By John Howell
Alderman Eddie Nabors on Monday asked fellow city officials to consider sending a representative to a meeting of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Gulf South Idea Exchange in March.
“We need a representative there,” Nabors said during Monday’s special called meeting of the board of mayor and aldermen. He recommended having a table at the event with marketing material to hand out.
Nabors’ visit to the ICSC Idea Exchange last year in New Orleans triggered action that resulted in the city severing its agreement with a retail consulting firm hired in early 2014 to assess Batesville’s existing and potential retail market and to recruit new business. Nabors learned prior to leaving for the 2015 Idea Exchange that a representative from Retail Coach would not be attending although the firm was contractually obligated.
In early 2014, responding to a request from city officials to help promote retail business in Batesville, the Panola Partnership interviewed three retail consulting firms for the task. Retail Coach was selected, and the city entered a three-year, $78,000 contract with the firm.
In August, 2014, Retail Coach presented its preliminary survey of Batesville’s primary and secondary trade areas. In September, 2014  Retail Coach held a downtown retail workshop for merchants and entrepreneurs and further shared its findings.
In December, 2014, Retail Coach representatives presented findings to the mayor and aldermen that identified “leakage” — goods and services purchased outside of Batesville by Batesville residents — in 13 categories of retail sales.
Following the March, 2015 city board meeting when the mayor and aldermen questioned the consulting firm’s intentions toward its contract with the city, assistant City Attorney Colmon Mitchell began work that culminated in executive session at the January 5, 2016 meeting. Minutes from that meeting stated that the city’s contract with Retail Coach, LLC was mutually cancelled by a 3 to 1 vote, with Aldermen Ted Stewart, Bill Dugger and Stan Harrison voting “yea” and Alderman Eddie Nabors voting “nay.”
The motion also included acceptance of a reimbursement of $5,000 to the city from Retail Coach.