Board of Health

City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 JULY 19, 2016 MEETING MINUTES Meeting call to Order @ 5:30 PM Board President Christine Harris read the following Sunshine Law: This meeting, which conforms to the provisions of the Open Public Meeting Act, Chapter 231, Public Law of 1975 is a regular meeting of the City of East Orange Board of Health. Notices have been filed with our official newspaper, with the City Clerk and posted on regular bulletin boards. The public is permitted to participate at this meeting. After the roll call, it was determined there was a quorum to convene the meeting. Board Members Present: Christine Harris, President Tobbia M. Corbitt Horace H. Henry Reverend Jean E. Maurice arrived at 6:00 pm Cynthia Barnes Rosemarie Brown arrived @ 6:10 pm Ryan Linder, Attorney Mayoral Staff/Health Department Staff/Animal Control: Diashana Coleman, Administrative Clerk, Department of Health Satya Besra, EHS Ajah Baldwin, Aide to Mayor Lester E. Taylor, III Michael Burton, Animal Control Officer (ACO) Chesney Blue, WIC Coordinator Public in attendance: Olake Muhammad-Ismail Mekkah Muhammad-Ismail Rashid Hampton Approval of May 17, 2016 Meeting Minutes Approved by unanimous vote. No meeting scheduled in August 2016. Introductions Board President Harris introduces part-time ACO Lenora Hankerson, while she is out on a call. President Harris then introduces, the new WIC Coordinator, Chesney Blue. Ms. Blue stated that she graduated from Clifford J. Scott High School and Howard University. And, upon graduating from Howard University she did an internship at UMDNJ in Newark which is now part of Rutgers University. Currently, she is working on her Master’s in Public Health at Rutgers University in Newark. Ms. Blue explained that most of her career has been in clinical and public health nutrition; she has worked on grants and worked at East Orange pg. 1 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 JULY 19, 2016 MEETING MINUTES General Hospital (EOGH) for a number of years. Additionally, she stated that she is here to help and be a leader with the health department and the WIC program. Lastly, Ms. Blue said that she worked for WIC as a nutritionist about nine years ago for two years, after graduating from college, before she went to work on her graduate studies. Ms. Blue is also the immediate past President of the NJ Dietetic Association, which is the professional organization of nutritionist and dietetics in New Jersey; with a board of 45 people and volunteers. President Harris and the BOH welcomed and wish Ms. Blue success in her new position with the City of East Orange. Updates: DOH personnel matters to be tabled to an executive session. Attorney Linder explains that issues involving contracts cannot be discussed in a public meeting particularly if the person is not in attendance. President Harris asked Mr. Besra to inform the Board of updates in environmental health. Mr. Besra indicated in June there were a number of inspections in the following areas:  Bed Bugs: 5 complaints which they recommend residents to employ someone who is a licensed exterminator. Also, they advised the person to have a two-week gap for further pest treatment to eradicate the bed bugs.  Rodent: 3 complaints  Environmental Assessments: 3  Housing inspections: 1  Mold/Mildew: 3 complaints  Sanitary conditions: 5  CCO or CO (Continuation Occupancy or Certified Occupancy): 4  Retail Food License: 50 CO’s were issued (most are renewals since the period of licensing from July 1 to July 1)  Court Summons: 7 (monetary fines collected were $1,250 dollars)  Court Appearance: 4  Restaurant Inspection Certificates issued: 24. inspections are graded on scales of: satisfactory, conditional or failing; 32 satisfactory issued; 4 conditional issued and 0 failures.  Inspections: Restaurants 11; Retail Food 30; Visual Survey 19; Campgrounds 2; Liquor Store 1; Swimming Pools 4; Nursing homes 3; Day Care 1; Underground Storage Tanks(UST) 11 (The state gives notice and environmental health keeps track of what was done and they must be covered); and Sewer leakage 1.  CDRSS (Communicable Disease Reporting Survey System): 58 cases pg. 2 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 JULY 19, 2016 MEETING MINUTES President Harris inquired about new Zika virus cases in our city and Mr. Besra responded that the State of NJ is helping them to track cases which there have been five in East Orange which were imported from outside of the United States. Mrs. Corbitt asked about rodent complaints; if they were from private homes, businesses and/ or multi-dwellings. Mr. Besra responded that the complaints are mix of locations, however, the majority are from multiple dwellings. Mr. Henry asks Mr. Besra about the common area of infestation of rodents in the City of East Orange. Mr. Besra responds by stating that the problem is throughout the city when residents and business owners do not properly cover or leave out the garbage, as well as, people throwing garbage down the sewers. Mr. Henry asks if there is an initiative and plan in place to help to solve the problem to prevent further infestation to solve the problem? Additionally, Mr. Henry asked if the rodents are sewer types or another kind? Mr. Besra responded that are both types. Mr. Besra and Mr. Henry both expressed that business