EVERYTHING ELSE. OKAY. DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT LISA BEING HIRED? SHE'S ACTUALLY FOCUSING ON SOCIAL SERVICES. LISA. RIGHT? YEAH. LISA IS OUR NEW SENIOR SENIOR CENTER COORDINATOR, RESOURCE MANAGER, COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGER, AND SHE IS A SOMERSET COUNTY EMPLOYEE, BUT ALSO FUNDED PARTIALLY WITH MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP. AND HER ROLE WITH THE TOWNSHIP IS TO MANAGE THE FOOD PANTRY AND THE VOLUNTEERS AND TO PROVIDE SOME SOCIAL SERVICES SUPPORTS AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, SHE'S ONLY A FEW HOURS A WEEK, ABOUT TEN HOURS A WEEK, BUT WE HAVE HER AS A RESOURCE WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO FOR FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. OBVIOUSLY, WITH OUR NEEDS INCREASING, I DON'T FEEL LIKE TEN HOURS ENOUGH IS ACCESSIBLE. LIKE HOW WOULD THEY COME AND GET THE FOOD LIKE MEANING SOMEBODY HAS TO STAFF IT. I, I DON'T DISAGREE, BUT THAT DOESN'T COME UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. GOTCHA. IT'S UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE. SO SO THAT'S ANOTHER. WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WHEN WHEN WE HAVE WE DO HAVE NEED. I'M NOT GOING TO DENY THAT AT ALL. I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT AND GROWING NEED THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TOWNSHIP. BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF OTHER THAN THIS ONE PERSON WHO WAS RECENTLY HIRED STAFFING SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE TOWN. AND THE FUNDS COME FROM THE STATE TO THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE. THEY GO FROM THE STATE TO THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY FUNDS FOOD BANKS AND FOOD SERVICES THROUGH SOCIAL SERVICE COORDINATORS IN LOCAL TOWNSHIPS. AND IT'S A USUALLY A COUNTY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COORDINATED POSITION. OKAY. AND THAT'S ONE PIECE OF IT. AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS OTHER TOWNSHIPS HAVE BEEN DOING SOME SHARED SOCIAL SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY. SO THAT'S AN OPTION THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO. AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME INTEREST AMONG SOME OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO CREATE A SOUTHERN SOCIAL SERVICE HUB IN THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET, BECAUSE THE NEEDS IN THE SOUTH ARE GROWING, INCREASING. AND IF THEY TAKE EACH ONE OF US INDIVIDUALLY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY ANY, ANY FURTHER INVESTMENT. BUT IF WE WERE TO COLLABORATE, THEY PROBABLY WOULD. THE PROBLEM IS THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE SYSTEMICALLY YEARS AGO, AND NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE IN A CRISIS AND WE'RE RELYING
[00:15:01]
ON THE VERY GOOD AND COMPASSIONATE WORK THAT, LIKE VOLUNTEERS IN OUR TOWN LIKE ELLEN ROBBINS, ARE DOING. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, I THINK. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO NAME THAT. AND THE OTHER THING, I THINK THE THING THAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE BOARD AS A BOARD OF HEALTH IS WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, WORKING UNDERNEATH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THE STATE. THERE ARE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO UPHOLD AS WELL AS WE ARE PROTECTED BY, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME FOR. WE DON'T WORK UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE PROTECTIONS OR ANY OF THE REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO UPHOLD. SO THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE OF NOT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE HAVE TO HOLD AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE NOT RESOURCED TO DO THAT AT THIS TIME. BUT WE CAN CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT. SORRY. NO. STOLE YOUR THUNDER? NO. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE THE FOOD BANK? NOT NOT BE AFTER. OKAY. THE OTHER THING TOO IS THE FOOD PANTRIES ALSO FUNDED THROUGH DONATIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE TOWNSHIP WILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT UP MORE MESSAGING FOR TO PROMOTE THE FOOD PANTRY AND TO, TO REALLY CALL TO ACTIONS FOR INCREASING MONETARY DONATIONS TO THE FOOD PANTRY BECAUSE WE, WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, SERVE PEOPLE AND PROVIDE RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF JUST THE FOOD ITEMS. IT'S OTHER THINGS AS WELL TOILETRIES AND OTHER THINGS. SO JUST A REMINDER THAT WE HAVE A FOOD PANTRY IN TOWN.YES. WE DON'T HAVE A FOOD BANK. RIGHT. I ALWAYS REMIND PEOPLE AND WE DO. SO WE HAVE TO DO OTHER VOLUNTEER RELY ON OTHER VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE WILLING TO STEP UP OR AND COORDINATE WITH THE FOOD BANKS THAT ARE COUNTY LEVEL AND AND RECOGNIZED BY THE COUNTY. OKAY, GREAT. DID SOMEBODY HAVE A QUESTION? NOPE. OKAY. I TURNED MY HEAD FOR A SECOND. I THOUGHT SOMEBODY HAD
[VI. HEALTH OFFICER COMMENTS]
A QUESTION. OKAY. ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR HEALTH OFFICER COMMENTS? YEAH. YOU STARTED MOVING TO. HEALTH OFFICER COMMENTS SO WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY THIS FALL.FLU CLINICS, WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT AWARENESS AND HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS. WE'VE OUR NURSES HAVE BEEN BUSY WITH HOSTING FLU CLINICS, HOMEBOUND VACCINATIONS AROUND TOWN. IF YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY RESIDENTS THAT NEED VACCINATIONS AND THEY'RE HOMEBOUND OR NOT ABLE TO, YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT MOBILE AND THEY NEED HELP WITH VACCINATIONS. IF YOU CAN CONNECT THEM TO US, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EITHER OUR NURSES ARE GOING OUT, OR WE COORDINATE WITH ANOTHER MEDICAL PROVIDER WHO CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. WE HAVE A. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE RED RIBBON WEEK END OF OCTOBER. THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, RAISE AWARENESS OF DRUG PREVENTION AND SUBSTANCE USE. WE HAD WE PURCHASED BANNERS.
