MONMOUTH COUNTY REGIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION NO. 1. REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, September 23, hr. 57 min. 45 sec.

Transcription

1 CALL TO ORDER: MONMOUTH COUNTY REGIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION NO. 1 REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, September 23, hr. 57 min. 45 sec. President Roman called the meeting to order at 6:07 p.m. He then led the Regional Board of Health in the salute to the flag. President Roman next read the Open Public Meeting Act Statement. ROLL CALL: Brielle Jim Langenberger, Fair Haven Theresa Casagrande, Little Silver Les Mathis & Dr. Tim Sullivan, Monmouth Beach Joe Nardone, Red Bank Mary Nicosia, Sea Bright Dr. Meg Fisher, Shrewsbury Borough Paul Roman, Spring Lake Heights Dr. Len Giles, Tinton Falls John Mack Upon completion of the roll call, the Secretary reported that a quorum was present. ABSENT: Boro of Highlands, Twp of Ocean, Boro of Rumson, Boro of Sea Girt, Boro of Spring Lake, Boro of Tinton Falls, Twp of Wall, Boro of West Long Branch OTHERS PRESENT: David A. Henry Secretary/Health Officer, Diane Beears, Mike Kowal, REHS, Heather Frketich Office Coordinator MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: OPEN SESSION: Vice-President Giles motioned to approve the Open Session minutes of August 26, 2014, seconded by Les Mathis. ROLL CALL VOTE: Brielle Yes Sea Bright Yes Fair Haven Abstain Shrewsbury Boro Yes Little Silver Yes Spring Lake Hts Yes Monmouth Beach Yes Tinton Falls Yes Red Bank Yes 8 Ayes, 0 Nays, 1 Abstain Motion carries. Page 1 of 8

2 REHS PRESENTATION on POOL INSPECTIONS By Diane Beears and Michael Kowal Topics included rating system, new regulations for 2015 bathing season, types of pools, safety equipment and water sampling. A brief question and answer session followed after which Ms. Beears and Mr. Kowal exited the meeting. COMMUNICATIONS: None HEALTH OFFICER S REPORT: The August/September 2014 Health Officer s Report, the August 2014 Conferences & Meetings, the August 2014 Public Health Nursing report and the August 2014 Communicable Disease Report were previously mailed/ ed. Mr. Henry reported on: Where we are and where we are going 1) Available Accreditation Grants Preparation stage funding and available assistance to pursue: a) NJACCHO $15,000 toward Quality Improvement (to be announced in October 2014) b) NJHOA Gaining Ground (handout) 20 month initiative toward consultant, possibly an intern, as health department cohort groups work together sharing info/resources c) Stipend amounts for workshop attendance ($ ) Whatever costs are not covered, would be spread across out MCRHC towns as they would be proposed items in the 2015 budgetary planning cycle. Mr. Henry reiterated that at this point in the process we are seeking money (via grants mentioned above) toward the accreditation application process of which he feels we are moving toward in very good shape with the groundwork that has already been accomplished. Question/Comments: Commissioner Casagrande commented that at some point, this Commission must decide if they will fund the accreditation process after a thorough review and understanding of the pros and cons as well as the timeline and expenses. Also important are the ongoing costs after Accreditation status is obtained. Accreditation status is held for 5 years at a proposed cost of $31,000. Once the recipient of the $15,000 grant has been announced, it was requested that the Health Officer prepare a spreadsheet to aid in this endeavor for the next meeting. Page 2 of 8

