HDAC Members Hear Presentations on Hoarding
and Discuss Framework for Addressing this Growing Issue
Geauga County Health District Advisory Council (HDAC) - August 13, 2026
The HDAC conducted a joint special meeting with the board of Geauga Public Health on August 13, 2026 at 6:30 pm at the County Office Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Rooms A333-A334, Chardon, OH 44024. This meeting was livestreamed and videorecorded and can be found here. As of the publication of this report, the video has been viewed 209 times. An agenda was available at the meeting.
Call to Order: The joint meeting was called to order first by HDAC President Carolyn Brakey and Geauga Public Health (GPH) Board President Mark Hendrickson at 6:30 pm, and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Seated at the front, facing attendees were President Carolyn Brakey, Secretary Mike Brown, Geauga Public Health (GPH) Board President Mark Hendrickson, Lake/Geauga Health Commissioner Adam Litke, and GPH Administrator/Director of Environmental Health Dan Lark.
Roll Call: 14 of 21 representatives were in attendance:
Present
Bainbridge Twp - Michael Bates
Chardon Twp - Mike Brown
Chester Twp - Craig Ricter
Claridon Twp - Jonathan Tiber
Geauga County Commissioner - Carolyn Brakey
Huntsburg Twp - Jason Sutter
Montville Twp - Patricia Combs
Munson Twp - James Herringshaw
Newbury Twp - Greg Tropf
Parkman Twp - Brandon Reed
Russell Township - Chris Herren
South Russell Village - Bill Koons
Thompson Twp - Justin Falcone
Troy Township - Eric Matthews
Absent
Auburn Township
Burton Township
Burton Village
Chardon City
Hambden Township
Middlefield Township
Middlefield Village
County Representatives: Carolyn Brakey, Geauga County Commissioner; Jessica Boalt, Department on Aging Director; Kristen Bibby, Department on Aging Social Services Supervisor; Craig Swenson, Geauga County Job and Family Services Director; Jim Mausser, Geauga County Board of Mental Health Finance Manager
Geauga Public Health Representatives: Adam Litke, Lake/Geauga Public Health Health Commissioner; Dan Lark, GPH Administrator/Environmental Health Director; GPH Board members Mark Hendrickson, Lynn Roman, Christine Sutter, Daniel Green, Jr. and Melissa DeBoth
Others in Attendance: Justin Geiss, Chardon Fire Chief; Rich Piraino, Geauga Board of Elections board member; Jennie Best, Executive Director of Community Services from Lifeline, Inc.; Walter “Skip” Claypool, Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority Board member; Heather Copper, senior advocate volunteer; Geauga Maple Leaf reporter Allison Wilson; other members of the public and this LWV Observer.
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 - Minutes for the March 11, 2026 HDAC meeting were approved.
3:45 Min. New Business -
Before discussion began, Mrs. Brakey asked that speakers respect the privacy of individuals and not identify them, their family or property in a particular case. She said, “I think we all recognize that these are very complicated cases when hoarding disorder is involved. They often involve mental health concerns, property conditions, and public safety. There’s issues with neighboring properties, sometimes there’re children involved or seniors in the homes.” She continued, “That’s why we’ve brought together a diverse team of representatives from different agencies tonight so that we can better understand these issues and perspectives….” Mrs. Brakey also said, “I personally think our starting point on this should be, as it should be for any government decision, should be erring on the side of personal liberty and private property rights and not government intervention. People have a right to live differently than you or I may choose to live, and government should not step in simply because we disapprove of someone’s choices or the condition of their property. But as you’ll hear tonight, there are some very extreme cases happening in this county, and in those very limited cases, government may have a role and so we are here to discuss how that role should be narrowly defined, based on objective standards, and no more intrusive than necessary.”
5:53 Min. Hear and Discuss the Increasing Public Health and Safety Impacts of Hoarding Conditions in Geauga County
Public Health Overview - Adam Litke, GPH Health Commissioner, began his presentation with slides by emphasizing that the goal of the meeting was to bring together the townships, villages, city, and county commissioners to help GPH develop a consistent approach to addressing hoarding cases. He echoed Mrs. Brakey’s points about limited intervention by authorities, saying they were seeking to restrict the health department’s authority, not expand it. He noted that “hoarding” is an ambiguous term and said Mr. Lark, GPH Administrator/Environmental Health Director, would demonstrate what a case actually looks like when GPH becomes involved. He emphasized that simply having a large collection of items, such as Matchbox cars stacked in a garage, does not necessarily constitute hoarding. He said the goal is to ensure GPH is limited to the specific actions the county wants.