THERE WAS ONE RIGHT HERE IN THE LOBBY, AND WE DISTRIBUTED OTHERS AT ALL OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT. WE'VE BEEN BUSY DOING INFECTION CONTROL TRAININGS AT STONEBRIDGE, HANDWASHING LESSONS TO CHILDCARE CENTERS, TO KINDERGARTNERS. WE WORKED WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS TO HELP US TIE PINK RIBBONS OUTSIDE HERE OF OUR CAMPUS FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. THE HEALTH EDUCATOR WAS ALSO AT WALK FOR HOPE. IT WAS A CARRIER CLINIC EVENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, AND THAT WAS THE WALK FOR HOPE USED TO BE HOSTED BY THE CARRIER CLINIC PRE-COVID. THEY SHOULD DO IT EVERY YEAR AND WAS HUGELY ATTENDED LOT.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT AND SO THEY THEY JUST RESTARTED IT THIS YEAR SINCE COVID. AND I THINK IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT. WE ARE ALSO PLANNING FOR THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT, WHICH IS ON NOVEMBER 20TH. SO OUR HEALTH EDUCATOR HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS TO HAVE STUDENTS HOST TABLING SESSIONS DURING LUNCH AND TO EDUCATE STUDENTS OF NOT ONLY THE DANGERS OF SMOKING, BUT ALSO VAPING AND ALSO THE USE OF ZYN, WHICH ARE THOSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, HIGHLY, HIGHLY LIKE THOSE NICOTINE POUCHES THAT STUDENTS BECOME ADDICTED TO AND THEY'RE JUST SO HOT, SO EASY TO CONCEAL, AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION OUT THERE TO COUNTER, YOU KNOW, THE DANGERS OF USING THESE SUBSTANCES AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE. SO THERE'S
[00:20:06]
GOING TO BE SOME EDUCATION AROUND THAT. THE KIND KOALAS GROUP, THEIR TWO STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WILL BE PROVIDING AN EDUCATING STUDENTS ABOUT THIS, ABOUT THESE TOPICS AND THE KIND KOALA GROUP THEY ARE. IT'S A GLOBAL ORGANIZATION. AND THE THERE'S A MONTGOMERY CHAPTER THAT THESE STUDENTS STARTED. AND THE GOAL IS TO REALLY CONNECT PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDERINSURED OR UNINSURED TO PROVIDERS AND, AND TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO DIFFERENT PROVIDERS IN OUR AREA TO TO REALLY ASK IF, YOU KNOW, THESE PROVIDERS WOULD BE WILLING TO PROVIDE LIKE FREE INITIAL VISITS, DISCOUNTED OR.YEAH, DISCOUNTED PRICING OR SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF ARRANGEMENT TO, TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO GET CARE. SO I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED BY BY THIS GROUP. AND THEY THEY WANT TO COME OUT, THEY WANT TO PARTNER WITH US, PROVIDE EDUCATION. SO EXCITED TO LEARN ABOUT ABOUT THIS GROUP AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM. AND IT'S STUDENT LED. SO. SO THAT WAS FOR GREAT GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT. WE ALSO HAVE A WALK FOR WELLNESS EVENT THAT'S COMING UP ON NOVEMBER 22ND. IT'S A SATURDAY. IT'S GOING TO BE AT VETERANS PARK. I BELIEVE IT'S IT WILL BE LED BY OUR HEALTH EDUCATOR SIGRID AND STEPHANIE LOCHNER, WHO IS THE NEW JERSEY TEACHER OF THE YEAR. SO THIS SHOULD BE A GREAT EVENT.
THERE'LL BE SOME LIGHT REFRESHMENTS AND IT SHOULD BE A FUN EVENT. IT'S 11 TO 2 P.M.
NOVEMBER 22ND. THAT'S BEEN AN ANNUAL EVENT, RIGHT? THAT WALK. YEAH, IT'S AN ANNUAL EVENT. WE WE TRY TO DO IT EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THANKSGIVING, WHETHER IT'S HIT OR MISS. IT COULD BE. YEAH. IT COULD BE EITHER VERY COLD OR VERY. BEAUTIFUL. IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHETHER. YES. THE OTHER UPDATE IS FOR OUR AGE FRIENDLY MONTGOMERY INITIATIVE. THIS IS IN PART THANKS IN PART TO A GRANT FROM THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
EMILY, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNER, HAS BEEN HAS WORKED ON THE SURVEY. WE'VE BEEN SHARING AND PROMOTING THIS SURVEY. WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF RESPONSES, AT LEAST I THINK LAST SHE CHECKED WAS OVER 160, HOPEFULLY EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT. BUT IF YOU ALL HAVEN'T TAKEN THE SURVEY, PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE. IT'LL TAKE YOU ABOUT TEN 15 MINUTES AND IT WILL HELP US, YOU KNOW, PLAN PROGRAMING. AND IT WILL ALSO HELP US PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOWNSHIP LEADERSHIP ON ON HOW HOW WE MOVE FORWARD IN MAKING MONTGOMERY MORE AGE FRIENDLY.
