Geauga Public Health Board Discusses How to Manage Threats
to Staff Made on Social Media
Geauga Public Health (GPH) - April 16, 2025
Meeting Details: The GPH Board met in Regular Session at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite B334, Chardon, OH, on March 26, 2025 at 5 pm. This meeting is in person with no virtual viewing or video. The Agenda is posted on the GPH Facebook page a few days prior to the meeting and then typically is posted on the GPH website. The Agenda can be found here. Observer Note: Prior to the January meeting, GPH meetings were live streamed with a video posted later. This was done by Geauga ADP (Automatic Data Processing) for no charge, but Geauga Public Health was informed in December 2024 that going forward there would be an annual charge of $15,000 for this service. The GPH Board elected to discontinue this practice due to the cost involved. See December 18, 2024 GPH Observer Report for details.
Public Comment Policy: There is no separate written policy, but in practice “Citizens’ Remarks” are listed on the agenda and are permitted as detailed there.
Board Attendance:
Observer Note: At the March 26, 2025 meeting, Dr. Jones was unanimously voted in as
Board of Health President and Dr. Mark Hendrickson as Board of Health President Pro Tempore.
Staff Attendance:
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Dan Lark, Director of Environmental Health
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Adam Litke, Administrator
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Cady Stromp, Supervisor, Food Program
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Paul Stromp, Lead Sanitarian
Ron Graham, Lake and Geauga Health Commissioner was absent
Others Present: One member of the public, a reporter from the Geauga Maple Leaf, and this LWVG Observer were present.
Call to Order: Called to order at 5:00 pm.
Opening of Meeting
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. A quorum was declared, as was a Certification of the Delivery of
Official notices of meeting.
Minutes -The Board approved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held on February 26, 2025, 3-0. Mrs. Sutter and Mrs. Roman abstained since they were not appointed to the Board before that date. Approval of the February 26, 2025 minutes was tabled at the March meeting as Mrs. Sutter and Mrs. Roman had not had the opportunity to review them. Minutes for the Regular Meeting held on March 26, 2025 were approved unanimously without discussion.
The item below was moved up the Agenda for a slide presentation by Cady and Paul Stromp on the Clean Inspection Awards (CIA). Observer Note: To view the CIA award video on GPH’s Facebook page, click here and scroll down.
6.03 Resolution to Award the 2025 Clean Inspection Award to the Qualifying Food Locations – approved unanimously
Ms. Stromp gave a brief description of the award program:
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The program was started in Lake County in 2019 by Ron Graham, Lake and Geauga Health Commissioner, to recognize food locations that have exemplary inspections.
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The program is in its second year in Geauga County. They had 9 winners last year and have increased that number to 11 in 2025.
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GPH mails award applications with their food license to food establishments who then complete and return the application. There is no fee to apply.
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To earn the award, applicants must meet many different inspection criteria, including zero critical violations, good water samples, appropriate staffing, and on-time license payment.
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Winners receive a sticker they can display in their window, a Board of Health resolution, and a trophy.
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GPH believes there are more establishments that qualify for the award, but who don’t take the time to complete the application or simply throw it out. The department is hoping to get more locations involved through social media, including posting tonight’s video on their Facebook page.
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Mr. Stromp also noted that winners sometimes post about the award on their own social media which will help publicize it.
This year’s CIA winners are Bainbridge Senior Center, Berkshire Local Schools, Burton Health Care, Chardon Senior Center, Congin’s Pizza, Middlefield Senior Center, St. Anselm School, St. Helen School, Victoria’s Bakery, West Geauga Senior Center, and Western Reserve Catering.
Mr. Stromp said there were about 9 locations that didn’t meet the criteria who were notified in writing as to why they didn’t qualify.
Ms. Stromp and Mr. Stromp left the meeting after the Resolution vote.
4.0 Health District Staff Reports
Observer Note: These reports are available with the Agenda on the Geauga Public Health (GPH) website. See Agenda here. Items 6.06, 6.07, and 6.08 were added to the Agenda presented at the meeting.
4.01 Population Health Report – Mr. Litke reported they have been working with public school superintendents to educate them about measles protocols for unvaccinated K-12 students. He said the goal is to help schools plan for a measles outbreak before it hits.
