PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
POLICY MEETING … Village of Edgerton rules committee members from left, Leslie VanAusdale and Jason Gruver, discuss policy updates on Thursday, September 11.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
EDGERTON- The Edgerton Village Council Rules Committee met on Thursday, September 11, discussing several policy updates and personnel procedures.
Committee members in attendance were Leslie VanAusdale and Jason Gruver. Lance Bowsher was absent.
Also in attendance were Mayor Robert Day, Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles, and administrative assistant Amanda Knecht.
Breastfeeding Policy
Fitzcharles told rules committee members she was approached within the last months about incorporating a breastfeeding program in the village workplace.
“We’ve received a grant, and it would help for future support,” said Knecht. “They would like to incorporate their breastfeeding program through their WIC Program (Women, Infants, and Children).
She also added other resources the grant supports, including peer counseling, one-on-one support, infant education, lactation consultations, and receiving breast pumps through WIC.
“The grant we had received, it had wanted to extend to the communities, is they will provide the infrastructure, which I believe is partitions they will bring in and put into the training room,” added Knecht.
“It will also serve a purpose to assist with a vaccination clinic at the health fairs that we hold here. So, we wanted to do is to just provide a policy that incorporates this program through the Williams County Health Department at no cost to the village.”
Fitzcharles said there were a few items to address on the policy. “We really don’t have a designated area,” the village administrator said.
“It was partitioned off with a hospital bed, and then it would provide another side for a chair. It would serve like a health or a vaccination clinic.”
Fitzcharles had attended a meeting with several people from the health department, and one of the items they mentioned was that they do a “Health Department Days on the Road” program, which could potentially be brought to the village in the future.
Knecht added that the policy is pretty straightforward and needed to be amended into the village’s policy manual.
Body Worn Camera/Dashcam Records Policy
The village policy is a part of Ohio House Bill 315, which basically authorizes law enforcement to charge a usual fee for these requests.
“The policy will state the fee is not to exceed $75 per hour or $750 total,” said Knecht. “There is a $75 minimum charge. All the other statements in this policy are in line which is a normal records policy request.
“It has to be a reasonable amount of time. If there is a reason that cannot fit, if the request is denied, or whatever reason, it must be provided in writing.” She said the biggest part of the policy needs to be restructured.
Cyber Security Policy
This village policy is related to Ohio House Bill 96, which was passed by Governor Mike DeWine in June and takes effect within 90 days.
Effective September 30, 2025, the village is required to implement a basic cybersecurity program. The program will include annual employee training, an incident response plan with practice, and measures to assess and remediate cyber risks.
“The reporting of cyber incidents to the Ohio Cyber Integration Center (OCIC) and the new standards of this policy are identical to the language of Ohio House Bill 283,” said Knecht. “The time frame is the biggest factor here, I would imagine.”
One of the new things for the policy the village is to incorporate, according to Knecht, is ransomware payment. “If we are held for ransom, we cannot issue payment without the authority of the legislative body,” said Knecht.
Rules committee member Leslie VanAusdale questioned the cybersecurity policy. “So, there will not be a payment made without public knowledge,” asked VanAusdale. I think it’s interesting these requirements being out of the state auditor’s office.
“There’s always a conversation back and forth doing a new resolution or an ordinance. It’s interesting that you all have to approve it.”
The most important takeaway about the policy, according to Knecht, is that the Ohio Department of Public Safety has to be notified within seven days.
“The actual policy must be in place by January 1, 2026, depending on what type of entity you are,” said Knecht.
The village is currently working with EK Computer of Napoleon, preparing for the new cybersecurity mandates by the state.