owners, visitors and residence need to work together to prevent and help solve the infestation issue through education., thus preventing possible diseases to manifest. Additionally, Mr. Henry expresses that he would like to see less involvement from private contractors through developing a plan of action. Mr. Henry recommended that a survey could be taken to determine the extent of the problem and once determined efforts can be made to solve the issue through various sectors where the issue needs to be addressed with the Health Department taking the biggest responsibility to enforce the plan of action. Ms. Brown inquiries about the enforcement of the no littering laws, ticket issuances and other matters related to enforcement. Additionally, she shares that since parking is now permitted on both sides of her street more littering has occurred, which is breeding rodents, however, if the enforcement of the littering and dumping garbage were to take place it would curtail the situation. Mr. Besra stated that environmental health addresses the situation when asked. Pres. Harris asked Mr. Besra if the Police Department is responsibility for issuing the violations? Mr. Besra indicated that they are not responsible for issuing the violations. Ms. Baldwin states that the Mayor’s Office receives these complaints about the rodents and she suggests that a collaborative effort can take place, particularly, with residents and business that are near areas of the city where new construction is beginning to take place. Mr. Henry suggested that rodent control could possibly take place at the beginning of the construction projects. Ms. Harris asks who takes the initiative with these efforts to handle the rodent scampering from their nesting habitat? Ms. Baldwin stated that she would inquire with Director Dwight Saunders in Property Maintenance. Pres. Harris asked Ms. Baldwin if she could speak to Mr. Saunders about addressing this issue in a future meeting. Pres. Harris asked Mr. Besra what is the time period given to business that receive the conditional inspection certificate to comply? He stated that time allowed is based upon the pg. 3 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 JULY 19, 2016 MEETING MINUTES level of the violation. For instance, minor violation has one week to comply while those individuals that receive larger violations have two weeks. and After that time and after the compliance period is over the location is re-inspected. Ms. Harris asked does the violation affect the product that is being served to the public? Mr. Besra responded yes and no; such as the floors of the location being dirty, business is ceased until the satisfactory ticket is issued for food being served to the public. Mr. Henry asks that once a critical condition is determined, is the location shut-down? Mr. Besra stated yes. Mr. Henry also asked Mr. Besra about the number of locations that are certified. Mr. Besra stated that there are 300 certified legal operations. Mr. Horace asked Mr. Besra if he is satisfied with the number of certifications. Mr. Besra answered because there are one or two business that may only receive conditional. Mrs. Corbitt asked Mr. Besra about the number of illegal operating eateries? Mr. Besra stated that there are illegal eateries and they fined $1,000 dollars for operating without a license. Mr. Henry asked about the penalty for operating without a license. Mr. Besra states that they have to reapply and re-do the food managers certification again which can take 3-6 months. Pres. Harris asked if there is a rotational schedule for restaurant inspections? Mr. Besra states that they get monthly reports of where to inspect that has the date that the inspection needs to take place. Pres. Harris inquired about the number of times in a year an establishment is inspected? Mr. Besra stated that it is only once a year. Mr. Horace inquired about the restaurants being categorized based on risk and why the restaurants are not inspected more than once a year if the establishment has many risk factors? Pres. Harris asked Attorney Linder if there is local or state statute that indicates how many inspections are supposed to take place to high risk establishments? Attorney Linder responded by stating that the state has detailed regulations, which are enforced by local ordinances, such as, code. Pres. Harris suggested that it is a good idea that the BOH learns of these codes to be better informed on the matter. Pres. Harris asked Mr. Besra if environmental health has a database with the establishments and their risk factors. Mr. Besra stated that there is a database. Ms. Corbitt asked Attorney Linder if there are statutes in place, can the municipality impose an ordinance regarding inspection time frames. Attorney Linder indicates that there is a Document of Preemption whereby the Federal government prevents states from having too much control in a particular area. He cites that example where a number of states tried to pass a legislation that requires food companies label GMO’s products, however, he cites that states are barred from the label because of the federal legislation. Also, the federal government does not want a patchwork of different legislation, but standards that everyone can follow. In New Jersey, Administrative Code Title 13 Ch. 45B from The Division of Community Affairs, states: "Accredited program" means a food protection manager certification program that has been evaluated and listed by an accrediting agency as conforming to national standards for organizations that certify individuals. The term refers to the certification process and is a designation based upon an pg. 4 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 JULY 19, 2016 MEETING MINUTES independent evaluation of factors such as the sponsor's mission; organizational structure; staff resources; revenue sources; policies; public information regarding program scope and eligibility requirement; recertification, discipline and grievance procedures; and test development and administration. The term does not refer to training functions or education programs. Pres. Harris thanked Mr. Besra for the updates of environmental health. Pres. Harris asked Ms. Coleman about the updates for the Health Department. Ms. Coleman stated that the Health department is going on smoothly in the absence of a health officer. Additionally, there are no major complaints with the exception of animal control issues which are forwarded to the ACO’s. Pres. Harris thanks Ms. Coleman for her updates. Pres. Harris informed the BOH about the issues and letter that was written to Mr. Senande regarding the Animal shelter. Mr. Burton stated that the roof is fixed, and a majority of the ceiling tiles; the floors will be worked on during the weekend and the 12 dogs and 7 cats will be placed at a local shelter which they are seeking to find; and the vegetation has been cleared from the animal walk. Pres. Harris asked if any local municipality will be willing to help with housing the animal. Mr. Burton stated that Bloomfield will house any new animals that the animal shelter receives for the next six days. St. Hubert’s and Passaic are willing to help too while the floors are drying. Pres. Harris asked about calls for other wildlife. Mr. Burton states that there have been calls for raccoons and other creepy callers that are normal for the summer months and there have not been a lot of dog and cat calls. Discussion on TNVM ordinance Pres. Harris asks the residents about their concerns regarding the TNVM program. Ms. Mekkah Muhammad states that she is concerned about the number of feral cats that she sees in her residential area and what means are being taking place to reduce the population? Additionally, Ms. Muhammad asks what is also being done about residents feeding cats in the community. Pres. Harris stated that in a previous meeting those questions were discussed and the TNVM program is a solution to the feral cat issue in the community. Pres. Harris also explained that the TNVM program has restrictions; a colony must be established; caregivers designated that can provide medical care to the animals and food and shelter to the animals. Additionally, Pres. Harris stated that the City Council Liaison will have to decide where the colony will be established and who will take on the responsibility. Ms. Muhammad asked can residents and community members volunteer to help with the feral cat situation by helping to trap the feral cats. Pres. Harris stated that volunteers trapping the cats would be dangerous and creates a public health issue since many of the feral cats have disease. Ms. Olake Muhammad asks if the city can have an adoption day for the feral cats. Pres. Harris explained that the feral cannot be domesticated which is why the TNVM ordinance is important to help with this issue. Pres. Harris stated that another issue the BOH must work on is the micro-chipping and ear tipping costs by the September meeting, as well as, an area to establish a colony and identify non-profits that can assist with the effort. Ms. Barnes pg. 5 City of East Orange EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH NEW JERSEY REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 JULY 19, 2016 MEETING MINUTES suggests that putting the tops on the garbage cans need to enforce to prevent the cats feeding on the garbage. Pres. Harris asked Ms. Baldwin if Mr. Saunders could be involved in the enforcement of the garbage lid issue. Ms. Baldwin stated that there are ordinances of where the garbage is placed. Attorney Linder stated that the ordinance for the apartment building is different because if the garbage truck does not have access to them they can store their garbage bags in the back of the buildings without a can, thus making the solution of the garbage issue for the apartment building very difficult particularly the pre-World War I buildings whose infrastructure is different and does not accommodate garbage trucks. Ms. Barnes suggested that more residents should take stronger measures to reduce feral cat and rodent prevention and feedings through proper trash placement. Pres. Harris asked the public audience if their questions were answered. They stated that their concerns were addressed. She thanked them for attending the meeting. Pres. Harris thanked everyone for attending the meeting and stated that the next meeting is going to take place in September. Adjournment Board President Harris requested a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion made by board member Tobbia Corbitt and seconded by board member Cynthia Barnes meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm. Submitted by, Sala S. Small Recording Clerk pg. 6