Board of Health

EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 MEETING MINUTES Meeting Call to Order – 5:36 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, and 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. Zoom Communication ID: 851 3680 2653 Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85136802653?pwd=aWgwUkV1SEk0NGQ5dy9iUnltNE5UZz09 After the roll call, it was determined there was a quorum to convene the meeting. Board Members Present: Christine Harris, President Tobbia M. Corbitt, Vice President Deanna Phillips Angela Jones-Williams Dr. Tonya X. Cook Council Liaison: Mustafa Al-M. Brent - absent Board of Health Counsel: Attorney Javonna Baker Health Department Staff: Yvonne Blake, Acting HHS Director Lia Hodges, Manager - absent Mayoral Staff: Mayor Ted R. Green Jada Braime-Butler Guests: None Public in attendance: pg. 1  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 None Approval of December 20, 2022, Meeting Minutes: Approved Unanimously President Harris Announcements: Election of President and Vice-President Trustee Phillips presented the nomination for BOH President. The Board unanimously nominated Christine Harris to remain as the Board President. President Harris thanked the Board for their vote of confidence and her pleasure to serve on the Board. President Harris next recommended Tobbia Corbitt for the role of Vice-President of the BOH. Dr. Cook was also nominated as Vice-President, which she respectfully declined. Trustee Corbitt accepted the nomination and was unanimously voted in as Vice-President of the BOH. BOH Reappointments & Resignations President Harris shared that Angela Jones-Williams, Tobbia Corbitt, and herself were reappointed to the Board for the next three years and congratulated members on their reappointment. Former VP Henry was also congratulated upon becoming the City’s Chief REHS, thus creating a vacancy on the board. Ms. Braime-Butler was informed to alert the Mayor to acquire representation from the 5th Ward. Mr. Henry will be missed but will do a fantastic job as our REHS. Director Blake/Ms. Hodges Updates: Grants President Harris stated she responded in the negative to Dir. Blake’s email, sent this evening, requesting cancellation of tonight’s meeting so that she could work on one of two grants that was due today. BOH meetings are rarely canceled except for extreme emergencies or a lack of quorum. Ms. Hodges shared that some individuals were assigned to roles beyond their qualifications, one of which pertains to the monitoring of grants which are now found to be at high risk. Ms. Hodges stated that she and Dir. Blake communicated effectively with the State and Federal Governments to assure them that we can complete the grants and do the necessary work. President Harris asked when were they notified that the grants were due today. Ms. Hodges stated they were made aware two weeks ago but the individual responsible for monitoring the grants resigned on January 11, 2023. President Harris asked if this individual was qualified to manage the grants. Ms. Hodges stated she was not. President Harris noted they had from the 12th through the 17th to complete the grant and this situation underscore the need to get qualified people into the Department. President Harris asked, and Ms. Hodges confirmed she had a lot of experience with grants and that she and if Director Blake would complete them. pg. 2  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 President Harris asked if they had everything needed to complete the grant. Ms. Hodges stated that she is working with the Health Officer and Ms. Van Clef, the grant program director, to obtain additional information regarding the grant. President Harris explained that her line of questioning is not intended to hold Ms. Hodges solely responsible; however, this is not the first time the Board has heard about grants almost being lost because they're not being renewed or processed promptly. President Harris stated that she remembers a similar conversation in November and feels that should have warranted a full review of all grants. President Harris asked how many people were responsible for reviewing, processing, and submitting grants for the health department before you came on Board. Ms. Hodges stated that the Director, Health Officer, Grant Analyst, and her assistant contribute to different roles, such as implementing data or managing the grant. President Harris asked Dr. Cook to comment in since she has vast experience dealing with grants. Dr. Cook suggested they obtain a list of all HD grants and create a spreadsheet to track their due dates, collectibles, etc. There should be an understanding of what the grants are and their purpose, and the expectations for those grants. Dr. Cook also stated that there needs to be accountability for those responsible for managing the grants. The BOH has also reached out to support the HD, so if you need us to solicit the EO administration, we can do that for you. As a board, we don't want to see you fail. We're here to ensure you succeed in this position, but you must make us aware of what is happening. VP Corbitt stated that they have been putting out fires in their short tenure and have yet to have an opportunity to procure the appropriate staffing, particularly regarding grants. President Harris concurred that they should prioritize bringing on a grant coordinator, and looking for a health officer and a permanent director. Additionally, Dr. Cook suggested identifying all the grants the health department has, listing the functions, and listing the necessary staff to coordinate them. You can't constantly put out fires whenever you turn around because you can't get anything organized like that. We recognize that there are many personnel issues in the Department, and the Mayor is willing to assist in helping you get the appropriate staff. Director Blake stated there are challenging issues within the Department and we have had to rebuild relationships with the grant agencies. President Harris reiterated to Director Blake the suggestions for