by Davy James, Staff Writer
The Township Council decided Tuesday to again table an ordinance that would have abolished the advisory Board of Health and created an autonomous board, after new concerns were raised about the impact the change could have on employees.
The council wants to review whether the township manager’s power to hire and fire health personnel would be affected and whether Health Department employees could still join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents township employees.
The council has not set a date to reconsider the ordinance.
The current advisory board reports to the council six times a year to make recommendations, but does not have the power to pass ordinances or make personnel decisions. An autonomous board would be able to pass ordinances on its own and would have control over hiring and firing personnel.
Resident Gwen Southgate, who was on the Charter Study Commission that recommended the switch to an advisory board in 1999, raised concerns at the previous council meeting two weeks ago regarding the dilution of the council’s power to pass ordinances. She returned to the meeting Tuesday to restate her concerns with the move and raised additional issues the council felt it prudent to look into.
”I reiterate my concerns about the advisability of this weakening of power of the government and weakening the role of the council to pass ordinances,” she told the council.
Township Attorney Don Sears said Ms. Southgate was accurate in saying that it would weaken the township manager’s role in hiring and firing personnel. Mr. Sears said that once an autonomous board is created it severs the relationship between current Board of Health employees and the township manager, who would then have no control in the hiring and firing of board personnel.
Ms. Southgate also asked for a provision that would require any ordinance passed by an autonomous Board of Health to be approved by the council, but Mayor Frank Gambatese said the framing of the ordinance would not be changed.
At the last meeting Mayor Gambatese said that any action taken by an autonomous board would have to be approved by Mr. Sears beforehand. The board had been autonomous until 1999, when the township’s new charter and form of government took effect and the board became advisory and reported to the council.
”The folks on the Board of Health are people of good faith and we control their budget,” said Councilman Charlie Carley during the meeting. “If they do something that knocks our nose out of joint, then the next week we can pass an ordinance to move back to an advisory board.”
John C. Saccenti Sr., chairman of the advisory Board of Health and the father of South Brunswick Post Managing Editor John Saccenti, said a move to an autonomous board is a win-win situation for South Brunswick residents. Mr. Saccenti had served as chairman of the autonomous board before it was dissolved.
”Changing to an autonomous board will allow greater utilization of the significant expertise in public health held by the members of the advisory board,” Mr. Saccenti said via e-mail. “At the same time, it frees up some additional time for the Township Council to address so many of the other issues they must deal with. We will, of course, continue to work closely with the council on all our endeavors.”
Mr. Saccenti said the members of the advisory board are unanimous in their support of a move to an autonomous board.
Councilman Chris Killmurray said Ms. Southgate’s concerns were not taken lightly, but compared the move to the present relationship with the South Brunswick Public Library.
”We have an autonomous library board and there’s still linkage with the mayor and the council,” he said during the meeting. “I expect the same level of cooperation with an autonomous board of health.”
Mr. Killmurray said there is no rush to make the move and further discussions will be held so the council can consider the overall impact the move would have on Board of Health employees.

