Appellant disputes Wallingford health notice of violation; hearing record to close, decision due within 90 days

Lila Bellemare appealed a notice of violation issued Feb. 14, 2025, by the Town of Wallingford Department of Public Health, arguing at an administrative hearing on April 2 that she did not operate a public business at the address cited and that online booking listings reflected her work as a brand ambassador, not active client bookings.

The hearing officer opened the proceeding, entered exhibits into the record supplied by the Department of Public Health and the Town of Wallingford Health Department, and swore witnesses. The hearing officer said the town health department carried the burden to prove the notice of violation was properly issued.

The Town of Wallingford’s staff said the department met with Bellemare in December after she sought a local permit and that plan review and permitting remained incomplete. Michael Hughes, identified by the hearing officer as representing the Town of Wallingford Health Department, said the department received a complaint alleging Bellemare was providing services and that investigators found bookings listed on an online platform. "We believe that she's been providing services at at some point the whole time," Hughes said, summarizing the department's reason for issuing the notice of violation. Vanessa Bautista of the town health department said she received the original complaint and forwarded it to a colleague for investigation.

Bellemare told the hearing she is a brand ambassador for Booksy and for a nail-product company and that she does not pay for the booking app. She said she changed the address on her account to hide her home address and that she did not accept appointments through the booking platform while her doors were locked. "I did not realize that my online booking was even active because nobody uses it," Bellemare said. She added that to confirm an appointment she must accept it and a 50% deposit would be required, and she said she did not accept any appointments: "So it's literally impossible for someone to provide proof of booking with me."

Grace Grafzke (Wallingford Health Department) and other staff told the hearing they had not conducted an on-site inspection because Bellemare had not completed plan review and because the department's inquiry relied on the complaint and the online listings. Grafzke said the department found a listing showing services and a price at the address shown in the notice of violation (listed in hearing exhibits as 220 North Colony Road, Wallingford). Bellemare said she previously used other licensed establishments and that the last publicly visible review on the listing was dated in early 2020s; she offered to supply a screenshot of recent reviews and the hearing officer asked her to submit the latest review to Ms. Walker by the end of the week.

The hearing record shows Bellemare submitted additional contractor information on the Monday before the hearing and told staff her contractor had delayed the work. Witness Zandrea Mitchell testified she had supported Bellemare in a custody court matter and said she believed a third party who testified in that custody case might have filed the complaint to "sabotage" Bellemare's potential employee or business launch.

The hearing officer said the record would close once requested exhibits and the review screenshot were submitted and that an administrative decision would be issued within 90 days. The hearing did not include a vote or a final administrative determination at the session itself.

Potential next steps noted during the hearing included the town health department's continued plan-review process and Bellemare's submission of the requested screenshot of the online review. The hearing officer also clarified that the superior court, not the health department, handles protective orders; Bellemare said she intended to pursue that avenue.

The administrative record for this appeal (docket no. 250303PD) will remain open until the hearing officer receives the outstanding exhibit requested from Bellemare; the officer will then issue a written decision within the 90-day timeframe announced at the hearing.