The New Milford Town Council has signed off on creation of a regional health district.  A public hearing was held this week before the vote to have New Milford and the Pomperaug District Department of Health merge and be known as the Housatonic Valley Health District.  Washington will hold a vote to join the new consolidated district this month and then paperwork will be submitted to the state. 

New Milford Health Director Lisa Morrissey has been serving residents of Southbury, Oxford and Woodbury since August when the Pomperaug director was ousted when an independent investigator found wide-ranging, systemic and cultural problems in the district. Neal Lustig was suspended in June after a complaint was filed by a new deputy director and an office incident with another employee.  He served 33 years in the district.

The new department could leverage state funding, an incentive for regionalizing.