Council approves five‑year exclusive beverage and sponsorship deal with bottler for city parks

The Batesville City Council voted to authorize Parks & Recreation to enter an exclusive beverage and sponsorship agreement with Corn Coca‑Cola Bottling Works, Inc., a measure staff said will provide advertising and sponsorship funds for city programs.

Loen Lament, the city’s parks director, told the council the company agreed to shorten the standard offer from 10 years to a five‑year commitment and increased the budget for local advertising and sponsorship. Lament said staff negotiated a cap on annual price increases, limiting rises to 4% per year instead of the industry’s higher historical levels, and estimated the contract would yield roughly $250,000 in revenue for the department over the next five years.

Lament described the deal as fiscally responsible and said the shorter term would give the city flexibility to revisit the arrangement sooner. Councilmembers asked a few procedural questions; the resolution was moved, seconded and adopted by voice vote.

The agreement covers beverage exclusivity and marketing/sponsorship support for parks programs and facilities. City staff said the added sponsorship funds will be used for programming and advertising; specific budget allocations were not detailed at the meeting.

The council’s action was procedural: staff may now finalize contract terms and proceed with execution. The measure does not in itself change program fees or authorize new spending beyond what the contract provides; any specific spending of sponsorship proceeds will follow existing city budgeting processes.