Mr. Lark then showed slides of extreme cases of hoarding to demonstrate the scope of the problem, saying they had encountered 3 or 4 cases this year. He noted that some of the homes are attached and that foul smells from feces and urine in the offending home can affect neighboring units. Photos depicted rooms so full of objects that pathways had been cleared in order to move through the house.
Additional slides showed how regional health departments handle housing complaints. Guidelines ranged from a “hands-off” approach in Medina County to much more comprehensive housing codes in Summit and Lake counties that have requirements for such things as hot water, heat and functioning windows.
Mr. Lark offered the following considerations when developing guidelines:
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Freedom to live how you want to.
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Affects on neighboring property. Is the situation detrimental/unhealthy to the neighbors?
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Types of resources available, including mental health services, counseling, alternative housing, and medication.
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Safety of Fire/Police if called upon to enter.
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Should a house have heat, potable water and working sewer?
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Resources available to clean out a house.
He presented options for moving forward which included:
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Continue to operate without a housing code. Operate like Medina/Lorain County.
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Place responsibility on townships. ORC (Ohio Revised Code) 505.86 pertains to removal, repair or securance of insecure, unsafe buildings or structures. Township trustees may use this to clean up. Reimbursement through lien, civil action or insurance if fire damaged. ORC 505.87 pertains to abatement, control, or removal of vegetation, garbage, refuse, and other debris. Township trustees may use this section to clean up and place a lien to be collected as taxes or civil action.
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Implement a broad housing code such as Lake or Summit.
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Only respond to rental units using ORC 5321.04, which covers landlord obligations. Provides minimum standards for rental properties which require maintaining “in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating,…”
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Multi-agency workgroup (Building department, zoning offices, township trustees, fire chiefs, county agencies)
Mr. Litke underlined that GPH already works with other agencies such as the Department on Aging, Job and Family Services, and fire teams to address hoarding problems as they arise. They would like to have stricter guidelines for their role instead of handling each situation on a case by case basis.
15:52 Min. Department on Aging Perspective -
Jessica Boalt, Director, Geauga Department on Aging, and Kristen Bibby, Social Services Supervisor for Department on Aging, reported on the experience of their department and social services staff.
Ms. Boalt said her department has been attending hoarding connection conferences through Cuyahoga County for at least 10 years. They have learned that there are different hoarding scales staff use to assess hoarding situations and determine home service levels. They provide home services by visiting an individual’s home, assessing them, providing meals and transportation. They have learned that hoarding issues are connected to broader behavioral health and public health concerns.
For those in the audience who were interested in learning, she recommended the annual conference on hoarding on November 5, 2026 in Independence. Virtual attendance is available. See here for details.
Ms. Bibby said they have noticed an increase in hoarding cases. Some individuals have experienced residential fires involving excessive accumulation, and there have been EMS calls where responders have encountered unsafe rescue conditions and had difficulty getting into homes and accessing patients. EMS does welfare checks and has found hazardous living conditions.
She said they are getting an increase in referrals from public health, protective services and fire departments. Their main goal is to work together with these agencies as a team. Geauga has a large population of seniors. Hoarding not only impacts seniors but also first responders, family members, neighbors and all those working in county agencies.
Ms. Bibby also said that hoarding is not limited to seniors; it can also occur with adults and adults with disabilities. Hoarding isn’t just the accumulation of items; it’s a recognized diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association manual, DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition). Actual hoarding disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty discarding possessions, distress associated with discarding possessions, excessive accumulation in living areas and mental health that impairs functional daily living. She emphasized it is not laziness or poor housekeeping or being disorganized. It is an actual behavioral condition that requires long-term treatment. Comorbidities that come along with hoarding disorder include anxiety, depression, trauma, dementia, executive functioning deficits, and developmental disabilities. Treatment considerations of behavioral treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, case management, and family support. The number one treatment is ongoing support monitoring.
