Board Discusses Management of Increase in Cases of Extreme Hoarding;
GPH Looks to Develop Hoarding/Housing Code Violation Protocols
Geauga Public Health (GPH) Regular Meeting – May 13, 2026
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 May 13, 2026. The meeting began
at 5:00 pm. This meeting was 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 for this meeting 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:
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Dr. Mark Hendrickson, President
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Melissa DeBoth
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Daniel Green, Jr.
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Lynn Roman
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Christine Sutter, President Pro Tempore
Staff Attendance:
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Adam Litke, Administrator and Health Commissioner
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Dan Lark, Director of Environmental Health
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Katie Taylor, Finance Director
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Heather DiCioccio, Director of Nursing
Others Present: One member of the public, Chris Alusheff, Zoning Inspector for Chester and Claridon Townships, 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. The meeting was open to the public.
Minutes - The Board approved the Minutes from the Special Meeting, April 2, 2026 and the Regular Meeting of April 15, 2026.
Mr. Lark was asked to provide an update on the Hunan by the Falls license suspension put in place at the April 2 Special Meeting. He said the most recent inspection went well. There are still “some things to clean up, but they saw no serious violations.” He mentioned that the owner, Aileen Chan, had taken and passed a Service Safe course. Mr. Lark said they plan to stay on top of the restaurant, performing unannounced inspections in the coming months and noted that Hunan had reopened on April 16. Observer Note: See LWVG Report for April 2, 2026 Special Meeting for more details.
Mr. Litke said that he’s spoken to local newspapers about getting out the news of Hunan’s improvements so that “the last thing everyone sees is not just the bad.” He stated they will contact the papers after GPH does one more inspection to confirm the improvements “aren’t a fluke.”
Health District Staff Reports
Observer Note: These reports are available with the Agenda on the GPH website. See May Agenda here. Scroll through the Agenda to see the written reports.
Population Health Report - Mr. Lark said there was no update other than what is in the Agenda.
Mr. Lark introduced the Nursing Director Heather DiCioccio and asked her to tell the Board about her background. She said she started with GPH in their Epidemiology department and then shifted in October to a leadership role when the previous director left. She has had 10 years of leadership within the Cleveland Clinic system in obstetrics. The Board welcomed Ms. DiCioccio.
Environmental Health Report – Mr. Litke reported on a situation in which GPH responded to complaints from neighbors about a strong odor of cat urine and feces permeating their adjoining condo units. He said at the inspection of the condo unit, they encountered such unsafe living conditions, including cat and human feces on the floor, that they are recommending condemning the unit. Mr. Litke presented a series of photographs taken inside the unit to demonstrate the severity of the situation. It was noted that pets had been removed from the premises.
There followed a long discussion about the growing number of extreme hoarding cases countywide, and the challenges GPH and other agencies face in successfully resolving them.
Mr. Litke said despite previous cleanup orders, a lawsuit by the Homeowners Association, and a prior professional cleanup that reportedly cost about $6,000, the condo conditions had deteriorated to an unsafe level again.
Board members asked about the condemnation/eviction process. Mr. Lark explained that when a residence is condemned, GPH issues a formal notice outlining requirements for re-occupancy, places a large “condemned” sign on the unit, and notifies local law enforcement. The resident would be permitted to enter during the day for cleanup work but could not stay overnight. Local law enforcement is responsible for the person’s compliance.
Mr. Litke stated that GPH’s counsel has advised against condemning the property because the resident has no other place to go.
Board members discussed the difficulty of balancing public health concerns with the resident’s apparent mental health issues, lack of alternative housing and not having her own attorney. Mr. Litke said multiple county agencies, including Adult Protective Services (APS) are involved, but none can compel treatment or cleanup without court action. He noted that a judge reportedly requested — but did not order — a psychological evaluation. Board members repeatedly stressed that a formal evaluation may be necessary to determine competency and secure additional services or housing assistance.
