PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
BPA FUTURE DISCUSSED … Bryan City Council members from left: Stephen Alspaugh, Mary Leatherman, and Richard Hupe listen to responses from three BPA members and two local residents concerning the future of the Bryan Board of Public Affairs at its council meeting on Monday, October 6, in council chambers.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
Bryan City Council approved a charter amendment to place on the electoral ballot, abolishing the Bryan Board of Public Affairs at its council meeting on Monday, October 6.
The charter amendment will be placed on the May 5, 2026, primary election ballot.
Its purpose is to abolish the Board of Public Affairs and to bring the Bryan Municipal Utilities under the direction and supervision of the Mayor and Bryan City Council.
In attendance were council members Jim Kozumplik, Richard Hupe, Mary Leatherman, Stephen Alspaugh, and John Betts, along with Mayor Carrie Schlade, Clerk-Treasurer John Lehner, and Law Director Robert Bohmer.
Prior to council approval, three Board of Public Affairs members, Karen Ford, Annette Schreiner, and Bob Eyre, along with two Bryan residents, addressed the council their concerns on the charter amendment.
“The way I read and understand the proposed charter changes leaves the door open and doesn’t necessarily guarantee the protection and structure as it stands today,” said Annette Schreiner, who also serves as the BPA chairman.
“There is nothing mentioned about the engineering department or the office staff of the utility employees.”
Schreiner also questioned council members, “What could happen to these employees is not defined in the charter. Will the departments be consolidated, employees eliminated, or not replaced upon retiring?
Who will have control over staffing in the future of BMU (Bryan Municipal Utilities), and also removing the staff. Who will control wages of BMU employees?
“The BPA has taken steps to ensure that these are fair and competitive. Is there a guarantee or just a price?”
Ford addressed council members, responding to recent discussions about dissolving the BPA.
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight not just as an elected member of the Board of Public Affairs but also someone who deeply values transparency, accountability, and long-term health for our city utilities,” commented Ford.
“Recently, a presentation was shared outlining reasons to dissolve BPA. I’d like to directly respond to those points, not with emotion but with facts, experience, and commitment to truth. Let’s begin with the claim that Bryan has the last remaining BPA in Ohio. That may be true, and it’s something to be proud of.”
Ford then added, “In other cities, board members are appointed by the mayor and approved by council. That means political influence shaped who would receive your utilities.
“In Bryan, you, the voters, decide the next democracy in action, and it’s worth preserving. Dissolving the BPA doesn’t modernize anything; it just centralizes control. The BPA is local, experienced, and focuses solely on utilities.
“We are elected by the people, but accountable to the people, and committed to serving the people of Bryan. Let’s not trade that for uncertainty.”
Bryan resident Bill Metz commented that history does repeat itself about the proposed charter amendment, despite being challenged by council member Richard Hupe to present the facts at the previous council meeting.
“The issue of abolishing the BPA is not new,” said Metz. “Multiple administrations have tried to convince council to let the people decide and place on the ballot the wishes of the citizens of Bryan who had voted no to abolish BPA in the past.”
Bryan resident Debra Holbrook Beevers addressed council regarding a recent presentation she heard by Mayor Carrie Schlade titled “Modernizing Bryan’s Government.”
“The presentation had included the city charter dissolving the Board of Public Affairs despite that Bryan is the last remaining city in Ohio who has an elected board,” Beevers pointed out.
“The mayor said it is getting harder to get people to run for the board seats. The same could be said for your (council) jobs with three open seats all running unopposed, the same as the board of public affairs.”
In conclusion, Beevers challenged council members with the following three questions: Why now? How would the council manage the utilities? And why do they think they can manage utilities better than the BPA?
BPA board member Bob Eyre thanked the council for giving the charter amendment three readings. “Like everyone here, it’s best for Bryan and I, given my heart to this cause,” said Eyre. “Again, you (council) have a great responsibility and do not make it personal.”
Council member John Betts described the BPA as an “absolute gem” and believed in letting the people decide on how they want to be governed.
Following the nearly 45-minute discussion on the charter amendment proposal, Betts made the motion to approve the third and final reading on the ballot issue, with Kozumplik seconding it.
The final vote was unanimous, with Betts, Alspaugh, Leatherman, Hupe, and Kozumplik all casting yes votes on the issue, which will now go to voters to decide.
In another action, the council approved the emergency ordinance for the transfer of funds for the city of Bryan for the month ending on October 31.
Council approved to suspend the rules and authorized Clerk-Treasurer John Lehner to issue two change orders, one for the 2025 Asphalt Program and the other for the 2025 Pavement Marking Program.
Approval was given for a building permit for the construction of the new Amtrak Station in Bryan at a cost of $4,600,000, for which the funds were provided by Amtrak.
George Allen Construction Company of Oregon, Ohio, is the general contractor for the train station project, which has already begun.
The newly built station will include a 350-foot platform, a building which includes an air-conditioned waiting room, ADA accessible restroom facilities, a new parking lot, public right-of-way access, energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures, outdoor lighting along the platform, and a new Amtrak Station signage.
The new Amtrak station will serve as a stop for the Lake Shore Limited, which is a New York to Chicago passenger train that stops twice daily eastbound and westbound in the morning hours in Bryan.