Ms. Bibby said that only 2-6% of Americans meet the criteria for a hoarding diagnosis, meaning 6 to 19 million Americans may be affected. Their agency is looking at the problem through a senior lens because it becomes more severe and progressive with age. Cleaning up/getting rid of items rarely solves the problem. A sustainable outcome requires a combination of behavioral health services, community support and ongoing follow up.
Another issue Ms. Bibby mentioned was that hoarding is a public safety issue that can affect neighbors, first responders, and utility workers. It creates limited movement, possibility for increased injury, and reduced visibility. EMS help can be delayed, it can create difficulty in stretcher movement in the house, and delay life-saving interventions. Law enforcement faces challenges when they perform welfare checks; there might be safe entry considerations and repeat service calls.
Ms. Bibby said public health concerns can be unsanitary conditions, rodent infestations, molds, biohazards, and self-neglect. In these situations, Adult Protective Services (APS) often collaborates with them. They investigate reports involving vulnerable adults. They can coordinate the protective services and refer out to behavioral health providers and can seek court involvement when needed.
Ms. Boalt continued the presentation, stating there is no hoarding law in Ohio, but they do have health codes regarding public health nuisances, disease prevention, unsafe sanitation, fire and with fire hazard means of egress and combustible storage. The Building Department also has legal authority with unsafe structures and structural deficiencies. APS has some legal authority with vulnerable adult investigations in self-neglect.
Ms. Boalt strongly emphasized that “it’s very important to recognize that our Ohio Constitution protects us all against unreasonable searches and seizures.” She continued: “Because individual rights, personal freedom, and self-determination are very important, because we all have the right to make decisions about our home, our belongings, our lifestyle and our living arrangements. It’s very important for us all in this room to understand personal preference and an unconventional home environment do not justify government intervention. So that’s what we’re going to look at, finding our balance between people choosing to live the way that they want to live, but then our responsibility to protect other residents, neighbors and our first responders.”
She noted that the role of government changes when documented conditions can show harm. Interventions might be appropriate when the situation in the home is creating an imminent threat or threat to life or safety, e.g. preventing emergency responders from safely accessing or removing a person, creating significant fire hazards, creating a public health nuisance involving abuse, neglect or self-neglect of a vulnerable adult.
Ms. Boalt said the role of government changes when related to property maintenance; it is not completely well-defined, as not all entities have the same zoning rules as far as public health nuisances. Documentation is needed for a coordinated response between public health, building officials and APS. If children are involved, they will reach out to Child Protective Services.
Risk classification models for hoarding:
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Low Risk : mild clutter and no immediate hazard. Response would be to educate individuals, telling them, “hey, we’re having a difficult time entering your house. If you could clear this up, we could better provide you services.”
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Class 2: some blocked pathways, limited sanitation concerns. This is when they might get supportive services involved and see if they can get individuals to voluntarily apply to the Department on Aging so that they can provide essential services.
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Class 3: There are significant fire structural hazards, which can be a code violation. Blocked access might require formal enforcement by an appropriate agency.
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Class 4 & 5 - Five is when individuals are without any kind of utilities like running water and septic. It’s usually an immediate threat to life and safety that may require emergency intervention and still, there is a judicial process. “You can’t just knock on their door and walk right in.”
She stated that the best approach is a progressive intervention model dealing with the social services department.
Whenever possible, their first attempt is education, trying to help individuals see that the conditions in their home are inhibiting their ability to live safely. They hope to get voluntary compliance. They will start looking at all of the services available in the community and start referring those out to other community organizations like mental health providers, APS, Department on Aging, and family if they have it.
There must be buy-in from the hoarder in order for change to occur. There could be formal notice, inspection processes and court action. No one wants to get to Classes 4-5. She emphasized that mental health is part of the solution; enforcement alone is not enough.
She repeated that hoarding is a disorder. It’s not a housekeeping issue. It’s a behavioral health condition and can become a public health concern when it's a senior citizen. It is also a fire safety issue and a community safety issue. She said, “What is important is to protect our residents, respect their constitutional rights and ensure the safety of first responders and it requires a coordinated, compassionate and sound response.”
30:30 Min. Job and Family Services (JFS) Perspective
Craig Swenson, Job and Family Services Director, was invited to comment. He commended Ms. Boalt and Ms. Bibby for their thorough presentation. He said the agency that oversees APS is truly voluntary and is the gold standard. He thinks they do a very good job managing the issue. He said about 95% of their hoarding cases are seniors. He noted that seniors want to stay in their homes, but find that living there is difficult. Unfortunately, they don’t have a lot of options.