Mr. Litke pointed out that such situations have become increasingly common in Geauga County, as the population ages and the number of older adults living alone without nearby family support grows. He emphasized the challenge of finding long-term solutions when residents lack resources, refuse cleanup, or repeatedly return properties to unsafe conditions after intervention.
Mr. Litke added that GPH is currently trying to manage 3 or 4 housing code violations, one involving rats migrating from an abandoned property to neighboring homes. He emphasized that the current case is particularly concerning because it is affecting neighboring families who have waited a long time for the situation to be resolved.
The Board also discussed broader public safety concerns tied to housing code violations and hoarding conditions, including blocked emergency access, fire hazards, structural risks, and potential threats to neighboring units. One board member suggested fire officials document hazards to strengthen the case for court intervention and emergency action.
Mr. Litke said he and Mr. Lark are developing a basic countywide housing code violation protocol for Board approval. His plan is to present the protocol to both the Board and the Health District Advisory Council (HDAC), ideally at the same time, and would contact Jason Sutter, HDAC chair, to coordinate a meeting date. 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. They said the goal is to establish clearer protocols for addressing nuisance and hoarding complaints while coordinating efforts among public health, zoning officials, fire departments, courts, APS, and mental health agencies.
Chris Alusheff, Chester/Claridon zoning inspector, attended the meeting after discussing the hoarding topic with Mr. Litke earlier in the day. He said he had brought this issue to the Board’s attention two years ago and was pleased the issue was returning to the forefront for discussion.
Mr. Alusheff shared that Chester Township has experience conducting simultaneous meetings between two public entities and offered to help navigate requirements for holding meetings involving both the GPH and HDAC.
He noted that any discussion of new codes or regulations in Geauga County tends to be unpopular with residents but emphasized that most people already comply with the kinds of standards being discussed.
Mr. Alusheff described a previous hoarding case involving a home that had been under a court order since 1999 to clean up exterior conditions. He said the fire chief contacted him because the property posed significant safety hazards, and a firefighter was fortunate not to be injured while attempting to remove the resident from the home. He said township officials collaborated with fire personnel and private-sector groups to address the situation.
He explained that townships have greater authority to enact property maintenance codes than county boards of health and said the goal is not to punish residents or force them from their homes. Instead, he described zoning inspectors as a potential first point of contact who can connect residents with assistance programs such as the Department on Aging or other support services. He said these cases require cooperation among government agencies, nonprofits, and private organizations.
Board members then discussed the difficulty of helping residents who are unwilling or unable to accept assistance. It was suggested civic groups such as Kiwanis International, Rotary International, or students seeking volunteer hours could potentially help with cleanup efforts. Mr. Green cautioned that many hoarding situations involve biohazards, requiring specialized cleanup companies and significantly increasing costs. Members agreed that the current situation should be considered a public health emergency.
Mr. Litke said establishing formal criteria and response protocols would clarify how cases should be handled and which agencies would be responsible. He noted that these investigations are resource-intensive and costly because experienced personnel — such as senior sanitarians or Mr. Lark — must conduct inspections rather than front-line staff.
Mr. Litke said he would keep the Board advised about plans for the special meeting with HDAC.
Mr. Alusheff departed the meeting after the discussion concluded.
Finance Report - Ms. Taylor said the state auditor will be visiting the next day. She hopes that will finalize the Geauga 2023 and 2024 audits.
The Finance report stated that as of April 30, 2026, 33.33% of the fiscal year has been completed. Revenues are slightly above the expected benchmark, primarily due to the timing of certain revenue sources. Expenses are also currently below budget, due in part to the timing of invoice payments. GPH continues to work with outside legal counsel and the Geauga County Auditor’s Office to process outstanding payments to the Lake County General Health District. Observer Note: Under the agreement with Lake County, termed the Cross Jurisdictional Agreement, GPH pays contract fees to Lake
County for personnel. See more information here. Reviewer Note: At the May 18 Budget Commission meeting, the Auditor’s Office staff informed the Budget Commissioners that the 2027 Geauga Public Health (GPH) budget submission has been received and its 2026 revenue does not match the entries in New World. New World is the financial software system used by the Auditor and all County departments. See the LWVG Observer Report for the May 18, 2026 Budget Commission Meeting for more information.
