MAY COUNCIL MEETING #3

Once upon a time in the not too distant past Plainfield  had a professional Health Department headed by a graduate in Public Health and staffed with technicians, RN’s , trained inspectors and when needed other experts.  Among other services that department provided was prenatal and infant care supervision.  An appointed Board of Health composed of volunteer Health Professionals   made policy and was responsible to the City Governess for the Department’s activities. At times this Department also provided services to outlying communities.

It took Resolution 152-13 one of the  8 resolutions offered by the Corporation Counsel at the Agenda Setting Session’s  for inclusion on the Business meeting’s agenda and therefore not available for public review prior to that meeting to make me aware that for some unknown time Plainfield has been without a Health Officer; either full time or part-time. .

152-13 authorizes the Mayor to execute a shared services agreement for Health Officer’s services with the county. Although not stated in the resolution was a request that the County be committed to at least 8 hours a week on site.

The Health Division is one of the many city functions under the Director of Administration and Finance. Among other services listed on the City site as performed under this Division are:.

• Animal Control.
• Communicable Disease Services.
• Healthy Mothers - Healthy Babies Program.
• Project Alert - Dudley House.
• Vital Statistics.
• W.I.C. Program.
• Bilingual Day Care.

Some such as animal control have been outsourced as an economic measure. Dudley House is now in the hands of a non-profit, Why Bilingual Day Care should be under the Health Officer's oversight is beyond me. The W.I.C. Program is more social; services, but the others are legitimate responsibilities of an effective Heath Office Division.

There now is a question of how well these services are being administered? This may be another example of an administration that is dysfunctional. If we do not have the funds to provide what are basic community services what are our taxes being used for? 

I know that one of the questions the Charter Commission is struggling with is that of the irrational 3 Department setup under the present charter. No matter how good the Department Directors are; it is most unlikely that they have sufficient expertise to be responsible for all divisions under their auspices. And some in the past seven years have had none.

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