WESTON—Weston Village Council met May 18, 2026, and adopted an ordinance adding $4,000 to the village’s budget to cover a Wood County Sheriff’s Office rate increase. Council also voted to contract with OHM for on-demand grant writing services and sent two community concerns, the Route 235 advertising sign and cat leash enforcement, to committee.


Sheriff’s Office Rate Increase Funded


Council held the third and final reading of Ordinance 2026-6, which amends supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026. According to the minutes, the change accounts for the Wood County Sheriff’s Office rate increase by adding $4,000, bringing the total appropriation to $70,000.

  • Motion: Councilmember Jessica Susor, seconded by Councilmember Brittney Klockowski
  • Vote: Passed 5-1 on a roll call, with Councilmember Ashley Patel opposed

Two other items had second readings with no action taken: an ordinance adopting a village cybersecurity policy, and a resolution authorizing Mayor Rick Easterwood to enter into an agreement with Purchase Power, formerly known as Aspen Energy, for the village’s electric aggregation program.


OHM Hired for Grant Writing


Presenting the May 11 Administrative Process committee report, Councilmember Craig Warner said the village had advertised for a grant writer, as it had done before with Kristie Galarza, when OHM contacted the village to offer similar services. “They basically do what [she] used to do,” Warner told council.

Council noted that money is already appropriated for a grant writer. Warner moved to use the remaining appropriated funds to contract with OHM, and Patel seconded. The motion passed unanimously on a roll call.


Administrative Process Committee Report


Warner’s report also covered:

  • Parks and Recreation Commission: Jeremy Schroeder presented a petition asking that the original Parks and Recreation document be reinstated. Susor read a new draft submitted by village legal counsel Paul Skaff and pointed to Whitehouse, where the parks board works with a 501(c)(3) organization on fundraising. Under Section B, members discussed a minimum of two commission members, who must be village residents, serving three-year terms with eligibility for reappointment. Resident Rob Myerholtz suggested pursuing a levy to support special events and using the library for community programming.
  • Tabled items: A discussion of MediCount billing was tabled until Fiscal Officer Stephanie Monts holds more conversations. The Washington Street drainage analysis was also tabled while the village applies for an OPWC grant.
  • Levy and tax base: The committee will keep reviewing levy information from Monts for possible 2026 consideration. It also discussed rental properties, the tax base and concerns about population decline, and plans more talks with Skaff about residents not properly reported through RITA.
  • Policies: The social media policy, which mainly covers Reach Alert, will be updated to cover village-operated accounts. The conflict of interest policy will be updated to include commissions, and Susor will draft the edits. The purchase policy is set for review in June.
  • ADA compliance: The village will research companies, such as Triad out of Washington, to help make its website, social media and digitized documents accessible.
  • Maintenance and trash: The village mower is emitting black smoke and may need to be replaced. A single village-wide trash hauler was discussed but raised concerns about street weight limits and appeared unpopular. Code enforcement officer Ken Taylor was asked to research existing dumpster ordinances.

Council members also briefly discussed a prior recommendation to video-record committee meetings. Members said the village’s records retention policy must first be reviewed by the records commission, and no vote was taken.


Mutual Aid Agreement Passed as Emergency


Council adopted Resolution 2026-4 as an emergency measure. It authorizes the mayor to sign a countywide mutual aid agreement for EMS services. Easterwood said the agreement comes up every year. Patel moved and Councilmember Erica Rupp seconded both the motion to suspend the rules and the motion to adopt. Both passed unanimously on roll calls.


Sign and Cat Ordinance Sent to Committee


Route 235 Advertising Sign

Rupp raised concerns about the size, lighting and use of the Route 235 advertising sign. During discussion, members noted that only part of the sign works. Council voted unanimously, on Rupp’s motion and a second by Councilmember Travis Ackerman, to refer the sign to the Community Development committee.

Cat Leash Law

Klockowski said an incident in the village had prompted a look at stricter enforcement of cat leash rules. She asked the Community Development and Public Affairs committee to consider Bowling Green’s ordinances and the use of Animal Control or the Sheriff’s Office, citing difficulty enforcing the existing trap-and-release program. On her motion, seconded by Susor, council voted unanimously to refer the matter to committee.


Reports


  • Mayor: Easterwood announced the Memorial Day ceremony for Monday, May 25, at 3 p.m. at the cemetery, presented by Grand Rapids American Legion Post 232. He invited others to speak and said the ceremony’s purpose is to honor and remember those who have served.
  • Maintenance: Administrator Harold Boggs reported ongoing mowing, clearing of a storm drain leading to the ditch, and clearing of compacted catch basins on Center Street between Sherman and the ditch. He agreed to Klockowski’s request that CanTech list the streets it services on purchase orders, and said he will address Washington Street potholes after current tasks.
  • Code enforcement: Taylor reported seven grass compliance notices, a chicken complaint for which a notice was planned, and a fence repair compliance notice. Easterwood stressed that enforcement starts only when a complaint is formally reported. He asked council members to pass residents’ complaints directly to Taylor.
  • Tree Commission (May 12): Klockowski reported that the commission reviewed the Arbor Day event and is still waiting for Skaff to review the tree ordinance, particularly questions of tree ownership. On the recommendation of Stephanie Miller, the commission will do a risk assessment before a full tree inventory.


Meeting Highlights and Minor Business


  • Expenditures: Council approved bills totaling $26,912.24 and outstanding invoices of $15,399.73 (Klockowski/Ackerman), plus the April bank reconciliation (Patel/Ackerman).
  • Congratulations: At Warner’s request, the record reflects congratulations to Ackerman on his high school graduation.
  • Planning Commission: Easterwood announced a Planning Commission hearing for Wednesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. on the commercial code for the downtown district.
  • Levy language: During citizens’ comments, Myerholtz suggested that council review language from other villages’ parks and recreation levies, such as Swanton or Wauseon, to help decide whether the board should be a maintenance or advisory body.
  • Upcoming meetings: Community Development, May 19 at 5:30 p.m.; Public Works, May 26 at 6 p.m.; Safety, May 27 at 6 p.m.
  • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:32 p.m.

Source: Official minutes · Meeting video