Board of Health Reorganization: Appointing Secretary & Registrar

By Chris Basista
January 27, 2025
After hearing that there was a change of appointment of the Board of Health secretary at the Board of Health reorganization meeting held on January 21st, Manville.Today submitted an OPRA request to listen to the meeting.
Mayor Richard Onderko, who serves no role on the Board of Health, spoke during the reorganization meeting. He was adamant about "separating" the roles of Board of Health Secretary and Registrar, despite there being no conflict for the same person to serve in both roles.
"I would like the board to consider to keep the secretary position separate from that Resolution," stated Richard Onderko. He continued:
"I spoke to an employee who wanted to come back and serve as the board secretary. I think that way, it's just the separation of duties, and move forward with the board secretary as we always have."
Clerk William Bray responded clarifying the role of a Registrar. (Issues birth certificates and death certificates, for example.) He also stated that since Manville has a separate Board of Health for the municipality, the Registrar is appointed by the Board of Health. He also went on to explain when he was hired as Clerk, he was also given the duties of Board of Health Secretary and Registrar, appointed by the Council as such.
The State of NJ needed a new Resolution that is adopted that properly shows the appointment of a Registrar, because the old Resolution had a person listed who longer works for the Borough.
The Mayor was very adamant keeping the Board of Health secretary position appointment separate, and reiterated this after Mr. Bray's explanation of how things worked and what the State of NJ was requiring. The question becomes why was he so interested in ensuring a different secretary was appointed, of which he already had a discussion with this person about taking over the role?
The Resolution being discussed was actually about appointing a Registrar, however, the topic turned to appointing a different secretary.
Board of Health President Jessica Nichols asked if anyone else wanted to be secretary, to which a board member responded that she had a name to nominate: "Sharon Slater".
Then, Mayor Richard Onderko said "he already spoke to her about it", and then the Mayor said she would be nominated and seconded and then voted on.
Upon further discussion of changing the secretary appointment, Clerk Bray asked "I mean, are there any complaints? I mean, I don't.."
The Mayor interjected "I don't think we need to talk about complaints." And continues to state how they "always had a separate board secretary." And that the secretary "..to do with the operation of the meeting, take minutes and help with the agenda. It's up to the Board, but I think it should stay separate."
The Mayor pushed that Sharon Slater get voted on as secretary. To which Clerk Bray questioned her qualifications:
"I mean has she ever covered a meeting, has she ever served as a board secretary, does she have any experience doing agendas, doing meeting minutes? I don't think she does." said William Bray.
Mayor Onderko kept repeating how the position needs to be separate. Remember, the Mayor has no role in the Board of Health.
Board of Health President Nichols was concerned that she was not aware of this person and asked if they would be able to meet them before voting. "I don't know the person at all," she said.
The Mayor indicated they always had a separate Board of Health secretary, and continued to imply that the registrar and secretary should be separate, without a real reason as to why.
Board of Health President Jessica Nichols nominated to keep William Bray, to which Barbara Madak seconded it. However, Barbara Madak voted for Sharon Slater instead.
William Bray lost the secretary vote, and Sharon Slater was appointed as Board of Health secretary.
"I wasn't expecting to be dismissed as Board Secretary or replaced, so, and that's not what the purpose of the Resolution was, it was just to appoint a Registrar," stated William Bray.
The question becomes why when the Board of Health simply needed to appoint a Registrar to satisfy the State's requirements, that the Mayor was able to interject and turn the vote into changing the current Board of Health Secretary?
Manville.Today plans on monitoring other Board meetings in the Borough going forward, in addition to our normal Borough Council reporting.