[00:00:01]
AND GIVE IT LIKE JUST START GOING. I'M GOING TO GO, OKAY. WELCOME TO THE REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING F TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY BOARD OF HEALTH. I JUST REALIZED DOUG IS NOT HERE AND I KNOW HE'S INTENDING TO ARRIVE, SO I'M GOING TO GET STARTED. BUT HE I THINK HE'S COMING IN. HE DID TELL ME HE WAS COMING, BUT I'M GOING TO START ANYWAY. IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD TO CONCLUDE THIS MEETING BY 9:30 P.M. ANY AGENDA ITEM NOT CONSIDERED BY 930 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. THE BOARD OF HEALTH IS AN 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, 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. WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. JEN GRAYSON. DOCTOR MCCLEARY. YES. DOCTOR SHARMA. YES, DOCTOR. NEWMAN. YES. MR. CIRCE. YES, DOCTOR. SORAYA. SHE'S HERE. I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. CHRISTINE ZAKHAROV HERE.
DOCTOR. PRATTY. DOCTOR SERENE. YES. HEALTH OFFICER DEVANG PATEL HERE. STAFF SECRETARY JENNIFER FOSTER HERE. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE LIAISON DOUGLAS HERRING HERE. AND ADVISOR DOCTOR BERT MANDELBAUM. HERE. OKAY, SO THANK YOU, JEN. SO YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED BY
[III. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
EMAIL FROM TODAY FROM AN EMAIL SENT TODAY, JUST WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS FROM DEEWANGI WITH SOME PUBLIC COMMENT, CORRESPONDENCE, CORRESPONDENCE. IT WAS A CORRESPONDENCE WE DON'T TYPICALLY ALLOW THAT CORRESPONDENCE BY MAIL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT WE DO OBVIOUSLY ENCOURAGE IT UNDER THE GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR AGENDA. BUT IF YOU HAVE REVIEWED THAT AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IT, DO I NEED A MOTION TO DISCUSS IT? DOES ANYBODY WOULD ANYBODY? OH, HI. ME. I'M SORRY. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO DISCUSS THE PUBLIC COMMENT LETTER WHICH WAS RELATED TO IT WAS A LETTER FROM A RESIDENT WHO WAS IMPLORING US TO CALL FOR A STRICTER GUIDANCE FOR DEER POPULATION REDUCTION AND ASKING US TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. I HAVEN'T READ THE LETTER YET, SO I CAN BE HARD TO MAKE ANY COMMENT ON THAT. I DID READ IT. OKAY, I DID, I JUST READ YOU. YES, I AGREE THERE'S AN OVERPOPULATION OF DEER. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE 40 YEAR HISTORY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T LIVED HERE THAT LONG, BUT I THINK THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE GET IS THERE ANY DATA TO GET REGARDING THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TICK BORNE ILLNESSES? AND I THINK IT WAS STATED OBVIOUSLY DEER ACCIDENTS, OF COURSE. SO LIKE, WOULD WE GET DATA FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF WHAT TYPE OF MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, IS IT INCREASING TO PROVE IT'S INCREASING? DO WE HAVE DATA POINTS TO CORROBORATE THAT? WE I THINK WE DO. WE HAVE WE DO HAVE SOME DATA. OKAY. NOT NOT NOT RIGHT NOW ON ME, BUT WE DO KEEP TRACK OF DEER COLLISIONS AS MUCH AS AS BEST AS WE CAN.WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE DATA, AT LEAST FROM 2025 THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU. BUT THE THE TICK BORNE DISEASES THAT WE COME ACROSS FROM PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE ARE DISEASES THAT REQUIRE PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION. SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PROVIDERS SEE WHEN IT COMES TO TREATMENT.
WE'RE INVESTIGATING AND FOLLOWING UP. AS LONG AS THERE'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PERIOD, YOU KNOW, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, TREAT IT OR IT'S, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM. DEPENDING ON THEIR TEST RESULTS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING. DEPENDING ON WHAT TICK BORNE DISEASE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE NUMBERS AND THE STATISTICS THAT PUBLIC HEALTH SEE, AND THAT WE COME ACROSS IN OUR REPORTS ARE DIFFERENT THAN ON THE HEALTHCARE SIDE. SO IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THAT VARIATION IS. BUT THE EDUCATION IS THE SAME PREVENTION SIDE.
IT'S THE SAME. SO WE HAVE BEEN NOTICING AN INCREASE AND INCREASE IN, IN IN CASES WHICH
[00:05:05]
HAS BEEN I MEAN, THE TICK BORNE ARE THE LARGEST SEGMENT OF OUR ALL OF OUR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF REQUESTS FOR EDUCATION AND INFORMATION, TICK BORNE DISEASES IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. IF I COULD ADD, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ADD TO DATA ANALYSIS ON THE INCREASE IN THE THE DISEASE INCREASE IN THE DEER POPULATION, BECAUSE THERE IS SOME CERTAIN DEER STUDY. IS THERE A CORRELATION OF THAT? POPULATION HAS GONE OFF, DISEASE HAS GONE UP OR POPULATION IS STILL THERE, HAS GROWN. SO ARE THERE REAL REASON FOR THAT? SO I THINK SOME SORT OF REALISTIC DATA COULD BE ANALYZED. IF WE CAN MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FAIR. I, I AGREE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US AND JUST SEE IF THERE'S A TREND. WE CAN'T OBVIOUSLY MAKE A CORRELATION, BUT WE CAN OR A CAUSATION. BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE A CORRELATION OR A DESCRIPTIVE PATHWAY. BUT THE THING THAT I AM CURIOUS ABOUT IS IF ANYBODY, MAYBE, CHRIS, YOU MIGHT HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT THIS IS WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO OTHER THAN PREVENTION EFFORTS TO REDUCE THIS SITUATION? NOT BEING A GIANT MALL IN WE CAN WHAT NOT PUT A GIANT MALL IN THAT'S GOING TO JUST MAKE IT. DON'T LIVE IN A DEER HABITAT. DON'T LIVE IN A DEER HABITAT. I GUESS THAT WOULD BE ONE THING WE COULD DO. SO YEAH, I MEAN, THE NEW MALL IS JUST GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE. I WAS ALSO JUST LOOKING ON THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE, AND APPARENTLY THERE IS A DEER POPULATION DRONE STUDY DONE IN 2025. ARE THOSE NUMBERS ANYWHERE? SO I'M JUST THAT'S JUST AN ASIDE. YEAH. DEER POPULATION DRONE. YEAH. ON THE TOWNSHIPS DEER MANAGEMENT WEBSITE. OKAY. IN 2025, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE WITH DRONES. I KNOW DEER POPULATION NUMBERS. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE IT'S OVER A YEAR OLD. SO MAYBE ANYWAY, THANK YOU. I THINK REALISTICALLY SO THE TOWN HAS LOOKED INTO STUFF BEFORE. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY YEARS AGO IT WAS, BUT THEY HAD SOMEONE COME IN FROM A COMPANY THAT DOES DEER CONTROL, WHICH MEANS SHOOTING DEER. AND BASICALLY THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HUNTERS. IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. YOU CAN'T REALLY SEND HUNTERS INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, SO IT'S NOT PRACTICAL. AND EVEN IF YOU COULD GET IT UNDER CONTROL, WHICH IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY BECAUSE YOU JUST CAN'T SHOOT ENOUGH DEER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THE NEXT YEAR, YOU HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. YOU DON'T DECREASE THE NUMBER SUFFICIENTLY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY REMEMBERS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AGO AGAIN, IT WAS, BUT PRINCETON HIRED WHITE BUFFALO TO SHOOT THE DEER, AND THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH A DISASTER. DIDN'T WORK. AND IT JUST GOT A LOT OF BAD PRESS.AND THEY DIDN'T, I DON'T THINK, GET THEIR DEER NUMBERS IN CONTROL IN PLACES WHERE THEY'VE TRIED ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF STUFF. AGAIN, IT'S YOUR CHOICES ARE TO SHOOT THE DEER OR SOMEHOW CULL THE DEER, TRY BIRTH CONTROL, WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE AND MIGHT WORK. BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT. AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A DELAY BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DECREASING THE BIRTHS, NOT DECREASING THE CURRENT NUMBERS. YOU COULD TRY APPLYING PESTICIDES AGAIN, DIFFICULT, EXPENSIVE. YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE PLACES WHERE THE DEER CAN GET THESE ROLLERS WHERE THEY ARE FED. THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOT GOING TO WANT THAT AS MY GUESS. IT'S GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE. SO I THINK REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, YOU CAN SAY WE HAVE TO DO SOME OF THESE DEER, BUT I MEAN, WE JUST KEEP MAKING IT WORSE. WE DON'T MAKE IT BETTER. SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE. SO PREVENTION IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, WHICH PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE WE LIVE IN A BAD AREA. YOU, YOU KNOW, DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS THIS TIME OF YEAR. I TRY NOT TO GO IN THE WOODS THIS TIME OF YEAR. YOU HAVE TO WEAR LONG SLEEVES, LONG PANTS. TREAT YOUR CLOTHING, USE REPELLENTS, CHECK YOURSELF WHEN YOU COME IN.
