City looks to clean up asbestos inside Gray’s, raze former hospital

Four officers honored at council meeting

By Andrea Bruner, White River Now

After years of sitting empty, Dr. Gray’s Hospital may finally be coming down.

Mayor Rick Elumbaugh told the Batesville City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday night that there are plans to apply for a Brownfield Grant, which is designed to help with the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfield properties like Gray’s that are potentially contaminated with hazardous substances.

Gray’s opened in 1939 and was used as a hospital until the 1980s; it was the first building in Batesville built to be used exclusively as a hospital.

Elumbaugh said White River Planning and Development District organized a meeting with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to look at the building and consider a Brownfield Grant for the four-story building.

‘The worst thing that happens, we get an empty building and it’s safe’

Elumbaugh said the owner of the building, Joey Markowski of Markowski Investment Holdings, LLC, approached him about donating the property to the city.

Over the years, Elumbaugh went on to say, a number of individuals have considered remodeling the building, but the thick walls and presence of asbestos turned many would-be investors away.

“If we (the city) get this in our hands, we could help facilitate a Brownfield Grant and move forward on that,” Elumbaugh said.

The first phase would be the asbestos abatement, and that could be a $150,000 project that the ADEQ would fund. The second phase would be to apply for a new grant to raze the building and create a greenspace.

“That’s the gateway to our community, and it’s ugly, it’s getting graffiti. If we do not do this, who will?” asked Elumbaugh.

He asked the council for comments, and Alderman Robb Roberts said he wondered if there was any potential liability regarding environmental issues “because we do not know enough about that.”

“The statutes exist to protect us as it pertains to environmental questions,” Roberts went on to say. “The worst thing that happens, we get an empty building and it’s safe.”

The council voted to move forward with the grant application with WRPDD as a partner, contingent upon receiving grant funding for abatement.

In other business Tuesday night, Police Chief John Scarbrough made presentations to four officers in his department.

First, Scarbrough said the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police asks chiefs throughout the state to nominate someone for Police Officer of the Year, and his selection from Batesville is Cpl. Miguel Romero.

He said Romero has served with distinction in the Patrol Division for three years. “Throughout his career, he has demonstrated an exceptional blend of professionalism, dedication and leadership. His ability to connect with the community, maintaining a strong, effective approach to policing, has made a significant impact on the department and citizens he serves.”

Scarbrough said Romero has been at the forefront of several community outreach initiatives, including coaching in the city soccer league as well as volunteering part-time as a school resource officer for the Batesville School District.

Scarbrough said Romero is also a “trusted mentor to his colleagues, particularly newer officers, guiding them through complex situations and offering valuable counsel. His leadership has helped elevate the professionalism and morale within our department. …

“Whether responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, or undertaking specialized tasks, he has consistently exceeded expectations and demonstrated remarkable resilience and skill,” Scarbrough said. “Miguel is deeply committed to his own professional growth, having attended numerous training sessions, workshops and certifications,” reflecting not only his commitment to his personal development but also the betterment of his community.

Second, Sgt. Larry Ring and Cpl. Stephen Schlotzhauer received a “Life Saving Award” for their combined actions on July 4. The two responded swiftly to an emergency involving a heart attack victim.

“Upon arrival, both officers assessed the situation with professionalism and urgency. They immediately began life-saving measures, including the use of CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED), stabilizing the victim until emergency medical personnel.” Their actions made the difference between life and death, and their conduct is “a powerful example of the courage, skills and dedication embodied by members of this department,” he added.

Scarbrough said the department plans to apply for a grant that would outfit every vehicle with an AED.

Third, Patrolman Jeffrey Tate received a Valor Award following his “extraordinary bravery and selflessness” as he responded to a single-vehicle accident on St. Louis Street on July 7 (in front of Hardee’s), in which a person was trapped inside a vehicle that had caught fire.

“Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, Officer Tate attempted to rescue the individual from the burning vehicle. Confronted with extreme heat, smoke and rapidly deteriorating conditions, Officer Tate demonstrated courage and determination in his efforts to save a life,” Scarbrough said. “Though the outcome of the incident was tragic, Officer Tate’s actions reflect the highest traditions of valor and commitment to duty. His willingness to place himself in imminent danger to try to save another person is a testament to his character, professionalism and dedication to public service.”

The presentations weren’t all the news Scarbrough brought before the council. He said the department had purchased some tools back in March that would help officers gain access to locked buildings and had trained some officers to use those tools. He said there was an incident earlier this month where a man needed medical aid, and officers were able to use tools and training to enter the residence. The expense of the tools and the training has “already proven to pay off.”

He also said there are four officers participating in a peer counseling program. Each officer receives 30 hours of training throughout year, and so far the team has been contacted six different times. “We have some officers struggle sometimes, and these guys get them on the right path.”

