West Windsor health staff outlines flu clinics, PFAS guidance and shift in property-maintenance enforcement

Jill, a member of the West Windsor health staff, told the Township Council on Aug. 11 that the health department has scheduled influenza clinics and is posting resources about PFAS, mosquito safety and other seasonal concerns on the township website. The health official said the first flu clinic for residents aged 55 and older will be Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and additional clinics for ages 3 and up are set for Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. All clinics are planned for the senior center. The update matters because these are the health department’s primary seasonal outreach activities and because staff emphasized limits on capacity: moving routine property-maintenance nuisance complaints (for example, high grass, weeds, curb-side debris and similar non-licensed-health issues) to the Division of Land Use’s zoning/code enforcement officer is intended to protect time for mandated health inspections. Health staff said PFAS — a large family of persistent man-made chemicals — are soluble in water and can be present in public water supplies and private wells; state and federal agencies are establishing, and updating, maximum contaminant levels for drinking water. "PFAS is a large family, composed of thousands of man made chemicals," the health speaker said, adding that exposure studies and regulatory guidance are evolving and that the New Jersey DEP Water Watch site and federal sources (CDC, EPA) provide monitoring and guidance. The department advised private well owners they are responsible for their own testing and recommended using a certified laboratory and a certified well contractor; the health staff said the township plans outreach timed with National Groundwater Awareness Day on Sept. 3 and that printed information and QR-code links will be available in the municipal building lobby and on the township website. The health department also provided a contact number for assistance: (609) 936-8400. Council members raised staff-capacity concerns about the enforcement transition. One councilmember said shifting nuisance complaints away from the health department would free mandated-inspection time but asked whether the receiving department has sufficient staff hours. Health staff described the enforcement approach as graduated — starting with outreach and multiple visits and resorting to court only for repeat noncompliance — and said some matters (for example, determining whether a tree is the township’s responsibility) require coordination with the township’s landscape architect. On animal services, health staff said rabies-clinic attendance and pet licensing have declined since the COVID period and outlined outreach plans, including QR-coded tick-removal information cards and renewed outreach to homeowners associations and veterinary offices to increase licensing compliance. The council did not take a separate recorded vote on these program updates; the changes were discussed during the health-department report portion of the meeting.