Hearing officer: An administrative hearing on a notice of violation issued by the Norwalk Health Department concluded after testimony from the department’s inspector and its assistant director; the record was closed and the officer said a written decision would be issued in the coming weeks.

Why it matters: Health department representatives told the hearing the clutter in the apartment prevented an exterminator from effectively treating a reported roach problem, which the department said risks spreading pests and disease to neighboring units and interferes with safe ingress and egress.

Inspector Kyle Bader, who inspected the unit on Sept. 6, 2024, described boxes and personal belongings throughout the living area that made it difficult to open the front door and to access crevices where pests harbor. "The exterminator could not effectively treat her unit due to the amount of belongings and items in the unit," Bader testified, adding that the kitchen showed grease on the stove and cabinets that the report listed as unsanitary conditions.

Bill Moody, the department’s assistant director for environmental health, told the hearing nuisance pests can carry disease and that the department seeks abatement to protect both the resident and neighboring units. "They can carry diseases," Moody said, and such infestations "can also affect other people surrounding neighborhoods."

The tenant, identified in the record as Ms. Kinloch, said the boxes are packed because she is preparing to move back to Jamaica, that she is on disability and cannot afford storage, and that she believes her apartment is generally clean. She told the hearing she moved the grocery cart that had been cited as blocking the door and said she would remove it if that was the only remaining issue. "If it's just a cart that's been a problem ... then I will remove it," she said.

Department counsel summarized the department's position in closing: two primary violations were cited — an obstruction of an entryway by a cart and boxes, and unsanitary kitchen conditions involving grease — and the department seeks cure of those conditions so extermination and normal use of neighboring units can proceed. Counsel recommended storage as a short-term remedy and suggested the landlord may have contractual remedies under tenants' leases.

The hearing officer said the testimony and submitted exhibits would be considered, that a written decision will include instructions to the respondent, and that the decision would be issued within weeks. No formal remedy or enforcement timeline was announced at the hearing itself.

Next steps: The record is closed and the officer will draft and issue a written decision that will describe required corrective measures and any deadlines.