Batesville, IN — By a 3-2 vote, Batesville City Council approved an additional appropriation of $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (coronavirus) funds for the Batesville Skate Park and the purchase of the Batesville Area Arts Council downtown art structure Monday night.
At issue was $25,000 to purchase the structure used for Umbrella Sky (pictured) and other displays.
Councilman Darrick Cox voted to approve the additional appropriation. Cox says anything that draws foot traffic downtown is a plus.
Council President John Irrgang voted “no” on the motion. Irrgang says while the structure brought a lot of attention and people to Batesville, he believes $25,000 can be spent elsewhere and more effectively.
In addition to Cox, the other votes to approve the motion came from Jim Fritsch and Bill Flannery, while Tracy Rohlfing joined Irrgang in voting against it.