grant management as shared by Dr. Cook and the Board. Staffing & Vacancies Mayor Green thanked President Harris. The Mayor stated that he and the BA are working to make some changes in the Department. They are currently interviewing candidates for director and health officer to ensure the Department maintains its professionalism and integrity. President Harris thanked Mayor Green for his comments and expressed the need to enact measures for the HD to ensure staff performs their duties as specified. However, specific measures must be put in place in the health department to ensure people perform their pg. 3  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 duties. President Harris also stated that the administration should discourage staff from circumventing the authority of the Director to prevent additional problems within the Department. Mayor Green concurred, stating that when staff comes to him or the BA, they are guided back to the directors or supervisors and are expected to work. President Harris implored Director Blake to be firm with the staff, explaining expectations for their roles and to initiate disciplinary actions as warranted. President Harris asked if there had been any movement from HR to find a HO or Director. Mayor Green reiterated that there had been interviews for both positions. He also stated that he would like to meet with the BOH to assist vetting the interviewees. The Mayor shared that there has been some difficulty in finding individuals with the appropriate credentials for the salary we offer. But we did come across a young lady who we thought would make a strong HO. Mayor Green asked the BOH to refer qualified candidates to facilitate this process. President Harris shared that she had referred a candidate for the HO vacancy, but he has yet to receive any follow-up. Mayor Green asked President Harris to forward his credentials to his secretary. Employment Entitlements President Harris asked Attorney Baker to clarify whether employees hired under a grant program are entitled to remain with the City once their grant ends. Attorney Baker shared that she could not find any specific documentation outlining this as a policy; however, members of the Legal Department stated that they could become part of the union as they are employed under the City but paid via the grant. Mayor Green stated that the City could place the individual under another grant program or bring them on as a City employee after the original grant funding ends. Mayor Green stated that employees working under a grant are aware that if the grant ends for any reason, they may not be reinstated; however, we try to accommodate people because we understand times are hard and want to see residents with employment. President Harris stated that this underscores the importance of having a grant coordinator, someone aware of grant requirements. The coordinator would be responsible for discussing the terms of the grant, assisting an employee with finding another grant when one is terminated based on appropriate skills, or finding another position within the City. Air Quality Report President Harris asked if the air quality control report was completed and submitted to OSHA. Ms. Hodges stated they received the report back, and it was satisfactory. President Harris asked Ms. Hodges to submit her current report to the BOH. Ms. Hodges stated that once we get the physical copy, we will share it with the Board. President Harris asked how many reports would be submitted to OSHA. pg. 4  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 Departmental Assessments/30-Day Improvement Plan President Harris asked if the 30-day improvement plan suggested by Dr. Cook had been formulated. Ms. Hodges stated Dir. Blake has started drafting the plan, but she also wanted to do a fair assessment because it was brought to her attention that many individuals working within the Department have yet to receive formal training. Dir. Blake anticipates completing the plan by the end of this month. President Harris asked if they had an opportunity to evaluate or assess their previous performance evaluations to see their ranking or if there were any recommendations for additional training. Ms. Hodges stated that the majority of the newer staff are just meeting the one-year mark, so this would be their first evaluation. They did not find anything in the employee's files pertaining to a review of their performance during their probationary periods, i.e., 30, 60, or 90 days. Most of the newer staff was hired during COVID, so they went straight to work and only received verbal direction, given the job description based on grant requirements. We now see that additional forms of training are needed beyond verbal directives. Roofing Issue President Harris asked if they had discovered who repaired the roof in the past. Ms. Hodges stated that we were unable to determine who repaired the roof. Ms. Hodges shared that Mr. Steplight had a conversation with Director Blake and revealed that the roof was patched and did not undergo a complete repair. Unfortunately, we are experiencing wear and tear on the patchwork, but it is being addressed. Ms. Blake will provide an update on the progress of the roof repair once received. Ms. Hodges stated that as long as everything continues to stay satisfactory, we don't have to keep reporting to OSHA. Mayor Green remarked that many of these buildings require updating. So, one of the administration's goals, along with DPW, is to relocate the health department. We've been trying to find money to renovate the old police station. Unfortunately, the money allocated for renovations was redistributed for other City needs during the last administration. They also discovered that the building experienced some piping issues where they froze and burst. So, we got all those things addressed. We are currently working with the City Council, State, shareholders, and partners to find money to rehab the building. President Harris remarked that the Board had been considering relocating the HD to that building for several years