Plain City staff to present cybersecurity program for first reading to meet Ohio deadline

Clerk Justin Dreier told the Plain City Council at a June 3 special meeting that staff has prepared legislation for a first reading on June 8 to formally adopt a Plain City Cybersecurity Program required by House Bill 96, which the transcript records as approved by the 136th Ohio General Assembly in 2025. Dreier said the state compliance date for villages is July 1, 2026, and with a scheduled second reading and vote on June 22 the Village would meet that deadline.

The measure, Dreier said, formalizes many of the Village’s existing cybersecurity procedures and will add measures such as standardized employee training. Dreier told council that certain portions of the Cybersecurity Program are not subject to public records. Director of Finance Renee Sonnett and Dreier both said Plain City has not experienced any significant cybersecurity incidents to date, though staff regularly encounters phishing attempts and occasional fraudulent invoice schemes that are monitored and reported as appropriate.

Dreier also said staff has coordinated with the Village’s contracted information-technology service provider to ensure the proposed program meets the statutory requirements and to implement additional policies as needed to protect Village network assets. The program is scheduled for first reading at the June 8 council meeting and a second reading and possible adoption on June 22, 2026.

If approved on the scheduled timeline, the ordinance would be the Village’s mechanism for meeting the statutory compliance deadline established in House Bill 96. Council did not take a final vote on June 3; staff will return with the drafted ordinance and supporting documentation for formal readings on the stated dates.