By Jason C. Mattox

For the second week in a row, Batesville aldermen discussed allowing Complete Computers to place wireless internet antennae on the city’s five water tanks.

City leaders covered the majority of a contract last week, and called a meeting Wednesday to complete the initial discussions.

“Y’all made it through the majority of the contract,” assistant city attorney Colmon Mitchell explained.

Ward 3 Alderman Stan Harrison asked Complete Computers owner Travis Ferguson if he felt like the board should discuss the entire contract again.

“Do we need to start over?” he asked.

Ferguson, apparently pleased with previous progress, suggested the parties simply pick up where they left off.

“I think we just need to start by discussing the compensation,” he said.

The contract outlined a total of $1,059 per month when all five of the proposed five towers are operational.

“We will start out with the first tower, and as we add subscribers, we will move to the additional towers,” Ferguson said.

A key component to the contract for city leaders was inclusion of coverage for Hunter’s Trace Subdivision and the Batesville Civic Center.

“Once you get the wireless coverage out there, it will save the city a good bit of money,” Mayor Jerry Autrey explained.

A change made to the contract Wednesday now requires that the city and Complete Computers must reach a mutual agreement to change the order of towers being brought online.

Mitchell was advised to draft a new version of the contract with noted changes and bring it back to the board on Tuesday, Nov. 4.