GPH Board Continues Discussion on Not Pursuing Accreditation;
Sets August 13 Meeting to Discuss the Public Health and Safety Impacts of Hoarding
Geauga Public Health (GPH) Regular Meeting – July 15, 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 July 15, 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 (absent)
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
Others Present: Geauga Maple Leaf Reporter Allison Wilson 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 both the Special Meeting on June 8, 2026, and the Regular Meeting on June 17, 2026.
Health District Staff Reports
Observer Note: These reports are available with the agenda on the GPH website. See July Agenda here. Scroll through the Agenda to see the written reports.
Population Health Report - Mr. Litke said the only update from the Agenda was the rise in reported cyclospora infections in the county, now up to 10. Mr. Litke said that he knows of one hospital that can test for the parasite, and it takes 6 days for results to come back. Dr. Hendrickson noted Ohio is second in the country in cases and that the number in Geauga had risen from 1 to 10 just since Monday, July 13. It was noted that symptoms can be treated with antibiotics which are dispensed without waiting for test results. Reviewer Note: More information about cyclosporiasis, which is the illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, is available on the CDC website here.
Environmental Health Report – Mr. Litke said there was no update other than what is in the Agenda. He reminded the Board about the upcoming Combined Sewage Conference in November, saying they always bring in good speakers for it.
Finance Report
Ms. Taylor reported that at the last Budget Commission meeting, GPH’s budget schedule was changed to put it in line with the rest of the county entities. She explained that their June budget hearing this year is not consistent with the timeline for the other entities. Reviewer Note: The Budget Commission voted to table GPH’s 2027 Budget at the GPH Budget Hearing on June 1, 2026 due to uncertainty regarding the repayment of GPH’s outstanding invoices owed to Lake County. The Budget Commissioners also expressed displeasure that no one from either the GPH Board or Lake County attended the Budget Hearing and requested their presence when the Budget Hearing is resumed. See Reviewer Note below for the scheduling details. Going forward, GPH will approve its budget by July 15, submit it to the Auditor’s Office by July 20, and the Budget Commission will certify the budget by September 1, to be effective January 1 of the following year.
Because the Board had already approved the 2027 budget in March and no changes had been made, Mr. Litke said the Budget Commission asked the Board to formally acknowledge that it had reviewed the same unchanged budget.
Ms. Taylor emphasized that the budget being presented was identical to the one previously approved and had been reviewed by the Health District Advisory Council (HDAC) and that the Board’s action was only a reaffirmation for the Budget Commission’s records. Mr. Litke stated that GPH also wants the state auditors to understand that the budget hasn’t changed.
Mr. Litke noted that historically GPH had finished their budget process by March 31 because they were required to spend their budget by April 1. He commented that he hadn’t looked at the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) “in a very long time” so wasn’t sure if the deadline was arbitrary or in the ORC, though he noted that Lake County has the same deadline. He added that they usually revise the budget in December once funding sources have become clearer. Observer Note: Mr. Litke stated in a subsequent email that GPH will keep their April 1 budget approval deadline to adhere to the ORC and to have it ready to present to HDAC at their annual March meeting.
Ms. Taylor said GPH will have their budget hearing with the Budget Commission next month. Mr. Litke said they would alert Board members of the hearing date. Reviewer Note: The Budget Commission announced at its June 29, 2026 meeting that the GPH Budget Hearing would be resumed on Tuesday, August 18 at 1:15 pm. See the LWVGeauga Budget Commission report here. The Budget Commission must then certify it by September 1 to be effective January 1, 2027.
At the end of the discussion, the Board unanimously passed a motion that they had reviewed and acknowledged the approved budget.
Health Commissioner’s Report –
Discussion on Accreditation - Mr. Litke referred the Board to a link to a paper he’d sent about accreditation written by Wesley Vins, Health Commissioner for Columbiana County. He then presented his list of pros and cons about accreditation. His arguments against accreditation included:
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$5-6,000 in annual fees to the accreditation entity Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)
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The cost in salary and benefits for an Accreditation Coordinator they would be required to hire, estimated between $80,000-$90,000
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Accreditation doesn’t result in better service to the public
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Stress on the staff to take time outside of regular duties to record accreditation documentation
Mr. Litke emphasized that Ohio is the only state that mandates accreditation of its public health departments. Board members expressed surprise at this. Mr. Litke said, “if accreditation was beneficial, why would other states not mandate it? That’s the biggest thing for me.” He also commented that the federal grants that were predicted to come to accredited health departments have “never materialized.” He said that every county in the state is accredited or is considering it.
