By John Howell

Betty Jane Billingsley became the latest voice in a conversation between citizens and city officials about vehicle flow in the downtown Square, speaking about traffic conditions in as well as about a vacant lot on Lomax Street. (City officials asked to reconsider gift of vacant Lomax Street lot, June 20)

“I have a fear of getting killed right down there at the railroad track,” Billingsley said. “The traffic that comes through there; it seems like it gets faster all the time.”

Billingsley, who lives at 105 Lomax, cited motorists’ difficulty make a left turn northbound from Lomax Street and the difficulty of entering Lomax from the Highway 35 stop sign.

“There’s a ton of traffic,” said Billingsley, who navigates the Square as a motorist and as a pedestrian. She also asked the mayor and aldermen to consider reopening the north end of the “zip” lane to allow business traffic exiting the Square from its northeast quadrant to avoid having to exit into the flow of traffic that uses Panola Avenue.

Billingsley’s recommendation followed an extensive discussion during a June 3 work session among the mayor, aldermen, the city engineer and architectural designer Angela Clanton about proposed changes in traffic flow.

Engineer Blake Mendrop presented three configuration proposal during that June 3 meeting, one of which would construct a “roundabout” near the Eureka Street entrance to the Square. Another proposal would allow one-way traffic through the Square, requiring that through traffic driving north on Eureka Street as it enters the Square to turn right and proceed counter-clockwise around the Square before exiting on Panola. Most of the June 3 discussion centered on changes less drastic than the roundabout and one-way traffic proposals.

In other business during the June 17 meeting:

• Aldermen unanimously approved a request from the Batesville Jr. Auxiliary to hold the second annual Jingle Bell Rock and Run. “It’ll run the same as it did last year; same route, same times,” said JA spokesperson Kelly Cosby. This year’s Jingle Bell Rock and Run will be held Saturday, Dec. 13;

• City code administrator Pam Comer said that Robert Crites had requested an additional 90 days to clean up property at Hays and Pearson Streets. Aldermen had previously voted to allow Crites 30 days for the cleanup. Aldermen voted unanimously to allow the 90 days;

• Comer said that she letters from the code department about overgrown and unkept lots had generated good cooperation from property owners;

• Assistant city attorney Ryan Revere presented copies of “jake brake” ordinances used in other towns. Alderman Bill Dugger, at the June 3 meeting, asked Revere to begin work to prohibit use of the loud truck brakes in the city.

• City officials who attended the June 17 meeting, included, in addition to Dugger, aldermen Ted Stewart, Stan Harrison and Eddie Nabors, and Mayor Jerry Autrey. Alderman Teddy Morrow was absent.