By John Howell
Batesville has signed its agreement with Iowa Pacific Railroad to again host the Polar Express Train Ride.
“It is essentially the same agreement,” assistant City Attorney Colmon Mitchell told the mayor and aldermen during the May 3 city board meeting. Changes include stopping the locomotive 100 feet north of the Eureka/Panola vehicle crossing to keep the pedestrian rail crossing in the middle of the Public Square open.
The city will extend the north end of the track-side boarding platform about that distance further north to compensate for the repositioning during boarding.
The city also stipulated that Polar Express Train Ride traffic control personnel not direct visitors looking for parking places to storefront parking at businesses located on the Square.
The 2015 Polar Express Train Ride far surpassed initial projections of 30,000 to 35,000, eventually attracting almost 60,000 passengers during its 27-day schedule in November and December.
During Tuesday’s meeting aldermen also enacted a moratorium on business permits and variances on the Public Square to allow the planning commission and city to consider zoning changes necessary to accommodate the Polar Express Train Ride.
 The moratorium will require people seeking permits or variances to come before the mayor and aldermen to have their request considered on an individual basis.