BECAUSE REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, THERE'S NOTHING WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE DEER POPULATION. AND THEN THERE'S THE MICE TOO. SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? SO I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION, BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN PREVENTION BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THIS TOWN IS REALISTICALLY GOING TO DO TO DECREASE THE DEER POPULATION TO A MEANINGFUL LEVEL. WHERE IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM IS MY HUMBLE OPINION. MY INFORMED OPINION. SO IT IS INFORMED. YES. YOU BROUGHT UP MICE. WELL, THE MICE ARE PART OF THE THE LIFE, THE THE, THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE DEER TICKS FEED ON MICE AS WELL.
PEOPLE HAVE TRIED CONTROLLING THE MICE. THAT'S NOT GONE ANYWHERE EITHER. THEY ARE DOING STUDIES NOW WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE MICE RESISTANT TO LYME DISEASE, AND THEN REPLACE THE CURRENT MICE IN YOUR LOCALE WITH THESE MICE. YOU KNOW, LIKE SOME OF THIS STUFF ISN'T REALISTIC FOR WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING, LIKE ON ISLANDS LIKE LONG ISLAND, WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE OF CONTROLLING AND WHERE IT'S REALLY BAD, BUT OKAY. YEAH.
[00:10:04]
WELL, THANK YOU EVERYBODY. DO WE WHAT IS OUR ROLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE PUBLIC? THE.CORRESPONDENCE. CORRESPONDENCE, I GUESS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU WANT TO MAKE A REQUEST TO TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE FOR THE REQUEST OR WHAT WOULD WERE THE FOR THE NUMBERS OR JUST TO REPLY TO THIS OR I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING. I THINK THE REQUEST WAS TO ASK TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE VIA RESOLUTION TO DO TO. I WAS PULLING IT UP. I MEAN, IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE'S ROLE TO DEAL WITH THIS. IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN, I KNOW THEY HAVE THE ONES IN THE PAST. YEAH. THE REQUEST IS TO ASK THE BOARD OF HEALTH TO PASS A RESOLUTION URGING TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO TAKE ACTION TO DECREASE THE DEER POPULATION. OKAY. WELL, BEYOND WHAT IS THE CURRENT WHAT IS CURRENTLY DONE? ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, LIKE REALISTICALLY, WE CAN REQUEST THAT WHETHER THEY GET THAT JUST I MEAN, I CAN DO ANYTHING, AS CHRIS SAID, I THINK IT'S EXPENSIVE AND NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE GUARANTEED TO WORK. AND IF WE CAN'T BALANCE THE BUDGET FOR OTHER THINGS, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE HIGH ON THE PRIORITY LIST TO KNOW. I THINK I THINK OUR TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, IT MIGHT BE LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING, SAY YOU COULD SAY THAT THE TOWNSHIP LIAISON MIGHT LIAISON TO THE COMMITTEE. I YEAH, BUT I DON'T THINK I AGREE.
I, I, WELL I'M THINKING THAT THE REQUEST FROM THE RESIDENT AND THE LETTER IS THAT YOU MAKE A REQUEST TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, IT MIGHT MAKE AS MUCH SENSE TO JUST SAY, SINCE THERE'S AN UPDATE FROM THE TOWNSHIP AT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, FROM THE BOARD OF HEALTH. YES. THERE WAS THIS CONCERN RAISED BY A RESIDENT ABOUT IT, AND POSSIBLY EVEN TELL HIM TO LOOK INTO. I KNOW PRINCETON HAS TAKEN TO CALLING DEER THE. THE COMPANY IS BACK, BUT THEY FIGURED OUT TO DO IT ON PUBLIC LAND INSTEAD. TO NOT HAVE THE NEIGHBORS PROBLEM SO WE COULD POSSIBLY CHECK WITH PRINCETON AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THAT WOULD BE LOVELY. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT. SO I HEAR A COUPLE THINGS THAT MAYBE WE COULD BRING BACK TO TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. I APPRECIATE THIS VERY MUCH. LIAISON DOUG HERRING ONE THING IN ADDITION, SO I THINK HAVING ASKING THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER TOWNSHIPS ARE DOING IS GREAT. IF WE COULD GET THE DRONE STUDY DATA AND JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GROWTH OF THE POPULATION LOOKS LIKE, AND POTENTIALLY ASK THEM TO LOOK INTO HOW THEY ARE AFFECTING RESIDENTS WHEN THEY ARE DEVELOPING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE TOWNSHIP THAT ARE KNOWN TO HOLD A LOT OF DEER. AND WHAT IS THEIR PLAN FOR? YEAH. IF THEIR PLAN IS TO HAVE THE DEER MOVE ON INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES, THAT MIGHT NOT BE. I'M GUESSING THERE IS NO PLAN. WELL, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THE PLAN IS. HAS A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK WHAT THEIR PLAN IS. IF THEY.
IF THEY HAVE EVER ASKED A CONTRACTOR WHAT THE PLAN IS WHEN THEY ARE DEVELOPING A PROPERTY FOR THE DISPLACED DEER, YES, THAT'S GOING TO GO IN PEOPLE'S JOBS. THEY'RE GOING TO IT'S GOING TO HELP THEM. YES. GIVE YOU MY CARD. YEAH. THE OTHER THING IS REFERENCE TO THE LIKE 200 YEARS ARE BEING ELIMINATED OUT OF 3000. SO IF THERE ARE SOME DATA THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. YEAH, THAT'S WHY WE'LL ASK THEM TO GIVE US THE DATA. YEAH I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
DO WE. SHOULD WE DO LIKE MAKE AN INVENTORY OF THE EDUCATION EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING TO SHOW WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO HELP INTERVENE IN LIKE, LIKE PREVENTION? YEAH, PREVENTION. YEAH. SO THIS IS THIS INVENTORY TO THE BOARD. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING, LIKE WHAT REQUESTS ARE THEY MAKING FOR EDUCATION? I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE REQUEST. IT COULD BE LIKE PRESENTATIONS OR EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE SCHOOLS OR I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING YOU FOR HELP? WHAT ARE THEY ASKING FOR? IF THAT'S HAPPENING, JUST PREVENT BASIC PREVENTION, HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES SOMETIMES LIKE WHAT? YEAH. WHAT IN WHAT REPELLENTS TO USE. WHAT ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, SO DOES THAT MEAN, DOES THAT MEAN MORE THAN THIS LETTER? THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR THIS THING. NOT NOT SPECIFICALLY. NO, NO, THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR A REDUCTION IN THE DEER POPULATION. THEY'RE ASKING FOR WHAT DO I DO BECAUSE I WANT TO GO INTO THE WOODS OR I WANT TO
[00:15:06]
GO FOR A WALK. HOW DO I ADDRESS OR I THINK OR I THINK I MIGHT HAVE HAD A TICK BITE, OR TICK BORNE ILLNESS. YEAH, THAT IS A REASONABLE THING. BUT THIS I DON'T THIS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE I THINK YES, THE LIST IS WONDERFUL. AND WE COULD MAYBE RESPOND TO THE CORRESPONDENCE AND LET THEM KNOW OF THE DIFFERENT PREVENTION, BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BRING THAT FORWARD TO TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. WE CAN JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE LIKE WE HAVE PLENTY OF YEAH, YEAH, THINGS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. OKAY. OKAY. SO I'M NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE TO MOVE ON. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. AND NOW I LOST MY AGENDA. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. OKAY. NEXT[IV. CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO ALL MATTERS UNDER HERE LISTED HERE UNDER ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE IN NATURE AND WILL BE APPROVED IN ONE MOTION. ANY MEMBER MAY REQUEST THAT AN ITEM OR ITEMS BE REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. SO WE HAVE THE MONTHLY HEALTH DEPARTMENT REPORT. THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORT WILL YOU WHERE YOU WILL FIND TICK BORNE DISEASE AS WELL AS THE ANIMAL CONTROL REPORTS. AND WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2026. SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION? DOES ANYBODY WANT TO DISCUSS ANY ITEM? OKAY. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. YEAH. OKAY. AND WE HAVE A SECOND. WE HAVE LOTS OF SECONDS. YOU PICKED JEN. PICK WHOEVER YOU WANT. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM[V. Montgomery Township Board of Health Ordinance 2026-01: Health Officer Salary Ordinance for 2026 – Public Hearing]
IS AN ITEM THAT WE DO HAVE TO VOTE ON. IT IS THE ORDINANCE. IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKET AGAIN, AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE SALARY AND WAGE PLAN FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY BOARD OF HEALTH, AND TO PROVIDE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION IN 2026, AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SALARY ORDINANCE. I THINK THIS HEALTH OFFICER. NO, THAT'S ALL. WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. YEP. WE'RE ALL GOOD. SO THIS IS THE PLAN FOR THE BOARD OF HEALTH, NOT THE HEALTH OFFICER. UNIQUELY THIS WE DISCUSSED OR READ AT OUR LAST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. SO THIS IS A A TIME FOR US TO ACTUALLY VOTE ON IT. SO DO WE HAVE ANYBODY DOES ANYBODY WANT TO DISCUSS THIS. WE DID DISCUSS IT IN SEPTEMBER. YEAH. I THINK YOU DISCUSSED IT.YEAH. SO WE'RE ALL SET. OKAY I THINK. ALL RIGHT. SO BE IT. RESOLVED BY THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF HEALTH THAT THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE HEREBY ADOPTED ON THIS 14TH DAY OF OCTOBER 14TH, 2026, AND THAT NOTICE HEREOF WILL BE PUBLISHED IN AN OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER REQUIRED BY LAW. SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO. YEAH. OKAY. SECOND. YEAH. OKAY. I CAN SEE THE SMILE.