3 HEALTH OFFICER S REPORT (continued): 2) NJ GASP is working on a template for use in creating an E-Cigarette Licensing Ordinance There are currently no local, county or state regulations. The Health Officer research found that examples of what the license fees have been used toward are education of e-cig establishment owners, and Tobacco Age of Sale exercises. Approximately 20 establishments of this nature currently exist within MCRHC jurisdiction. In a related matter, Gov. Christie recently vetoed the No Smoking Ban legislation proposed for Parks and Beaches. 3) Enterovirus DV-68 FAQ (Handout) - A new concern especially among children that causes upper respiratory ailments (some severe). Reported in 10 states to date with one confirmed case in NJ and 18 suspected cases in Monmouth County. Lab confirmed cases are what the Health Department works on. Treatment is supportive care and attempt to control risk/spread. Hospitals have been very diligent in monitoring incoming symptoms. 4) RWJ Shaping NJ Grant in 5 th year The Health Officer reviewed the purpose of this grant to change the mindset and environmental conditions of the population to very simply make the health choice the preferred choice in regard to food, exercise and overall wellness. We have received several continuing grants for (based on work in the community of Red Bank). On October 24 th, there will be a bidders conference. Open up to other communities with new amounts of $10,000 each (handout) the more members on the MCRHC team, the better chance of competing for grants to make desired changes. Dr. Sullivan inquired how the success of such a program is judged. Mr. Henry stated that beginning to work on the area of compiling data on results of many of the initiatives is planned for the next budget cycle 5) One WNV case and one Chickungunya noted on the August 2014 CDRSS report. Dr. Fisher motioned to accept the Health Officer s report, seconded by John Mack. VOTE: Unanimous CFO REPORT: No Report AUDIT COMMITTEE: No Report, but this Committee needs to meet to review the draft 2013 audit, prior to its presentation to the full Commission. Page 3 of 8

4 AUDIT COMMITTEE (continued): Theresa Casagrande, Audit Committee member urges a review of the description of the method used to calculate town fees as it appears in 1) the audit language and 2) the uniform town contract language as it continues to be a concern of the Monmouth Beach Commissioner. President Roman ended by stating that any Commissioner questions or comments be forwarded to him (soon) through the Health Officer to be passed by the Audit Committee before its final draft BUDGET and FINANCE COMMITTEE No Report TREASURER S REPORT: Presented by President Roman in the absence of Liz Finnerty, Treasurer. He briefly reviewed the Statement of Accounts for period ending August 31, The Treasurer s Report was accepted as presented. FINANCE COMMITTEE: PAYMENT OF BILLS: Following request for research/clarification of two items involving a cost of Hepatitis B vaccine purchase and a retail food establishment plan review application fee refund: Vice-President Giles motioned to pay the September 2014 bills in the amount of $53, The motion was seconded by Theresa Casagrande. ROLL CALL VOTE: Brielle Yes Sea Bright Yes Fair Haven Yes Shrewsbury Boro Yes Little Silver Yes Spring Lake Hts Yes Monmouth Beach Yes Tinton Falls Yes Red Bank Yes 9 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 Abstain Motion carries. Page 4 of 8

5 HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE: Human Resources Chair, Les Mathis advised there will be issues for discussion at the October meeting and that an HR Committee meeting will be held this evening following the main meeting. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: No Report GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE: No Report OLD BUSINESS: MCRHC 2013 Annual Report The Health Officer received a request from President Roman to provide all data in the format of the 2012 Annual Report. He feels it is more reader friendly and results in a better presentation to our towns. No other comments or questions were shared. Dental Coverage for MCRHC Retirees At the August meeting, the Commission requested further research in regard to Sandra Van Sant and spouse being covered under the MCRHC Monmouth Beach employee dental plan as retirees. This was in error as Mrs. Van Sant had not reached the 25 years of service to continue coverage pursuant to MCRHC personnel policy. After a brief discussion, the Commission rendered the following decisions: 1) Due to the fact that it was an internal error, this coverage may be continued through year end. 2) At this point in time, there will not be a change in MCRHC personnel policy terms regarding retiree dental coverage. They reaffirmed the requirement that an employee must have a minimum of 25 years of service with MCRHC to be eligible for this coverage continuation. Legal Counsel for MCRHC - The Commission needs to move forward to pursue replacement counsel. Requests for Proposal have been posted on the MCRHC website, and advertised with NJHOA and NJLOM. Deadline for responses/submission of qualifications is October 21, 2014 and will be reported to the Commission at the October meeting. Discussion: Described as Non-Fair & Open (no RFP) but Fair & Open is when you advertise. A reminder of the guidelines for each process will be forwarded to MCRHC staff by Theresa Casagrande tomorrow. Page 5 of 8

