Petillo, Klein Argue Over Health Board's Fate

Monday's special council meeting turned into a shouting match as Hopatcong introduced two councilmen to its board of health as well as plans to create a health advisory committee.

Estelle Klein's was the only "no" vote when the council passed the first hearing of a law that would establish a five-person committee to be charged, Mayor Sylvia Petillo said, with revitalizing community health outreach. The ordinance still must pass an April 18 vote.

Michael Francis and John Young would fill spots vacated by Craig Bradley, who , and Rob Bond, who declined reappointment. Councilmen Howard Baker and Richard Bunce each would be tabbed as board alternates. The appointments are also still subject to an April 18 vote.

Petillo said the board of health would become council-run by 2014. The seats of Yvonne Syto and President Mariano Gianni expire at year's end. If those seats are indeed council-filled, council members would outnumber current board members.

The creation of a health advisory committee wouldn't dissolve the health board, Borough Attorney John Ursin said.

The mayor also said the council could handle the board's workload, which includes passing laws. The health board's responsibilities have been reduced since the borough entered a shared health services agreement Sussex County in 2009, eliminating almost its entire health department. The department’s official end came earlier this year when a clerk resigned and the another was moved to an open post within the .

The advisory committee would implement wellness programs and other endeavors that could help the borough receive additional state funding, Petillo said.

Petillo also said she hoped to begin reviewing resumes for the committee within the month.

The problem with the current board of health, though, is that it isn't interested in borough activism, said Petillo, who added that plans to create the committee had been in place for more than two years.

"[The board of health] didn't want any part of that," Petillo said.

"I've never seen the board of health, as long as I've been around, out in the public doing programs. I just have never seen it."

Petillo also said her relationship with the board of health and, in particular, Gianni, who didn't attend the meeting, had become adversarial. But Petillo also said that didn't have anything to do with Monday's council actions.

Reached by phone late Monday night, Gianni said the tension between the mayor and himself stems from a February disagreement over the payment of a board-hired attorney and poor communication between the board and the borough.

Board of health Vice President Thomas Forbes said he disagreed with Petillo's characterization of the board as indifferent to community outreach. Forbes said Monday's meeting, which he only learned about Sunday through a reporter, "was rallied in haste. There was no discussion with those involved or who was affected."

"And [the meeting] only served to further divide and alienate the board of health, the administration and, more importantly, the borough residents, who don't deserve that," Forbes said. "So, personally, I fail to see how this action that you're currently discussing in any way serves the interest and the needs and the trust of our community."

Forbes, a registered Republican, also announced his borough council candidacy. After the meeting, Forbes said he would resign from his board of health post at the end of 2012.

Klein said she opposed the moves because they signaled "the end of the board of health as we know it."

"The board of health is going to become a clone of the council," said Klein, the council's board of health liaison.

The law establishing the advisory committee would signal that "the workload of the board of health is reduced to the point where the council could take on their responsibilities without any problem," Ursin said.

But Ursin also said "yes" when Klein asked him if the board of health "could take the same duties" as the health advisory board.

"All the same things the advisory board does,” Klein said, “the board of health could do the same [darn] thing.”