OKAY. SECOND. THANK YOU. THAT WORKS. OKAY. CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? JEN? DOCTOR.
GRAYSON. DOCTOR. YES. DOCTOR. SHARMA. YES. DOCTOR. NEWMAN. YES. MR. YES. DOCTOR. SORAYA.
YES. CHRISTINE. ZAKHAROV. YES. DOCTOR. PRETTY. DOCTOR. SERENE. YES. THIS IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. YEAH THAT'S FINE. OKAY SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THE NEXT ITEM IS OUR MEETING DATES
[VI. Proposed Meeting Dates for Board of Health 2027- Discussion]
FOR THE BOARD OF HEALTH. THIS IS JUST A PROPOSAL. I WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ANY CONCERNS WITH ANY OF THESE. YOU HAVE THE DATES LISTED, THE ONES THAT ARE LISTED FOR FEBRUARY, MARCH I'M SORRY FEBRUARY, MAY AND NOVEMBER. THOSE MEETINGS WOULD BE THEY'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM AT THOSE MEETINGS. THEY'RE THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. SO THOSE THOSE WOULDN'T BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WE WOULD HOST OUR MEETINGS ON, AGAIN, THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.STARTING JANUARY, WE WOULD HOST 1ST JANUARY, MARCH, APRIL, JUNE, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, AND THEN DECEMBER. AND THEN THEY WOULD ALL BE AT 730 AND WE WOULD HAVE A BREAK IN JULY.
QUESTION THIS SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE FOR THE FULL BOARD OR ONLY FOR THE. NO. FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE? YEAH, ONLY FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE. AND WE DON'T HAVE A YEAH. WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM THERE. OKAY. YEAH. AND IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO TO JOIN, WE WOULD HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF THE NUMBERS. BUT IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED, THERE'S NO, NO REQUIREMENT THAT YOU
[00:20:05]
JOIN. BUT WE COULD WE'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED. AND WE DO BRING EVERYTHING THAT WE DISCUSS AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS BACK TO BUSINESS MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TRANSPARENCY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO YOU HAVE LIKE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIMITED ON THAT, ON HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE ON SUBCOMMITTEE RIGHT NOW. OH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER THREE. YEAH, THREE. OKAY. THERE'S ONE MORE. OR DO YOU WANT TO KEEP IT? I DON'T THINK WE CAN HAVE ONE MORE BECAUSE THEN WE'LL GET A QUORUM. A QUORUM. YEAH. BUT LET'S IF WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT MORE NEXT TIME. BUT THIS IS RIGHT NOW. I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE MEETING SCHEDULE, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH EVERYBODY AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY CONCERNS WITH IT. OTHERWISE, I'LL ASK JEN TO START PUTTING THESE ON THE CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR. AND WE'LL START MOVING FORWARD. AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THE THE FIRST MEETING, JANUARY 13TH IS OUR REORGANIZATION MEETING. SO WE HAVE AN ORIENTATION AT SEVEN FOR ANY NEW MEMBER AND ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ORIENTATION, I, I RECOMMEND GOING I REALLY DO, BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD REMINDER ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. OKAY. ANY CONCERNS ABOUT ANY OF THESE? DOES THAT LOOK LIKE THE RIGHT TEMPO? YES. OKAY. SO BASICALLY WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A TAKE ONE EVERY QUARTER, TAKE ONE MEETING OFF SO WE CAN. YEAH. BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THEM. WE WERE HAVING TWO LITTLE TO DISCUSS AT EVERY BUSINESS MEETING. SO I, WE KIND OF TRIED TO MOVE TO EVERY OTHER BUSINESS MEETING EVERY OTHER MONTH BEING A BUSINESS MEETING. OKAY, GREAT.[VII. Agenda Placement 2026-11: 34 DeHart Drive seeking waiver for the 10ft setback distance between the advanced treatment unit and proposed addition]
ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ITEM IS, WAS AN ASK FROM A RESIDENT SEEKING A WAIVER FOR A TEN FOOT SETBACK DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ADVANCED TREATMENT UNIT AND THE PROPOSED ADDITION. AND I'M GOING TO LET DAVON KIND OF INTRODUCE THIS A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE THE REQUEST WAS IN YOUR PACKET. BUT I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY IT'S HERE, BUT I THINK HER OVERVIEW WILL BE HELPFUL. I THINK THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SEND IN INFORMATION. IS THIS THE ONE THAT WAS REQUESTED ADD TO THE AGENDA. WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHING. OH, WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHING HERE. OKAY. SO THEN WE CAN JUST SKIP. WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHING. WE DIDN'T GET ANY. SO MAYBE JUST GIVE A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR WHY THEY'RE WHAT THE TEN FOOT WHY THIS? I THINK THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ON THE DISTANCE THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS. AND I THINK THEY'RE ASKING FOR SOME EXEMPTIONS FROM THE BOARD TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH CODE THAT, YOU KNOW, STATES WHAT THOSE RESTRICTIONS ARE WITH THE MINIMUM DISTANCE REQUIRED WHEN WHEN DOING SOME SOME WORK, WHAT IS IT THIS RELATED TO WHAT, JEN, DO YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A FENCE OR A POOL OR WHAT THEY'RE. I DON'T, TO BE HONEST, THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE INFORMATION NEEDED. SO WHAT DO WE DO? WE HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. JEN. DO WE FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND SAY, WE PUT YOU ON THE AGENDA? CHRISTIAN REACHED OUT TO THEM. OKAY, SO WE WON'T SEE IT AGAIN THIS YEAR. NOT UNLESS THEY SUBMIT. UNLESS THEY SUBMIT SOMETHING. I'LL TRY TO I'LL TRY TO FOLLOW UP JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE, AND THEN LET THEM KNOW UNTIL WE RECEIVE MORE DETAILS AND INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING. WE, WE, WE CAN'T EVEN DISCUSS IT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE JUST READING THIS. I DON'T THINK I, FOR ME, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ASSESS, EVEN IF IT'S A BOARD OF HEALTH ISSUE.THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID. YEAH, YEAH. THEY HAD LIKE A TEN FOOT SETBACK IS TYPICALLY RELATED TO ZONING, RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING IF THEY JUST CAME TO THE WRONG BOARD. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S OKAY. YEAH. AND I THINK THEY HAD SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA. SO JUST IN THE CHANCE THAT THEY CAME IN PERSON, WE LEFT IT. WE LEFT IT ON THE AGENDA. BUT I GUESS WE CAN SKIP FOR NOW. SKIP IT. YEAH. IF THEY COME BACK, I'LL FOLLOW UP. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO THE RIGHT BOARD. AND THEN IF THEY ARE, WE WILL MAKE SURE THEY GO TO THE TO THE WE ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON THE AGENDA APPROPRIATELY. OKAY. NEXT IS THE ANNUAL REPORT
[VIII. 2025 Annual Report: Presented by Emily Schreiner]
PRESENTATION FROM EMILY TRAINER. I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN THERE. ARE YOU GOING TO GO TO THE PODIUM OR YOU'RE. STAY DOWN THERE. MIKE'S ON. LET'S STAY HERE SO I CAN. OKAY, I JUST NEED TO I NEED TO ADJUST MY SEAT SO I CAN SEE OVER THE WALL. I NEED A BOOSTER SEAT THERE. I CAN SEE HER. NO. YOU'RE ON. YEP. YOU TOUCHED IT. TESTING. OR IF YOU WANT THE WIRELESS, THEN YOU WANT TO GRAB THE WIRELESS. THE WIRELESS? YEAH. YOU'RE NOT ON. I'M ON. YOU WANT TO USE MINE.IS IT NOT PLUGGED IN OR. I CAN'T HELP IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S NOT PLUGGED IN. OH,
[00:25:08]
SOMETHING SOMETHING IS NOT PLUGGED IN. OH, YOU ONLY GET THE WIRELESS. THOUGH. SO MAYBE I CAN JUST USE THE WIRELESS. YEAH. BECAUSE YOU'RE, I MEAN, FULLY ON.ALL RIGHT. NOW YOU'RE WORKING. I'M EMILY SCHREINER, I'M THE HEALTH EDUCATOR FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND THIS IS THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT. SO ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID LAST YEAR. SO AND YOU ALL HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU A PAPER COPY THAT HAS SOME MORE DETAIL THAN WHAT'S ON THESE SLIDES. IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG. BUT SO STARTING OFF WITH JUST SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NUMBERS, WE HAVE, WE PROVIDED 356 FLU VACCINATIONS AT OUR FLU CLINICS LAST YEAR. DID 142 RETAIL FOOD INSPECTIONS. WE PROVIDED 249 RABIES VACCINATIONS FOR PETS, 4839 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CASES WERE REPORTED, AND THEN 14 OUTBREAKS WERE INVESTIGATED. WE PERFORMED IMMUNIZATION AUDITS AT 36 DIFFERENT SCHOOL AND CHILD CARE CENTERS, AND HOSTED 100 HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR. SO WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS A NEW JERSEY HEALTH CARE QUALITY INSTITUTE, HEALTHY TOWN, WHICH RECOGNIZES CITIES AND TOWNS THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE WERE ON THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INFLUENZA HONOR ROLL, WHICH RECOGNIZES INSTITUTIONS THAT STRIVE TO PROMOTE INFLUENZA AWARENESS AND PREVENTION. WE ARE ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT FLU VACCINES GET TO THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND HOSTING FLU VACCINATION CLINICS ALL OVER TOWN, AND MARKETING THEM SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE TO GET THEM TO EVERYONE. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES PROVIDE FREE FLU VACCINATIONS TO ANYONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. WE ALSO HAVE A NEW JERSEY LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH ASSOCIATION PHAB AWARD FOR A COMMITMENT TO BUILDING RESILIENT, RESPONSIVE, HIGH PERFORMING PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS. AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO WORKING. IN 2025, WE WERE WORKING TOWARDS PHAB REACCREDITATION, WHICH WE DID ACHIEVE IN 2026, AND THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH IN THAT EFFORT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND ALLOWS US TO HELP BUILD OUR CAPACITY AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND THEN LASTLY, WE WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE AARP AS AN AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, WHICH RECOGNIZES OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING MONTGOMERY LIVABLE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. THIS WAS PART OF OUR AGE FRIENDLY MONTGOMERY INITIATIVE THAT BEGAN LAST YEAR, AND WE WERE RECOGNIZED ON OCTOBER 24TH OF LAST YEAR AS A MEMBER OF THE AARP NETWORK OF AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES. SO JUST STAFFING AND HUMAN RESOURCES. THIS IS LAST YEAR, WE HAD 7.5 FTES OF EMPLOYEE STAFFING AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. JUST A NOTE THAT WE DIDN'T DO A CAPACITY ASSESSMENT FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH WINS.
SURVEY LAST YEAR. AND BASED ON THE NUMBERS FROM THE CAPACITY ASSESSMENT, IN ORDER TO FULLY MEET THE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, WE WOULD ACTUALLY NEED 10.3 FTES TO FULLY MEET THOSE NEEDS. AND SO LAST YEAR WE HAD 7.5. NOW WE ACTUALLY ONLY HAVE SIX. SO THERE IS A GAP THERE. SERVICE AREA. SO MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROVIDES FULL HEALTH DEPARTMENT SERVICES TO MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP AND ROCKY HILL BOROUGH. WE ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE AND HEALTH EDUCATION SERVICES TO BRANCHBURG TOWNSHIP. AND DURING 2025, WE DID PROVIDE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL SERVICES TO HILLSBOROUGH FOR A
[00:30:04]
FEW MONTHS OF THE END OF 2025, AND THEN LISTED BELOW ARE JUST SOME OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES THAT WE DO PROVIDE. ALL OF THESE ARE MANDATED BY THE STATE AND REGULATED BY THE STATE, AND WE DO REPORTS EVERY YEAR ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE DO ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES. JUST A QUICK FINANCIAL SUMMARY. SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE TOTAL REVENUE OF THE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE EXPENDITURES. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS AWARDED 800,000 $843,144 IN GRANTS IN 2025, AND WE HAVE BROUGHT IN OVER $2 MILLION IN GRANTS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES. WE FOR OUR EXPENDITURES. CURRENTLY, WE ARE AT $34 PER CAPITA OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURES, WHICH INCLUDES LABOR OPERATING EXPENDITURES AND ANIMAL CONTROL. SO COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE ON THIS CHART IS LYME DISEASE. EARLIER IN THE MEETING. JUST A NOTE THIS GRAPH DOES NOT INCLUDE FLU OR COVID. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT IN CONTEXT. BUT LYME DISEASE IS DEFINITELY A CONCERN. AND WE ALWAYS DO TICK BORNE DISEASE EDUCATION AND PREVENTION EDUCATION. WE HAVE TICK KITS THAT WE GIVE OUT TO PEOPLE, AND WE DO LOTS OF OUTREACH DURING TICK SEASON TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO AVOID BEING BITTEN BY TICKS. AND IN 2025, WE INVESTIGATED AND CONTAINED 14 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE OUTBREAKS. SO AS FAR AS CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT WE ALSO DO, WE DO FREQUENT SCREENING EVENTS IN TOWN. WE DO BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS EVERY MONTH AT THE SENIOR CENTER, WHICH ARE VERY POPULAR, WELL ATTENDED. AND IN 2025, WE SCREENED 362 INDIVIDUALS FOR HYPERTENSION. AND WE ALSO DO HEARING SCREENINGS, AND WE DO SOME BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS AT OTHER LOCATIONS IN TOWN AS WELL. WE ALSO DO CHILDHOOD LEAD CASE INVESTIGATIONS. AND THESE COME IN WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM. AND WE ALSO DO RADON AWARENESS. SO JANUARY RADON AWARENESS MONTH, BUT WE ALSO DISTRIBUTE RADON TEST KITS FOR FREE TO ANY RESIDENT WHO NEEDS THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND CAN ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATION ANYTIME PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS AND JUST TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE RISKS OF RADON AND LUNG CANCER. AND THEN LASTLY, IN 2025, WE PARTICIPATED IN A PILOT PROJECT WITH PLAN FOR HEALTH NEW JERSEY, WHICH AIMED TO EVALUATE THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IN MONTGOMERY. SO STUDENTS AT THE BLOUSTEIN SCHOOL AT RUTGERS DID AN ASSESSMENT OF MONTGOMERY IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, INCLUDING ACCESS TO FOOD MOBILITY, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND HOUSING, AND AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THIS PILOT STUDY, WE DID APPLY TO RECEIVE A GRANT TO CONDUCT FURTHER ASSESSMENTS ABOUT THESE ASPECTS OF HEALTH IN MONTGOMERY AND INCORPORATE THIS INTO OUR MASTER PLANNING, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN 2026. ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTIONS ARE A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO AS WELL. WE INSPECT RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES, KENNELS, RECREATIONAL BATHING FACILITIES, WELLS AND YOUTH CAMPS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE CODES. SO YOU CAN SEE HERE ALL OF THE INSPECTIONS THAT WERE PERFORMED THIS YEAR, WHICH MET THE STATE STANDARDS FOR THE NUMBERS OF INSPECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED FOR EACH TYPE OF FACILITY. AND THEN WE ALSO DO SEPTIC INSPECTIONS AND PERMITTING. SO YOU CAN SEE ALSO THE NUMBERS FOR SEPTICS THAT WERE INSPECTED AND THE PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED FOR REPAIRS AND SYSTEMS. MATERNAL CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH IS ALSO A TOPIC THAT WE FOCUS ON. SO EVERY YEAR, THE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES REVIEW THE IMMUNIZATION RECORDS OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES TO MAKE SURE[00:35:03]
THAT EVERYONE IS COMPLIANT WITH THE VACCINATION STANDARDS. SO WE DO HAVE 100% COMPLIANCE RATE FOR. CHILD CARE, PRE-K, PRE-K FACILITIES, AND SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. THAT ONE THING TO NOTE IS COMPLIANCE DOES MEAN EITHER PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED OR THEY HAVE FULFILLED AN EXEMPTION. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING INTO THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR AS WELL, IS THE INCREASING RATES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING EXEMPTIONS FROM VACCINES AND HOW WE CAN BETTER EDUCATE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND PARENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINES, BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN VACCINE PREVENTABLE ILLNESS INFECTIONS. AS YOU CAN SEE, MEASLES CASES IN PENNSYLVANIA RIGHT NOW. SO THAT IS A CONCERN THAT WE HAVE. AND THEN NEXT IS ACCESS TO AND LINKAGE WITH CLINICAL CARE. SO WE, AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DON'T PROVIDE DIRECT CLINICAL CARE, BUT WE DO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS IN MONTGOMERY CAN ACCESS THE CLINICAL CARE THAT THEY NEED. SO WE WE DO PROVIDE SOME FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS. AND THEN WE ALSO PROVIDE CONNECTIONS TO HEALTH SCREENINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT, YOU KNOW, THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON SOMERSET OR ZUFALL HEALTH, WHICH DOES PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED. WE ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATION EVENTS THAT PROVIDE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE PARTNERS IN MONTGOMERY AND SOMERSET COUNTY. SO WE DO SAVE A LIFE DAY, WHICH HAS INFORMATION ON OPIOID AWARENESS AND NARCAN DISTRIBUTION. BEAT THE WINTER BLUES IS AN EVENT THAT WE DO IN JANUARY THAT PROMOTES MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND THEN WE ALWAYS ARE, YOU KNOW, SURVEYING THE HEALTH ISSUES IN TOWN AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE ACCESS TO CARE FOR, FOR ISSUES THAT WE NOTICE THAT ARE ARISING IN TOWN. ASSESSMENT AND SURVEILLANCE IS ALSO A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO. SO WE PARTICIPATE IN A COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT EVERY THREE YEARS THROUGH HEALTHIER SOMERSET WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTY, AND THEN WE USE THAT DATA THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE CYCLE TO DEVELOP OBJECTIVES AND GOALS OF HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS IN TOWN. WE MAINTAIN VITAL RECORDS AND WE ALSO INVESTIGATE ANY CASES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE, WHICH INCLUDES WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE. WE DO HAVE A WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM WITH OUR SEWER DEPARTMENT, WHERE THEY ASSESS FOR RISING AMOUNTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE WASTEWATER. AND THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES TO BE BUILT OUT. SO YEAR AFTER YEAR, THEY'RE ABLE TO ADD ADDITIONAL DISEASES TO THE PROGRAM TO MAKE IT MORE ROBUST. SO SOON, HOPEFULLY, WE'LL HAVE LIKE A VERY COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WATER.AND THEN THIS YEAR, WE WERE ALSO WORKING ON THE AGE FRIENDLY NEEDS ASSESSMENT. WE HAD A GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES THAT ALLOWED US TO CONDUCT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF OLDER ADULTS IN MONTGOMERY TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR HEALTH NEEDS ARE AND JUST WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE. SO WE BEGAN THIS ASSESSMENT IN 2025 WITH KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS AND COMMUNITY SURVEY. SO THIS HAS BEEN THE DATA FROM THIS HAS BEEN REALLY HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER AS A TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOWN IS LIVABLE AND PROMOTING HEALTH FOR EVERYONE. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, OR REACH AS FAR INTO THE COMMUNITY AS WE NEED TO, WITHOUT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS WITHIN THE COUNTY AS WELL AS WITHIN THE TOWN, WE DO A LOT OF JOINT PROJECTS. ONE EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT THAT INVOLVED A LOT OF PARTNERS IN 2025 WAS IN THE FALL, WHEN SNAP BENEFITS WERE SUSPENDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH RESULTED IN MANY MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS FOOD. SO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PARTNERS AT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE, SOMERSET COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES, PRINCETON ELKS AND THE FOOD BANK NETWORK OF SOMERSET COUNTY TO ARRANGE A FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT AND CONNECTION TO WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR ANYONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, FOOD INSECURITY BECAUSE OF THE SNAP BENEFIT REDUCTION. AND WE'RE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD
[00:40:08]
TO ONE MAIN LOCATION, AS WELL AS OTHER SATELLITE LOCATIONS. ANOTHER KEY ROLE OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE. SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING PREPAREDNESS CAPACITY TO ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, WHICH INCLUDE THINGS LIKE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE OUTBREAKS AND STORMS, NATURAL DISASTERS, EXTREME TEMPERATURES, AND, YOU KNOW, MANY OTHER THINGS HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH COMPONENT. SO WE MAINTAIN AN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY THAT ENABLES US TO ADDRESS EMERGENCIES WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THE KEY SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE. NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON, WE EXERCISE THESE PLANS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. WE USE OUR RABIES CLINICS EVERY YEAR AS AN EXERCISE OF OUR POINT OF DISTRIBUTION PLANS, AND THIS YEAR, WE ALSO USED OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT AS AN EXERCISE OF A DRIVE THROUGH POINT OF DISTRIBUTION PLAN. AND WE ALSO, IN 2025, PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO AN EDUCATION EVENT FOR RESIDENTS ABOUT PERSONAL AND HOME PREPAREDNESS DURING EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. AND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT. WE MAINTAIN A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE STATE MANDATES, AS WELL AS TOWNSHIP GOALS AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER STANDARDS THAT WE ARE MEETING WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN. AND WE ARE CURRENTLY PHAB ACCREDITED. AS I SAID, IN 2026, WE DID ACHIEVE PHAB ACCREDITATION, AND IN 2025, WE WERE STILL COMPLETING EVERYTHING TO WORK TOWARDS THIS. BUT WE IT'S, IT'S A GOOD WAY FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING THE MOST THAT WE CAN AND A MEETING ALL THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE DOING. AND THEN WE ALSO MAINTAIN A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM TO ASSESS ANY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN OUR SYSTEMS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO IT BETTER GOING FORWARD. ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT ROLES IS COMMUNICATION. SO WE COMMUNICATE ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES AND HOW TO MAINTAIN HEALTH AND HOW TO STAY HEALTHY. AND THEN WE ALSO, IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCIES, ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION ABOUT HOW PEOPLE CAN, YOU KNOW, BEST PROTECT THEMSELVES IN THE CASE OF THAT EMERGENCY. SO IN 2025, WE DID UPDATE BOTH OF OUR, OUR REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, AS WELL AS OUR RISK COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES.AND AS FAR AS POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT, THIS IS WHERE THE BOARD OF HEALTH IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO US AND SUPPORTING OUR GOALS. LAST YEAR IN 2025, THE BOARD OF HEALTH ENCOURAGED THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO PASS AN ORDINANCE ON THE SALE OF FLAVORED VAPES, CANNABIS AND INTOXICATING HEMP PRODUCTS PASSED A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MONTGOMERY, JOINING THE AARP NETWORK OF AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORTED SUSTAINED MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS FOR EMERGENCY PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES WITH OTHER HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN SOMERSET COUNTY. THE BOARD OF HEALTH ALSO IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES WITH LOCAL AND STATE POLICY MAKERS, AND RAISING ANY AWARENESS OF ANY ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACING IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. IN 2025, WE DID PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC HEALTH COSTING ASSESSMENT WITH JACHO AND THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE A PICTURE OF HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS A VERY USEFUL WAY TO VISUALIZE THE GAPS AND WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. NOT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THANKS, EMILY. THANKS, EMILY. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL JOB. VERY COMPREHENSIVE. YES. IT'S AMAZING TO SEE HOW MUCH IT ALL LAID OUT IN FRONT OF US TO SEE HOW MUCH WAS ACCOMPLISHED. AND, I MEAN, IT REALLY WAS A STELLAR YEAR FOR YOU ALL. THAT'S REALLY AMAZING. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YOU AREN'T SHY PEOPLE, SO I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET YOU TO FULL STAFF. OH,
[00:45:03]
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WHAT? WHAT DID YOU SAY? I SAID I'D LIKE TO KNOW WITH YOU TO GET THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO FULL STAFFING. YOU SAID SHE'S SHE IS A STAFFING. STAFFING. WHAT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO FULL STAFFING LEVELS. LIKE HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD IT COST OR WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN? LIKE WHY? SEEMS LIKE IT JUST KEEPS SHRINKING. LIKE YOU KEEP GETTING MORE WORK WITH FEWER PEOPLE AND THAT IT KEEPS GOING DOWN. SOME OF IT IS DUE TO GRANTS. I MEAN, ONE OF OUR STAFF POSITIONS FROM 2025 WAS GRANT FUNDED, WHICH WE NO LONGER HAVE. SO THAT'S A BIG ISSUE IS THE LOSS OF GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL COMING DOWN. SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH. BUT SO IF A GRANT FUNDED POSITION GOES AWAY, EVEN IF THAT POSITION IS IMPORTANT, THE TOWNSHIP DOESN'T PICK UP THE SLACK AND FUND THAT POSITION. IT JUST GOES AWAY. IS THAT CORRECT? AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR. YES. IT STINKS. I THINK OUR TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE LIAISON SHOULD WORK ON THAT. MAYBE. I'M BEING SERIOUS. I MEAN, I JUST IT'S ALWAYS DISCOURAGING TO SEE HOW MUCH WORK YOU ALL DO. AND I, I THINK I CERTAINLY TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT A GREAT HEALTH DEPARTMENT WE HAVE. AND JUST ASSUME EVERY TOWN HAS A GREAT HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE. I THINK EVERYTHING YOU DO IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND HELPFUL TO THE TOWN, BUT I DON'T THINK IT CAN CONTINUE AT THIS LEVEL WITH A SMALLER AND SMALLER STAFF. AND I THINK IF THERE'S SOMETHING THE TOWN CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT AND HAVING AN IMPORTANT POSITION GO AWAY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO FUND IT. AS TO ME, UNACCEPTABLE. SO THAT'S MY COMMENT. YEAH, I HAVE NO QUESTION. NO QUESTION. WELL, I ASKED THE QUESTION. YOU DID. YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION. NO QUESTION. NO, NO. GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT YOU MADE A REMARK THAT WE WOULD SOMEWHAT FOCUS ON THOSE FAMILIES WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, CHOOSING EXEMPTION FROM MANDATORY VACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN. I MEAN, WHAT MEASURES COULD WE USE OTHER THAN EDUCATION? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LEGALLY AND ETHICALLY COMPLIANT, WE CAN'T REALLY ENFORCE VACCINATIONS ON FAMILIES. YEAH.WE CAN'T WE CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO DO IT. SO REALLY, THE BEST THING THAT WE DO IS CAN EDUCATE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME INSTANCES OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SCHOOL OR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS NOT REALLY WANTING TO HAVE THOSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS. SO WE CAN ENCOURAGE THEM TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND KNOW, LIKE, REALLY WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE AND TRY TO REDUCE SOME OF THAT HESITANCY BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY AGAINST IT. AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE JUST HEAR ALL OF THIS MISINFORMATION AND THEN THEY'RE JUST NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING. SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCE AT LEAST THOSE, THAT'S REALLY ALL WE CAN DO. MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT. NO, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND. JUST FOLLOWING UP TO WHAT EMILY SAID AND YOUR QUESTION, DOCTOR SHIREEN. SO WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, EXACTLY WHAT EMILY SAID. BUT IF THERE IS AN OUTBREAK OR AN INCIDENT OF CASE INSTANCE OF CASE IN THE SETTING, THEN WE DO HAVE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY TO, YOU KNOW, REQUIRE CERTAIN ACTIONS, EXCLUSIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT VACCINATED BECAUSE THAT ONLY, YOU KNOW, INCREASES SPREAD OF DISEASE. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO BEFORE INCIDENTS OF DISEASE OR OUTBREAK. BUT ONCE THERE IS AN OUTBREAK, WE HAVE MORE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE JUST ONE POINT OF TO MAKE THIS ON THE FINANCIAL SUMMARY. REVENUE FROM COUNTIES, FROM STATE AND FROM OTHER STATE AGENCIES IS THAT WE DIDN'T APPLY FOR THE GRANTS. OR IS THAT NORMALLY WE DON'T GET FROM THEM WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN 2025? I MEAN, I CAN TAKE THIS ONE. SO FOR. FOR EXAMPLE, REVENUE FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, YEARS AGO, THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT USED TO HAVE A BUDGET LINE ITEM TO FUND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH IN NEW JERSEY.
AND THAT JUST WAS DELETED FROM THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO. SO AND IT'S NEVER BEEN IT'S NEVER BEEN ADDED BACK. IT'S A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT. BUT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE STATUTES. BUT THERE IS A YOU KNOW, AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR HAVING PUBLIC HEALTH, LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING IN THERE, BUT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES FROM. AND WE'VE WE'VE NEVER RECEIVED ANY REVENUE FROM THE COUNTY, I THINK DIFFERENT I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE EVER RECEIVED IT. YEAH. THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE ONLY. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW BECAUSE IF THERE
[00:50:03]
IS IF THERE IS A WAY FOR ADMINISTRATION MEANS LIKE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IF THERE ARE FUNDS AND WE ARE ONLY THE ONE IF NOT RECEIVING THAT, THEN SHOULD WE REALLY LOOK INTO THAT? V MEANS TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE COULD LOOK INTO THAT, AND I KNOW THAT A BOARD HAS PASSED RESOLUTIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY FUNDING. SO I THINK JUST CONTINUING ON THAT. YEAH. I HAVE A QUESTION. ONE LAST QUESTION. SURE. CLARIFICATION. IT'S MORE FOR MY UNDERSTANDING WHAT CONSTITUTES A PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WHICH WE ALLOCATED $555,540. SO THIS WAS THESE WERE FEDERAL PASS THROUGH DOLLARS THAT WE STARTED RECEIVING DURING COVID. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT ENTAILED INCREASED STAFFING LEVELS DURING COVID. DATA MODERNIZATION WAS A BIG A BIG THING. SALARY OFFSETS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST HELPING SUSTAIN DAY TO DAY REQUIRED PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES. SO BECAUSE PUBLIC HEALTH IS SO UNDERFUNDED, MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPAND IT NEVER REALLY MADE IT TO THAT POINT BECAUSE WE WERE SO UNDERFUNDED. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP OUR DEPARTMENTS RUNNING.AND SO I THINK THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AWARDING CAME FROM CAME DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND THEY WERE JUST A PASS THROUGH DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THROUGH THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION. OH, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THAT TOTAL AMOUNT. IT'S A COLLECTIVE OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. OKAY. IT WAS NOT JUST IN THIS, IT WAS NOT JUST THIS YEAR. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR. YEAH. IT WAS, IT'S JUST DIFFICULT TO CALCULATE PER YEAR BECAUSE WE RECEIVED FUNDING DIFFERENT AMOUNTS EVERY YEAR. THEN THERE WAS A CLAWBACK. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO FINISH OFF THE FUNDING CYCLE. SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT CHAOTIC WITH THE, THE WAY THE FUNDS WERE DISTRIBUTED, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE CLAWBACK STARTED OCCURRING. SO JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE 555,000 THAT WAS IN ONE YEAR, IT WAS OVER FIVE, FOUR YEARS.
YEAH, THAT WAS ONE QUESTION, CLARIFYING QUESTION I HAD, BUT ALSO FOR SOME OF THESE GRANTS UNDER AWARDED THERE, THERE'S TWO THINGS I WANT TO DRAW PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO. ONE OVER FIVE YEARS, THE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BROUGHT IN $2 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING, WHICH IS RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE. HERE'S THE QUESTION. RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP, HOW DOES THAT RANK IN TERMS OF AMOUNT OF GRANT FUNDS BROUGHT IN? I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE HIGHEST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, RELATED GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE, THOSE ARE ALL GOING TOWARDS DIRECT ACTIVITIES OCCURRING. WE WERE ABLE TO USE A LOT OF THESE FUNDS TO OFFSET OUR, OUR COSTS AND ALLEVIATE THE BURDEN ON THE TOWNSHIP. SO IN THAT REGARD, I WOULD SAY WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE RANKED NUMBER ONE. YOU ARE YOU ARE RANKED NUMBER ONE. THE OTHER THING TOO, I WANTED TO NAME SOME OF THESE. SO UNDER THE AWARDED GRANTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT, SOME OF THESE ARE STATE. SOME OF THESE ARE FEDERAL, SOME OF THEM ARE LOCAL, AND SOME OF THEM ARE PRIVATE FUNDS. RIGHT. NOT SO. MAYOR'S WELLNESS IS A PRIVATE FOUNDATION FOUNDATION ON THE NEW JERSEY HEALTH CARE QUALITY INSTITUTE. RIGHT. AND EMPLOYEE WELLNESS. I THINK IT'S IT'S THROUGH OUR CENTRAL JERSEY HEALTH INSURANCE FUND. OKAY, GREAT. LAST THING UP HERE WHERE IT SAYS REVENUE FROM COUNTIES. SO I KNOW WE GET SOME REVENUE FROM THE COUNTY FOR HUMAN SERVICES, BUT THAT IS GOING TO PARKS AND REC. IS THAT RIGHT? SO THE FUNDING OF THE POSITION. YES, I THINK WE HAVE IT DOESN'T GO TO OUR DEPARTMENT. NO, IT'S A IT'S A SHARED POSITION. I THINK THE COUNTY PAYS FOR ABOUT 30 HOURS A WEEK FOR A POSITION, AND THEN TEN HOURS IS MONTGOMERY RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT. BUT THAT IS HUMAN SERVICE RELATED AND NOT HEALTH. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, I KNOW I'M A BROKEN RECORD ABOUT THIS, BUT THIS IS ANOTHER PLACE WHERE WE HAVE A FUNDED POSITION FOR HUMAN SERVICES IN THE TOWN. AND IT IS THROUGH PARKS AND PARK AND REC BY DESIGN. AND FREQUENTLY PEOPLE WILL COME TO US IN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND TAKE OUR TIME AND ATTENTION AND RESOURCES AWAY TO DEAL WITH THINGS THAT ARE HUMAN SERVICE RELATED. AND REVENUE WE GET FROM THE COUNTY IS NOT COMING
[00:55:04]
TO THIS DEPARTMENT. SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I'M A LITTLE BIT OF A BROKEN RECORD ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT FUNDED OR STAFFED TO CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH ISSUES OUTSIDE OF OUR STATE STATUTE FOR HEALTH. SO I'M GOING TO I'M I WON'T STOP THAT BROKEN RECORD BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THING TOO, I NOTICED IN THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY IT, MANY OF US UP HERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE EMS SERVICE. AND WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MAYBE NOT IN 2025, BUT I KNOW THIS YEAR SPECIFICALLY, YOU'RE DOING SOME PROGRAMING RELATED TO PARTNERSHIPS. SO MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP STRONGER THEN WE ARE, WE'RE HERE FOR IT. ABSOLUTELY. AND YEAH, SOME OF THIS IS 2025 AND WE'VE DONE A LOT. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, HARD TO EXCLUDE 2026 BECAUSE WE'VE DONE A LOT IN 2026 AND WE'RE ALREADY MOST OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR. BUT YES, AND I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT MORE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I DIDN'T LIST ON THERE THAT WE ALSO PARTNER WITH. SO IT'S.
