Board of Health

Approved 6/17/21 BOARD OF HEALTH ` BOROUGH OF TENAFLY, NEW JERSEY BOARD MEETING, March 18, 2021 The meeting of the Board of Health was held on the above date. Mr. Howard Bader, 2021 Board of Health President, read the Board’s compliance with the Open Public Meeting Law and called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Borough Hall is closed to public meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual meeting was held via Zoom. The following members were present: Howard Bader Dr. Etta Frankel Maria Xylas Berton Greenberg Mark Alvarez Member absent: Dr. Michael Basista Also present: Councilwoman Julie O’Connor Sam Yanovich, Health Officer Ruby Parra, Registered Environmental Health Specialist Valerie Nicolosi, Board of Health Secretary Mrs. Nicolosi announced to the board that she would be retiring from the Borough of Tenafly as of June 30, 2021. She conveyed her gratitude for being able to work with such a dedicated board. Board members wished her well. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of January 28, 2021. A voice vote carried the motion. All voted in favor; none were opposed. As both Mr. Yanovich and Ms. Parra had other meetings scheduled at 8:00 p.m. elsewhere, the order of the agenda was changed to accommodate them. REPORTS OF STAFF Mr. Sam Yanovich, Health Officer, reviewed his March 2021 report. Board members had received this report via email. There have been 861 cases of COVID-19 in Tenafly. Since January 1, hospitalization have decreased 46% statewide. A new variant has been spreading in New York City, first found in Washington Heights and now spreading to other boroughs. There were 63 known cases of the UK strain in the State as of the end of February. Fully vaccinated persons who have close contact with a positive COVID-19 person do not need to quarantine as long as they meet the following criteria: are fully vaccinated and are more than 2 weeks after second dose; are within 3 months of the 2nd dose in a two-dose series; continue to remain Approved 6/17/21 Tenafly Board of Health March 18, 2021 Page 2 asymptomatic after exposure. Travel quarantine recommendations remain unchanged, still recommending quarantining regardless of vaccination status. With the Emergency Authorization approval of the J & J vaccine, the supply chain problems seen in New Jersey should be greatly alleviated in the coming weeks. The state is expected to distribute about 70,000 additional vaccine doses to approved clinics on a weekly basis in the new few weeks. In an effort to get those 75 years of age and older vaccinated, the state will be allocating doses to Walmart and Shop Rite throughout the state but initially in the southern regionals. A call center number specifically for this age group has been set up for registration and appointments (856-249-7007). Additionally, the HARP agency has been booking appointments for residents in Mid Bergen towns for those 75 and older this week at the mega site in the Meadowlands. They had 200 appointments available each day until they reach a maximum of 1,200 doses. The joint vaccine program with the Borough of Leonia is running very smoothly. Thus far, four hundred vaccines have been given. Both mayors are working together in this program supplying support staff. The Tenafly Volunteer Ambulance Corps has been assisting as well. Mr. Yanovich’s full report is on file in the Board of Health office. Ms. Parra, Registered Environmental Health Specialist, reviewed her report which covered January 26, 2021-March 18, 2021. Many inspections were done at numerous food establishments. Thirteen (13) food establishments received satisfactory ratings. Two (2) food establishments received conditional ratings. Spot checks were done at twenty-one (21) food establishments. Ms. Parra noted that the high school and middle school cafeterias are still not in operation on the premises. She also addressed several animal bites and complaints. Ms. Parra’s full report is on file in the Health Office. OLD BUSINESS Councilwoman O’Connor spoke further about the joint program with the Borough of Leonia. She thanked Mr. Alvarez for his efforts in getting some volunteers for the program. She indicated that given that the vaccine delivery schedule is not know too far in advance, it is difficult to give individuals a day/time to volunteer. He will continue to work with her. Mrs. Xylas indicated that she will gladly assist in late April/early May. Councilwoman O’Connor will keep the board posted on the program. Mr. Alvarez indicated that he knows of a doctor who may be interested in coming onto the Board of Health to fill a vacancy. Councilwoman O’Connor will reach out and speak to this individual. Councilwoman O’Connor gave a brief update on the Cannabis Committee. They are still gathering information and do not want at this point to make any recommendations. Presently, there is no parental notification for a juvenile found with marijuana. She noted that the Borough of Cresskill has already enacted an ordinance prohibiting this use. It was suggested that the committee reach out to the Board of Education to see what policy is in place there. Mr. Bader is on this committee along with two (2) Approved 6/17/21 Tenafly Board of Health March 18, 2021 Page 3 members of the Planning Board and three (3) councilmembers. The Board of Health will be asked for its full input at a point in the future. There was a brief discussion about outdoor dining in the spring/summer. Restaurants and businesses in town need this option. People may feel more comfortable with an outdoor option in addition to indoor dining. Councilwoman O’Connor will bring this recommendation back to the full Mayor & Council. NEW BUSINESS Mrs. Nicolosi indicated that also the 2021 Board of Health budget has not yet been approved by the Mayor & Council, they have passed resolutions with addendums for both the Mid-Bergen contract and the HARP contract to permit additional hours for our health inspector and nurse coverage. Board members had previously received a copy of the budget for review. It was noted that a Project Graduation food truck festival scheduled for May 21, 2021, was cancelled. The Borough and event planner were at odds over DPW/crossing guard coverage and the Project Graduation committee decided not to proceed with this event. The July 4th Fireworks may be rescheduled to sometime in September due to the rising numbers of COVID cases. The Mayor & Council will monitor the situation and revisit this topic at a future meeting. The next meeting of the Board of Health is Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. A motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 8:22 p.m. A voice vote carried the motion. All voted in favor of the motion; none were opposed. Respectfully submitted, Valerie B. Nicolosi Board of Health Secretary