Public Hearing on Septic Service Assistance Program
for Lower Income Geauga Residents Set for December 10
Geauga Public Health (GPH) – November 19, 2025
Meeting Details: The GPH Board met in Regular Session at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite B167-168 (first floor), Chardon, OH, on October 15, 2025. The meeting began at 5:00 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.
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:
Dr. Hendrickson conducted the meeting in Dr. Jones’ absence.
Staff Attendance:
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Ron Graham, Lake and Geauga Health Commissioner
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Dan Lark, Director of Environmental Health
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Adam Litke, Administrator
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Katie Taylor, Finance Director
Others Present: Geauga Maple Leaf reporter Allison Wilson; Chagrin Valley Times reporter Anastasia Nicholas; Geauga resident Vickie List; Erica Domaleczny, LWVG Member; 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 – Approval for the minutes of the Regular Meeting October 15, 2025, were approved.
Health District Staff Reports
Observer Note: These reports are available with the Agenda on the Geauga Public Health (GPH) website. See November Agenda here.
Mr. Litke noted that Lake County is working on the Safe Communities grant application. Mrs. Roman asked if GPH could lose the grant. Mr. Litke explained that the state will send out the notice of proposal (NFP) in December, but they won’t know more until mid-December and are “holding our breath on that one.” Observer Note: The Safe Communities program is designed to reduce the number of traffic-related motor vehicle deaths in Geauga County by increasing seat belt usage, increasing motorcycle safety awareness, and reducing distracted and impaired driving. Per Mr. Litke, Lake County General Health District is the primary provider of the grant.
Mrs. Roman asked about the change in tracking COVID-19 from cases to hospitalizations only. Dr. Hendrickson explained that tracking hospitalizations is much more accurate than tracking reported cases.
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Environmental Health Report – Mr. Lark discussed ongoing issues with Hunan by the Falls, a restaurant that has undergone multiple inspections and re-inspections since January 2025. According to Mr. Lark, the situation has deteriorated to the point where he is requesting Board authorization to issue a notice of intent to suspend the restaurant’s license. Mr. Litke presented slides documenting numerous repeat health code violations from the most recent inspection, including food stored in a handwashing sink, open food boxes, and food stored near chemicals in the kitchen. He explained that, at this stage, they typically hold a discussion with the operator about improvements, but progress has not occurred.
The formal letter of suspension will give the restaurant two weeks’ notice that GPH intends to suspend its license, after which the restaurant may appeal. Once the two-week period ends, GPH would proceed with the actual suspension, a process that normally takes about a month unless there is an immediate danger to the public. Mr. Litke said he hopes to send a team to the restaurant before Thanksgiving to encourage corrective action, noting that restaurants often improve quickly to avoid negative publicity.
Mrs. Roman pointed out that 11 months is a long time for repeated violations. Mr. Lark said the initial contact was in January, but issues escalated in September despite spot inspections and a previous “last straw” meeting.
Mr. Litke emphasized that the overarching goal is to avoid shutting down restaurants whenever possible and instead work with operators to educate them and support compliance.
A motion was made to authorize Mr. Lark and the environmental health department to issue the suspension notice, with follow-up planned for next week.
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Administrator’s Report - Mr. Litke reported that the County Commissioners voted on November 18 not to enact “piggyback” tax exemptions outlined in HB 96, Ohio’s recently passed operating budget. Observer Note: The “piggyback” tax provisions allow county officials to provide additional property tax relief to residents. These provisions are optional. See here for more information. Mr. Litke said he appreciated the Commissioners’ decision, which he said meant that GPH wouldn’t lose $17,000 in County funding; he also expressed appreciation to Mrs. Roman, Ms. Taylor and Mr. Lark for their attendance in support of GPH at the Commissioners’ meeting.
Ms. Roman said the meeting room and adjoining hallway were packed and that the audience applauded after the vote.
Mr. Litke said the county is setting up a task force that will meet on December 1 with representatives from county entities to strategize how they would operate should property taxes be abolished. He, Mr. Lark and Ms. Taylor plan to attend.
Mr. Litke reported that the Budget Commission did not review the fund balance adjustments and cash transfers Ms. Taylor submitted at their last meeting but expects them to be reviewed at the next Budget Commission meeting on December 1. Reviewer Note: The fund balance adjustments and cash transfers were approved at the December 1, 2025 Budget Commission meeting. The LWVG Observer Report for this meeting will be available at www.lwvgeauga.org when published.
Mr. Litke noted GPH still owes Lake County $840,000 for services provided in May through October 2025, and they are working to get that paid.