Key points:
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Mr. Litke said Ohio has an exclusion rule that dictates that any unvaccinated child must be out of school for 21 days if a person in the same building has measles. He said the exclusion cycle restarts with every new case of measles.
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The Board agreed that GPH should be cautious about how they involve themselves with these recommendations given the public sensitivity surrounding vaccines. Dr. Jones stated she knows “the Board all have strong feelings that people should have MMR vaccinations, but they need to consider those who have a complete contraindication against it.” She said GPH can’t make decisions for the schools and “can’t really affect people’s personal choices.”
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Mr. Litke said he has made clear that the exclusion rule is State policy, not GPH’s. He said they are offering help with vaccines and information but tell schools it’s up to them to handle the situation.
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Mr. Litke said they have not approached Amish schools, noting the Amish take the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine more than other vaccines. He acknowledged GPH doesn’t know how many cases the Amish have because they would not generally come to GPH or hospitals for care. He said their staff nurses are out in the community providing health care, including vaccines, and he believes the Amish know help is available if needed.
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The Board agreed that a 21-day absence would be very difficult for families and the possibility of extended absences is daunting.
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Mrs. Roman asked how schools know if a child is vaccinated. Mr. Litke said there are mandated state or school vaccination records.
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The Board had a long discussion to clarify the parameters of the state code. Mr. Litke found information online that stated, ”measles cases in schools, colleges and other institutions such as daycare centers, where close contact may exist require rapid public health investigation for response and the evaluation of risk for further transmission…. Persons who continue to be exempted or who refuse measles vaccination should be excluded from school, child care, or other institutions until 21 days after a rash onset in the last case of measles.” Exclusion restarts each time a new case is found. Observer Note: More information on the state code can be found here. Click public health management and then prevention and control.
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Dr. Jones said she wants the Board to be prepared to answer questions about vaccination exclusions and present a unified front that GPH will facilitate and promote public health and vaccine access but has no control over the state code or decision-making by schools.
4.01.03 Grants
Mr. Litke reported that few grants are currently rolling out and others are being cut, some without notice. He said he is concerned that a 5-year $100,000 personnel grant might not be renewed. He stated he is “... not putting much stock in grants at this point for a long time.” He noted that grants are frontloaded and, therefore, require significant funding reserves that GPH doesn’t currently have.
Dr. Hendrickson asked about the tobacco use prevention grant. Mr. Litke said that it was cut and GPH is partnering with other departments instead.
Mr. Litke talked about the significant budget issues GPH faces, noting that he is “squeezing blood from a stone at this point.” There was additional discussion later in the meeting under the Health Commissioner’s Report.
4.01.04 Immunization Clinics
Mrs. Roman asked if the patient numbers at the local immunization clinics are improving. Mr. Litke said they get a much better response when GPH goes into the community, noting that it is expensive and time-consuming for Amish to travel to the clinic.
4.01.05 Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Litke said the Public Health Emergency Preparedness drill went very well, with staff processing well over the required 200 people in 31 minutes. The annual drills test preparedness for medical countermeasures, this year with a “white powder scenario.” See meeting agenda for additional details.
4.02 Environmental Health Report
Mr. Lark gave a slide presentation about the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) program which he said is becoming the largest program at the department. For a detailed presentation, click here. Also see the GPH website for additional O&M program information here.
Highlights:
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Mr. Lark outlined the O&M program, an unfunded State mandate requiring permits and maintenance for all septic systems in Ohio. Now the largest program at GPH, it was launched in 2024 and has enrolled over 4,000 systems, with full enrollment expected by 2030. There are 30-40,000 septic systems in the county.
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An estimated 40% of local systems are failing, largely due to lack of maintenance. The septic failure rate state-wide is 31%. The program began with high-risk non-traditional systems and is expanding to traditional tanks and drain field systems, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping and outreach to organize enrollment by region and system type. Homeowners are invited by postcard to one of several informational meetings. Response has been good, with between 40 to 50 attendees at each meeting.
