The mayor was not happy, not happy at all.

Plans completed years ago by former city consulting engineers Bonar Group, Indianapolis, to rehab East Pearl Street and improve drainage in that area and along Tekulve Avenue have had to be reworked by Hannum, Wagle & Cline, Indianapolis, leading to a delay in the project and more expenses.

The Batesville Board of Works OK’d a $162,085 change order June 8 recommended by HWC inspector Steve French. The original Bonar design of a culvert to drain stormwater under Tekulve was 6 by 4 feet, but French found out 4 feet would have been too high. An 8-by-3-feet special order culvert must be substituted and an elliptical pipe had to be re-designed.

"We have no choice in this matter” if the project is to proceed, Mayor Rick Fledderman pointed out.

Project contractor Dave O’Mara, North Vernon, will close a portion of Tekulve on or after Monday, June 15, and open up part of the previously closed East Pearl for the convenience of persons who live or work in that part of the city, according to French.

BBW also approved spending an extra $2,420 to finish retention basin work off of Volz Street. A drain pipe costs $600 and $1,820 will be used to plant more trees in the fall.

Sections of many streets are on the city’s repaving list, the mayor announced. EGS Boulevard and Mulberry Street are finished and Columbus Avenue should be completed soon.

Second and Catherine streets are the next ones and – once stormwater issues are solved – those will be followed by Cedar Lane and Hoene Avenue. Fledderman also hopes some sections of West Pearl Street can be resurfaced this year.

During the East Pearl project, parts of Boehringer, Eastern, Fitch and Tekulve will get new blacktop. John and Depot streets and Locust Avenue will be addressed after that.

In other city infrastructure news, Batesville Wastewater Treatment Plant superintendent Randy Gibbs resigned in mid-May, the mayor reported after the meeting.

Upon the mayor’s recommendation, a wastewater plant audit was approved. MI2, St. Louis, will be paid $5,100 plus expenses not to exceed $1,700 to evaluate management performance, operations and maintenance of lift stations, equipment, budget, proposed capital projects, safety and emergency response plans.

BBW member Ham Struewing said, “We might find something to save us a few bucks down the road .... I think it would be money well spent.”