Mr. Litke said he has been working with a resident who is hoping to receive Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) money from the State to repair or replace his failing septic system. Mr. Litke had informed the resident that WPCLF money has “expired” and will not be available until March or April 2026. Mr. Litke said there are no other funding options other than waiting until spring. He noted that the resident’s neighbor had complained to GPH about digging on the resident’s property, but to date, septic system issues had not directly affected the neighbor’s property. After questions from the Board about the type of septic system, neighbor complaints and risk of ground water contamination, Mr. Litke said they would continue to check the system, but he expects a resolution in the spring.
Mr. Litke said he and Ms. Taylor will present the 2027 budget to the Board in the next 2 to 3 months, noting projections will be “pie in the sky” given the uncertainty over property taxes and other future funding.
Mrs. Roman asked why GPH was still working with the Prosecutor’s Office on the roll out of the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) program. Mr. Litke explained that the GPH attorney, Mr. Kostura, drafts proposals, and the Prosecutor’s Office must review them for compliance with the law.
Mrs. Roman asked how revenues are underestimated by 655.50%, as cited in the financial notes. Mr. Litke explained that they generally underestimate revenues to ensure they have sufficient funds. In the case of this revenue item, Mr. Litke said some items had been deposited in the wrong account, and they are in the process of correcting the errors.
Mrs. Roman inquired if the Contracted Services expense account included Lake County Health. Mr. Litke said yes, most of the expenses were for Lake County but also included attorney charges from Mr. Kostura.
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Health Commissioner’s Report – Mr. Graham said he has been working on the strategic planning process which is required every three years. He has also been finishing the community health assessment which needs a third reading to the Board. Once the reports are finalized, he plans to send community leaders an advance copy for their feedback.
Mr. Graham reported he has been working on the Geauga County Community Leader Survey. Slides of survey questions were shown. Mr. Graham said they plan to track responses from political subdivisions (e.g. village trustees, township groups) —those who make policy or have a vested interest in GPH. He noted the survey will be a good way to remind participants of how much public health and its tax dollars are at risk. He said survey recipients will be drawn from directories, such as food service and vital statistics. Mr. Graham said the leader survey, staff survey (already done) and community health assessment will be used to develop the strategic plan. He stated that it’s a difficult environment in which to be looking ahead.
Mr. Graham stated that he plans to migrate policies and procedures from Lake County in order to ensure consistency across the health departments.
He added that he is preparing for the 2026 accreditation process, which involves meeting approximately 90 standards. He has asked the Department of Health to provide a formal statement outlining the potential repercussions if GPH chooses not to pursue accreditation. He noted that only four or five of Ohio’s 113 health departments are currently unaccredited or considered recalcitrant. GPH has been granted a two-year extension from the Department of Health, giving the agency time to monitor how accreditation requirements evolve at both the state and national levels.
Mr. Graham also explained that GPH had originally been slated to receive $25,000 in COVID funding in 2025, but after the state recalled those funds, the agency ultimately received $50,000, $40,000 of which was used for health assessments in Geauga and Lake Counties. He stated that this funding will not be available next year, even though GPH will be required to employ a full-time accreditation coordinator. Mr. Litke noted that such a position would cost $80,000–$90,000 including benefits. Mr. Graham said they are still waiting to learn what each county could lose or gain depending on whether they remain accredited.
Mrs. Roman asked whether counties could share an accreditation coordinator. Mr. Graham said this question would have been included in the contracting services survey he had hoped to distribute to gauge interest and feasibility in shared services—such as accreditation coordination, emergency exercise planning, epidemiology, and contact tracing. The Association of Ohio Health Commissioners (AOHC) declined to distribute the survey on GPH’s behalf, stating they preferred to wait and see how the property tax legislation develops before pursuing such discussions. Mr. Graham expressed concern that waiting would take “too long, too late,” and said he intends to send the survey out in January to subdivisions and counties to gather feedback from those interested in collaborating with GPH.
Mr. Litke expressed frustration at attempting to plan five to six years ahead for the direction of the state while health department leadership is unwilling to do so.
Mrs. Roman said she was alarmed by the number (109) of pediatric deaths from a rare flu complication cited in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Reviewer Note: See the MMWR Report here. She also asked which physician specialties were scheduled to receive reduced Medicare payments for thousands of billing codes. She was told pulmonology and endocrinology.
Mrs. Roman asked if there was anything to note about March-September 2025 data from an influenza-like illness in eight Southern Hemisphere countries. Mr. Graham said nothing stood out, but that if it does, staff is advised to put the information on social media.
Mr. Graham reported they have submitted a grant request to the Cleveland Foundation for enhancing data management and expect a response by January.
Old Business – No Old Business.