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Fees range from $100 for five years (standard tank and drain field systems) to $150 annually (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) to cover sampling costs. Enforcement includes multiple mailings and eventual property tax assessment if no response is received. GPH is planning a public portal for septic system data (discussed later in the meeting).
Discussion included:
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GPH has hired a graduate student to start their new extreme sampling program using GIS mapping which will give the department information about stream quality across the county. This information will be available to residents via the new portal.
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GPH hopes to create a local financial assistance fund to help low income homeowners with septic repairs (discussed later in the meeting) using surplus O&M funds. This new fund will supplement the current $75,000 State assistance grant.
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Drone use to help with property inspections was considered but is restricted by FAA rules.
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Dr. Hendrickson asked if the percentage of clay in soils creates high risk for system malfunction and if it is assessed with each system. Mr. Litke said soil samples can determine the percentage of clay; the higher the percentage, the bigger the system needs to be to spread the water out.
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There was discussion about different types of septic systems, especially older off-lot systems that typically do not treat septic water to a reasonable bacterial level, creating a public health nuisance. GPH has been warning homeowners with this system that it does not meet current code.
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Dr. Hendrickson asked for the breakdown of county septic systems types. Mr. Litke said they don’t have exact numbers because they don’t have records for many systems. Observer Note: At the March 26th Board meeting in the conversation noted during Citizen’s Remarks it was remarked that traditional septic systems are the most prevalent in the county. See LWVG Observer Report for March 26, 2025.
Threats to Staff Safety
There was discussion about employee safety during environmental health inspections, following threats made on Facebook against health department staff.
Key points:
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Mr. Litke explained that a member of the public made disturbing comments online, glorifying the Oklahoma City bomber and accepting the deaths of children as “acceptable.” As a result, staff began expressing fears for their safety.
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Mr. Litke said they reported the threats to authorities and have taken steps such as doubling up staff on visits to suspicious properties and requesting sheriff escorts when necessary.
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Mr. Litke and Mr. Lark said they personally accompany staff when there are safety concerns.
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Mr. Litke clarified that this behavior was likely isolated, though the department is taking it seriously. He noted that other county agencies face similar issues.
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Dr. Hendrickson and Dr. Jones suggested creating a formal protocol to assess and mitigate risks before inspections.
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Dr. Hendrickson stressed the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, saying the department needs “to know as much as you can before you ever go out to the property again. Somehow you have to look at the public record to see past history and then have the best process of going out there safely with some help to protect lives.”
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Mrs. Roman and Dr. Hendrickson suggested collaborating with law enforcement to flag potentially dangerous individuals based on public records.
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Mr. Lark stated GPH manages a large inspection workload (over 30,000 systems, 150 inspections weekly) which makes screening all potential threats with the authorities unrealistic.
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Mrs. Roman noted some threats could come from “silent” individuals with no prior record.
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Using technology (apps, tracking systems) to improve safety was discussed.
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The board and staff agreed that while the current threats seem to be isolated incidents from a single individual, heightened awareness and formal safety protocols are necessary to better protect staff.
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Dr. Jones and others praised the staff for their work under difficult circumstances and emphasized the need to stay vigilant.
4.03 Administrator’s Report – Mr. Litke said there was no update to report. Mrs. Roman asked what Fines referred to in the Financial Statement Chart 1. Mr. Litke said fines were levied for a variety of reasons, such as installing a septic system before permit issuance. On Chart 2, Mrs. Roman asked why For Sale of Property is still listed. Mr. Litke said a fund cannot be renamed unless it’s unused for 10 years. He said O&M costs are put in that category at the moment. Reviewer Note: Geauga Public Health no longer inspects when a property is transferred. This process ended inMay 25, 2022. See information here.
4.04 Health Commissioner’s Report
Mr. Litke gave the report in Mr. Graham’s absence.
4.04.01 Ohio House Overhauls Governor’s Budget Proposal
Observer Note: See 4.04.01 on agenda for details on the changes that include cuts to proposed funding increases for public health labs and home visit programs and cuts to tobacco and lead poisoning prevention programs.
There was discussion about the State budget proposals and their impact on GPH.
Among the issues:
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Grants help but often only partially fund positions. Many also require upfront funding, which requires financial reserves that GPH doesn’t have. Reimbursement can take months or sometimes years.
