By John Howell Sr.

City officials will talk to residents of the narrow portion of Pollard Street to learn how they feel about removal of large oak trees that line the route.

The trees were discussed at Tuesday’s second May meeting of Batesville’s mayor and aldermen. Mayor Jerry Autrey and aldermen Eddie Nabors, Ted Stewart and Bill Dugger attended along with city department heads and other employees, assistant City Attorney Colmon Mitchell and several members of the public. Aldermen Teddy Morrow and Stan Harrison were out of town, the mayor said.

City Street Superintendent Teddy Austin said that as many as ten trees need to be removed from Pollard Street between Boothe Street and Marie Street.

“I think first you need to talk to just about everybody on the street,” Mitchell told aldermen, “… we need to find out who’s opposed to it … if anybody.”

“If the trees were gone you could probably expand, widen that road?” Nabors asked Austin.

“In regard to those trees, if they were cut, you could widen it somewhat?” Dugger added.

“I don’t know how wide that street is,” Mitchell said, replying to a question about whether the trees were on street right-of-way or private property.

“We’ll see if we can easily determine the right-of-way,” City Engineer Blake Mendrop said.