AND THEN ALONG WITH THE AGE FRIENDLY GRANT, WE ONE OF OUR DELIVERABLES WAS TO CREATE AND DEVELOP AN AGE FRIENDLY CALENDAR THAT HAD HEALTH, EDUCATION, HEALTH EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND MESSAGING. SO EMILY CREATED THAT. CUSTOM MONTGOMERY SPECIFIC CALENDAR.
SO ONCE WE HAVE THOSE PRINTED, I WILL SHARE THOSE WITH YOU HOPEFULLY BY NEXT MONTH. AND WE WILL BE SHARING THAT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. IN PREPARATION FOR 2026 FOR THE NEW YEAR. LET ME MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISSING ANYTHING ELSE. THOSE WERE LIKE THE MAJOR, MAJOR ITEMS. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. EVERYBODY'S VERY BUSY. WE'RE PLANNING OUR RABIES CLINICS FOR FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A PLUG TO DOCTOR NEWMAN FOR HELPING US SECURE VETERINARIANS TO HELP AT OUR RABIES CLINICS FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR. SO WE'LL BE FINALIZING THE FLIERS FOR THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL SHARE THOSE OUT AS WELL. WE AS MUCH AS WE PROMOTE OUR RABIES CLINICS AND PET LICENSING, EVERY TIME WE'RE ENCOUNTERING BITE INCIDENCES OR DOG BITE INVESTIGATIONS OR ANY OTHER INCIDENCES WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE LEARN OF A DOG IN TOWN, WE'RE ALWAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR LEARNING ABOUT PETS THAT ARE NOT LICENSED DOGS AND CATS. SO JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, JUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT IF YOU HAVE A DOG OR CAT, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE LICENSED WITH THE TOWNSHIP. AND THEN THE LAST
[00:25:03]
UPDATE I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU GUYS IS FOR OUR SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS. SO WITH ROCKY HILL, WE ARE RENEWING OUR AGREEMENT WITH THEM FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. IT'S ALWAYS A THREE YEAR CYCLE. SO ROCKY HILL COUNCIL WILL BE VOTING ON IT. AND THEN I WILL. IF WE NEED THE BOARD TO SIGN OFF ON IT, I'LL I'LL MAKE SURE THAT'S ON THE DECEMBER AGENDA. AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE TO LET TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE KNOW. SO THAT'S THAT WOULD BE AN UPDATE FOR PAT FOR DECEMBER'S TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING. I KNOW THEY'RE MEETING TOMORROW, BUT I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION YET ABOUT THE ROCKY HILL FROM ROCKY HILL COUNCIL. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE RENEWING OUR AGREEMENT FOR ANIMAL CONTROL WITH ROCKY HILL. YOU KNOW, THERE'S VERY MINIMAL CASES THAT WE DO HAVE WITH THEM. BUT IN TERMS OF LIKE HEALTH OFFICER SERVICES, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH DOG BITES AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF INCIDENCES, IT'S EASIER TO JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE SAME ARRANGEMENT THAT MONTGOMERY DOES WITH ANIMAL CONTROL SOLUTIONS THAT TO KEEP IT THE SAME FOR ROCKY HILL. SO THAT WAS ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE THAT THE ROCKY HILL BOARD OF HEALTH PROPOSED TO THE COUNCIL. AND THEN OUR BRANCHBURG HEALTH EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SHARED SERVICES ARE ALSO UP FOR RENEWAL. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THAT THE SAME. SO WE'LL PRESENT THAT FINAL DRAFT TO YOU AT THE NEXT BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING. AND. AND I THINK THAT'S THAT'S IT. WE HAVE A QUESTION THAT WAS I COULD TELL YOU HAVE A QUESTION. YOU HAVE A LOOK OF QUESTION ON YOUR FACE. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE LICENSING. IS THERE A WAY TO LIKE LET PEOPLE KNOW, AS YOU'RE SAYING, THAT IF YOU HAVE HAD THIS LICENSE, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING IT IN THE E-BULLETINS, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO HAVE LIKE A STANDING THING MESSAGE TO RESIDENTS IN ALMOST EVERY E-BULLETIN FOR THE YEAR. AND THEN WHEN WE RAMP UP OUR LICENSING, IT'S USUALLY LIKE THE HEAVIEST LICENSING IS DONE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. WE HAVE MESSAGING OUT, WE HAVE OUR DIGITAL TRAILER SIGNS THAT WE PUT OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE HELP OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S SEEING THOSE MESSAGES OF LICENSING YOUR PET. BUT. NOT EVERYONE IS LICENSING ALSO ON THE WEBSITE. YEAH, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. WE HAVE A FLIER. IT GOES INTO THE NEW RESIDENT PACKET. YOU KNOW, WE SEND IT OUT TO ALL OF OUR HOA'S. BUT. YEAH, IT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, A DIFFERENT QUESTION. DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE ABOUT THE ANIMAL CONTROL.YOU'RE GOOD. SO MY QUESTION IS ABOUT SHARED SERVICES. SO YOU SAID WE HAVE ROCKY HILLS GETTING RENEWED. BRANCHBURG. WHAT ARE THE TWO SERVICES THAT WE'RE RENEWING FOR HEALTH EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING AND NURSING. OKAY. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ONE WITH HILLSBOROUGH FOR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING FOR NURSING. NURSING. OKAY. SO. AND ROCKY HILL WILL BE FOR ALL THINGS. ALL PUBLIC HEALTH. ALL PUBLIC HEALTH OKAY. SO IT'S ONLY PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING FOR THE OTHER ONES ARE THERE. AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENTS OPEN RIGHT NOW. DO WE KNOW OR ACTIVE I SHOULD SAY. AND HOW WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE.