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Ohio ranks 48th in federal public health funding, so while cuts are impactful, they’re less severe compared to other states.
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Staffing is bare bones, with only 5-6 workers not working in environmental health. GPH is worried about attracting and retaining nursing staff who start with GPH at $26.00 an hour, well below the $30-40.00 hour market rate.
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Newer State requirements (e.g., staff epidemiologist) have added to costs.
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Fiscal planning is difficult due to unpredictable public health needs (e.g., varying rates of rabies or tuberculosis each year).
Discussion on Future Steps:
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Mr. Litke explained that under Ohio law, the financial burden would shift to townships, villages, and cities via tax assessments or new levies.
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Mrs. Roman recommended educating local municipalities about GPH’s financial needs. Mr. Litke agreed, noting they need to prepare for a new levy well in advance.
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Mr. Litke said he has talked with township representatives at the Health District Advisory Council (HDAC) meetings and has found they are open to a new levy. He noted townships say they don’t have financial reserves either. Observer Note: The HDAC is made up of trustees of each of Geauga County’s 16 townships, a representative from each of the county’s three villages and Chardon City and one Geauga County Commissioner.
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Dr. Jones commented that GPH has made progress in keeping HDAC “in the loop.” She said she thinks GPH needs to start the levy process with conversations so that there’s a joint awareness among organizations in order to move forward “collectively so that five years down the road there’s no shock.”
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Mr. Litke reminded the Board that the last levy passed by 65%.
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Mrs. Roman noted some people might want the department to fail to avoid septic inspections, but Mr. Litke said the O&M program is fee-funded and would not be impacted by general budget issues.
Old Business
5.01 Resolution to Establish Certain Fees, Operation & Maintenance Program, Second Reading – approved 4-0 with Dr. Jones abstaining
Mr. Lark said the fee is based on calculations for mileage, mailings, and staff time for multiple visits to a property. The homeowner pays the fee and it applies only to those who are non-compliant. The state requires GPH to do inspections to ensure that there's no public health nuisance occurring on a person's property. Mr. Lark said the hope is the fee will motivate homeowners to comply with septic requirements as well as to cover GPH costs.
New Business
6.01 Resolutions
Financial Reports, Resolution 25-04-06-01-01 – unanimously approved
Dr. Jones asked for clarification about separate water sample fees for Geauga and Lake Counties. Mr. Litke explained that GPH must take samples to multiple lab locations due to the amount of water they have and limits on the number of samples accepted by the labs.
6.01.02 Resolution 2025-20: Then and Now Purchase Order to Lake County General Health District, Not to Exceed $51,425.00 – unanimously approved
6.02 Permission to Purchase Public Access Service to SC Strategic Solutions Program, Not to Exceed $1,000.00 Per Year – unanimously approved
Mr. Lark explained that the public access service would create a portal on the GPH website where individuals could find property records, including well and septic, for a specific address. He said this free service will enhance public access to records, especially for realtors. He reported that this program is already used internally and would therefore not require additional upfront work before public launch.
6.04 Permission to Suspend or Revoke the Food License for Pari Indian Cuisine, 12775 Chillicothe Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
The resolution was tabled because the restaurant resolved its issues.
6.05 Request for Legal Action Against Food Establishment Operators/Food Service Operators for Failure to
Renew Food License and Operating Without a License – unanimously approved
This item refers to Mulligan Pub’s non-payment of their food license fee and sanctions. The Prosecutor is to contact the restaurant about either paying their license fee or closing. Mr. Lark said in situations like this GPH would also contact the state liquor control board to suspend the license which can be highly motivating to a restaurant.
Mrs. Roman asked about the food license cost. Mr. Lark said an annual license can run from a few hundred dollars to $400, depending on the business’ food classification.
Mrs. Roman inquired about how often this situation happens. Mr. Litke said it happens a couple times a year. He said they had 20-30 locations who had not paid, but after a reminder visit from him or Mr. Lark, they quickly complied.
