PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
COUNCIL ACTION …The council moved to vacate the North/South Alley from East Edgerton Street to the Railroad Tracks between North Main Street and North Walnut Street.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Bryan City Council met for its regular meeting on August 18, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Carrie Schlade, Clerk John Lehner, Mary Leatherman (Ward 1), John Betts (Ward 3), Stephen Alspaugh (Ward 4), and Jim Kozumplik (At Large) were in attendance.
After calling the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance, the minutes from the August 2, 2025, meeting were approved. A motion was made to excuse Richard Hupe of Ward 2 from the meeting due to family emergencies.
A hearing of public concerns was held, and Steve Cox returned to speak before the council. “It’s been three weeks since anything has been done on my roadway,” stated Cox.
Leatherman explained that a replacement part for one of the city’s utility works trucks is currently being ordered, and construction cannot resume until the part arrives. She stated she hopes to see progress continued by the end of August.
“Was this contract open to the public?” Cox pressed. “Did you take bids to work on the roadways?”
“There was no need to take bids,” Mayor Schlade interjected. “Construction was under the $75,000 threshold. So, the answer is no, we used our local businesses.”
“You have to give us a chance to get it fixed,” continued Leatherman. “Bryan is working on getting the equipment to be able to get the road fixed.”
The Clerk-Treasurer, Lehner, submitted the bank reconciliation reports, including revenues, expenditures, and fund balances for the month of July. It was accepted with no discussion.
A primary item on the agenda was an ordinance setting the City of Bryan’s annual appropriations for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. This included adding received donations for the city’s expenses.
The first is from the Bryan Eagles’ Club for the East End Pathway project. The second is for a memorial for Pat Wilde, a former BMU Employee with the Communications Department. The rules were suspended, and the motion was approved.
Another ordinance authorized Mayor Schlade to retain Robert Bohmer to provide supplemental legal representation to the city. This is intended for a “back-up” representation in situations where the City Attorney, Marc Fishel, has a conflict of interest.
Bohmer is considered experienced in representing municipalities in Ohio. The ordinance is an emergency measure for the immediate preservation of public peace, health, safety, and or welfare.
A final ordinance was introduced to vacate a 20-foot alley right-of-way from East Edgerton Street to the railroad tracks between North Main Street and North Walnut Street. This request was reviewed and approved by the Bryan City Planning Commission at its meeting on August 4, 2025.
The ordinance retains a 20-foot utility easement from the north edge of the East Edgerton Street right-of-way. The vacant alley will be given to the property owners.
A resolution accepting the amounts and rate as determined by the Williams County Budget Committee was approved without contest.
This authorizes the necessary tax levies and certifies them to the County Auditor. This is an annual submission per the request of the County Auditor, Vickie Grimm. The estimated amount for Bryan property taxes was $566,793 — about $100,000 more than the previous year.
Schlade commented, “There is a lot of discussion on real estate taxes and local governments, and the city does get a piece of that. It’s a pretty small piece that is set by the State of Ohio.
Again, like some people, including myself, saw a 30% to 40% increase in state taxes. However, the City of Bryan did not see a 30% to 40% increase of revenue.”
Resolution 37-2025 and Resolution 38-2025 were authorized to allow the Mayor to submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) State Capital Improvement Program.
These resolutions seek financial assistance for two different projects. Engineer Wieland is to prepare the applications, with the final being due September 12, 2025.
The first application is for the replacement of the Sanitary Sewers in the South Walnut and East Butler Streets area. The second is for capital improvements to the waterline in the East Mulberry Street area. Both resolutions state that the infrastructure changes are a “priority need” for the community.
A building permit was approved for 101 East Edgerton Street. The old granary will be converted into a distillery, bar, and restaurant combo. The estimated cost of the project is about $100,000, within a roughly 3,000 square foot area.
Saunders Theatre Operations has applied for a liquor permit for the movie theater and former sound shop. This issue will appear in the ballot on November 5, 2025, because the ward in which it is located requires a voting process. The council moved to waive the public hearing regarding the permit, and it will be returned in the following months for community approval.
The date and time for the Community “Holler”ween Party, held in the ice rink, was set for Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Community Trick-or-Treat was set for November 1, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
With no further business, the council adjourned at 5:46 p.m. The next scheduled council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.