PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN/ THE VILLAGE REPORTER
MINUTES REVIEW … Board members from left, Debra Beevers, Brian Davis and Karen Ford go over the minutes from the March 3 meeting at the Bryan Board of Public Affairs meeting held on Tuesday, March 17.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
The Bryan Board of Public Affairs met in a regular session on Tuesday, March 17.
Board members present were Brian Davis, Annette Schreiner, Karen Ford and Debra Beevers, with Jeremy Suffel being absent.
Following the roll call and Pledge of Allegiance, the board approved the minutes of the March 3 meeting.
WATER SYSTEM GENERAL PLAN
The board approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Carrie Schlade and Director of Utilities Derek Schultz to execute a task order with Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd. of Toledo to prepare a water system general plan at a cost of $97,800.
Read more: Bryan BPA Hears Electric Financial Review For 2025
The funding for the plan has already been appropriated in the 525 Water Capital Reserve Fund.
The plan involves evaluating existing system conditions, analyzing future water demands and identifying recommended long-term infrastructure improvements.
Schultz commented that Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd. had completed a water system improvement plan study in 2025 and had recommended some long-term alternatives to the water system.
“The next step is the general plan that will be done in accordance with Ohio EPA requirements and is necessary to pursue funding through the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) program,” said Schultz.
He added that the general plan includes evaluation of the present water system including well water supply, well fields, treatment plant and distribution system, as well as city population data and water demand projections.
“This will provide an assessment of future needs over a 20-year planning period,” said Schultz. “It also provides alternatives which include either rehabilitating the current facility or constructing a new one and analyzes different treatment processes.
“It will also provide preliminary cost estimates, funding strategies and environmental regulatory considerations.”
Schultz said Bryan Municipal Utilities needs to complete the general plan to position itself to pursue funding and move forward.
He is hoping the general plan can be completed before the end of the year, though its timeline is tied to the Hydro Study Base 1 report currently being prepared by Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants, Inc. of Westerville, Ohio.
The study report is expected to be completed in April or May, and that information will be incorporated into the general plan.
Davis made a motion to approve the task order with Beevers seconding it. The motion passed by a 4-0 vote.
SOLAR INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT
A resolution authorizing Schultz to execute an interconnection agreement with MEI Bryan LLC for a solar generation facility was approved. Beevers made the motion to approve it with Ford seconding it.
The agreement is part of the solar array project. The Board of Public Affairs had previously entered into a Power Purchase Agreement, which was approved at the March 16 council meeting, along with an amended easement agreement.
“This is essentially the last agreement,” said Schultz. “The interconnection agreement between BMU and MEI Bryan LLC, who will own and operate the system, lays out the terms of how we interconnect and how we work in parallel.
“It covers the purpose of the location, the capacity of the solar project, compliance with national safety and electrical standards, and each party’s responsibilities.
“The terms match the 30-year power purchase agreement. It has been reviewed by BMU staff, the city attorney, and outside counsel John Coyle and John Courtney, who are all in agreement with the language.”
BUCKET TRUCK BID
In other action, the board approved Schultz to advertise bids for a 2026 insulated lift device, also known as a bucket truck, for the communication department.
The new bucket truck will be used primarily to build and maintain the City of Bryan’s fiber network infrastructure and will occasionally be utilized by the electric distribution department.
It will replace Truck No. 47, a 2002 Chevrolet 3500HD equipped with a 45-foot Versalift boom. Due to ongoing maintenance and transmission issues, it has reached the end of its useful life for BMU. The truck will be placed on GovDeals for sale.
Funding for the replacement has been allocated and appropriated in the 2026 Electric Capital Reserve Fund at $160,000.
The cost will be shared between the electric communications ($128,000) and electric distribution ($32,000) accounts.
Davis made a motion to advertise bids for the truck with Beevers seconding it. The motion carried by a 4-0 vote.
STORM RESPONSE
Schultz thanked the electric department for their response to the severe weather and high winds during the March 15-16 storms. There were no significant outages, though a few tree limbs came down on lines.
“I want to commend the whole utility for all their work being ready for the terrible storms that we had recently, even going back several years,” said Ford.
“I’m amazed that in just recent storms we did not have the problems that we had seen in other communities locally in the county.”
Schultz also mentioned that two BMU employees, J.J. Rupp and Rayner Clemens, were sent to Cuyahoga Falls last weekend for mutual aid assistance during the storm.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board was informed by Schultz that Cameron Frey was recently hired as a power plant employee. The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m.
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