6.06 Permission to Start Geauga Resident Assistance for Maintenance and Service Program and
6.07 Permission to Fund Geauga Resident Assistance for Maintenance and Service Program
These resolutions were taken together and approved in a 4-0 vote with Dr. Jones abstaining
As mentioned earlier in the meeting, Mr. Lark said GPH wants to start a fund with excess O&M monies to help homeowners in need maintain their septic systems.
Mrs. Roman asked when the program would start and how it would work. Mr. Lark said that as funds become available, they would come to the Board periodically to request their reallocation from the O&M program to the assistance program.
Mr. Litke noted that if non-compliance goes down (as they hope), there may not be any excess funds.
Mr. Litke explained this funding resolution will allow GPH to reallocate O&M late fees from 2024, about $10,500, to the assistance fund. He acknowledged that the amount was relatively small but hopes it could help one or two people to begin with.
Dr. Jones asked if the money can be used to help someone who can’t pay for septic service or the permit fee. Mr. Litke said he didn’t think it could be used for the permit fee, but could help with pumping, the inspection, repair and/or replacement.
Mr. Litke said they will set standardized criteria for selecting assistance recipients, starting with a threshold of 300% of the poverty level, the same as for the current State funded assistance grant. He said they could also have a rule that prohibits a person from getting assistance every year.
Dr. Jones asked Mr. Litke to provide a draft program description to the Board when it is available. Mr. Litke said they are waiting for a response from the legal department about the program. Mr. Litke said they are anxious to get the project in place so that “no one can do anything to jeopardize the program itself.”
Dr. Jones repeated several times the need for standardized assistance criteria and not making decisions on a case-by-case basis to avoid any issues. Mr. Litke noted that the 300% of poverty level threshold rules out most of the county and Mr. Lark added the threshold applies to over 20% of Geauga County residents. Mrs. Roman said that she’d like GPH to send out the criteria to homeowners once finalized. Mr. Litke agreed and said they plan to publicize the program once it is in place, noting “the goal is this gets back to the public within a year so there's never any carryover year to year.” He said GPH will have a contract with homeowners who receive the funds that will stipulate eligibility and procedures.
6.08 Emergency Resolution Authorizing Political Subdivision to Participate in the State of Ohio Cooperative
Purchasing Program – approved unanimously
Mr. Litke said this resolution would allow GPH to participate in the State of Ohio cooperative purchasing program, allowing them to purchase vehicles at significantly reduced rates. Mr. Litke said they plan to use the vehicles for the environmental health staff. Mr. Litke said their attorney recommended they declare the resolution an emergency to avoid the need for three readings. Mr. Litke said the resolution meets the criteria for an emergency.
7.01 Citizens’ Remarks
Resident Vickie List thanked the Board for acknowledging that there are people who cannot take the MMR vaccine, noting that her daughter is one of them.
Mrs. List expressed concern for Geauga homeowners who purchased homes in the 1950s and may be unable to afford to replace their aging septic systems. She wondered if the assistance fund could be “spread out” among these homeowners. Mr. Lark said residents wouldn’t necessarily be forced to install a new system, explaining there is no legal requirement to replace a system if it passes a bacterial test and thus is not causing a public health nuisance.
As she did at the March 26 meeting, Mrs. List suggested GPH enlist help from the Auburn Career Center to create O&M informational videos for the public. Mr. Litke said he enjoys working on media projects and is working on media for the website on his own time. Mr. Litke said they were planning to videotape one of their informational homeowner meetings and make it available to the public. He said they would make sure the most-asked questions at the meetings were part of the video.
Dr. Jones noted that there are already a lot of resources available from the State and other departments like Lake County and they “don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
Agreeing with Mrs. List that the videos should be short, Mr. Litke said they are looking at creating 30, 60, and 90 second videos that keep the viewer’s attention but still get the information across. He said he’d love to post humorous videos like those from the Poor Pumper Society but knows some of the language and phrases used in them might be offensive to some. The Board agreed that one of the best ways to learn is through humor.
8.0 Executive Session - No session requested
Motion to Adjourn at 6:54 pm
Next Regular Meeting: May 28, 2025 at 5:00 pm. All meetings are held at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite B 167-168, Chardon, OH.
More Information: Geauga Public Health
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Submission Date: 04/30/25
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