Board members wondered about the potential repercussions of ignoring the legislative accreditation mandate and whether the State would penalize GPH for it. Mr. Litke said they weren’t sure what the State would do. Possible negative effects of non-accreditation:
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GPH would be asked to return the one-time $50,000 subsidy given to help pay for annual accreditation fees. He noted that $50,000 is not even the cost of the Accreditation Coordinator they would be required to hire.
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GPH might lose the yearly state refund from vital statistics fees. Mr. Litke wasn’t sure how that could be implemented.
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The State has threatened to take away their local programs and give them to another agency. Mr. Litke believed it would be too difficult to find other departments to take over, citing the unwillingness of the 4 surrounding counties to participate in a Cross Jurisdictional Agreement. 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.
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Difficulty in finding and retaining an Accreditation Coordinator as well as the expense of salary and benefits.
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Loss of status among health departments
Board members asked if it would be possible to reverse their decision if they found that the implications were too negative. Mr. Litke thought so.
Mr. Litke said they are trying to find a report that the previous Health Commissioner had received that could be used to show why they were unable to complete the accreditation process.
He stated that his objection has been, “it’s a ton of public money to a program that doesn’t have any markers that show we get better. And to me, that’s a waste.”
Mr. Green asked about possibly using an outside firm to handle and write the accreditation policies. Mr. Litke said they had used an outside firm in the past and it is an option they could consider, depending upon costs. Mr. Green pointed out that an outside firm would charge a one-time fee that could be in place for many years and that guideline revisions could be easier once the policy outline is written.
There was a conversation about the public health accreditation board (PHAB), the national non-profit that accredits U.S. public health departments. They, not the state health departments, receive the annual accreditation fees. The Board found it interesting that PHAB also sells a service to help departments get accredited. Reviewer Note: See information about PHAB here.
Mrs. Roman questioned if GPH wants to go “out on the edge and be the organization that starts to push back and ask ‘what value is this?’” She wondered how many counties nationally are voluntarily accredited. Mr. Litke learned during the meeting that about 400 health departments are accredited and they serve 90% of the U.S. population.
Mrs. DeBoth wondered how other departments are affording accreditation. Mr. Litke said their own department functions “on a shoestring” and pointed out the financial requirements of accreditation could force them to cut services and/or increase fees.
Dr. Hendrickson asked, “What do we really get then, other than losing $50,000?”
Mr. Green said he thought local residents would support non-accreditation if it meant saving them taxes.
Mrs. Roman said, “I’m more interested in why we are doing something that is not mandated in any other state.” Mr. Litke noted that the legislature created the mandate.
The Board agreed that before making a decision, they needed additional, detailed information on the pros and cons of accreditation, including GPH having a discussion with the Ohio Department of Health. Mr. Litke said he will gather more information.
The Board seemed to agree that the only risk right now is losing funding.
Mr. Litke said a decision needs to be made in the next 2-3 months.
Special Meeting on Hoarding – A meeting on August 13 about developing criteria for handling hoarding issues in the county was discussed. Members of the Health District Advisory Council (HDAC) have been invited along with representatives from other agencies. Mr. Litke thinks they are close to having a quorum from HDAC. 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, as well as one Geauga County Commissioner. Reviewer Note: After the meeting, it was announced that there will be a joint meeting between GPH and HDAC on August 13. More information is provided about this at the end of this report.
Mr. Litke emphasized that the goal isn’t to chastise or shame hoarders but to establish protocols to get them help. Mr. Litke noted that a next-door neighbor of a hoarder has been posting about it on Facebook because he didn’t think officials had responded quickly enough to the situation.
Mr. Litke said he was recently questioned by the County Commissioners about GPH’s and other agencies’ responses to hoarding situations. Mr. Litke pointed out to them that there isn’t a housing code in place right now. Reviewer Note: For more information, see the LWVG Observer Report on the June 9, 2026 County Commissioners Meeting here.
After discussion, the Board decided to reschedule their August 18 Regular Meeting to August 13 at 5:00 pm, before the Special Meeting at 6:30 pm.
Mrs. Roman asked about the status of a hoarding situation in Bainbridge. Mr. Lark said they are working with the Prosecutor’s Office and other agencies, including adult protective services and animal control, to resolve it, but it is a slow process. Mr. Litke said the problem is so new that agencies are being very careful to not “step outside the path and get lost.” He emphasized that hoarding is far more widespread than people think, and there is “a lot of mental health involved in this.”
Mr. Litke said the closing of the County Home has created a problem with where to place individuals who lose their lodging. Mr. Green pointed out that the County Homes weren’t functioning as temporary housing, as originally intended, and counties grew tired of it.
