By Jason C. Mattox

After nearly two years of discussion and initial adoption, aldermen voted Tuesday to amend its ordinances to not require residential sprinklers beginning in January.

City leaders have had meeting with fire inspector Brett Childs who provide them with cost analysis, fire death statistics and even staged two controlled burns to demonstrate the sprinklers impact.

But it all boiled down to costs.

Aldermen told Childs they had received calls from several in the community that did not want to see the city require sprinklers in new residential construction.

“The cost goes on to the homeowners not the contractors,” Childs said.

Childs told aldermen he had sent out information to all of the contractors who work in the city and had not received any negative comments.

“I’ve been hearing it from several realtors who are worried about the additional costs,” Alderman-at-Large Teddy Morow said.

Morrow works as a realtor with Batesville Realty in addition to his position as alderman.

Mayor Jerry Autrey said he was going to provide Childs with a list of those who had concerns so he could address them one on one.

“I don’t think the realtors are against it, but they want to keep the costs down for a while due to the economy,” Ward 3 Alderman Stan Harrison said. “I haven’t had anyone contact me asking us to definitely do it.”

“If the economy is so bad, how did we just put out all the new signs and posts around town?” Childs asked Harrison who has been spearheading a beautification campaign.

Aldermen voted unanimously to rescind the requirement of sprinklers.

“It will become effective next year anyway,” Autrey said. “And if people want the sprinklers, they can still include them.”