By John Howell
Batesville’s mayor and aldermen on Tuesday heard from two people who said they felt they had received unfair treatment at the hands of city government.
Gene Welch asked about a $25,000 road bond the mayor and aldermen had required as a condition for Fly Timber’s transport of logs from Welch’s property via a city street. Aldermen set the bond during their Feb. 16 meeting.
Donald Chastain asked city officials to reconsider a charge of $750 to connect to the city’s gas system after he was first told the charge would be $50 and had arranged purchase of a gas heating system based on the lower figure.
Welch spoke first: “How many road bonds have we got in town?” he asked.
“We’ve got a few bonds on different roads,” City Engineer Blake Mendrop said. Other officials cited different road bonds levied for incomplete streets in city limits. Welch said that Sherwood Place had been accepted as a city street for over 20 years.
“I’d like to have a level playing field,” Welch said. He compared the timber hauling from his property to the removal of debris from the Batesville Elementary School destroyed by fire last summer.
“I don’t have a problem with a bond,” Welch said, “I just want it to be consistent.”
Mendrop said that asphalt on College Street next to the school is six inches thick.
“What are you asking us to do?” Alderman Stan Harrison asked.
“I would like to see it consistent so everybody will know what the playing field is,” Welch replied.
“So you’re asking us to do away with it?” Harrison asked.
“Either that, or make it consistent. That’s all I’m asking. I’m not asking for priority treatment,” Welch said.
“In other words, if we’ve got somebody else hauling logs in another subdivision, we should put a bond on them, too,” said Alderman Bill Dugger.
“(Hauling) gravel, dirt, whatever; wouldn’t you say that would be fair?” Welch asked.
“It’ll happen, too,” Harrison said.
“If they come in and get a permit,” Welch said.
“I’ll wait to hear from you,” Welch said as he left the City Hall meeting room. Later during the meeting aldermen voted unanimously for a motion by Harrison to take no action on Welch’s request.
Chastain said that in 2014 before he bought his home at 113 Vick Street he checked with the city and was told that he would be charged $50 for a connection when he got ready to convert from electric to gas heat.
“It’s been two years now, I’ve got the money to put the heater in the house and I come back and talk to the city again. They told me the same thing; it’d be $50,” Chastain said. “So I go to the air conditioner man and I get him to buy the heater. I’m ready to put it in. So when I call the city to get them to run the gas line to my house they call me back and tell me it’s going to cost $750.”
“This air conditioner man had already bought my unit from information that I got from the City of Batesville and they’re telling me that because my house is on the wrong side of the street — as a matter of fact the gas line’s on the other side of the street, which I was not told before I bought the house, nor was I told when I came and asked them can I get heat in this house later on that it’ll be $50, unless … They didn’t tell me any of this,” Chastain said.
The Vick Street resident’s request prompted a discussion about where the gas line was located and whether boring under the street would allow gas line installation that would also serve other homes on Vick Street’s west side.
Gas Superintendent Todd Pittman,  attending a gas operator’s school out of town, was reached by phone.
“Since they bought that new machine, that’s what they’ve been charging,” Pittman said, referring to the boring machine that tunnels under streets.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll make a little profit,” Chastain said. “I’ve got 28 years to pay  that (mortgage) out; you’re going to make your money back.”
“I don’t have a bit of problem putting a bore and doing gas to serve the whole side of Vick Street,” Alderman Eddie Nabors said.
“I think we need to have a little discussion about this the next day or two,” Dugger said.
“We’ll try to give you a decision by Friday,” Alderman Ted Stewart said.