(PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
POWER AGREEMENT … Bryan Director of Utilities, Derek Schultz (above) discusses the 2027 Waste Heat Energy Schedule with AMP at Tuesday’s Bryan Board of Public Affairs meeting.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Bryan Board of Public Affairs approved a water line replacement project at its Tuesday afternoon meeting.
Construction for the project which will cover the 700 to 900 blocks of East Mulberry Street, will replace 1,520 feet of aging four-inch cast iron water main pipe along with three fire hydrants and improve on 39 water services.
“In 2024, both the board and city council passed a resolution that authorized Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade to apply for a OPWC (Ohio Public Works Commission) grant for this project,” said Director of Utilities Derek Schultz. “We will be awarded 50 percent ($275,000) of grant funding for it.”
Two sealed bids were opened for the project on July 9th and the board unanimously approved Bryan Excavating, LLC bid of $489,300.40, which is lower than the engineer’s estimate cost of $558,000.
“This project is included in the 2025 Water Capital budget and will be appropriated by $50,000,” commented Schultz.
“The supply chain still seems to be a bit of an issue I think specifically grass, so there was an addendum that was issued that extended the completion date to September 30, 2026.
As a result of that, I don’t expect construction to begin until next year.” Board member Karen Ford asked Schultz that she had wondered if there was any discussion with either of these companies and the type of description of the material from the items they’re going to furnish for the project.
“I noticed a considerable difference in pricing between certain items,” pointed out Ford. “Some are less than some are more than the other bidder.”
“Are they going to give us the type of product that we typically would buy ourselves. With the price difference, I can’t imagine that happening.”
Schultz responded to Ford’s question saying both the city engineer and the (BMU) engineer had reviewed the bids.
“They didn’t mention anything with that, but they still do have to install all products and materials to our standards,” noted Schultz.
The board unanimously approved an agreement through 2042 with American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) in regard to the 2027 Waste Heat Energy schedule.
Known as “Tallgrass” under the terms of which AMP will purchase power, and developer will supply and sell up to 22.74 megawatts of capacity and associated energy and environment attributes from the Waste Heat Energy generation projects,
“This is a renewal power purchase agreement, noted Schultz. “As most of us know, we continue to see rapid load growth in a generation that is struggling to keep up. It will provide long term power solutions to its members such as having a base load supply.”
Schultz mentioned that AMP has already entered into power purchase agreements (Waste Heat Power Agreements) with Tallgrass Muskingum Community Power, LLC, and Tallgrass Columbus Community Power. LLC.
The board approved an increase to its annual health insurance premium rates effective for one year, beginning on September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026.
The new rates will raise the weekly rates for single coverage from $43 per pay period to $45, and for family coverage from $119 per pay period to $124.
“About a month ago, we got our initial quote from Medical Mutual of Ohio,” said City-Clerk Treasurer John Lehner.
“Through negotiations, we didn’t get that rate to come down with the proposal as all the increases are five percent. In my mind, in health insurance anything in single digits is pretty good.”
In other action, the board approved the minutes from the July 1 meeting and the Clerk-Treasurer Report. The board then went into executive session to prepare for negotiations with no action taken.