WHAT IS THE WHAT DO THEY PAY US FOR THESE SHARED SERVICES? SO FOR ROCKY HILL IT'S. WHO NEGOTIATES THAT. THAT'S REALLY MY QUESTION. I SHOULD ASK THAT. YEAH. SO IN THE PAST WHEN WE HAD THE OTHER BOROUGHS, IT WAS THERE WAS ALWAYS LIKE A PER CAPITA RATE. SO WE ALWAYS WAS CONSISTENT WITH ALL OF THE BOROUGHS. OKAY. AND SO WE'VE STUCK TO THAT. AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS A 3% INCREASE EVERY YEAR. AND WITH ROCKY HILL WE'VE WE'VE DONE THE SAME. OKAY. SO WE HAVEN'T DEVIATED MUCH FROM THAT OKAY. BUT WHO WHEN WHO WHO. SO THEN THEY VOTE ON THE SHARED SERVICE AND THEN THEY COME TO US. YEAH. SO I WILL YOU KNOW I WILL LET THE FIRST ASK, YOU KNOW THE CFO AND OUR ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL AND LORI, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WE'RE UP FOR RENEWAL, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY LIKE ARE THERE ANY MAJOR CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE? OKAY. BUT WE'VE HAD LIKE THE STANDARD AGREEMENT FOR, FOR YEARS AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT 3%. SO WE THAT'S WHAT WE JUST CONTINUED WITH AND FOR. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER. SO THE AREAS THAT WE USED TO HAVE SHARED SERVICES WITH WERE HOPEWELL BOROUGH BOROUGH AND PENNINGTON BOROUGH. AND OKAY. SO THOSE TWO BOROUGHS AND REMIND ME WHEN WE WALKED AWAY FROM THOSE AGREEMENTS, HOW MUCH DID WE LOSE IN REVENUE? THE NUMBER IT'S IN COMBINATION
[00:30:09]
INCLUDES ANIMAL CONTROL. OKAY. I WANT TO SAY IT WAS AROUND BETWEEN 150 TO 200, BUT THAT'S MY GUESS PER YEAR. PER YEAR. AND OKAY. AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT WHO ARE THEY GETTING SHARED SERVICES WITH NOW? THEY THEY ARE COVERED BY HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP HEALTH DEPARTMENT. OKAY. AND WE HAVE SOME SHARED SERVICES WITH HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP. BUT THAT'S ONLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE ON VACATION. IS THAT CORRECT? NO. SO THE HEALTH OFFICERS, WE PROVIDE MUTUAL AID, WE COVER WE COVER EACH OTHER FOR FREE. OKAY. YEAH. SO I YOU KNOW, I HAVE I HAVE PROVIDED SUPPORT TO HOPEWELL WHEN THEIR HEALTH OFFICERS ON VACATION. BUT WE WE COVER EACH OTHER FOR FREE. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE, I THINK. I CAN SHARE THE DRAFT AGREEMENTS WITH YOU ALL. YEAH. NEXT. DO THAT FOR THE NEXT BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS AT NEXT MEETING. RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH YEAH. SO PROBABLY SHARE GIVE US LIKE A BASELINE. YEAH. SO WE HAVE AN IDEA BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THAT STUFF'S COMING REGARDING NEXT MEETING. NEXT MEETING IS JOINT WITH ROCKY HILL CORRECT. YES. IS IT. SO? TRADITIONALLY. BUT AT THE LAST ROCKY HILL BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING, THEY WERE THE BOARD MEMBERS WERE OKAY WITH JUST HAVING THE PRESIDENT ATTEND BECAUSE THEY JUST THEY JUST FELT THAT IT WAS VERY MONTGOMERY FOCUSED, WHICH IS WHICH IT SHOULD BE. THE WAY THE AGREEMENT WORKS IS WITH WITH ROCKY HILL AND MONTGOMERY, BECAUSE ROCKY HILL IS THE POPULATION IS VERY LOW. SO THE EVEN THE DATA WHEN WE FIRST MADE THOSE SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS, ROCKY HILL WOULD BE PRESENTED WITH MONTGOMERY DATA.THAT INCLUDES ROCKY HILL. IT WAS NEVER THAT WE WOULD WE WOULD FILTER ALL ROCKY HILL DATA AND PRESENT ONLY ROCKY HILL INFORMATION. IT'S VERY TIME CONSUMING TO DO THAT, BUT WE STILL HAVE SEPARATE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORTS FOR ROCKY HILL THAT YOU ALL SEE EVERY MONTH. AND WE WE PROVIDE SEPARATE ROCKY HILL RETAIL FOOD INSPECTION REPORTS. SO THOSE ARE REALLY THE TWO MAIN AREAS WHERE THEY WHERE THEY GET ROCKY HILL SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS INCLUDED WITH INCLUDES MONTGOMERY BECAUSE IT'S IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TO PULL ROCKY HILL DATA FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. SO WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT THE PRESIDENT WILL BE AT THE NEXT MEETING. I THINK THE MAYOR CAME AS WELL. YES. SO ISN'T HE. HE'S ALSO A HEALTH OFFICER, TOO? YEAH, A HEALTH INSPECTOR. HEALTH INSPECTOR. OH, OKAY.
