2020-04-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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accomplishments. Last year we celebrated several new business ribbon cuttings and events throughout the city, including the opening of the Maxfield Park,thanks to the talented Danny Dozier. We are also proud to have a permanent home for our city police department.Also,the city now has new places to stay, including The Royal on Main,a luxury boutique hotel and a unique addition to our historic Main Street,and the Hampton Inn,the first Hilton chain located in our area. In order to remain positive,the city employees and I will continue to focus on upcoming projects and improvements for our city. Planning and incorporating new things will remain our top priority at city hall. There are many things to look forward to in 2020.One is the completion of the Sarah Low Dog Park,located in Riverside Park. We have broken ground and the park will consist of a small and large breed fenced in play area with a covered pavilion.Water fountains and waste removal stations will also be included. Many thanks to all the citizens that have been to meetings and helped make this possible. Many thanks to Mr. Steve Bryant,a local business owner,who has continued to lead in the fundraising efforts to support this project. Next,the Corp of Engineers stabilization of Stillhouse Branch is also in the works. This involves a 1.3-million-dollar project that will stabilize the area located in Riverside Park. The city was responsible for 30%of the total cost of this project.This will prevent erosion of the bank and will increase a much-needed support of the current bridge on Chaney Drive. An additional street project to look forward to is the Myers Street make over from St. Louis Street to 20th Street. This will include Batesville's first"roundabout",which will be at the intersections of 20th, Pioneer and Myers Streets.This"roundabout"will improve the traffic flow at the intersection during school traffic hours and help to alleviate problems involving ingress and egress to and from the community center. Extended turning lanes from the stop light back to Sidney Street will also be an added improvement.This project is estimated to cost 1.5 million and the city has been awarded $400,000.00. Without this grant,the city would not be able to undergo this type of road improvement. This grant,as well as an additional$250,000.00 street overlay grant that the city received in the past is primarily funded from the state's half-cent highway tax.This tax is set to expire in 2023, unless voters decide in November to make it permanent.The proposal to make the tax permanent is Issue 1. It is critical that voters realize that if they choose NOT to support this tax,there will be a definite impact on our local streets and roads in Independence County. Beginning in 2024, Independence County as a whole,including all of the cities,will lose over a million dollars if Issue 1 does not pass. The City of Batesville will lose approximately$239,000.00, Southside$91,000.00, Newark,$27,000.00,and all other cities lessor amounts. In the near future,there will be informational meetings scheduled by ARDOT to discuss this proposal. In closing, I wish to repeat how blessed we are with an extremely dedicated group of city employees who put the needs of our citizens first. When needed,they graciously work 24/7 to get the water turned back on,fight fires,get our streets back open after a storm or flood, pick up our trash and police our community. They definitely make my job much easier every single day and I am very grateful for their service. I am confident that the City of Batesville will come out of this pandemic and come back stronger. My hope is that our economy will stabilize and we return to our normal routines that we have all grown accustomed to. In the meantime,embrace your family and friends,reach out,and serve individuals that need assistance. Please continue to be mindful of avoiding crowds and keeping a social distance of at least 6ft from each other. When we are all clear to go back to our normal way of life, please be mindful of shopping local at the many small businesses in our city.