Board of Health

The history of the Montvale Board of Health is almost as long as that of the Borough itself. The second ordinance that was passed by the first Mayor and Council was dated March 4, 1865. It was "AN ORDINANCE CONSTITUTING A BOARD OF HEALTH IN THE BOROUGH OF MONTVALE." The ordinance called for a five-person Board to be comprised of the Assessor, the Tax Collector and the Clerk, together with two other citizens appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council. On March 11, 1895, Garret F. Hering was appointed as the first President of the Montvale Board of Health.

Over the past one hundred years, the mission of the Board of Health has changed. During the nineteenth century, waves of epidemics persisted and included many communicable diseases. There were few antibiotics and immunizations available. Scientific discovery of organisms during the later part of the century opened a new wave of sanitation concerns and control, and these discoveries had a major impact on the development of public health practice. State and local governments felt increasingly responsible for controlling the spread of bacteria and micro-organisms.

The Montvale Board of Health began safeguarding water and food as well as overseeing sewage disposal. Victims of contagious diseases were quarantined . Early efforts also included inspecting septic tanks, monitoring dairy farms and ensuring adequate drinking water from the many wells in Montvale.  

Today the Board of Health, an autonomous group under the capable leadership of Joyce Cohen, meets monthly to review health inspections, monitor health complaints and conduct a general overview of the health status of the community. A flu vaccination clinic and a rabies inoculation clinic are sponsored annually. These are widely attended by the citizens of Montvale. In addition,  Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, under the supervision of Angela Musella, Health Officer, and public nurses from HARP, the Health Awareness Regional Program of Hackensack University Medical Center, are retained by the Montvale Board of Health to assist in meeting the health care needs of the community.