By Jason C. Mattox

The Batesville Mayor and Board of Aldermen made long work of a short agenda thanks, in large part, to some confusion with requests from Fire Chief Tim Taylor.

Aldermen moved swiftly though department reports at their Tuesday afternoon meeting before coming to screeching halt when they reached the Fire Department.

Requests from the Fire Department included:

•Awarding a bid to Tocowa Electric for the installation of an existing automatic generator system at Station 3 and lighting and receptacles in the open air shed at Station 2.

•Brett Childs’ title was changed from Fire Inspector to Fire Marshal.

•Taylor was given permission to accept applications for career firefighters for two weeks.

•A quote for the installation of a sidewalk to the storm shelter at Station 2 and a generator pad at Station 3 was accepted from Specialty Construction Services.

“I don’t know how it could cost that much to put in a sidewalk and a concrete pad,” Mayor Jerry Autrey said of the $5,947 bid. “We might come out cheaper if we used term bids and city workers.”

A term bid is an item the city bids on annually, including concrete, sand and construction materials.

Ward 1 Alderman Bill Dugger said he couldn’t understand why there was a need to install an existing generator.

Aldermen tabled that department report and waited for Taylor to explain the request.

“We have a generator for the station that has been at Station 1 and we need to get it over and installed,” Taylor said.

Aldermen voted to allow the installation of the pad and generator but would not approve construction of a sidewalk to the storm shelter.

“I think that is something we can wait on,” Autrey said. “I know we can do that ourselves and save some money.”

In other board business:

•Aldermen received a letter from the American Heart Association Public Advocacy Director Katherine Bryant commending their decision to adopt a no smoking ordinance on February 2.

•Batesville Civic Center Director Roy Hyde was given permission to continue a maintenance agreement with Walker J. Walker for the BCC climate control system.

•Outside employment was approved for BPD officer Rick Stone and Sgt. Freddie Payne and Rachel Kaiser of the Code Enforcement Office.

•City Clerk Laura Herron was given permission to pay property taxes on the Municipal Court Building and to pay an invoice to Griffith and Griffith in the amount of $9,012 for litigation.

•Gas Department employees William Wilson and Todd Pittman were given permission to attend the Mississippi Natural Gas Trade Show March 3-4 in Tupelo.