The Batesville city council gave its blessing to proceed with downtown revitalization engineering and a cost analysis after earlier presentations before the council and public.

East Pearl Street will be transformed back to two way between Main Street and Park Avenue and an open air 80-by-120-foot events pavilion between George and East Pearl streets at the northern end of Sycamore Street will be constructed.

Ken Eckstein and John Norman were worried the more defined street and pavilion would remove valuable parking places. Mayor Rick Fledderman pointed out drivers could still park within the pavilion weekdays as it usually would be used weekends and nights. He noted parking on the south side of Pearl Street is “kind of a hodgepodge. With a better layout, the loss of spaces may be offset with a better plan.”

Lawrence “Shorty” Mobley wondered why city leaders want to build a pavilion. The mayor said a covered and expanded farmers' market, fests and concerts will draw people to downtown “and that, we hope, will bring other shops into downtown and help existing businesses.”

Council member Gene Lambert said, “If you talk to local businesses, more is better. We need to keep a strong downtown economy .... We're certainly open to anybody's input.”

Once the cost is projected, the mayor will go after a Transportation Enhancement Grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation and other funding.

For the past four years, city workers have received raises hovering around 3 percent annually. That trend ended at this meeting.

The mayor proposed Ordinance 3-2009, calling for $500 flat increases for salaried employees and 1 percent hikes for hourly workers in 2010 “if and only if the budget allows it" and tax revenues support it. “We value our employees. We're trying very hard to keep our employees.”

He reported the city’s 2009 budget recently was reduced 4.5 percent from 2008’s budget.

Clerk-Treasurer Ron Weigel said the suggested pay increases amount to about a third of the customary amount. “That's a lot more doable in these times.”

Dave Armogida asked if these are merit or cost of living pay hikes. “All these people can't be equal. Some have to be superior to others.”

Lambert said employee reviews have been implemented and salary rises reflect those. He felt, “It doesn't make sense for all the citizens of the community to be struggling" and for them to see city workers get paid more.

Member Brad Dreyer noted Batesville Tool & Die workers have had their hours reduced and other local firms have instituted similar measures during the recession. “I don't think it's (being) a good steward of the taxpayers' money to even consider this.”

Member Ed Hunter said it’s better to skip raises in order to prevent layoffs. “You bring up a good point,” the mayor said.

The council voted 3-2 to not award pay raises next year. Dreyer, Lambert and Hunter voted yes and Ham Struewing and Tuba Narwold no.

Debbie Blank can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 113; or debbie.blank@ batesvilleheraldtribune.com.