WESTON—Weston Village Council on October 19 gave final approval to a zoning ordinance separating the downtown business district from the rest of the commercial zone and held the first reading of the 2027 appropriations, which add money for stormwater work, Village Hall parking lot repairs and cybersecurity, according to the meeting minutes. Councilmember Craig Warner was absent and excused by unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.


Zoning Ordinance Adopted


Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2026-14 on its final reading (Klockowski/Susor). It amends the zoning ordinance to separate the commercial district from the downtown district, and houses in the commercial district that are habitable or can be rebuilt will be subject to R1 or R2 residential requirements, the minutes say. The change grew out of a Planning Commission recommendation and is meant to let people live on the ground floor of houses outside downtown that are zoned commercial (first reading coverage).


2027 Budget Gets First Reading


Council held the first reading of the ordinance making permanent appropriations for 2027. Mayor Rick Easterwood said fund totals cannot change between readings, though individual line items within a fund can, and that each fund is capped by certified revenue. Members were told to bring questions to the fiscal officer.

The Administrative Process Committee worked through the spreadsheet on October 12. Changes from the usual amounts, according to the committee’s report, include:

  • Stormwater: up $25,000, with $20,000 for contracted work and $5,000 for supplies
  • Building maintenance: raised to $20,000 to repair the Village Hall parking lot
  • Other professional and technical services: raised to $40,000 for security upgrades and website improvements
  • Technology: raised to $11,000 for equipment for the mayor, council and staff, including a laptop and monitor for the clerk
  • Prosecutor’s fees: increased to cover higher fees
  • Recreation Commission supplies: cut from $5,000 to $4,000
  • Sidewalks: $10,000, plus a larger reserve for State Infrastructure Bank loan payments and possible engineering for the Washington Street project if the village wins the Ohio Public Works Commission grant

Parks equipment stays at $3,000, and tree maintenance stays at $10,000, now earmarked for the Tree Commission. The committee noted that ADA-accessible park equipment may qualify for a NatureWorks grant, which requires a 25% local match. Capital outlay items are still under discussion.


Cybersecurity, Accessibility and AI


Councilmember Jessica Susor reported to the committee that the federal deadline for websites of governments serving fewer than 50,000 people to meet ADA accessibility rules has been extended to April 26, 2028. The village met the July 1, 2026 deadline to adopt a cybersecurity policy under House Bill 96, she said, but state auditors will check written policies, employee training logs and incident-reporting procedures in the spring. The committee voted unanimously to invite WTA Consulting of Toledo, which could handle both the House Bill 96 and ADA requirements, to a future meeting (Rupp/Susor). Its action items list possibly contracting with EK Computers or another provider for cybersecurity and moving ahead with Municipal Post for a website redesign. Council postponed a decision on cybersecurity services in September over the roughly $20,000 annual cost (September 21 coverage).

Councilmember Brittney Klockowski raised the need for a policy on use of artificial intelligence. Susor said House Bill 96’s AI policy requirement applies to K-12 school districts, not villages, but that best practice calls for employee guidelines because information entered into AI tools may be stored outside the organization. The village’s July cybersecurity policy does not mention AI, and the question was sent to the Administrative Process Committee by unanimous vote (Susor/Rupp).


Tree Ordinance Not Ready


The Tree Commission agreed on October 13 to send its revised tree care ordinance to council once the village solicitor approved it. Klockowski said the legal review arrived around 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting, too late for a first reading. Because the village needs the ordinance in place by about December 6 to meet Tree City USA criteria, it will have to pass as an emergency, the minutes say. Commission chair Logan Wick is preparing the Tree City USA application.


Russ Street House Sold, Demolition Planned


Code enforcement officer Ken Taylor reported that the owner of 20508 Russ Street has bought the vacant house next door at 20524 Russ Street and plans to begin demolishing it soon. The owners may seek a variance for a taller privacy fence and were clearing brush, where wildlife and about ten cats were found. Council voted in September to board up the house (September 21 coverage).

Taylor also reported that village solicitor Paul Skaff confirmed decks count toward lot coverage even when no permit is required, that a prospective buyer on Brown Lane was told mobile homes are not allowed in the village, and that he mailed letters about two campers hooked up to electricity and a gazebo built without a permit.


Other Business


  • Taylor Street: Easterwood said the Taylor Street project is behind schedule, partly because work was added, including a second work order for two more catch basins. He asked that open catch basins be closed before trick-or-treat on October 31 and said the work remains within the OPWC grant and is expected to come in under budget. Manholes on Taylor have been redone, and Administrator Harold Boggs painted storm drains there to make the deep dips more visible.
  • Maintenance: The Sycamore Street storm drain is finished, Boggs received a JPX quote for stone on the park walking path, and he is looking for trucks to replace the red village truck.
  • Grants: Klockowski reported from the Lake Erie West Regional Council’s Funding Friday on traffic speed signs that count vehicles, brownfield cleanup funding, USDA Rural Development’s shift toward housing, and possible money for Village Hall improvements.
  • Sunshine Law training: Klockowski added an item asking for Sunshine Law training for village clerk Anette Davis. Council sent it to the Administrative Process Committee to choose a training option (Klockowski/Ackerman).
  • Bills: Council approved $293,457.81 in bills and $8,761.32 in outstanding invoices (Patel/Susor). The minutes do not itemize the bills.
  • Citizens: Visitors, including a student attending for a government class, had no comments.


No recording of this meeting has been posted by the village. This account is based on the official minutes; The Weston Common has requested the audio and will update this story if it differs.

Sources: Oct. 19 council minutes