Dover Board of Health Drops Unanimity Rule for Associate Member Post

DOVER — February 2, 2026 — Dover Board of Health advances associate-member bylaw to Town Meeting with a 2-1 vote. Chair K. Peterson and member John Quackenbush overruled member Stephen Krosco to strip a unanimity requirement from a draft warrant article that would allow the board to appoint and elevate an associate member to full voting status by a simple majority vote — a change Krosco opposed, warning it could allow two ideologically aligned members to install a favored candidate. Health Director Jason Belmont said the revised draft will go to Warrant Committee attorneys before Town Meeting. Separately, Public Health Nurse Gail Varsa reported flu vaccination rates below 50 percent among Dover residents 65 and older, presented Maven data showing 181 confirmed flu cases in partner community Needham in December alone, and sought board support for roughly $1,000 in CPR mannequin purchases. Belmont and Varsa also described a tabletop emergency-preparedness exercise in Framingham attended alongside Dover's police and fire chiefs, with a follow-up local planning meeting in the works.