Board of Health — October 14, 2026
The Board of Health discussed a resident's email asking it to urge the Township Committee to reduce the deer population, citing tick-borne illness and collisions. Members were sceptical that culling or contraception would work, took no vote, and left the concern and requests for data with the Committee liaison. The 2025 annual report showed Lyme disease as the largest share of reported communicable disease.
- Environment
- Government
Meeting recording
Recording plays on the township archive
This meeting does not play on this page. The township's recording is complete and plays in full — the chapter links below will open it at the right moment.
Worth watching
The Chair introduces an email asking the Board to pass a resolution urging the Township Committee to act to reduce the deer population.
Same moment on the township archiveStaff say tick-borne illness is the largest segment of communicable disease cases; a member asks whether the township's 2025 drone count of the deer herd is available.
Same moment on the township archiveA member argues culling, contraception and baited treatment stations are costly and unlikely to reduce the herd enough, and that personal tick prevention is the realistic answer.
Same moment on the township archiveMembers suggest the Committee liaison raise the concern, look at Princeton's current program on public land, and ask for the drone data and how development displaces deer.
Same moment on the township archiveThe annual report shows Lyme disease as the largest share of reported communicable disease, excluding flu and COVID; the department hands out tick kits and runs seasonal outreach.
Same moment on the township archive
What happened
What happened
The Board of Health is a separate township board; its Township Committee liaison is Committeeman Douglas Herring. The meeting also covered a public hearing on the 2026 health officer salary ordinance, the 2027 meeting calendar, a septic setback waiver for 34 DeHart Drive, and the department’s 2025 annual report.
The deer correspondence. At about 1:42 the Chair raised an email from a resident received that day. The posted agenda lists it under correspondence as “an email … sent in by a resident regarding deer population concerns.” As read from the dais, it asked the Board “to pass a resolution urging Township Committee to take action to decrease the deer population” (uncorrected captions), citing tick-borne illness and deer collisions.
The discussion ran about fourteen minutes:
- A member agreed there is an overpopulation of deer and asked whether police collision data and disease data could show a trend. Staff said the department tracks deer collisions as best it can, and that tick-borne illnesses are both the largest segment of the department’s communicable disease cases and the top subject of requests for education (5:05). Staff noted that public health case counts differ from what doctors see in treatment.
- A member pointed to the township’s deer management page, which mentions a 2025 drone study of the deer population, and asked whether the numbers are available.
- Another member said the town had looked at professional culling before and found it impractical and expensive, recalled Princeton’s experience with a contractor as “pretty much a disaster,” and described contraception and baited tick-treatment stations as costly and slow (7:00). That member’s conclusion: “prevention is what you need to do,” and residents must take responsibility for protecting themselves.
- Members discussed what to send to the Township Committee (10:10). One noted that, by its account, Princeton now runs its program on public land to avoid conflict with neighbours, and suggested the township look at it. Another asked that the Committee share the drone data and explain how it accounts for deer displaced when wooded land is developed.
No resolution was proposed and no vote was taken. The points raised were left with the Committee liaison to bring back to the Township Committee, and members suggested replying to the resident with the department’s tick-prevention information.
The 2025 annual report. In the department’s annual report, at about 30:04, staff showed Lyme disease as the largest share of reported communicable disease (a chart that excludes flu and COVID). The department gives out tick kits and runs outreach during tick season. The report also said the department brought in $843,144 in grants in 2025 and investigated and contained 14 communicable disease outbreaks.
Why it matters
Deer management is set by the Township Committee, not the Board of Health. This meeting shows the public health body’s view: it treats tick-borne disease as a leading local health problem, but most members doubted that the township can shrink the herd enough to change it. The concern reached the Township Committee the next evening, October 15.
Worth watching
- The deer email introduced (1:42)
- Tick-borne disease and the drone count (5:05)
- “Prevention is what you need to do” (7:00)
- What to pass on to the Township Committee (10:10)
- Lyme disease in the 2025 annual report (30:04)
Sources
- The township’s archive: October 14, 2026 Board of Health meeting video and transcript. Quotations come from uncorrected closed captions, and timestamps are approximate.
- Board of Health agenda, October 14, 2026
- Minutes for this meeting had not been posted as of October 19, 2026. The file posted in the AgendaCenter’s minutes slot for this date contains the September 9, 2026 minutes.
Agenda index
Full transcript
The township publishes a transcript of this meeting alongside the video. In a meeting that runs for hours it is the quickest way to find where a subject came up; the chapter links above jump the recording to each agenda item.