YEAH, BUT IT WON'T BE JOINT INSPECTOR. IT WON'T BE JOINT. IT WON'T. OKAY. YEAH. IT WILL.
NOT AT ALL. SO THEY'RE NOT MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY BOARD OF HEALTH. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ROCKY HILL IN ATTENDANCE. YES, YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S FAIR. OKAY OKAY. THANK YOU.
[VII. NEW BUSINESS]
OKAY. ARE WE ON NEW BUSINESS OR NEW BUSINESS? OKAY. WHO WANTS TO START WITH NEW BUSINESS? I ALWAYS GO FIRST. I HAVE SOMEONE ELSE GO FIRST. I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYBODY ELSE TO GO FOR.OUR TOWNSHIP LIAISON IS NOT HERE. AND OUR OUR. I DO KNOW THERE IS NO NEW NEWS FROM THE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT. I DID GET THAT REPORT FROM BURT, SO THERE'S NOTHING FOR HIM TO REPORT. HE SAID IT'S BEEN A VERY CALM BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THAT'S GOOD.
HOPEFULLY YOU DIDN'T JUST JINX THAT. YEAH. NO. WELL HE DIDN'T. SO ON THE EMS SIDE, JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THINK MIGHT BE RELEVANT HERE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF COVID OUTBREAKS CURRENTLY GOING ON AT AT CARRIER CLINIC. SO I DON'T KNOW IF LIKE WITH THE THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IF THAT CAPTURES THEM AS WELL OR THAT'S SEPARATE. YEAH. SO WHEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUTBREAKS WE, WE JUST TALK IN GENERAL TERMS LIKE HEALTH CARE FACILITY OR BEHAVIORAL FACILITY. BUT WE SO WHAT I'VE, WHAT I TELL EMS IS THAT WE, WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW OF CASES WHEN EMS IS THERE. SOMETIMES WE FIND OUT AFTERWARDS. SO UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED EVERY TIME. BECAUSE EVEN IF LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE WALKING INTO COVID BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IS THERE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER LIKE BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS OR OTHER DISEASES THAT THE PATIENT MIGHT HAVE. SO BEST PRACTICE IS TO ALWAYS FOLLOW UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE WE MIGHT KNOW AND MANY TIMES WE DON'T KNOW YOU, YOU MIGHT KNOW BEFORE US. SO, YOU
[00:35:06]
KNOW, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE JUST FOLLOW UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS BECAUSE EXCEPT FOR THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE MONTHS, THERE'S THERE'S ALWAYS OUTBREAKS. YEAH, YEAH.SO THAT'S ONE THING. SO THAT WAS THE ONE I GUESS IN THE REPORTS, JOE. YOU'LL SEE.
YOU'LL JUST HAVE OUTBREAK NUMBERS LISTED. YOU WON'T HAVE YOU WON'T SEE DETAILS OF OKAY WHERE WHICH FACILITY. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUT OF CONTROL, VERY SERIOUS, THEN I ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO LET CARRIE ANN KNOW IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE A TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, SMALL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE. YEAH. ON A UNIT THEN I DON'T USUALLY, YOU KNOW, RED FLAG IT FOR YOU.
