The Batesville City Council convened for its regular meeting on Tuesday, where various city officials shared several key updates and announcements.
Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill began the meeting with a summary of recent police activities, noting one felony arrest and a series of minor incidents over the past two days. These incidents included an attempted armed robbery and a report of an active shooter that turned out to be a false alarm.
Damon Johnson, the city engineer, provided an update on ongoing projects. He mentioned progress on plans to work on the Poke Bayou boat ramp in the upcoming week. Johnson also discussed plans for the water treatment plant and the forthcoming construction manager selection for the parks project. Johnson emphasized community feedback and collaboration to ensure the project’s success, saying, “We will pick a construction manager for the project soon, and designs will come after the community feedback period ends, as it is currently ongoing.”
Crystal Johnson, president and CEO of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, gave a report on economic development and advertising promotion, sharing details about recent data collected through campaigns. Johnson said the city achieved around 890,000 impressions and welcomed roughly 2,600 visitors. Emphasizing the importance of tracking these metrics, Johnson highlighted lodging tax collections, which are 42% ahead of the previous year. Johnson also discussed ongoing initiatives to encourage overnight stays and noted these statistics do not include holiday traffic.
A citizen posed concern over the city’s preparations for the upcoming eclipse on April 8, and the need for the city to prepare for an influx of expected visitors. In response, the mayor acknowledged the importance of planning for the eclipse and assured that the city is actively working on preparations.
“We are encouraging community members to open their homes to guests and that they consider booking their house as an Airbnb. If you have land, consider inviting guests for primitive camping. People will be here, so we need to find more accommodations,” Johnson also noted.
The council discussed an evaluation for a $250,000 grant to improve transportation and safety across the city. The grant aims to evaluate and enhance connectivity for various modes of transportation, not just vehicles, in order to create a plan for future projects.
In a moment of thanks, Mayor Rick Elumbaugh commended Tommy Bryant, a long-serving council member who has made significant contributions to the city over the past almost 15 years. The mayor lauded Bryant’s efforts on various initiatives, including his involvement in the city’s planning and zoning, his support of the now Batesville Community Center and Aquatics, and his partnership with the chamber of commerce in economic development. Bryant’s knowledge, initiative, and dedication were highlighted as Elumbaugh presented Bryant with the key to the city (shown in featured image).
“I’ve been thinking about Tommy Bryant all day,” the mayor said. “I’m a little bit emotional when it comes to things like that. I look out here at his family, I just want to say thank you for sharing Tommy for the last 15 years with the city. If you look up the definition of a public servant, his name would be at the top of the list.”
The council also considered and passed amending the zoning code for the old Batesville High School/Middle School campus, with a focus on converting it into government offices, while preserving its residential zoning (R1) for the benefit of the neighbors.
The council also voted to re-levy rates of taxation on real and personal property for the year 2023 and payable in 2024, which remained unchanged from the previous year.
Landon Reeves was nominated to fill Tommy Bryant’s seat, which was approved by the council.
Article by Emily Wang, White River Now
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