Riverside Park, water plant and sewer work moving forward, engineer says

Damon Johnson, Batesville’s public works engineer, updated the City Council on capital projects and maintenance needs at the Nov. 1 meeting.

Johnson said Riverside Park’s schematic design is nearly complete and that the project team expects to finalize schematic details in early December and begin construction preparation early next year. He described an earlier preferred plan that exceeded the budget by about $15 million and said the project has been retooled to fit a $25 million budget.

On Main Street, Johnson said the physical work is essentially finished and crews are completing punch-list items and cleanup. He reported the sanitation department is operating two grapple trucks and is dealing with unusually large volumes of class-4 waste items (furniture, mattresses), which has strained pickup capacity.

Johnson described ongoing issues at the water treatment plant: crews are preparing to relocate a sewer line inside the plant before mass excavation for a new well and he estimated roughly $300,000 was spent this year on unexpected maintenance for aging equipment. He said parts for a 65-year-old plant are difficult to source and that major construction is expected to begin after the holiday season to avoid disrupting community events.

On sewer rehabilitation, Johnson said the city plans to use cured-in-place lining and manhole refurbishments on selected runs, with that work likely beginning in March next year. He asked council to expect another pricing exercise when final designs are complete to confirm project budgets.

Council did not take separate formal action on the report but requested that staff continue price verification and return with finalized schedules and cost estimates.