YEAH. AND THE GOOD THING IS, IS THAT THE, THE SQUAD KNOWS ABOUT IT. AND SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN INFORMED TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, BE, YOU KNOW, EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. SO FOR CALLS THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY IN A COUPLE OTHER UNITS. BUT BUT JUST KNOW THAT ALMOST YEAR ROUND EXCEPT FOR THE SUMMER THERE'S ALWAYS OUTBREAKS. YEAH. DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER ITEM. YEAH. SO THIS ONE'S MORE UPLIFTING. THE SQUAD HAD AN OPEN HOUSE THIS PAST MONTH. SO IT WAS TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW RIG AS WELL AS TO SHOWCASE THE SQUAD BECAUSE AS I'VE MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS MONTHS, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS. WE WE DO NEED WE WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS TO, TO HELP OUT WITH OUR STAFFING. BUT ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY FROM THE THE CREWS THAT WERE THERE WAS THERE WAS A VERY BIG TURNOUT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN GETTING THEIR OWN BLOOD PRESSURES TAKEN. SO I DID NOTICE THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE IS DOING THAT AT OAK OUT OF KAUFMAN. SO I DO DID NOTICE THAT THERE'S THEY DID MENTION THAT THERE'S A INTEREST IN BEING ABLE TO DO LIKE BLOOD SCREENING, BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING. AND IS THIS JUST FOR EMS? NO, THIS WAS THIS WAS JUST GENERAL COMMUNITY. GENERAL COMMUNITY. ANYONE THAT CAME OKAY. THEY WERE WE HAD A SECTION WHERE YOU COULD GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE TAKEN BY OUR MEMBERS. AND IT WAS APPARENTLY VERY POPULAR. REALLY? YEAH. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND OUR NURSES HAVE BEEN NOT ONLY DOING SCREENINGS AT THE AT OTTO KAUFMAN WITH THE SENIORS. WE'VE ALSO BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE RUTGERS NURSING STUDENTS TO HAVE SCREENINGS HERE AND AT OTHER LOCATIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DO THESE EVENTS, YOU KNOW, TO TO GET THE MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE SCREENED, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED IT AND WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR BLOOD PRESSURES, HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME ACROSS PEOPLE THAT ARE CRITICALLY HYPERTENSIVE AND THEY DON'T HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE OR THEY'RE IT'S NOT BEING COMMUNICATED TO THEIR PROVIDERS. OR THERE ARE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER COUNTRIES JUST TO TO SPEND THE SUMMERS HERE WITH THEIR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS. AND SO THEY'RE NOT REALLY SEEING A PROVIDER WHILE THEY'RE HERE, BUT THEIR THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE IS OUT OF CONTROL AND DANGEROUSLY AND DANGEROUS LEVELS. AND SO WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD THOSE THOSE TYPES OF RESIDENTS COMING. AND SO THE NURSES WERE WORKING ON A SOP ON HOW CAN WE APPROPRIATELY FOLLOW UP AND REFER THEM TO THE RIGHT PLACES, BECAUSE THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT HERE YEAR ROUND. THEY DON'T HAVE AN ESTABLISHED PROVIDER TO GO TO OR EVEN JUST TO PROVIDE EDUCATION. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVE SEEN EVEN PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT ACROSS FROM US HERE, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY TEND TO COME OUT MORE WHEN THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING THESE EVENTS. AND WE'LL PROBABLY SEE AN INCREASE ONCE THIS DEVELOPMENT BACK HERE OPENS. BUT WE WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING EVENT.
SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, BETTER COORDINATE A TIME AND PLACE THAT WORKS FOR PEOPLE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. NOT THAT WE KNOW. SOMETIMES WE HAVE 4 OR 5 NURSES THAT THAT SHOW UP. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM. BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT LEVEL OF. PATIENTS COMING THROUGH. IT'S USUALLY DURING THE DAY AND THEY HAVE VERY LIMITED HOURS THAT THEY CAN COME OUT TO TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS. BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MAYBE EXISTING EVENTS OR OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN PIGGYBACK OFF OF TO GET THE MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE SCREENED, ESPECIALLY WHERE THERE'S INTEREST. BUT SO THEN WE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE WE'RE CONNECTING WITH YOU GUYS AND WE'RE THIS WAS A IT WAS JUST A ONE OFF EVENT. WE JUST NOTICED THAT WE DIDN'T THINK THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED. BUT THERE IS AN INTEREST, I GUESS, A PUBLIC INTEREST IN GETTING BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENS. OKAY. WE HAD
[00:40:05]
IT WAS AN OPEN HOUSE. SORRY, JOE. YEAH. NO, NO. GO AHEAD. WERE YOU THERE? I DON'T REMEMBER, I WAS NOT OH, SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO OUT YOU. IT'S OKAY. SO IT WAS A BIG EVENT. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THEY HAVE THEM, BUT I'M NEW AT THE EMS. BUT THEY HAD ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT OUT, SO IF PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE HOW IT WAS USED. SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW THE BLOOD PRESSURE THING STARTED. PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, YOU CAN TAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE. AND THEN PEOPLE STARTED GETTING BLOOD PRESSURE. BUT WE HAD WE HAD ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT OUT ON TABLES AND THEY HAD THE HOW MUCH IT COST FOR EACH ITEM, ETC. ALL OVER. SO THAT WAS IT WAS A GOOD YEAH, IT WAS A GOOD EVENT. AND OF COURSE THEY SHOWCASED OUR BIG NEW RIG. THAT WAS A BIG HIGHLIGHT. SO YEAH. SO THERE IS NOW A NEW AMBULANCE FROM THE STREETS OF MONTGOMERY. OH AND IT'S ENORMOUS. HOW MANY DO WE HAVE TOTAL. THERE'S A TOTAL OF FOUR AMBULANCES IN MONTGOMERY WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN THE SHOP. WE KEEP THREE OVER AT THE THE SQUAD BUILDING, WHICH IS OVER BY THE HARLINGEN CHURCH. AND THEN WE KEEP ONE AT THE FIREHOUSE ON FIVE, 1846. SO IT ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE TO RESPOND QUICKER DEPENDING ON WHERE THE CALL IS SMART. ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS? I DO HAVE TWO ITEMS TO ASK ABOUT FOLLOW UP. ONE IS THE P. WHAT IS IT CALLED? PM ACCREDITATION. ACCREDITATION. I CAN NEVER REMEMBER HOW TO SAY THE ACRONYM. THE ACCREDITATION AND WE'LL START THERE. SO FABRIC ACCREDITATION. WE ARE A PRE SITE VISIT REVIEW. SO THE REVIEWERS THEY'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTATION. THEY HAVE SOME INITIAL QUESTIONS. SO WE HAVE 45 BUSINESS DAYS TO GET BACK TO THEM. SO THAT GIVES US A SOMETIME IN DECEMBER I WANT TO SAY LIKE EARLY TO MID DECEMBER TO TO RESPOND. SO YOU'VE RECEIVED THE QUESTIONS. YES OKAY. AND SO THEN OUR OUR GOAL IS TO RESPOND. BEFORE THAT DEADLINE OKAY. AND AND THEN THEY'LL, THEY'LL TAKE EVERYTHING BACK AND THEN DO A FULL REVIEW OKAY. AND THEN THEY WILL SCHEDULE A SITE VISIT. BUT FOR REACCREDITATION IT'S IT'S NOW A VIRTUAL SITE VISIT. AND THAT'S WHEN THAT'S WHEN I WILL PROBABLY NEED TO REACH OUT TO YOU ALL AND SCHEDULE YOU TO TO MEET WITH THE SITE REVIEWERS AS WELL. WELL, WE MEET AS A GROUP.OR DO WE MEET INDIVIDUALLY? I THINK SOME OF IT IS AS A GROUP AND THEN OTHERS. IT MIGHT JUST BE LEADERSHIP. OKAY. THEY THEY USUALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, STATE WHO THEY WANT AND OKAY. IN WHAT CAPACITY AND WHEN WILL THAT BE. DO YOU THINK IT'LL BE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR. OKAY. EARLY I WOULD SAY MAYBE EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND QUARTER OKAY. THAT WAS A BAD YOU HAD ANOTHER ONE I DID.
NO I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS. OH THE STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THE COUNTY. WAS IT HEALTH DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN. WASN'T EMILY WORKING ON THAT. WE HAVE WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. YEAH. I THINK WAS THAT THE ONE THAT WE PRESENTED? YEAH. SHE STARTED SHE DID A PRESENTATION IN AUGUST OR JULY. YEAH. THE NEXT STEPS ARE TO AND YOU KNOW THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY. MOVED FORWARD WITH IT. BUT TO, YOU KNOW, RESTART THE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SUBCOMMITTEE BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP US PUSH THE STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES FORWARD. OKAY. SO YOU KNOW IT IS A IT'S MORE LIKE A WORKING GROUP. I THINK YOU'VE BEEN ON IT. AND THEN YOU WOULD JUST NEED TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE AND HOW OFTEN WE SHOULD MEET. BECAUSE WE HAD ROCKY HILL BOROUGH AND PENNINGTON BOROUGH REPS ON ON OUR SUBCOMMITTEE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE. SO WE MIGHT NEED MORE MONTGOMERY PEOPLE TO, TO HELP US WITH THAT WORK GROUP. OKAY. THANK YOU.
THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL I HAD. SO IT WAS REALLY OLD BUSINESS, SORT OF NEW BUSINESS. DO YOU WANT TO ASK THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP TO COME UP? OH, SURE. DO YOU GUYS HAVE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL? DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF? I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT NO, SHE DOES. SHE NEEDS TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. YOU DON'T. YOU CAN TELL ME. NO, YOU'RE NOT PREPARED. YEAH. YOU'LL HAVE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM HERE AND THE MIC SHOULD WORK. OKAY. HI.
[00:45:07]
MY NAME IS SOPHIE AND I'M A NEW MEMBER OF THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL. OKAY. AND YOU ARE A SOPHOMORE? I'M A JUNIOR. OKAY. YEAH. VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. NICE TO MEET YOU. YES, I DID THEY WARN YOU THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTERROGATED BY ME? I SHOULD WARN YOU. I SHOULD HAVE WARNED YOU. WHEN YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM, THEY'RE GOING TO START ASKING YOU QUESTIONS. SO.I HAVE TO GO. SO YOU'RE A JUNIOR AT MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL? NO, I GO TO NOTRE DAME.
NOTRE DAME, YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO, JUNIOR, HAVE YOU STARTED APPLYING TO COLLEGES? NOT YET. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO FOR? I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING TO APPLY YET, BUT I KIND OF KNOW SOMETHING RELATED TO HEALTH AND. YEAH. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME SCHOOLS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. I WOULD LOVE THAT. GREAT. SO DO YOU WANT TO. SO JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THE RECORD BECAUSE THIS IS RECORDED. SO THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL IS NOT SPECIFIC TO THE TO THE SCHOOL.
IT IS FOR. IT'S AT THE MAYOR LEVEL. AND SO ANYBODY WHO'S A STUDENT, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CAN APPLY REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY GO. OKAY. SO THEY CAN APPLY. RIGHT. AND I FORGET HOW LONG THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE. IT'S IT'S RELATIVELY NEW, MAYBE FIVE YEARS. WAS IT DURING COVID STARTED DURING COVID? IT WAS THE THAT STARTED IT. YEAH. SO WELL WELCOME. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD FROM MONTGOMERY JESSICA. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS OKAY. OH COME ON YOU GOTTA COME HERE. YEP. YES.