6 OLD BUSINESS (continued): A weighted rating criteria checklist will be in place prior to the opening of the applications by President Roman and the Health Officer. They will include 9but not limited to): Experience in municipal government/hd matters Familiarity with Title 26 Cannot provide legal service to any current MCRHC town or the County HD Price Reminder Max annual contract allowance will be $17,500. NEW BUSINESS: A copy of the Resolution of 2014 Commission Meeting Dates is provided in tonight s folders to remind all members of the remaining annual meeting schedule: November 25 th and December16th, Also, the remaining meetings will highlight the 2015 Health Services Proposed Budget which will be presented and discussed. Attendance is of extreme importance to your municipality as a budget vote is expected to take place in either November or December. The Health Officer presented a Resolution Authorizing the MCRHC #1 to Participate in the Gaining Ground Initiative Sponsored by the NJACCHO for the purpose of training and education to aid in performance improvement of local health departments over a 20-month time frame. The support of the Commission must be documented in order for the MCRHC staff to participate. Theresa Casagrande motioned to approve/adopt participation in the Gaining Ground initiative, seconded by Dr. Fisher. ROLL CALL VOTE: Brielle Yes Sea Bright Yes Fair Haven Yes Shrewsbury Boro Yes Little Silver Yes Spring Lake Hts Yes Monmouth Beach Yes Tinton Falls Yes Red Bank Yes 9 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 Abstain Motion carries. Governing bodies (MCRHC Commissioners) being offered free flu shots without any written policy might be perceived as an unethical practice. While many of our Board members believe in vaccine protection and are happy to set examples by receiving it, payment will be required until it is documented otherwise. President Roman agreed and all present were in agreement. Page 6 of 8

7 PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: None PRESIDENT S REPORT President Roman reported that Mike Meddis, retiring MCHD Health Officer, was given MCRHC shared services proposals merging the best parts of both organizations previously discussed with Commission. He acknowledged that he would pass them onto his BOH members, but was not in agreement or optimistic that it would be widely considered. MCRHC and its Health Officer would like to be part of a new mindset that would result in better collaboration between MCHD and MCRHC than has been the experience in the past. Several Commissioners suggested the MCRHC proposals be forwarded directly to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders who govern the County Health Department. President Roman took time to review points of the 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments (August meeting handout) prepared by NACCHO. Question: Are there any services missing that our towns would be interested in supporting the funding of? Bottom lines: - MCRHC is the best buy for the money in Monmouth $12.00/capita - Funds for NJ Public Health come from taxpayer dollars (not state funded) and required services are set forth in the NJ Practice Standards. - Staffing limitations can limit the range and focus of services and may not allow for a local public health department to function in all areas (ex. strong inspection and regulation efforts but very little prevention/planning) other agencies may be involved (ex. health education, nursing services) - In 2013, 30% of public health departments had fulfilled application requirements for Accreditation, with 39% completing the Accreditation process. The 148 th American Public Health Conference is scheduled for November 15 th -19 th in New Orleans, LA. The Health Officer touched on the importance of his staff s familiarity with the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) with specific focus on each town s OEM relationship with their MCRHC inspector and the need to be self-activating during a public health emergency or disaster event. The Health Officer would be based at the County Sheriff s Department in a similar situation. Page 7 of 8

8 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm on a motion by Theresa Casagrande, seconded by Joe Nardone.. VOTE: Unanimous Next Regular Meeting of the MCRHC #1 Commission will be held on Tuesday, OCTOBER 28, 2014 at 6:00 P.M. at the Regional s headquarters located at American Red Cross building 1540 West Park Avenue Suite # 1, Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Respectfully submitted, David A. Henry HEALTH OFFICER/COMMISSION SECRETARY Page 8 of 8