Mr. Swenson said their agencies, JFS and Department on Aging, understand the competing interests of self-determination versus the need to intervene. He said he is proud of his staff. When they intervene, it is in the most severe cases, such as people with bed sores and/or those who can’t take care of their homes but have an emotional attachment. He noted that hoarding isn’t something that happens overnight; individuals have attachments, their health is slipping, they don’t have full functionality to take care of their property in the way they wish and problems become chronic over time. It’s a very, very hard thing to overcome.
Mr. Swenson said there is good oversight. APS can’t enter a home without accompanying law enforcement which means people’s rights aren’t being violated. Geauga is more cautious than most counties when dealing with hoarding because they are very mindful of that aspect.
When APS has had to make hard decisions, e.g., when children are unsafe or seniors can no longer protect themselves and are no longer making decisions that keep their health and welfare at the forefront, that’s when JFS asks the court to determine if a person is competent. In his experience, it’s not an easy determination to make and almost always requires an expert opinion. It is a judicial decision and not one that law enforcement or JFS or the Department on Aging can make.
Mr. Swenson explained that Child and Family services and Adult Protective Services fall under Jobs and Family Services.
34:40 Min. Township and Municipality Input -
HDAC representatives discussed their experiences with hoarding in their municipalities. Many said they were unaware of any hoarding cases, instead noting other similar issues they encountered involving dilapidated and abandoned properties and junk vehicles. In some of these instances, the municipality worked with their zoning department and GPH to find solutions. Those entities who had run into hoarding situations said the problem is ongoing.
Mr. Swenson said that everything his agency does is confidential, so the broader public would not be aware of it. He estimates that they have 5 to 10 current active hoarding cases. He said it’s an ongoing issue even if people haven’t heard about it.
Chardon Fire Chief Justin Geiss said that of approximately 110 fires within the county in the last five years, about 25 were hoarding situations. He said the increased risk of fire hazard as well as health hazard is “huge for us because… all departments in the county are already strained. It’s creating more and more issues for us.” Clutter proximity to fire hazards such as space heaters and stoves is a problem. He pointed to a fatal fire caused by a pet turning on a stove that had clutter on it. He also noted that the time needed to escape a house fire has decreased from 15 minutes in the 1970s to 3-5 minutes due to the change in furniture materials.
He said first responders are going into buildings infested with bedbugs. After entering such a building, the vehicle used to ride home must be taken out of service until it is thoroughly cleaned which takes services away from other residents. He stated there is very little the fire department can do to force anyone to clean up anything, even if it’s identified as a hazard. Ohio Fire Code primarily covers commercial buildings and multi-unit residential buildings, not individual dwellings. Unless a township adopts a different fire code with additional requirements, the firefighters must follow the Ohio code.
Later in the discussion, Mr. Geiss suggested that if municipalities wanted “to gauge the temperature of your local area, go check with your fire department. I guarantee that they can tell of a handful off the top of their head without doing any research.”
49:55 Min. Financial Assistance for Hoarding Clean-up
Justin Falcone, Thompson Township trustee, asked if there is financial assistance available to residents for cleanup.
Ms. Boalt answered that seniors who meet Medicaid income guidelines could receive funds to assist with hoarding cleanup. If they meet low income guidelines, they could become a Passport waiver client. Mr. Swenson said JFS receives some grant funding from the state. They can also use Title 20 funds. They use a company called YUK that specializes in cleaning hoarding houses. The cost ranges from $3,000 to $4,000, up to $15,000 for some homes. “We, unfortunately, have to use it multiple times a year.” He said anywhere from 30% to 50% of their APS cases involve hoarding.
52:07 Min. Available Services and Resources -
Jennie Best, Executive Director of Community Services from Lifeline, Inc. spoke about their services. Lifeline is the community action agency for Lake and Geauga Counties. She emphasized that hoarding is a very complex problem that requires addressing its underlying causes, noting that cleanup alone often does not prevent the problem from recurring. She said they don’t have any programs in Geauga County that deal specifically with hoarding, but they do have two programs that offer support services that could help in such situations:
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Helping Hands for Seniors. Residents can request assistance with basic organization, moving boxes, or taking large items to the trash. An agency coordinator conducts a brief intake and posts the task on a volunteer task board, where volunteers can choose assignments they are able to handle. The program can’t address major hoarding situations but may provide limited practical help.
