Trenton council confirms Dr. Carlos Diego Minocappelli as permanent director of Health and Human Services

The Trenton City Council on March 4 unanimously approved a resolution confirming Dr. Carlos Diego Minocappelli as the permanent director of the city's Department of Health and Human Services.

Council members approved resolution 205-78 by roll call after the mayor formally nominated Minocappelli and described his academic background and work since serving as interim director.

Why it matters: Council members said Minocappelli stabilised day-to-day public-health services during a period of turnover, led emergency-housing and animal-shelter responses and oversaw projects funded by federal ESG (Emergency Solutions Grant) and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) awards.

Mayor (unnamed) introduced the nomination and noted Minocappelli’s academic training and immediate actions as interim director. The mayor said Minocappelli completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and advanced clinical-research training at Harvard Medical School and “has taken decisive action as interim director … bringing structure and direction to ensure that critical services for Trenton residents remain uninterrupted.”

Council members asked Minocappelli about near-term goals. Minocappelli described multiple strands of work: animal-shelter operations, administration of ESG-funded homelessness services, continuing lead-testing outreach and clinic upgrades. He said the city’s ESG-funded programs had served 2,114 residents and that the department’s continuity-of-care effort had assisted about 306 individuals, leveraging roughly $1.6 million in federal funds.

On the animal shelter, Minocappelli told the council the department has reorganized shelter management, expanded surveillance and intake oversight, and recently handled an unprecedented throughput: roughly 72–77 dogs entering the system over a two-month span, of which 10 were adopted, transferred to rescues or reclaimed. He said the city is finishing renovations at a Columbus facility to use as an overflow/displacement site and hopes to phase out an out-of-county kennel arrangement in Bucks County once the Columbus location comes online.

Council members pressed for specifics about enforcement and staffing. Councilwoman Figueroa Kettenberg raised ongoing concerns about after-hours calls, public access to the shelter for browsing animals, coordination with police animal-control officers and the enforcement of the city’s breeding ordinance. Mayor (unnamed) and Minocappelli said enforcement is constrained by limited resources and that animal-control officers are part of the police department; Minocappelli said the department accepts tips and follows up but cannot operate 24/7 on every lead.

Asked about advisory board appointments for animal welfare, Minocappelli said the department had completed initial interviews for several candidates and was finishing secondary interviews before making recommendations to the mayor. He said the advisory board would advise on policy and ordinances rather than daily shelter operations and expected the board to meet quarterly but “probably biweekly” while shelter issues are pressing.

Minocappelli also described planned facility improvements and outreach: replacing HVAC systems and flooring in clinics, restoring clinic services, expanding health-promotion teams for vaccinations and lead testing, and a stepped-up community testing schedule. On lead outreach he said early events tested 10, later events tested 50 and then 100 people, demonstrating increased community uptake as outreach expands.

Council members expressed broad support for Minocappelli’s appointment. Councilwoman Frisbie: “I think he's done exceptional work in our community … he doesn't sit behind the desk. He's out there in the community, and he's actually doing the work to find out where the need is.” Councilwoman Williams said she would vote yes and praised improvements to health buildings and outreach. Councilman Harrison and other members also voiced support before the roll-call vote.

Action: The council moved and seconded the resolution to confirm Minocappelli and recorded unanimous votes in favor; the clerk announced “Motion carried.”

The confirmation leaves the department’s ongoing projects — including shelter expansion, CDBG-funded street-repaving and senior-center rehabilitation — under Minocappelli’s oversight as permanent director. Council members asked for and received commitments that the advisory-board process, clinic upgrades and shelter transitions would proceed in coordination with staff and be reported back to the council.