New Business – The following Resolutions were unanimously approved:
Mr. Litke passed out copies of a summary of the proposed 2026 budget to the Board and audience members and emphasized that the numbers were projections only. See the budget summary here. He noted that final revenue above expenses, the year-end bottom line, is estimated at $101,000, and he reminded the Board that this “is the best-case scenario,” which assumes the sanitarian and clerk who left GPH are not replaced.
Dr. Hendrickson pointed out that for most funds on the summary, revenue minus expenses were negative. Mr. Litke said there are two reasons for this. The first is that they have some expenses that need to be caught up due to the current payment lag. Also, they are shifting some salary expenses to other funds. The funds will show negative until they are balanced out. He said the cash balances don’t account for any of the cash transfers or adjustments they are planning which will reduce the negative numbers as well.
Mr. Litke also noted that GPH currently owes Lake County $840,000 for May-October, with another $280,000 projected due by the end of the year. He said he is unsure whether the payments will clear before the fiscal year ends on December 31 and, therefore, they have conservatively planned that the payments to Lake County will not be reflected in the 2026 budget. He explained that the account totals reflect activity through October 31, minus 10% out of most of the funds. The 10% deduction provides a buffer for expenses in November and December.
Mr. Litke pointed out that the budget makes a lot of assumptions, such as grant approvals and maintaining current staffing levels. It also assumes that current staff will take on duties performed by open positions, such as accreditation coordinator and clerk. He said other health departments are in similarly tight budget situations and will continue to be so until the political climate changes and grant funding improves. He noted that “the sky is not falling” and that the budget situation is cyclical. Mr. Graham said, “that’s why people have to be creative and condense and prioritize.” Mr. Litke also pointed out that Ohio is one of the worst states for funding public health; other states’ average public health spending is $10 to $15 per capita whereas Ohio spends $3.
Ms. Taylor reviewed for the Board the four funds that make up almost 80% of the entire budget:
Fund 6002 – Board of Health
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Revenue comes from fees from vital statistics (birth & death certificates) and permits.
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Expenses include salaries, Medicare, contract services (primarily legal)
Mr. Litke noted that the state’s cut of death certificate fees recently increased from $3 to $10, causing a significant loss of revenue.
Ms. Taylor said that until recently contract services payments to Lake County were paid out of this fund. Going forward, salaries and other payments will be divided among funds specific to the service provided.
Fund 6005 – Food Service
Mr. Litke stated the state also takes a portion of food service fees; $28 of food license fees and $6 of vending license fees go to the state.
Fund 6023 – Sewage Treatment
Fund 6043 – Operations & Maintenance (formerly the For Sale of Property fund)
Mr. Litke explained that half of the lab fees go toward water testing which is why the lab fees are so high.
Mr. Lark explained that the Service Assistance fund would consist of late fees from the O&M program and would be used to help lower income residents pay for appropriate maintenance for their septic systems. Mr. Litke said the proposed fund is modeled after the state’s WPCLF assistance program, which is funded by the Ohio EPA. The proposed fund would be local and the first of its kind in the state. Mr. Litke said the goal is for the excess revenue to go back to the public, not be used as extra revenue in the budget. While the EPA requires applicants be at 300% of the poverty level, GPH is proposing a limit of 200%, meaning a family of four could earn no more than $65,000 a year to qualify for this program.
Ms. DeBoth asked how much money the fund will generate. Mr. Lark said last year, the fund was about $10,000, enough to pump out 20 to 25 septic systems.
Mr. Graham announced a public hearing about the program on December 10 at 3:30 pm at the county office building. He also noted that the program had been fully vetted by the county prosecutor’s office.
Citizens’ Remarks - Ms. Vickie List asked when Mr. Litke and others spoke about the political environment whether they were talking about governmental decisions about taxes. Mr. Litke said they were referencing the flow of grants and the fact that traditionally stable grant monies are now in question. He stated that grants usually fund the salaries of 1 to 3 people and when they go away, services are severely impacted. He gave a number of examples of programs that have stopped due to lack of grant funding and predicted it would be 3 to 4 years before the situation changes.
Ms. List said she had wanted to make sure the problems weren’t related to the issue of property taxes going away. Mr. Litke said if they got rid of property taxes, “I honestly don’t know what we would do the next day.” He said it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but “it’s a real frustration.”
Executive Session – The Board voted to go into Executive Session to discuss a personnel item. Mr. Litke announced no action was expected. Observer Note: Mr. Litke subsequently confirmed via email that no action was taken in the Executive Session.
Adjourned – The Board adjourned at approximately 6:25 pm.
Next Regular Meeting: December 17, 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 and Board minutes can be found here: Geauga Public Health
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Carol Benton
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Submission Date: November 30, 2025
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