Since the BPD launched its website, Scarbrough said they’ve had so many requests under the Freedom of Information Act that he’s had to pull one officer off the street to respond to these requests. Scarbrough said the department has to redact information in the ACIC (Arkansas Crime Information Center) center, for instance, or personal information such as a person’s phone number and address.

“A 30-minute bodycam video may take two to four hours to edit,” he said.

Scarbrough brought his monthly report, showing the BPD had a jump in activity – doubling the number of citations and warnings written over the previous month.

Last month, the police department wrote 217 citations (compared to 217 in June, 174 in May, 209 in April, and 148 in March) and 590 warnings (compared to 292 in June, 222 in May, 298 in April, and 168 in March).

The department also recorded the following: 1,770 calls for service (compared to 1,332 in June, 1,234 in May, and 1,323 in April), 47 accidents (43 in June, 38 in May, and 53 in April), 33 arrests (22 in June 25 in May, 34 in April and 26 in March), and 69 incident reports (56 in June, 45 in May, and 65 in April).

In other business:

*Public Works Engineer Damon Johnson said the roundabout is now open, just in time for the first day of school. “It’s a good way for people to learn (how to navigate a roundabout). There’s just one way in and one way out,” Johnson said.

The parks expansion project is moving forward, and he hopes to see concrete poured next month on the new events center.

The water plant project is also moving forward, with a lot of activity below ground. Johnson said he hopes to see buildings going up in the coming months.

The new traffic light at St. Louis and Harrison streets had some “gremlins,” and crews were working on the light earlier Tuesday.

Roberts asked about the AT&T subcontractors that had done some work in a residential area near the high school and damaged some yards, aggravating the homeowners. Johnson said AT&T has put up a bond so if any city property or facilities are destroyed, that would be covered under that bond. However, there is no such bond to protect private homeowners.

* Fire Chief Mark McCollum presented July’s monthly statistics for his department: 51 total calls (compared to 37 in June and 41 in May), one structure fire, one vehicle fire, one hazardous material call, three gas leaks, 15 false alarms and one good intent/service call.

The fire department was called out on one rescue/trench call, and McCollum said there was a man digging a hole that ended up caving in on him. Fortunately, the firefighters were able to get him out of there.

The big jump was in motor vehicle accidents, as the fire department worked 13 in July, compared to six in June. There were also three other medical assistance calls (compared to one in June).

Firefighters also performed 158 inspections (compared to 100 in June) and six plan reviews (10 in June) and accumulated 136 training hours (compared to 95 in June).

August is already shaping up to be a busy month, McCollum said. “There was a fire on Central Avenue; there were three dogs in there, and we saved two out of the three.”

Alderman Scott Fredricks asked if there was a burn ban on, and McCollum said no.

*The council passed an ordinance modifying the number of members of the city’s airport commission from the current five to seven, which is required by state law. Of the seven members of the newly renamed Batesville Aviation Commission, four shall be residents of the city. Terms are for five years.

The second and third readings of the ordinance were waived, and the adoption of the ordinance took effect immediately.

*Following an executive session, Clint Howard, an aviation instructor at Batesville, was appointed to fulfill a vacant airport commission term that will expire in 2029.

During the mayor’s comments, Elumbaugh said there is a plan to have Entergy install some electricity in preparation for the Christmas lighting display being moved for 2025 to the 20th Street area while Riverside Park is closed for its expansion project.

“We are going to see a lot of the activities north of the tennis courts (where the old Mickey Mouse pool was located),” Elumbaugh said.

He asked the council to borrow $24,000 from the city budget to pay for the work.

He said a local businessman has offered to raise some money for this, but in the meantime, the city has to start this process. “If it does not come through, we will pay the city back with Christmas proceeds over the next few years,” Elumbaugh said.

During council comments, Alderman Lackey Moody said the old Poke Bayou bridge going to Westside “has a lot of gravel and grit,” and with the farmer’s market on one side and the new Dollar General on the other, it’s likely to get more traffic than ever and needs to be cleaned.

Alderwoman Brittany Bennett also said there is some shredded insulation coming off a pipe that looks like trash bags and also needs to be cleaned up.

During citizens’ comments, the Rev. Gerald Heinecke, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church, took the time to commend the work being done by the city to install a new water meter box alongside the church for the Pfeiffer water system.

He said city crews were “polite and easy to work with.”

He then questioned if the city had any influence over the c potentially closing the local armory and said that would be “disconcerting.” After the March tornadoes, “they were in less than 24 hours with boots on the ground.”

“The city has no ownership in the Batesville National Guard,” Elumbaugh said.

All council members were present.

Images except where noted by Andrea Bruner, White River Now