Separate public safety measures helping animals and people highlighted Monday's caucus of the City Council of
Jersey City.
For the city's two-legged animals, the city's Department of Health & & Human Services, is recommending a method simple as running a vending device ... without transferring currency.
At the department's behest, the council is being asked to "start a program to dispense specific health testing products that prevent, lessen, reduce or reduce harm to public health."
These products-- such as Narcan-- would be dispensed to the general public "from kiosks within
Jersey City, totally free of charge to end users," according to department staffers.
The city administration proposes to introduce a pilot program "by using a single kiosk for a limited time to identify the viability, effectiveness, best implementation techniques and quote costs of a broader program giving harm decrease products."
In the meantime, the council is being asked to solicit informal estimate from suppliers to provide a single kiosk to start the program and, if successful, to expand to a multi-kiosk service via competitive bidding.
While the city does not anticipate receiving annual profits from the program, it does expect the services "will considerably benefit public health by making damage reduction products more widely available to
Jersey City citizens, specifically those currently under-served or of limited ways which will alleviate a variety and/or prevent of unfavorable public health outcomes."
Administrators job that the pilot program making use of a single kiosk will run "approximately 6 to 7 months."
Picking an area for the initial kiosk will be up to Stacey Flanagan, city Health & & Human Services director.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Jeremy Jacobsen informed city legislators that the kiosk system is now in use in Atlanta (where he approximated there were 50 city-wide),
Seattle and
Washington, D.C.
Atlanta has actually partnered with the Georgia Department of Public Health and Fulton County Board of Health to set up the dispensaries. Locals aren't charged for health tests such as COVID-19 but those with insurance coverage are billed through their insurance coverage plans. Test results are offered by means of text or email within 2 days, according to regional health authorities.
To find locations of Georgia-based kiosks, locals are described a map available on the state's Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard.
Jersey City would be the first municipality in New Jersey to try out public health kiosks, according to Jacobsen.
Asked by At-large Councilmember Denise Ridley who would be accountable for monitoring the kiosks, Jacobsen stated the anticipated to check on their condition and guarantee they are amply equipped.
Ward F Councilmember Frank Gilmore asked if homeowners' recognize could be traced by utilizing the kiosks, Jacobsen said: "ID is not required" to access the dispensaries.
Meanwhile, the city got another update on its community Animal Shelter which the city took over Jan. 1 from its manager, W. Mark Byrnes, who informed the council the shelter was now prepared to take on strays from two other communities in Hudson County.
As proposed, Hoboken would pay
Jersey City $100,000 for service by animal control officers for a minimum of 12 hours a day, usually during the hours of 7 a.m.-10 p.m. (other than on
Jersey City holidays), or for emergency situation service, to assist strays or deserted animals or ill, hurt or trapped cats or pet dogs, however not "outdoor cats and cat nests which are being fed by or otherwise looked after ...".
Animal bite investigations "are the obligation of the town's health officer.".
All animals seized will be carried to the
Jersey City Animal Shelter where staff will attempt to locate the owner. "Any stray or at-large animals will be available for reclaim to their owner within the 7-day compulsory holding period subject to state-mandated charges and the shelter's published reclaim cost.".
If the
Jersey City shelter accepts care of an animal, it will use shelter without added fee for up to 30 days ... However, the shelter "reserves the right to decrease to confess or to discharge back to (Hoboken's) custody animals considered too dangerous to securely shelter or when ... shelter would be inhumane for that animal.".
Guttenberg would pay
Jersey City $11,000 under a shared-services contract under conditions comparable to the contracts with East
Newark and Hoboken.
Asked by council members how many animals he expected would be taken in by the
Jersey City shelter for the year, Byrnes said projecting a yearly-long tally "would really be speculation" because the shelter's prior operator didn't supply any paperwork.
Ward C Councilmember Richard Boggiano stated he and associate At-large member Amy Degise urged Byrnes and his staff to "look after the animals, no matter where they originate from. We don't want to see animals suffer.".
Byrnes said he was intending to reinforce relations with regional animal protectors by setting up a "low-cost spay/neuter program for those who can't afford to repair (their animals).".
At the very same time, Byrnes stated, he and his personnel "are discussing reviving a foster and volunteer program" for pet enthusiasts who 'd like to become "weekend (animal) parents.".
On the regional leisure front, the council is being asked to turn down the sole bid of $198,500 received April 9 from Aquatic Dynamics, of Mt. Sinai, N.Y., which "significantly surpassed the city's expense quote for the provision and setup of a
RenoSys PVC membrane system pool liner" at Pavonia/Marion Municipal Pool and to work out for a brand-new vendor and rate.
And legislators will consider an application by The Number Spot, Inc., to run a retail marijuana dispensary at 539 Martin Luther King Drive in the Jackson Hill Redevelopment Neighborhood Mixed-Use Zone.
The city Planning Board and city Cannabis Control Board have each voted approval for the applicant, Niamah Terry, to retrofit the first floor of a vacant 2-story mixed-use structure, with second-floor office space, roofing deck and basement for usage in marijuana operations.
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