Brookfield Courting Newtown Health District Merger

By John Voket

Talking with Brookfield’s newly elected First Selectman Robert Silvaggi could give one the impression a merger with the Newtown Health District is pretty much a done deal. But Newtown Health Director Donna Culbert believes the rumors of a pending merger are in direct contrast to reality.

Characterizing assertions Mr Silvaggi made to The Newtown Bee Wednesday as “extremely presumptuous,” Ms Culbert explained that while she agreed to assist the town with emergency measures involving Brookfield’s health department, if required, any consideration of a possible district merger would be subject to full consideration by the Newtown district’s board.

The Brookfield first selectman, who took office last December, said this week that he is working with a representative from the state Department of Public Health on crafting a merger proposal that would bring the Newtown district complement of communities from four to five, but would increase the population covered by nearly 50 percent.

Mr Silvaggi said he was aware that Brookfield was rejected from consideration in 2005 during discussions among Newtown district board members about expanding to incorporate other neighboring communities. The Newtown district, which formerly incorporated both the town and Borough of Newtown has since expanded to serve the communities of Roxbury and Bridgewater.

Those combined towns have added approximately 6,000 residents to the now-regional district’s rolls. But Ms Culbert said Brookfield would add another 16,000 residents to the district. During a July 2005 discussion on a regional merger proposal, the district board minutes reflect Ms McCarthy stating she would require Brookfield to perform a health needs assessment, and she would need to establish a clear understanding of Brookfield’s needs in writing before the Newtown district should consider discussing a merger.

While he agreed with a district merger in theory, one month later, then-first selectman Herb Rosenthal expressed concerns that even the Bridgewater/Roxbury merger would stretch the Newtown district staff too thin, considering the geographical area needing coverage. This issue remains relevant to Ms Culbert in relation to considering yet another addition to the district.

According to Mr Silvaggi, Brookfield’s health director, Dr Robert Mascia recently resigned, prompting the Brookfield first selectman to appoint Dr Fred Hesse to an interim director post despite an action by the Brookfield Board of Selectman to overturn the same proposal earlier in January by a 2-1 vote. Mr Silvaggi then issued a memo to his department heads indicating Dr Hesse was the new health director.

At the same time, Mr Silvaggi reportedly informed his sole remaining district staff member that Dr Hesse’s appointment was only temporary because Brookfield was merging with Newtown.

Brookfield Democratic Selectman Joni Park requested a special meeting after determining the Brookfield charter restricted the first selectman from making such an appointment without consideration of the full board. At that meeting, held January 29, Mr Silvaggi rescinded his appointment of Dr Hesse as the town’s interim health director.

Ms Park said she had no objection to Mr Silvaggi pursuing a merger with Newtown, but the selectmen needed to meet with state Director of Local Health Administration Pamela Kilby-Fox. “We need support bringing Brookfield up to the standards required by the Connecticut Department of Health before we determine where we need to go [with a possible merger],” Ms Park said.

Ms Park acknowledged that until now, the Brookfield public health office received less than robust funding, and that courting a merger might require Brookfield taxpayers to contribute more toward increasing regional health district staffing dedicated to covering the needs in her community.

“I believe some issues need to rise above concerns about tax increases,” she said. “The safety of our people, especially our children, is more important than just the dollars [in consideration].”

Ms Culbert told The Bee this week that the Newtown district would realize more than $240,000 in initial fees by accepting Brookfield into the local district, and that going forward, the state would contribute more than $40,000 or about $15 per resident per year if the merger goes forward.

But Ms Culbert said many questions and concerns would have to be addressed to her board before any serious consideration of the proposal moves forward. Those concerns might include vetting septic requirements on small lots, and at homes bordering Candlewood Lake and Lake Lillinonah, condominium water supply and sewage treatment, plans to remedy septic and well failures, septic and sewer improvements along the Route 7 corridor, the status of emergency planning, and the political will to finance the remedies involved.

Ms Culbert agrees in theory that Brookfield’s interest in “going full-time” is a step in the right direction.

“However, the best way for them to accomplish that is a more involved thought and discussion process, including considering becoming a full-time health department within their own town’s structure,” Ms Culbert said. “What’s really important here is that the town take a good long, hard look at what its needs are, what kind of environmental and public health services have they been providing, consider their ideas and goals for the future and the best way to accomplish them. Then move forward if they are still considering a merger with Newtown.”

According to Ms Culbert, currently, 81 health departments serve the state’s entire population — 51 full-time and 30 part-time. The full-time departments include 31 individual municipal health departments and 20 health district departments containing from two to 18 towns.

“Full-time health departments serve approximately 93 percent of the state’s population, and currently there are towns about the size of Brookfield, including Bethel and New Fairfield, that have full-time health departments,” she said. Another point of consideration Ms Culbert noted involves the monitoring of public water systems, which could be a substantial function of a municipal health agency.

“Brookfield has the most public water systems in the state, with mostly small suppliers,” she said, “which could contribute to the perception of some public water quality problems that health officials would have to deal with.”