YEAH, IT'S LIKE A LITTLE BADGE ON THERE AND YEAH, WE CAN GET YOU THE LOGO. I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY? IT'S REALLY GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT. ACTUALLY I DO, I LOVE I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. WILL YOU BE PRESENTING THIS TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE? DIDN'T HAVE PLANS TO YET, BUT YEAH, IF I CAN. YEAH.
WE WE DO TYPICALLY PRESENT THE SAME REPORT TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO. I THINK IT WOULD BE NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT. SO I THINK IF YOU CAN GET ON A AGENDA. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE LIAISON, DOUGLAS AARON, WOULD THAT BE WOULD WE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEMAND THE AGENDAS. BUT YES, THEY MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS. SO. SO JUST SUGGEST IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA, A GOOD USE OF THEIR TIME. YEAH. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. YEAH. OKAY. I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE
[IX. Health Officer Comments]
AGENDA. WE DID THE PUBLIC OR NO HEALTH OFFICER COMMENTS NOW. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. I THINK EMILY COVERED YOU KNOW, THE THE, THE BULK OF THE YEAH. THE DATA. UPDATES, YOU KNOW, WE HOSTED OUR STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSIONS FOR PLAN FOR HEALTH. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, CHRISTINE WAS WAS THERE AS WELL TO REPRESENT THE BOARD OF HEALTH AND REPRESENT THE PLAN FOR HEALTH COMMITTEE. WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM THE RESIDENTS, AND YOU WILL BE SEEING SOME OF THAT DATA SOON. OUR CONSULTANT THAT'S WORKING ON THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPILING ALL OF THE DATA AND SHARING THE RESULTS. I BELIEVE, IN NOVEMBER. AND WILL THEY? IT'LL PROBABLY BE THROUGH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. BUT YOU KNOW, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE BRINGING IT BACK TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH, TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN LIKE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR FOR THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE DID A TRANSPORTATION, A NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT'S STILL ONGOING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IDENTIFYING THAT AS A IS A HUGE GAP WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSING SERVICES. SO FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED ACCESS TO SERVICES. ARE ABLE TO, TO GET TO THE SERVICES THAT WE ARE REFERRING THEM TO. AND ZU FALL IN SOMERVILLE IS WOULD BE ONE OF OUR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES THAT WE WOULD REFER FOLKS TO. BUT TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES MAKE IT DIFFICULT. SAME THING FOR FOOD SECURE FOOD INSECURITY. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT STRUGGLE WITH, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO SOMERVILLE OR GETTING TO THE FOOD BANK, WHICH IS LOCATED IN BRIDGEWATER. SO AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE PLAN FOR HEALTH LISTENING SESSIONS, WE HAVE ALSO, AND I THINK AGE FRIENDLY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AS WELL. WE'VE HEARD FROM FOLKS WHO'VE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE TOWNSHIP SIDE, WE HOST THESE EVENTS. WE WANT PEOPLE TO ATTEND. WE KNOW WE WE WANT TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT. BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM SOME OF THE SENIORS THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET TO OUR EVENTS. WE DON'T OFFER TRANSPORTATION, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE HOSTING IT HERE AT THIS LOCATION. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ROUTES OR UPDATED ROUTES FOR MANY OF OUR SHUTTLES AND BUS SERVICES. AND KEEPING THAT IN MIND AS, AS THE TOWN IS, YOU KNOW, GROWING AND AS, AS, AS IT'S CHANGING. AND THE OTHER[01:00:05]
THING WITH THAT TOO IS THAT. WHAT WORKED WELL IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO EVENTS AND HOSTING EVENTS IS VERY YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY. WE HOST EVENTS, WE HOST SERVICES, SCREENINGS, HEALTH FAIRS. AND, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION ISN'T HOW MANY HOW MANY RESOURCE FAIRS OR HOW MANY EVENTS WE'RE HOSTING. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EVENTS THAT WE ARE HOSTING ARE REACHING THE PEOPLE THAT IT NEEDS TO REACH, AND THAT THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT THE MOST ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE SERVICES. AND THERE IS A GAP THERE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO THAT WE WILL HAVE TO TROUBLESHOOT. SO ONE OF THE MAYOR'S WELLNESS GRANT. SO THE MAYOR'S WELLNESS, THEY HAVE AN ANNUAL GRANT WE CAN APPLY FOR. LAST YEAR, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ASSISTED THE TOWNSHIP IN APPLYING FOR THE HOPE SQUAD, WHICH WAS A REQUEST MADE BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, TO ALMOST LIKE A SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM. IT'S PEER LED, IT'S EVIDENCE BASED. AND AND SO FOR THIS YEAR, WE ARE PROPOSING TO APPLY FOR MEMORY AND WELLNESS CAFES IN AND AROUND TOWN AND NEIGHBORHOODS. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LEARNING IS THAT IN ORDER TO GET TO THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED HELP AND SERVE AND NEED ACCESS TO THE SERVICES AND INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP THEM, IS FOR US TO GO TO THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. NOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LIMITED ON STAFFING, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND WE GO TO SOME OF THESE SITES ANYWAY TO DO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OUTREACH WORK AND WE FIND IT, IT'S MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN WE GO TO THEM. AND SO THIS GRANT, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HOST SOME ON SITE WELLNESS AND MEMORY CAFES IS A WORD THAT THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN USING TO REALLY INCREASE SOCIAL SUPPORTS AND A SPACE FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTION, FOR CAREGIVERS, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE AGING, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE ISOLATED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. IT CAN BE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. AND, YOU KNOW, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC HEALTH COMPONENT TO THAT AS WELL. SO AS PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, NEW JERSEY PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE STANDARDS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO UPHOLD, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT TOPIC AREAS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SHARING INFORMATION AND PROVIDING EDUCATION ON. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROPOSING TO APPLY FOR THE MEMORY AND WELLNESS CAFES IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WANT COMMUNITY LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO PARTNER WITH US SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, REACH DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN TOWN. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NOT BE TUNED INTO TOWNSHIP CHANNELS, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE LEARNING. WE HAVE OUR WEEKLY BULLETINS, WE HAVE OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THERE'S STILL A LARGE SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION, OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT ACCESSING THAT INFORMATION, THAT ARE NOT TUNED IN. SO WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO. AND THE OTHER THING. SO OR JUST ANOTHER REMINDER ABOUT OUR FLU CLINICS, WE. OUR NEXT ONE IS ON THIS SATURDAY AT THE FARMER'S MARKET. WE ALSO ARE HOSTING HEARING SCREENINGS. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED YOUR FLU VACCINE, PLEASE COME OUT ON SATURDAY. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE. I'VE SEEN SOME OF YOU AT OUR CLINICS. SO JUST A REMINDER, GET YOUR FLU, GET YOUR FLU SHOT. DID YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT THIS. AND I THINK THAT'S IT. I DON'T WANT NOT NOT TOO MUCH GOING ON OTHER THAN THE ANNUAL REPORT. AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BRING ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS ONLINE, ALL OF OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS AND MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE PROGRAMS. SO STAY TUNED. THANK YOU. NOTHING ELSE? NO. OKAY. WE DID CORRESPONDENCE ALREADY. I DID[XI. New Business ]
THAT AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR. NEW BUSINESS. HERE'S THE TIME. WE DIDN'T. I ACTUALLY DIDN'T CHECK TO SEE IF ANYBODY WOULD STAND IN FOR JOE ON ANY NEW BUSINESS FROM EMS. I'M NOT PREPARED. I DON'T I THINK WE'LL GO THROUGH THE NORMAL RECRUITING. WE DO HAVE A OPEN HOUSE COMING UP. DECEMBER 1ST. NOVEMBER 1ST. NOVEMBER 1ST. THANK YOU. OPEN HOUSE AT EMS. PLEASE EVERYBODY COME AND ATTEND. YES, WE ARE LOOKING FOR DONATIONS BECAUSE WE NEED A NEW AMBULANCE. I'M TRYING TO THINK OF ALL THE THINGS THAT SAID. WOULD HOPE THAT I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG THINGS, BUT PLEASE COME BY. IT'S A REALLY GREAT DAY. WE GET A LOT OF ENERGY, A LOT OF VISITS. WE DO GET. THE MAYOR COMES, WE GET COUNTY REPS, SOMETIMES EVEN[01:05:01]
STATE REPS. THERE'S FOOD. THERE'S FOOD, TOURS OF THE AMBULANCE, TOURS OF THE AMBULANCE. IF YOU HAVE LITTLE ONES OR LITTLE ONE NEIGHBORS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BRING BY THE KIDS, REALLY ENJOY IT AND LOVE IT BECAUSE WE GET TO DO ALL THE THINGS AND ALL THE TRUNK OR TREAT. OH, AND WE ALSO HAVE A TRUNK OR TREAT TRUNK OR TREAT YOU. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE TRUNK OR TREAT. I'M NOT GOING, BUT OKAY. IT'LL ALSO BE A TRUNK OR TREAT AND I'M OPEN UPS, I DON'T KNOW, IN THE AFTERNOON. AND THAT COULD BE A TRUNK OR TREAT. AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING AN AMBULANCE AND GIVE KIDS TOURS, SPOOKY TOURS, SPOOKY TOURS OF THE AMBULANCE. SO OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS? HOW ABOUT FROM PLAN FROM HEALTH? ANY NEW BUSINESS, FROM PLAN FOR HEALTH? OTHER THAN WHAT? DABANGG? NO, BUT I NOTHING.WELL, I GUESS IF I'M SAYING SOMETHING, IT'S SOMETHING. THERE'S. ARE WE STILL COLLECTING DATA ON THE SURVEYS? SURVEY SHOULD BE CLOSED OUT. THEY'RE ALL CLOSED. ALL RIGHT.
