The Board of Health established by Res. 17-02 (Exhibit A) that its regular monthly meeting be on the second Tuesday of each month throughout each calendar year. The January meeting can be as early as the 8th and as late as the 14th, too early in many cases for cities and towns to appoint their individual or collective representatives. As a result, the January Board meeting has often struggled with having a full Board in place due to its regular convening date.
Delaying the January meeting to the third Tuesday of the month allows most cities the needed time to swear in newly elected officials and determine Board of Health representatives. This increases the effectiveness of the January Board meeting and strengthens the likelihood of having a quorum.
In light of this, staff brought forward to the Executive and Administration Committees the recommendation that the 2020 January Board meeting be held on January 21, 2020, the third Tuesday of the month. After discussion, both committees recommended that this change be permanent starting in 2020.
Res. 19-27 (Exhibit B) establishes that the first meeting of the year will be held on the third Tuesday in January so that cities and towns will have additional time to certify their Board representative. The Board will meet on the second Tuesday of the month throughout the remainder of the year.