Health Commissioner’s Report – Mr. Litke reported that he attended the Association of Ohio Health Commissioner’s meeting in Columbus at the end of April. He said vital statistics fees were discussed at length and reminded the Board that the state collects half of each fee. He asked other commissioners why the state hasn’t offered to lower their rate and learned that the fee was created to pay for an electronic payment system established almost 10 years ago. Commissioners questioned why the state is still collecting fees for a system created and paid for a long time ago. Mr. Litke stated he would try to get an answer from the state, saying he would “nag on them until they give us an answer.” He commented he would like to reduce GPH’s fees but needs the state to reduce theirs, saying he would be happy if the cuts were proportional.
Mr. Litke noted that GPH’s $25 fee is still the lowest in the state as far as he was aware. He praised office manager Gina Parker and her team for their efficiency and speed in processing paperwork, noting that they have done “way, way more” applications than other counties. He said people come from a county or two away “just because the team processes things faster than anybody else.”
Mr. Litke said Mr. Lark is working to lower food license fees as well. The Ohio Department of Health is proposing to double their licensing fees over the next few years. GPH will be watching this potential change as they will have to pass those costs on to the customer.
Mr. Litke spoke about the great success of their annual fishing event for children with special needs held on May 9 at the Walter C. Best preserve. He said over 110 kids (50-60 more than average) came out and for many it was the first time they had been fishing. Comments from attendees included, “this was the best day of my life” and “this was my child’s highlight of the year.” Ms. Taylor and other volunteers, including many Rotarians, were on hand to help.
Mr. Litke commented that GPH hosts a second fishing event in Lake County in the fall and makes it open to those unable to attend in the spring. He praised Commissioner Jim Dvorak for starting the event four years ago and for his continued support. He said ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) has provided funds for additional fishing poles and that he plans to ask them to stock a pond with fish next year.
Board members asked to be informed about this and other GPH events in the future so that they can plan to attend and assist.
Dr. Hendrickson asked if the septic system mentioned in the field inspection section was for a new system or one that had already been presented to the Board. Mr. Litke said the situation had been resolved amicably between neighbors.
Old Business - No Old Business
New Business –
Communicable Disease Presentation – Heather DiCioccio, Nursing Director
Ms. DiCioccio offered the Board a refresher on the role of GPH epidemiologists in the community in a brief presentation with slides titled the “ABCs of Communicable Diseases.” She noted that their program is statewide.
Highlights included:
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Reportable Infectious Diseases are categorized: Class A, B and C. The disease class dictates how quickly a lab or health care provider must notify officials and is based on the severity of the disease and potential for epidemic spread. Labs report most of the illnesses. Schools will report if they are concerned about an outbreak.
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Reporting is required to GPH who then shares the information with the Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODR) at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
o Class A diseases are very severe, e.g. measles, anthrax, botulism and require immediate (same day) reporting. Ms. DiCioccio noted that her cell phone is the GPH’s 24/7 reporting line.
o Class B diseases require next day reporting, e.g. salmonella, Lyme Disease, and meningitis
o Class C - illnesses seen most often in schools and nursing homes, e.g. strep throat, norovirus, hand, foot and mouth, COVID, influenza
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Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS) is statewide and provides alerts to health departments. Virtually every lab reports into this system which provides basic demographics and lab tests results. They do not share patient health histories.
