MONTGOMERY: Township to provide services

Hopewell, Pennington boroughs are new customers

By Stephanie Vaccaro, Staff Writer
   MONTGOMERY — The township began providing animal control services for Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough on Jan. 1 and will offer public health services for both Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough by February.
   Between the two boroughs, the animal control services agreement will generate $18,000 in revenue per year for Montgomery Township, said Stephanie Carey, health officer, of the three-year agreement.
   ”We’re reallocating resources to make sure everyone is covered,” Ms. Carey said. “We’re using our resources more effectively. There is a region-wide shortage of animal control officers — by going into the shared services, we make sure that everybody’s got coverage.”
   Public health services for Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough will be transitioned to Montgomery Township. This shared service is expected to improve cost-effectiveness of essential service delivery in all three communities.
   ”We’re doing a soft transition, so we’re already providing emergency services,” Ms. Carey said. Montgomery is already providing emergency response, communicable disease coverage and making sure that urgent needs are addressed, she said. The township is also educating the community and taking care of administrative details so that there will be a full launch in February.
   The township will earn $63,000 per year between the two boroughs. This agreement is for three years as well.
   ”It’s a rapidly shifting environment and we’re going to be nimble and do what it takes to make sure that we’re providing the best possible services to our constituents,” Ms. Carey said.
   Montgomery has been nationally recognized for its quality improvement activities and wants to be able to share it with other communities, Ms. Carey said. “We’re showing a lot of leadership in quality improvement, really dealing with making sure we get maximum impact for the health dollar,” Ms. Carey said.
   ”There’s ultimately diminishing return issues,” Ms. Carey said, given what New Jersey towns are facing economically.
   ”This is the best thing that we can do to address quality delivery of services within the confines of the current economic times,” Ms. Carey said.
   Animal control services available to residents include: capturing stray animals; capturing suspected rabid animals; shelter care for lost and homeless animals; pet adoptions; free rabies vaccination clinics for pets; investigation of neglect and cruelty to animals; investigation of dangerous dog incidents; and investigation of complaints.
   Residents in need of animal control or animal sheltering can call (908) 359-4308 for service. In the event of an emergency, including vicious dogs, animal cruelty, or potentially rabid animals, residents should contact local police who will dispatch the animal control officer.
   Montgomery will provide the following public health services under the agreement: public health complaint investigations; sanitary inspection of retail food establishments, child care, and public swimming pools; rabies control; flu vaccination clinics; access to well baby clinics, immunizations, cancer and disease screenings, adolescent health, and chronic disease screenings; communicable disease investigation; health education programming; immunization audits; and emergency preparedness and response.
   To access services, call (908) 359-8211, extension 227. More information is available at www.twp.montgomery.nj.us.