and is glad to hear the Mayor state it is still a viable option. President Harris asked whether candidates are selected to fill vacancies for a grant program. Ms. Hodges stated that the grant specifies the skills required to perform the job functions. Ms. Hodges gave some examples of required skills for varying health-related grants. Ms. Hodges shared that the COVID team needed to be made aware that their positions were grant-based and believed they were paid via the City, not a grant. They also were never given a complete description of their jobs. For example, some were hired to perform detailed outreach pg. 5  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 functions such as data collection and to be well-versed in the information being shared but were kept from being told that it was a part of their duties. Trustee Jones-Williams asked if those employees have received an updated written version of their job descriptions. Ms. Hodges stated they have. WIC Updates: Breastfeeding Training Ms. Blue shared that the WIC staff is doing statewide breastfeeding training. The training aims to provide more education and techniques to improve breastfeeding rates within the State. The training takes place every Thursday. We shut down the clinic for half the day to participate in the virtual training with the State office. It's a USDA mandate to get this training every few years. Ms. Blue noted that the City of East Orange has one of the higher breastfeeding rates in the State through our program. Ms. Blue stated that we are in the top ten in either 5th or 7th place statewide out of 19 WIC programs. Farmer’s Market Ms. Blue shared that they received some good news regarding the farmer's market redemption rates. Our redemption rate for this past farmer's market season was 54%, and the state average was 38%. We did pretty well promoting the farmer's market and ensuring families got fresh fruit and vegetable vouchers. Our rates are slightly higher than the average because we had a farmer bring in bags of food, and clients could pick it up and cash their checks at the WIC office. These arrangements made it easier for clientele to retrieve their vouchers and food. WIC Food Selection Survey President Harris asked if Ms. Blue had an opportunity to review the food selection for the USDA survey. Upon reviewing the survey, Ms. Blue stated that some items under review were the addition or possible substitution of nut & plant-based milk such as oat, soy, or almond, as many individuals are lactose intolerant. In addition, they may create a process where companies can start fortifying the alternative milk with specific vitamins and minerals found in cow's milk. They may add more organic food products to the list as well. Ms. Blue mentioned that goat's milk might have already been added to the list to satisfy the cultural tastes of those migrating from the Caribbean, Central, and South America. President Harris asked Mayor Green if there had been an influx of people coming into the City who needed resources. Mayor Green stated that there are always individuals needing resources. We have created a resource guide that provides residents of our community with various outlets and agencies, including rental assistance, home rehabs, shelters, etc. We are doing our best to continue providing resources and meeting the demands of our residents in need. pg. 6  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 Chief REHS Updates: Retail Food Establishments Mr. Henry shared that they are trying to close some of the gaps he encountered. These gaps caused the environmental health division to disconnect from other critical departments within the municipality. For example, we recognize that building floor plans, for retail food establishments in particular, needed to be submitted to the division, which may cause issues for the municipality. When floor plans for retail food establishments are submitted to the HD after being built, critical design functions that prevent food safety issues such as cross-contamination may be omitted. Therefore, when these businesses open, they must comply and may have to spend additional monies to rectify these issues. It is better to alert the businesses of the food-safety requirement before building or renovating the structure. The goal is to ensure our residents remain safe and that we value the investments brought into the City. Mr. Henry shared that he is already working with the Construction & Zoning Officials to ensure this practice is continued. Complaints Mr. Henry shared that he noticed over a hundred outstanding complaints in MILS. To counter this, a system was developed by which the complaint would be closed if no action had been taken after two weeks. President Harris asked for clarity regarding closing the complaints. Mr. Henry explained that if we reach out to the complainant and refuse to allow us to inspect based on their complaint or they don't answer our calls, we will close out the complaint and provide the justification for doing so in MILS. Inter-Departmental Collaboration Mr. Henry mentioned there would be further collaboration between the Licensing, Planning, Code Enforcement, and Buildings to ensure we are all on the same page regarding health- related issues and retail food establishments. Each of these departments plays a vital role in the operations of these businesses. Future businesses must be aware that they must adhere to the guidelines of each Department before opening an establishment. For example, potential businesses should be given a guidebook that details the steps required to open a business. Some of this would include directing them to the Planning Department to receive their zoning permit, then to Buildings for permits, Licensing for their operating license, and Health for their initial inspections, etc. The initial interaction between the departments will allow us to work together instead of coming together once a violation has occurred. Mr. Henry shared that they are working on creating a shared checklist that multiple departments can use to