City Oak Trees

Published 12:00 am Friday, May 25, 2012

City on a limb over oak trees


By John Howell Sr.

A discussion of tree removal on Pollard Street engaged Batesville aldermen in a verbal version of “hot potato” during their May 15 meeting.

Tall, old oak trees line the street from its terminus at Boothe Street to its intersection with Marie Street, restricting vehicles  to narrow traffic lanes in places and also restricting the flow of storm runoff in roadside ditches, according to discussion among the mayor and aldermen at May’s third Tuesday meeting.
Their conversation about the Pollard Street oaks arose after Street Superintendent Teddy Austin requested permission for the contractor awarded the city’s bid for tree and limb removal be engaged to remove a dead tree at Trussell Park and another in Sand Creek near Walgreens.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Alderman Teddy Morrow said that the tree cutter could be engaged for additional days to work on Pollard Street.

“There are some over there in the drainage ditch, almost,” Morrow said. “I’d just as soon get the guy for about three or four days if we could.

“Let’s go slow on that,” Alderman Eddie Nabors said.

“Are we talking about cutting those trees on Pollard or what?” Alderman Stan Harrison asked. “Those people over there, are they wanting them cut? Those big old trees have been there for a long time, are they really hurting anything or what?” Harrison continued.

“Let’s do Trussell Park and Walgreens,” Mayor Jerry Autrey said.

“Wait on Pollard and let Bill give his input on that,” Alderman Ted Stewart said, referring to Alderman Bill Dugger who was absent at the May 15 meeting and whose Ward One includes Pollard Street.

The Pollard Street oaks had also been discussed at the Batesville mayor and board of aldermen’s second May meeting in 2011.

During that meeting, the assistant city attorney told the elected officials that they first needed to talk to Pollard Street residents to learn if their is opposition to tree removal. Also at the May 2011 meeting City engineer Blake Mendrop said that he could easily determine where the street’s right-of-way extends.