PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
COMMON GROUND FOUND … The Swanton Village Council meets with newfound unity during a special meeting during which the body approved its new rules and continued the conversation on funding for a program to handle stray cats in the village. Pictured are (from left): Councilman David Pilliod, Councilman John Schmidt, Councilman Deacon Dzierzawski, Village Administrator Shannon Shulters, Mayor Neil Toeppe, Councilwoman Dianne Westhoven, Councilwoman Pat Pilliod, and Councilman Noah Kreuz.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
For the first time since convening the term with its new membership in January, the Swanton Village Council not only refrained from argument, but forged a united path forward with agreement on the council’s updated rules during a special meeting Wednesday afternoon.
After five prior discussions, the council was split 4-2 coming out of Monday’s regular meeting.
The sticking point was the reinstitution of the finance, public safety, water and sewer, and public service standing committees, supported by a majority led by Council President Deacon Dzierzawski.
During Monday’s meeting, members of the public including a local business owner and a former council member shared their unanimous disagreement with bringing back the committees, which they and current council members Noah Kreuz and John Schmidt said would limit transparency, limit discussion, and allow for the bias of council members to potentially interfere with the council’s ability to make appropriate decisions.
Without fanfare and with no argument from any of the other council members, Kreuz put forth a motion on his plan to eliminate the standing committees in favor of the establishment of a committee of the whole which would include all six council members, to meet for an hour at least once per month.
Discussion on the amendment added caveats that the meetings be livestreamed, that the existing written division reports continue to be provided at regular council meetings, that department heads or representatives able to answer all questions be required to attend both the committee and council meetings, and that members of the public could request in advance to be added to the agenda of the committee’s meetings if they wished to make a statement there.
They also changed the time of the regular meetings from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with meetings of the committee to be held at 6 p.m.
Council members voted unanimously to pass Kreuz’s amendment and to give final approval for the new rules. “I’m really very happy to see this council willing to dedicate additional time for this.
“I think it’s very important that we do this, and I strongly believe that a monthly committee of the whole is a fair, productive compromise in moving forward,” Councilwoman Pat Pilliod said.
In response to a previous statement by Councilwoman Pilliod about not having enough time to review the council packet delivered electronically on Fridays, Village Administrator Shannon Shulters said she would attempt to have them out by the end of the business day on Thursdays.
The new rules and new schedule will take effect at the council’s April 13, 2026, meeting.
TRAP, NEUTER, RELEASE FUNDING
Council members – with help from village administration – also set the course for a proposed stray cat trap, neuter, and release program (TNR) with the identification of available funding along with a surprise donation from the community.
According to Village Administrator Shannon Shulters, it was determined through research and discussion with Fiscal Officer Holden Benfield and Mayor Neil Toeppe that $5,000 can be taken out of the village’s $30,000 downtown facade grant 2026 budget for the program due to grant requests slowing down over the years.
She said an additional $5,000 would be split off as a rainy day fund to bolster either the facade program – for which the regular budget would be reduced to $20,000 – or the TNR program on an as-needed basis.
Resident Bob Wertz addressed the council about his own private TNR program he created while having cat problems of his own.
In addition to offering his services to the council, he announced a donation from the Swanton Corn Festival Committee of $2,500 to help get Swanton’s program started.
Elizabeth Huard of Shining Star Cat Rescue, a nonprofit LLC with pending 501(c)(3) status, shared several TNR resources available in Toledo, including the Toledo Humane Society and its Tomcat Tuesday Planned Pethood, and Humane Ohio.
Others shared possible funding drains to watch out for, including people bringing their owned cats and presenting them as strays or people bringing cats trapped outside the village, in an attempt to obtain cheap or free services.
Shulters shared her support for an idea floated by a resident in a comment on an online post, which recommended the requirement of licenses for cats the same way Fulton County currently requires dog licenses.
Councilwoman Dianne Westhoven said the first meeting of the newly formed cat committee will be held next week to include a review of the existing ordinance and discussions on how to get sick cats off the street and to a veterinarian as well as protocols for euthanizing sick cats when necessary.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 23, at Ritter Hall, 124 N. Main Street.