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The second program helps with security deposits and first month’s rent. An individual who needs to relocate for health or safety reasons might receive these funds, depending on income eligibility.
55:08 Min. Jim Mausser, Geauga County Board of Mental Health Finance Manager (filling in for director Christine Lakomiak) said they provide funding for mental health services like Ravenwood and Family Pride. They don’t offer mental health programs specifically for hoarding, but do provide counseling and case management that can help. Services are charged on a sliding scale so that many times financially eligible clients can get them for free or at a discount.
55:54 Min. Discussion and Next Steps -
Mr. Litke thanked Ms. Boalt, Ms. Bibby and Mr. Swenson for their attendance, noting GPH contacts their agencies first when they encounter a difficult hoarding situation. He emphasized that hoarding is often a mental health issue that requires professional intervention from agencies like JFS and Department on Aging. If mental health isn’t addressed, the problem recurs.
He talked about an ongoing extreme hoarding situation in which the smell and “other things” were seeping through the walls of a condominium and it was so bad that the neighbors couldn’t live in their units anymore. The house was condemned, but the resident moved right back in with another person and has blocked any cleanup.
Mr. Litke said they work with JFS and the Department of Aging as well as fire and police. He noted “these are big, big situations, and I just want to make sure whatever the Board of Health is looking to do is in line with where you, as the communities, want us to aim at, because what I don’t want to do is have someone go super broad and try to abuse a power.” He acknowledged that, while he didn’t expect a formal decision that night, the dialogue will help the Board know how to address the issue going forward.
Dr. Hendrickson, GPH Board President, asked Chief Geiss how fire departments know where the hoarders are, wondering if it’s from the appearance of the property or because they had to go to the property. Mr. Geiss said they are getting called to the places for rescues and mentioned again how the transport vehicles had to be cleaned and decontaminated afterward.
A HDAC member asked for clarification about what exactly the current steps are for handling hoarding cases once they are identified.
Mr. Lark outlined GPH’s procedure: Once a written complaint comes in, they visit the location and evaluate the problem. He noted that besides the general nuisance clause, they don’t have any guidelines, which causes each situation to be handled on a case by case basis. They use their professional judgment to determine if it’s a public nuisance. If the situation is a health risk, they will determine if they need to bring in partners to solve it. Mr. Litke said the guidelines are “very broad and very subjective.”
Mr. Litke thanked Chief Geiss for being there because GPH wanted HDAC to hear about fire department experiences because they are often the first to see it. Mr. Litke recommended officials talk to their local fire departments to learn about what’s going on in their districts.
Another HDAC member asked how they would know what to do about a hoarding situation if they are unaware of it, stating that he had suspicions about several possible cases of hoarding based on clutter build-up on porches. Mr. Swenson agreed the confidentiality his agency is required to maintain for cases was “a conundrum.” He said he wanted to change the scope of the awareness of the problem, making officials understand that hoarding is a community issue, noting again that 30-50% of APS cases involve it. Mr. Swenson acknowledged that the rights of individuals to live as they want should be respected until there is danger.
Mr. Litke said because theirs are public records, he and Mr. Lark present only the most extreme cases to their Board in order not to isolate or shame the individual. He pointed out that many hoarders have no family to help them and no options for living space that better suits their needs.
Chief Geiss opined that, from a fire and EMS standpoint, the line should be drawn when the hoarding situation starts impacting others. He noted that Cuyahoga and other counties’ fire trucks, ambulances and patrol cars are equipped with computer systems that can identify these addresses so that first responders are alerted to the danger should they enter. He proposed that residences be “tagged” if there is a known structural issue or possible biohazard. He said having a heads up so that they can take precautions would “be huge for us.”
Dr. Hendrickson asked Chief Geiss if he had seen a difference in the number of hoarding cases, and the Chief said the number had been fairly constant with no dramatic escalation. Dr. Hendrickson thought there should be a way to tag the addresses that present biohazard and fire hazards. Chief Geiss said concern had been expressed to him that tagging the locations would become known and those people possibly ostracized. The chief said only first responders and police had access to the database. Other township and volunteer fire departments' information might be considered public record. Someone suggested finding out how Cuyahoga County does it.
