Article by Emily Wang, White River Now
The Batesville City Council is on the hunt for a new council member.
Mayor Rick Elumbaugh told the council, with very “mixed emotions,” that Dr. Doug Matthews, who has held the Ward 2 seat for over 20 years, is retiring as a member.
“I definitely want to keep his number on speed dial,” said Elumbaugh. “He’s been a wealth of knowledge, and he’s been definitely a good friend.”
“I’ve enjoyed being on the council,” said Matthews. “I’ve enjoyed working with two different mayors. When I came to the council, it was not what it is now — it was a zoo. We worked an hour figuring out how to buy a lawn mower. I’ve just seen it change so much over the last few years. Where we came from is hard to believe where we are now. It’s time for me to step aside and let somebody else have my spot.”
With the Ward 2 Position 2 seat previously held by Matthews now vacant, the mayor said any resident living in that ward who is interested in being appointed could submit their resume by mail or drop it off at the Batesville Municipal Building before the next council meeting scheduled for May 28.
In other council business, members approved a motion allowing Batesville Police officers to drive their patrol vehicles home as long as they live within a 15-mile radius of the city limits. Police Chief John Scarbrough made the request during his report. Mayor Elumbaugh told members he’s visited with several other mayors of area cities who have the same policy, and they said it yields positive results.
“They (the officers) take more pride in their vehicles,” Elumbaugh said. “They keep them much cleaner, and it also, maybe, deters (potential crime) in a neighborhood when you do have an officer with a marked vehicle.
“Each mayor I talked to said it’s (the policy) has been very good for morale in giving officers that opportunity.”
A motion was also approved to allow the police department to upgrade the officers’ duty weapons utilizing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Batesville City Engineer Damon Johnson updated the council on the design for the water treatment plant upgrades, noting they were “100%” complete. Johnson also said the Arkansas Health Department’s recent approval of a possible new intake design for the plant could save the city approximately $2 to $3 million on the project.
In other council news, Kyle Christopher, the Eagle Mountain Property Owners Association president, informed the council that the association is studying the possible installation of speed tables in the neighborhood. The property association would fund the project, not the city, Christopher stressed to the council members.
Christopher said the move is to improve the walkability of the neighborhood, noting the increased foot traffic due to the city’s new boardwalk trail and some of the greenway system.
“Unfortunately, with that (increased foot traffic), there are no sidewalks,” said Christopher, “so those walkers are on the street, and quite frankly, we’ve got just a couple of areas that are problem spots for speeding.”
A discussion took place regarding the proposed installation of four speed tables, which is estimated to cost $20,000 with funding from the property owners association, not the city. The discussion also centered around the possibility of using rubber speed tables instead of permanent ones to reduce costs and to allow for the option of moving them in the future.
The council agreed to study the proposal further, with Christopher working with the mayor and Johnson on the project.
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During the meeting’s “Comments from Citizens” segment, four residents expressed their opinion regarding the upcoming “Batesville PRIDEfest 2024,” scheduled for June 15 on Main Street.
On the Batesville PRIDE social media page, the festival is described as a “fun-filled family event” with “live music, entertainment, vendors, and some great food to celebrate LOVE, Diversity, Inclusion and Equality.”
Speaking to the council, Rev. Gerald Heinecke, of Batesville’s Hope Lutheran Church, voiced a common concern of those commenting on the event.
“We have a responsibility to speak up and say these events cannot be going on in our community,” said Heinecke. “Batesville wants to be known as a wholesome community. I would continue to encourage you to not allow these things to occur and adhere to laws that have been put into act in this regard.”
Two citizens also criticized the recent decision by the council to begin a condemnation process for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4501, located on Cheney Drive.
Donna Willis, who told the council she was a veteran and a member of the V.F.W. Auxiliary, said she was upset about the decision.
“I just don’t know what else to say without crying,” Willis said. “It’s just too much. I understand that y’all want that land for whatever, but condemning it — that’s not right.”
In other council business, the mayor noted a position on the Batesville Planning and Zoning Committee is open. Any Batesville resident interested in serving can send a resume to the municipal building.
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