CAMERA TALK Those addressing the Bryan City Council on the matter of video broadcasts of their meetings were BMU Director of Utilities Derek Schultz Bill Metz and BPA member Dick Long
By: Anna Wozniak
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
anna@thevillagereporter.com
The Bryan City Council met on Monday, March 4, 2024 at 5:30 p.m., first approving the minutes from their February 19, 2024 meeting as presented.
Councilors John Betts, Stephen Alspaugh, Mary Leatherman, Jim Kozumplik, and Richard Hupe, alongside Mayor Carrie Schlade and Treasurer John Lehner, then heard from citizen Bill Metz, who shared a cost savvy solution to video broadcasts of both the council meetings and BPA with OBS Studio.
This is an open sourced software that is developed by volunteers in their free time, and so the costs would be significantly limited for the city.
Councilor Betts asked whether there was a proposal that could be given to council, and Metz shared that semantics are still being evaluated with regards to which cameras should be purchased to be used in tandem with the software.
Discussion was held on where the funds for someone to manage the cameras and uploading process, with Metz sharing that he thinks it in the best interest of “the clarity” of the city to reinstate video broadcasting.
Council then discussed concerns over security, sharing that whatever broadcasting system is implemented would have to be approved by the proper security personnel to ensure that no sensitive information is jeopardized.
More discussion was held on the costs and scarcity of personnel, with Metz sharing that it may be better handled by a third party.
Councilor Betts shared that the cost of operation has been far exceeding the use of the video broadcasts, making the issue one of both cost-benefit analysis and security.
Council then moved on to approve Resolution 16-2024, which accepted a $134,000 grant from the BAF (Bryan Area Foundation) composed of local donations for the Lincoln Park restrooms, seeing the project now with adequate funding.
Ordinance 06-2024 was then passed approving the first of some annual fund transfers into the various city departments for 2024 projects and operation.
Ordinance 07-2024 then approved an amended appropriation to appropriate the grant given by the BAF for the Lincoln Park Restrooms.
Ordinance 08-2024 authorized Mayor Schlade to approve a partnership with Siebenaler Construction for the Lincoln Park project on its first reading after a suspension of the rules, and Resolution 17-2024 approved the final plan for the county-wide 911 system.
Mayor Schlade shared that the plan has been gone over by all committee members and administrative staff, and that this plan will ensure Bryan meets the new state requirements for dispatch and EMA services, with the mayor sharing that the compliance process is expected to take a couple of years.
Councilor Betts asked why the City of Bryan was excluded from the landline clause, with the mayor sharing that city residents pay an additional tax with their landlines for emergency services provided by the city.
Resolution 18-2024 then appointed Brian Wieland as delegate with Mayor Schlade as alternate to the District #5 Integrating Committee for the Ohio Public Works Commission.
The Negotiations Committee membership was then discussed, with Mary Leatherman and Jim Kozumplik appointed for 2024.
The Fire Dependents Fund and the Police Dependents Fund were then approved for 2024, which are there in case of a death in the department.
The 2023 annual Bryan City Police report then started around 6:20 p.m., with Captain Mendez highlighting that there were 249 car crashes responded to, 586 traffic citations given, 638 traffic warnings given, and 6,795 calls for service answered throughout 2023. The Bryan Bicycle Patrol currently has four officers, with 157.5 hours logged last year.
Pastor Michael Elkins continues to serve as police chaplain, with it being shared that BPD officers received over 1,700 hours of training during 2023.
The department has 13 total vehicles, with nine of those being marked patrol cars. The city dispatch saw 1,240 calls, 55,274 radio calls, and 41,531 phone calls.
Of the 249 accidents investigated, 0 were fatal, 17 resulted in injury, and 232 were non-injurious. Ninety-five OVI tests were administered in Bryan, resulting in 31 subjects being charged and a 26% reduction in OVIs throughout 2023.
K9 Tyson and his partner, Officer Sammons, and K9 Bane and his partner, Officer Robinson, have been hard at work, with Tyson having seen 36 total deployments and Bane with 28.
Bane gained his badge in the middle of the year, and Officer Brian Robinson has been helping him to learn the ropes. The K9s do frequent training, and they do so alongside many other county K9s.
The Multi-Area Narcotics Task Force was able to get 123 indictments to help combat the drug epidemic, with four of the 6 2023 overdoses resulting in death.
Councilor Betts asked how the department can be sure that officers are not being hired after receiving reprimands or being let go from prior departments, with it being shared that the City of Bryan has an extensive investigative process for applicants, as well as the state’s database being updated to more readily produce that type of information on officers.
Council then discussed how important it is to ensure that the department has officers that they “can be proud of and stand behind.”
Bryan Schools continues to have Officers Adam Wheeler and Jason Randall (both Reserve Officers) serving as School Resource Officers, as they did throughout 2023.
Mayor Schlade gave support and well wishes to Alex Miller, who will be traveling to Australia for the Special Olympics and shared her support of all Bryan student athletes and artists, with luck wished on those Bryan students working to make and break sports records.
Thanks, were then given to BMU employees for their help in unloading the supplies that came in for the Lincoln Playground, sharing that their staff and facilities were integral to moving the project along in the right direction.
Council thanked everyone for their help on the Lincoln Park project, those working on the Fire and Police Department funds, and all winter teams that have put in substantial effort this season.
Councilor Betts then shared his appreciation for the girls basketball team, for showing their support to him “from a human perspective, not an athletic perspective” with regards to how they honored his late son, when their championship game fell on the anniversary of his passing.
Thanks were given to Captain Mendez for giving the annual report for the police department, and council as a whole shared how excited they were to see Lincoln Park open before adjourning at 6:50 p.m.