WELL, RESPONSE WAS REALLY BAD. SO IF JUST TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD, LIKE RESPONSE RATE WAS THERE OR YES, THE RESPONSE RATE FOR THE SURVEY FOR PLAN FOR HEALTH, I THINK WHAT WAS IT LIKE 60 COMPLETED SURVEYS 6060. YEAH, YEAH, THERE WAS SO WE DID THE COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT OUR CONSULTANT DID THAT, THAT HAD 60 RESPONSES. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD THE SURVEY THAT WENT OUT EARLIER AND THAT HAD A LOT MORE. THERE WAS LIKE ALMOST 500 OR SOMETHING FOR THAT. SO WE DO HAVE BOTH COMBINED. BUT YEAH, THE COMMUNITY SURVEY DID NOT HAVE THAT MANY RESPONSES. I THINK PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE SURVEYED OUT AT THIS POINT OF THE YEAR. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF SURVEYS THIS YEAR. YEAH, YEAH. IT IS DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE THE YOUTH, THE THE STUDENTS WERE REALLY TRYING TO GET FOLKS TO PARTICIPATE. AND SO I, I FEEL LIKE THEY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO IT AND WENT TO A LOT OF PLACES TO GET PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE. AND I WAS REALLY SHOCKED BY HOW FEW PEOPLE PARTICIPATED. OH, THAT'S TOO BAD. OUR LISTENING SESSIONS HAD SMALL GROUPS AS WELL, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO DID COME OUT HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME VERY GOOD FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION THAT THEY SHARED. BUT YES, WE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE MORE. IS THERE A PLAN FOR A RE. LAUNCH OF THE SURVEY BETWEEN THE MAP AND THE COMMUNITY SURVEY? WE DO HAVE A LOT BECAUSE THE STUDENTS WERE ALSO INITIALLY THEY WERE PROMOTING THE SURVEY IN THE SUMMER. SO THEY DID GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TAKE THAT ONE, WHICH WAS GOOD. AND THEN I THINK IT DROPPED OFF A LITTLE BIT ONCE SCHOOL STARTED. OKAY. AND YEAH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE AGE FRIENDLY DATA THAT HAS SIMILAR INFORMATION. SO WE'LL KIND OF COMBINE ALL THAT DATA TOGETHER FOR THE FINAL REPORT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYTHING FROM TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE? NO, NOTHING.
OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. I DO HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION BECAUSE I, I WAS JUST LOOKING BACK. SO THIS IS GOING BACK TO YOUR REPORT. APOLOGIES. IT'S NEW BECAUSE I JUST DID IT, BUT I'M LIKE VERY STRUCK BY THE NUMBER OF GRANT, THE TOTAL REVENUE. I ACTUALLY TOOK A TOTAL. SO I'M WONDERING IF I'M DOUBLE COUNTING BECAUSE YOUR GRANT, YOUR TOTAL REVENUE IS DOUBLE YOUR EXPENDITURES, WHICH I'M WONDERING. SO IF YOU SHOULD, IS IT APPROPRIATE TO ADD ALL OF THE REVENUE LINE ITEMS? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. THE THING IS DON'T COUNT THE FIVE, FIVE, FIVE, THE ONE THAT I WAS THAT I GOT HOOKED UP. YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE THAT OUT. YEP. SOME ARE MULTI-YEAR GRANTS, WHICH IS WHY IT IT THROWS IT OFF. OKAY. IF YOU DO THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL. YEAH. SO I JUST WANTED TO NAME THAT BECAUSE YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE THAT MORE. WE CAN, WE CAN, YEAH, WE CAN ADD FOR 2020 FOUR, 25. IT IS ACTUAL EXPENDITURES IN 20. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. YES. YEAH. SO I SEE. YEAH. SO WHAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE BECAUSE IF YOU GO AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE MISSING $800,000. NO, I MEAN, TO ME, THE WAY I, IF I JUST READ THIS TO ME, I TAKE IT AS LIKE CASH POSITIVE IN TERMS OF LIKE, OKAY, THEN WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH STAFF. I'M LIKE, I KNOW EXACTLY. I STILL THINK I DO, I THINK WE STILL ARE CASH POSITIVE THOUGH. WE ARE. SO I, THE THING THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS NOT TODAY, BUT YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT A WAY TO SHOW YOUR CASH POSITIVITY BECAUSE THE TO JAY'S POINT, SHOWING THAT YOUR CASH POSITIVE ON THE REVENUE SIDE AND STILL YOU COULD EVEN DO A PER CAPITA REVENUE GENERATION FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND JUST DOCUMENT THAT BECAUSE THE MORE WE STRUGGLE WITH STAFFING, THE MORE WE STRUGGLE WITH THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO. AND WE'RE DOING A CASH POSITIVE INFLOW INTO THE
[01:10:06]
TOWNSHIP. I MEAN, IT'S GREAT THAT WE WERE ABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW EVERYBODY USE THIS EXAMPLE, THE ONE OF THE GRANTS WE HAD FUNDED, THE WONDERFUL SHADES THAT WE HAVE IN THIS ROOM, THE TABLES AND THE TABLES IN THIS ROOM. AND I DISLIKE THE I'M SORRY, I WOULD LIKE DISPLAY OF SORRY, THE SAY IT, SAY IT AGAIN. IT'S ABSURD. CAN WE GET RENT? CAN WE GET RENT FOR THE COMPUTERS? AND SO THE THINGS THAT WE PURCHASED HAVE BEEN THEY COULD HAVE BEEN REDIRECTED IN OTHER WAYS. AGAIN, IT HAD TO BE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT.BUT I, I'D REALLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GUYS, MAYBE EVEN IN THE 2026 REPORT, YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN TO SHOW THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO DOCUMENT. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY NEW THING. YEAH. AND WE'VE PRETTY MUCH. THEN YOU CAN ALSO SHOW THAT THIS IS WHAT I NEED IN TERMS OF THE FEES. AND YOU CAN SHOW THE DEFICIT THAT WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT, RIGHT FROM A REVENUE AND STUFF, RIGHT PERSPECTIVE. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE REVENUE AND LIKE IS WAY BETTER THAN THE EXPENDITURE, WHICH IS NOT PRESENTING A TRUE PICTURE. IF THEY ADJUST, IT'S STILL GOING TO COME OUT FAIRLY CASH POSITIVE. YEAH, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DOUBLE, BUT IT WILL BE CLOSER. SO THAT'S MY NEW BUSINESS. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE. YOU CAN CONSULT WITH THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT. IT'LL PROBABLY SHOW YOU HOW TO PRESENT IT. WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE SURPLUS. YES. THAT'S ALL I WILL SAY. YES WE HAVE. WE HAVEN'T REALLY RECEIVED ANY CREDIT FOR IT. SO. I'M GOING TO START BILLING SERVICES AND JUST SAYING. I'M ONLY KIDDING. OKAY. ADJOURNMENT. SO HAVING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS THE MEETING WILL NOW ADJOURN AT 842. MOTION TO ADJOURN HOME SECOND. BYE. YES, JAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.