ensure we are all on the same page regarding the building or renovation of retail food establishments. Mr. Henry reiterated that the MILS is less efficient than a standalone method of maintaining accurate records for retail food establishments, so the excel checklist can be used in conjunction with MILS. pg. 7  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 Inspection Time Limits Mr. Henry advised the Board that he has also given inspectors time limits to complete their inspections. This change will ensure we operate efficiently and continue workflow beyond what MILS advises. We have also re-directed some of the responsibilities. For example, previously, one inspector was in charge of the mold complaints only, but now each inspector will share the load. President Harris asked if they were still looking to hire another inspector. Mr. Henry stated he had recommended hiring another inspector, and we will provide the update once discussed further. School Inspections President Harris asked for an update regarding the school inspections and the criteria when performing inspections. Mr. Henry stated he received a list of schools from the Director's office. They determined that schools should be inspected more than once a year. Therefore, we will begin performing the inspections twice a year and, eventually, increase them to three times a year. In terms of what we are looking for when we inspect, our scope pertains to the retail food aspects of the schools. The State covers the remaining jurisdiction; however, we will provide a full inspection if a complaint is made and forward our findings to the State for further review. President Harris remarked that since COVID; she is still trying to determine if a comprehensive building inspection to check the HVAC systems, water, lead, asphalt, or any other adverse elements, took place in the school. Mayor Green stated he would investigate why the HD is not allowed to do a comprehensive building inspection in the schools. Mayor Green suggested that the BOH and the Board of Education meet to discuss these issues. Open Discussion: Homelessness Initiative VP Corbitt shared that during the reorganization meeting, a young woman expressed concerns about increasing homeless sightings, primarily around the train station. VP Corbitt asked where we are regarding our homeless committee. Mayor Green shared that at the start of his tenure, he pulled together many resources with non & for-profit organizations that target homelessness and mental illness. In addition, Britney Timberlake was tasked with spearheading the homelessness initiative. Many of these individuals are already receiving help from these programs and agencies; however, some may say they want something else. We cannot force them to accept the help we offer as they have rights. Ms. Hodges stated they are now interviewing social workers who can assist with the mental illness component of the homelessness initiative to form a response team for Homeless prevention. Additionally, director Blake has identified individuals who volunteered during our last Community Connect Day and has expressed an interest in offering their services again. President Harris asked if the homeless initiative still falls under the umbrella of the Health pg. 8  EAST ORANGE BOARD OF HEALTH City of East Orange REGULAR MEETING East Orange Department of Health & Human Services NEW JERSEY 143 New Street East Orange, New Jersey 07017 January 17, 2023 Department. Ms. Hodges stated that it still falls under the HD. President Harris asked if the HD has room to accommodate new staff. Mayor Green reiterated that his goal is to relocate the HD into the old police building, which should provide the space for new staff once completed. Food Trucks Mr. Henry asked if there would be a moratorium and the maximum number of food trucks allowed in East Orange. Mayor Green stated he does not want the City to become inundated with food trucks. An ordinance to permit food trucks was passed some time ago; however, this does not pertain to carts as this is not permitted in the City. The new Police Director is aware of this situation and will actively address those in violation. While we want people to make money, and some of these vendors participate in our Summer activities, we also don't want the image of allowing just anyone to come to our City, especially when the food trucks would not be allowed in other municipalities. Monthly Updates President Harris asked if Jada could provide the BOH monthly updates regarding happenings at City Hall. Mayor Green stated she would do so. President Harris also mentioned that the council liaison still needed to attend the BOH meetings. Mayor Green shared that they recently had their reorganization meeting, so the liaison has been reassigned to Councilman Brent. Mayor Green stated he would speak with him regarding joining the meetings. Mayor's Wellness Campaign VP Corbitt shared that during the League, she attended a seminar regarding wellness efforts. During the seminar, it was disclosed that funding and resources are available for municipalities with wellness programs. Mayor Green advised Mr. Steplight that we must take advantage of the resources offered during the seminars. He has also asked his staff to bring back any information regarding resources so we can offer them to our residents. These resources will be beneficial in making us one of the healthiest communities of color in the State. VP Corbitt stated she would share the information with Director Blake and the Board to bring these efforts to fruition. President Harris asked Vice-President Corbitt if she would reach out to the coordinator of the wellness training she received to schedule a meeting with Mayor Green. President Harris also suggested that the wellness segment be a part of the Mayor's Townhall. VP Corbitt stated she would do so. Finally, President Harris thanked VP Corbitt and Dir. Blake for their efforts. At the conclusion of Board business, President Harris adjourned the meeting at 7:52 pm. Respectfully submitted, Jo-Ann Mills Board Clerk pg. 9