TEXAS HAS TO HEAR YOU. THAT'S WHY. NEW JERSEY, NEW JERSEY. HI. IT'S ME AGAIN. SAY YOUR NAME AGAIN, JESSICA WONG, MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL. YEAH. SO WE TOOK SOME NOTES ON THE MEETING, AND WE'RE JUST WONDERING, BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS, LIKE, SOME HOURS THAT WEREN'T ACCESSIBLE FOR THE FOOD PANTRY. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IF, LIKE, WE COULD VOLUNTEER TO HELP OUT WITH THAT? YES. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. IF YOU GO ON TO THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP PAGE ON UNDER DEPARTMENTS, THERE'S AND I CAN SHARE THE LINK WITH YOU. THERE'S FOOD RESOURCES PAGE AND ON THAT IS A LINK FOR VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION. JUST COMPLETE YOUR INFORMATION WHAT DAYS AND TIMES WORK BEST FOR YOU. AND THAT'LL MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO SCHEDULE YOU FOR FOR CERTAIN THINGS, BECAUSE WE DO NEED THE HELP. I HAVE SEEN THEM CIRCULATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SO THAT ON FACEBOOK I'VE SEEN SOME MESSAGING GO OUT ABOUT NEEDING VOLUNTEERS. SO I DON'T THINK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS USE FACEBOOK ANYMORE. OH, SORRY, I'M DATING MYSELF. WHAT DO YOU GUYS USE? INSTAGRAM? TIKTOK? SNAPCHAT? SNAPCHAT? I'M SPEAKING AS AN OLD PERSON, I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. THIS ALSO KIND OF BRINGS ME TO LIKE MY OTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS. IF IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR US TO LIKE POST ANYTHING ABOUT THE FOOD DONATIONS AND FOOD DRIVES ON, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUNG PEOPLE WEBSITES. YES, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT WOULD BE MUCH HELPFUL. YEAH. COOL. SO I GUESS LIKE WE COULD LIKE DRAFT UP, I DON'T KNOW, CANVA OR SOME TYPE OF FLIER THAT YOU GUYS HAVE. AND THEN WE COULD EMAIL THE INFORMATION AND OUR DESIGNS TO YOU GUYS AND OUR PLANS WITH THAT. AND THEN WE COULD TRY TO GET IT OUT TO RAISE MORE AWARENESS. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. GREAT. ESPECIALLY FOR HOLIDAYS COMING. YEAH. THANKSGIVING. YEAH. IMAGINE IF SOMEONE DONATES TURKEY OR SOMETHING. ACTUALLY, THE SHOPRITE DOES DONATE HAS A PROGRAM. SO IF IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN DONATING A TURKEY, THEY CAN TALK TO THE FOLKS AT SHOPRITE AND THEY SET ASIDE, THEY HAVE A SPECIAL SECTION THAT WAY FOR FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR DONATED TURKEYS.
SHOPRITE WILL WILL CONNECT THEM AND GET THEM. I DO IT EVERY YEAR. SO YOU GO TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SECTION AND THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. COOL. I GET THAT LIKE ALL MY QUESTIONS SO FAR. THANKS FOR LIKE ALLOWING US TO HELP. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR YOU HAVE A PLAN THAT YOU WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED. LIKE IF YOU GUYS WANT TO COORDINATE AND SAY WE WANT TO DO X THING, JUST LET US BE GREAT, WE'D BE HAPPY. YEAH, WE'RE SO HAPPY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THANK YOU. MORE HELP. MERRIER JESSICA.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I THINK WE NEW BUSINESS OURSELVES OUT. I THINK WE'RE DONE. DO YOU WANT YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? NO, I THINK I'M GOOD. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK WE'RE GOOD. JEREMY, DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS FOR US? NO. I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE COMMENT.
THOUGH. I HAVE SEEN THREE CASES OF FLU ALREADY IN NEW JERSEY. PEDIATRIC SIDE. SO FLU IS HERE.
[00:50:08]
SO GET YOUR FLU SHOTS. YEAH. WE HAVE A FLU CLINIC COMING UP TOMORROW AT THIS BUILDING. AND THEN FRIDAY WE'LL BE AT THE ELKS. YEAH. SO IT'S KIND OF EARLY. WE'VE ALREADY HAD 3 OR 4 CASES AND THIS IS IN MY OFFICE. SO LIKE. OUTPATIENT FLU IT'S IT'S FREE. SO IF YOU DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE, WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR VACCINE. AND IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO CONNECT YOU WITH THE PROVIDER SO THAT YOUR INSURANCE COVERS IT. BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT IF YOU WANT IT. SO TOMORROW IT'S FROM WHEN TO WHEN 4 TO 6, I THINK I SAW 4 TO 6. AND WHAT ABOUT THE ELKS? ELKS IS I THINK THE SAME TIME I CAN PULL IT UP. WE HAVE OUR. NUMBERS THAT. SO? NOVEMBER 13TH FROM THREE, 3 TO 6. IT'LL BE HERE IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING AND THEN NOVEMBER 14TH AT THE ELKS FROM 4 TO 6 P.M. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'RE READY TO ADJOURN. SO HAVING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS THE MEETING WILL NOW ADJOURN AT. EIGHT 2826. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION SECOND. SECONDED. ELMER OGDEN. OKAY. WE'RE DONE. THANK YOU. GUYS.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.