Dr. Hendrickson insisted “somehow we need to identify those elements of key risk to identify these high risk properties and somehow figure out how to help these people without making things worse.”
Ms. Boalt interjected that she and Mr. Swenson had been discussing the difficulty of balancing client confidentiality with the need to protect first responders and others who go into hoarding and other high-risk situations. Referrals typically come from the public health department or first responders, but they noted that information flows only one way: they learn about at-risk homes but cannot necessarily tell first responders about known hazards because of confidentiality requirements. She said, “legally, we have to keep client information confidential, but morally and ethically, we want to tell you where there’s a risk.”
They debated whether releases of information could be obtained to allow relevant information to be shared with first responders and whether hazards could be flagged in police or emergency-response systems. Although mental health information may be protected under HIPAA, senior service records are also subject to federal confidentiality laws. Ms. Boalt suggested seeking an opinion from the County Prosecutor to determine whether health and safety exceptions to confidentiality would permit such information sharing and how agencies could legally coordinate to better protect first responders.
After more discussion, HDAC members agreed they were generally in favor of a framework in which GPH would intervene only in situations where first responders were at risk or there was a material risk to neighbors. Mr. Litke agreed, noting that is the approach they now take. Mrs. Brakey reiterated that, “we’re not talking about people with lots of boxes in their garage… but severe cases where your house may become an inferno….”
1:18.33 Min. Other Matters Relating to the Geauga County Health District -
HDAC Screening Committee Membership - HDAC member Jonathan Tiber addressed the meeting to propose a change in how members are appointed to HDAC’s screening committee. The 5-person screening committee interviews candidates for the Public Health Board which is intentionally organized to have an opening every year. The screening committee then recommends a candidate to the full HDAC for a vote at the March meeting. He said it is difficult to find people to fill the screening committee seats and they are at risk of having the same people on the committee every year. In order to diversify the committee, Mr. Tiber proposed, starting next year, that members rotate onto the committee, starting alphabetically by municipality. He will put this proposal on the agenda for HDAC’s March 2027 meeting.
1:21.10 Min. Public Comment -
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Heather Copper of Troy Township, who identified herself as a senior advocate volunteer, asked whether the Health Department had seen successful outcomes in hoarding cases and what factors contributed to success. Mr. Litke said one recent case was successfully resolved because the individual’s family became involved. He emphasized the importance of family involvement “because we usually find solidarity with them” and stated that in most cases there is no familial support system. Ms. Copper emphasized the importance of family, churches, senior centers and community organizations in supporting isolated seniors. She also called for financial assistance for seniors facing practical problems such as eviction and the cost of cleaning homes, noting that many lack both the money and mobility to address these situations.
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Walter “Skip” Claypool of Chester Township expressed concern that officials were expanding the term “hoarding” to address long-standing problems that are already covered by existing laws concerning public health nuisances, zoning violations and fire hazards. He argued that there is no specific legal definition of hoarding in the Ohio Revised Code and warned that creating a broader category could lead to government overreach and threaten property rights and individual liberties. He said he supported helping people with genuine mental health or safety issues but urged officials to “rethink what you’re doing.” He ended with, “the last thing we need to do is have the health department, which is run by Lake County, getting involved in Geauga County and messing with the issues in our county.”
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Rich Piraino of Chardon Township asked about the composition of the Geauga County Board of Health. A GPH Board member stated that all the members were at the meeting and all are Geauga County residents. Mr. Piraino asked who does the work “day in and day out.” The discussion was cut short when his allotted public comment time expired.
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A resident of Troy Township shared a personal experience involving her brother, who was severely affected by hoarding. He described a home with only a narrow pathway and said that, despite his inability to help himself, community intervention was unsuccessful until he suffered a stroke, was hospitalized and received psychiatric treatment. Drawing on his experience as a firefighter and EMT, he emphasized that hoarding is a complex, multifaceted problem involving a person’s mental and emotional state. He also cautioned against confusing hoarding with simply owning or collecting a large amount of belongings.
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A resident of Newbury Township thanked the presenters for providing information about available resources but echoed concerns about individual freedoms, property rights and government intervention. He acknowledged the desire to help people in difficult circumstances but argued that doing so should not require sacrificing the rights of others.
Adjournment - Both HDAC and GPH meetings were adjourned at 8:00 pm.
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: September 10, 2026
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