2020 was quite a year and I want to start out by thanking our Department Heads, Employees, the City Council and Board of Public Affairs for continuing to work for the citizens in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. 2020 started off as a normal year with continued discussion about upcoming projects and strategies.
March 10th we were advised COVID-19 was in the US and we needed to prepare accordingly. I instructed Department Heads to freeze spending on the majority of items budgeted for 2020 until we could evaluate the situation.
We discussed Department strategies on how to protect our employees and the public.
We did suspend certain services for a month and also asked some employees to adjust their shifts to prevent the possibility of an entire department becoming sick or quarantined.
We must keep in the mind the early warnings from the CDC regarding the number of projected deaths. I am thankful to say after a year, we as a community have learned how to live and prosper under the guidelines we have been given.
I cannot say Thank you enough for the commitment from our leadership and employees in the City of Bryan.
Since 2018 we have seen over $11 Million worth of commercial and industrial building permits and $4.6 million in residential permits. Bryan is continuing to move forward towards growth.
I am proud to represent the City and serve on several boards. A few to highlight are Executive Council Member of Maumee Valley Planning Organization, 1st Vice President of the WEDCO Board, District 1 Board member of Ohio Municipal League, Executive Board member of Ohio Municipal Electric Association, our county wide strategic planning committee where we have partnered with BGSU, Williams County COVID Defense Task Force, and Williams County High 5 to Thrive, promoting positive engagement between our senior citizens, children, business owners and residents.
Our budget carryover for 2020 was $3 million. The City’s budget for 2021 is estimated at $28.1 Million, with BMU budgeted for $28.6 Million.
We still have 5 lots available in our Industrial Park on Wilson Street and also continue to work on the marketing of our 78 acre Authenticated Site at the Industrial Park North.
Projects included in the 2021 budget are:
The Burn Building Rebuild; weather warning sirens upgrade, Planning and Zoning Code updates, Cremation Niches at Fountain Grove Cemetery, Imagination Station Restroom upgrades, Moore and East End pool upgrades, including providing hands free restroom facilities, Sanitary Sewer replacement in the area of Avenue A and B, Townline Road repaving, Brunicardi Way reconstruction and repaving (41% of the construction costs were approved as reimbursable grants by the Ohio Public Works District Committee in December, 2020, with grant agreement to follow in July.), Deerfield spot concrete repairs and Parkview and Belmont street improvements.
Lastly, I have been working with Amtrak on advancing a long-planned project for a new passenger rail station to replace the shelter at Paige and Lynn Streets.
I am very pleased to announce Amtrak plans to break ground in September on a new $3.3 million enclosed passenger station with restroom and a 300-foot long train boarding platform complying with Americans-with-Disability-Act. New lighting, signage and accessible parking spaces will be part of the project.
We are looking forward to this groundbreaking and investment in Bryan.