Southwick Board of Health Votes to Permanently Hire Health Director Simons

SOUTHWICK -- April 6, 2026, Southwick Board of Health unanimously makes health director appointment permanent. The board voted 3-0 Monday to formally offer Kayleen Simons the permanent health director position, capping an interim period during which members said she had performed "like a seasoned health director from day one," in the words of member Trish Leveniak. The board also voted unanimously to approve two summary documents for the town's closing 2026 master plan cycle, covering vector-borne illness prevention and pandemic preparedness. Health Director Simons warned the board that she is "a little fearful" about potential federal cuts to the Public Health Excellence grant that currently funds district nursing staff, telling members she has been pressing Finance and Select Board to budget locally for a nurse position. The board separately directed Simons to send a final demand letter to the owner of 403 College Highway, where a refuse and unregistered-vehicle complaint has remained unresolved since before Simons joined the department, with fines of up to $300 per day possible for unregistered vehicles.