TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—A two-year contract renewal with the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission — which provides “professional and efficient public health and environmental services” to the residents of the communities it serves — was tabled at two consecutive January meetings.
It might come up on the Monday, Jan. 24 council agenda.
The contract cost would be $73,842, covering the entirety of 2022 and 2023 for the services of a health officer to direct a program of local services and activities “as required to meet or exceed public health practice standards.”
This includes compliance with all state health laws, periodic written reports listing all health services rendered by the health officer, and attendance at regular health advisory board meetings.
The contract also provides the township with services of a registered environmental health specialist, and services including assistance with emergency preparedness processes; assistance during flu clinics and ordering flu vaccine; public updates at town meetings; and monthly reports on food establishment inspections, violations and complaints.
Other services provided in the contract include public health nursing, including communicable disease investigations; monitoring school immunization records; providing nurses to administer vaccinations at annual flu clinics; home visits for evaluation and emergency response; health education; and animal bite investigations.
An additional $1,036 “Covid fee” for 2022 would cover a special assessment for increased administrative duties and nursing hours associated with Covid-19 response.
The commission, organized in 1957, is based in Waldwick and services 11 county municipalities — including in our area Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale, and Westwood, and until recently the township. It recently hosted a Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Emerson.
Council leadership has questions
After the contract with NWBRHC expired Dec. 31, 2021, a renewal was tabled Jan. 3 after council president Desserie Morgan, vice president Stacey Feeney, and member Thomas Sears agreed they had questions on cost.
The town clerk said she would send out the full contract to council members by Jan. 4 so that it could come to a council vote Jan. 6. Members tabled it then too.
A Jan. 13 special meeting on a bond ordinance did not take this item up.
“I wanted to see what’s in the contract before voting on it,” said Morgan at the Jan. 3 meeting, her first since taking over council leadership in the township’s municipal reorganization.
Feeney, who was president last year, said she agreed, noting she wanted “to see if they’re the only game in town.”
Morgan said she wasn’t “necessarily” looking to replace the health agency in the township, but instead to possibly negotiate the agency’s proposed contract.
She said “if there’s room for negotiating” she may want to include tasks related to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as more Covid updates, or possibly access to Covid test sites.
She said such items might be part of the contract that could be provided to the township weekly.
Member Steven Cascio put in that he recalled the township employing HARP, the Health Awareness Regional Program, a service of Hackensack Meridian Health.
Mayor Peter Calamari said that the other option would be to bring in a nurse from the Bergen County Health Department.
At the Jan. 6 meeting, Morgan again said she wanted to table the resolution to approve the contract to allow time for additional research “and get our facts together before we are locked in to another two years.”
Sears asked Morgan when she would be “comfortable enough” to put the contract back on the agenda for a vote.
“Without saying too much I need a little bit of time to research… just research options,” she said.
She said if she did not have the answers she needed by Jan. 13, she would postpone a vote again. Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission says on its website, NWBRHC.org, that each commission town is represented by a local board of health.
The site notes local boards of health in New Jersey are responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of public health policy and programs in communities.