Dr. Hendrickson said, “it is a notable problem, and it seems to be increasing, and we need to figure out a way to help and solve this.”
Old Business - No Old Business
New Business –
Resolutions
Request for Legal Action Against Terry Mitchell – This item was moved up from the Agenda before the financial resolutions. Approved Unanimously.
Mr. Lark explained that Mr. Mitchell’s property has a discharge septic system which needs a treatment plan with UV light before the water hits the ditch. Currently, the system is putting out raw sewage. GPH hasn’t been able to get Mr. Mitchell to respond to any of their efforts to have him fix the system, including certified letters citing deadlines for repair and failure to attend an administrative hearing.
Financial Reports, Resolution 26-05-06-01-01 – Approved Unanimously
The report recommended the payment of bills as listed in the recapitulation sheets attached to the minutes, be approved.
Resolutions 2026-02 through 2026-16 - Approved Unanimously together.
The Then and Now requests were first approved by the Auditor to cover approximately $500,000 of the approximately $900,000 owed to Lake County. Reviewer Note: The sum of the Then and Nows below is $379,812.41. Later in the meeting, Ms. Taylor said about $450,000 is still outstanding to Lake County.
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 on June 2, 2025 here.
The Resolutions are:
6.01.02 Resolution 2026-05: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $53,680.60
6.01.03 Resolution 2026-06: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $1,454.29
6.01.04 Resolution 2026-07: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $60,911.47
6.01.05 Resolution 2026-08: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $45,521.06
6.01.06 Resolution 2026-09: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $45,884.76
6.01.07 Resolution 2026-10: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $4,038.27
6.01.08 Resolution 2026-11: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $8,076.54
6.01.09 Resolution 2026-12: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $2,112.03
6.01.10 Resolution 2026-13: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $5,771.40
6.01.11 Resolution 2026-14: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $77,301.99
6.01.12 Resolution 2026-15: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $32,025.00
6.01.13 Resolution 2026-16: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $9,525.00
6.01.14 Resolution 2026-17: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $8,430.00
6.01.15 Resolution 2026-18: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $13,800.00
6.01.16 Resolution 2026-19: A Resolution to Authorize a Warrant for Payment Based on a Then and Now Certificate for Purchases, and Declaring an Emergency to Lake County General Health, $11,280.00
Citizens’ Remarks – Ms. Wilson asked if the Then and Now invoices approved at the meeting finally resolved the outstanding funds owed to the Lake County Health Department. Ms. Taylor said these payments would take care of a “big chunk of it,” but there was still about $450,000 owed. She plans to reach out to the Auditor’s Office to see how they can move forward with the process for the remaining payments, perhaps using the GPH general fund.
Ms. Wilson then asked if GPH had heard anything from other counties about why they were pursuing accreditation if it’s not beneficial. Mr. Litke and Mr. Lark responded that it is because it is mandated by law and pointed to the paper by Dr. Vins that came to the same conclusion. They again referenced the predicted grants that never materialized and the cost of an Accreditation Coordinator.
This Observer asked for clarification on the annual fee GPH pays. Mr. Litke said it is about $5,000 per year and goes to the PHAB, not the State. The fee is based on a county’s population.
Mr. Litke said when he asked the Board of Health Commissioners, with PHAB present, for data about accreditation benefits, “they did not have a single data point that proved that accreditation was making anyone better.” GPH Board members pointed out that the fee goes to a private entity not located in the state.
Mr. Litke underlined that the grants promised after accreditation never happened and said “it feels like the rug was pulled out from underneath us after everyone was told to do it.” He said many other counties have thought about not getting re-certified but have not yet done it.
In response to this Observer’s question, he said accreditation is good for 5 years and re-accreditation timetables vary depending upon when they received their accreditation.
Ms. Wilson asked when the first confirmed case of cyclosporiasis in Geauga County was. Dr. Hendrickson said they had one case on Monday, July 11, and it is now up to 10 cases.
Executive Session – None
Next Regular Meeting: August 13, 2026, at 5:00 pm. This meeting replaces the August 19, 2026 meeting. This meeting will be held at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite A333-A334, Chardon, OH. Note the meeting location is a change from the usual location in the building (which is Suite B 167-168).
Special Meeting of GPH and HDAC: August 13, 2026, at 6:30 pm to discuss hoarding at the Geauga County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite A333-A334, Chardon, OH. The meeting will be held upstairs to accommodate a larger audience.
Adjournment - Meeting adjourned at 6:03 pm.
More Information and Board minutes can be found here: Geauga Public Health
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Submission Date: July 20, 2026
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