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The state offers an infectious Disease Control Manual (IDCM) as a reference for local health departments. It is available online to anyone. It contains all the different pathogens and tells public health officials how to respond, including what questions to ask individuals when using contact tracing and verbiage for instructing a person to isolate. The IDCM was last updated October 2025. More updates are expected this fall.
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Lyme Disease is very common; GPH gets a few cases a week. GPH doesn’t test ticks for the disease. The state will perform the test for a $75 fee. There is a private company in Lake County who will send ticks out to be tested and will provide results to GPH.
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There are many cases of pertussis in Lake and Geauga counties; 90% of pertussis patients are unvaccinated.
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Candida Auris, a yeast infection, is becoming increasingly common in nursing homes and is very resistant to antifungals. Those infected must be kept in “enhanced precaution” where caregivers use gloves and gowns.
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Salmonella is followed up by the state, not GPH. They track different strains of salmonella and can do more in depth coverage than GPH.
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Cuyahoga County deals with all the sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Local labs provide the information to GPH who sends it to Cuyahoga to manage. They own the grant for all of Geauga, Lake, Ashtabula, Medina and Cuyahoga and they keep massive dashboards of information. GPH will follow up on STIs if they see a trend in the community.
Resolutions
Financial Reports, Resolution 26-05-06-01-01 – Approved Unanimously
The report stated, “As of April 30, 3036, 33.33% of the fiscal year has been completed. This serves as a general benchmark of the proportion of revenue and expenses at this point in the year.” Revenues are slightly above the expected benchmark, and expenses are currently below budget, both instances due primarily to the timing of receipts and payments, respectively.
Ms. Deboth asked about “4-5 different sets of payments” to the Lake County Health Department. Ms. Taylor explained that the monthly payments are made from funds associated with the invoice. She said, “you’ll see probably every month the same invoices just paid out of different programs.” Mr. Litke noted that this system was a point of frustration because, “this was originally set up so that it all came out of the general fund which made it easier and faster.” The requirement to have payments come from separate funds has created “100 times more work than was intended for this.” Observer Note: Under the agreement with Lake County, termed the Cross Jurisdictional Agreement, GPH pays contract fees to Lake County for personnel. See here for more information. See the LWVG Observer Report for the Budget Commission meeting where this was discussed in June 2025 here.
Mr. Green expressed surprise that Q4 2025 vital statistics fees had been paid in 2026. Ms. Taylor explained they had had to create a Then and Now purchase order to finish the year. Mr. Litke said the 25% increase in vital statistics requests has made budgeting for the fees difficult.
Citizens’ Remarks – A citizen asked why Geauga’s birth and death certificate fees are higher than Lake’s and most of the surrounding counties. Mr. Litke said he would have to check on that and that as far as he knew, Lake and Geauga are still two of the lowest in the state. The citizen countered that Lake is, but Geauga is not. Mr. Litke stated that the current Geauga fee has been in place “for quite a while.” He said they are evaluating fees with the hope of lowering them, saying the goal is just to cover costs, not make money. The citizen asked where the fees were going and Mr. Litke said the fees were used by GPH and that the fact that Geauga and Lake have different funding sources could account for some of the difference in fees. Mr. Litke again said they are looking to lower fees, but any change will depend on how the budget looks at year end. Ms. Deboth pointed out that Mr. Litke was talking to the state about lowering their share of vital statistics fees (mentioned earlier in the meeting). Mr. Litke said he would investigate it more. He also noted that they try to keep environmental health’s fees comparable to or lower than surrounding counties.
This Observer asked about the state auditor’s visit to GPH the next day. Ms. Taylor said she has a “last stack of stuff for them to review.”
Executive Session – None
Next Regular Meeting: June 17, 2026, at 5:00 pm. All meetings are held at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite B 167-168, Chardon, OH.
Adjournment - Meeting adjourned at 6:14 pm.
More Information and Board minutes can be found here: Geauga Public Health
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Harry Rees
Reviewer: Gail Roussey
Submission Date: May 26, 2026
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