The Board of Mayor and Commissioner voted to seek resort status for downtown and the neighborhoods in central Clarksdale Monday, with the resolution now headed to the Mississippi Legislature.
If approved by state lawmakers, that area will be exempt from traditional ordinance and state laws allowing the sale of alcohol and hours of operation.
City Board Attorney Melvin Miller said the resolution approved Monday only designates the boundaries of the resort area.
“If approved it would allow businesses to get resort status and sell liquor without the food requirements by ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) in Mississippi,” said Miller, pointing out the legislature has the final say on the exact language describing the area for resort status.
The area proposed by the city is:
1) From the corner of Sunflower Avenue and 1st Street to 8th Street, east to West Tallahatchie St., north to MLK, east to Desoto, north to 1st Street, west to the beginning.
2) Lots located at or near the intersection of Madison Avenue, Walnut Street, and Riverside Avenue that are in a commercial zone.
3) Any facility located on the west side of Sunflower Avenue to the Sunflower River between 6th Street and 8th Street which is or was operated as a hotel or lodging facility.
4) Any facility located on the west side of Sunflower Avenue to the Sunflower River between 3rd Street and 4th Street which is or was operated as a club and/or musical venue.
The city formed a loose committee this fall to gather input from the community in crafting resort status. That committee was guided by Miller.
The Board of Mayor and Commissioners was approached twice in open meetings by a large number of downtown businesses and residents wanting to know the city’s plans, how they would enforce rules and ordinances and voicing their concerns over resort status.
Both groups said the area chosen was not a major concern, but city ordinances crafted to maintain a high quality of life for downtown and adjacent neighborhoods was. At the heart of those concerns was safety, litter and garbage control, noise levels, open container rules, plastic cup and cans for beverages rather than glass bottles and how late businesses could stay open.
The Board of Mayor and Commissioners said once the resort status area is approved by the state, the city would craft ordinances and the Clarksdale Police Department and City Code Enforcement Officers would enforce them.
The motion to approve resort status was made by Ward 2 Commissioner Ken Murphey and seconded by Ward 3 Commissioner Willie Turner, with Ward 4 Commissioner Ed Seals supporting the measure. Ward 1 Commissioner Bo Plunk was on vacation and not at Monday’s meeting.
In other business:
• The city voted to pay for following bills or claims: Ed Exum, $1,500; Carrier, $15,542.08; Sam Ray’s, $150; Xcavators, Inc., $149,248.80; Larry Hughes, $177.58; Tomlinson Electric, $ 250; Cornerstone Services, $5,081
• The city posted to hire a knuckleboom operator.
• The city voted to approve pay increases for the following: Darrell Taylor - Police Department; Marquon Lee - Fire Department; Walter McNeal - Public Works; Guy Golden - Public Works; and Brandon Amerson - Animal Control.
• Commissioners approved police promotions for: Jacob Braxton – Captain; Stacy Lester – Captain; L. Jamarro Peters – Captain; Johnny Jones – Sergeant; Darrell Taylor – Sergeant; Alvin Coley – Sergeant; Otis Taylor – Sergeant; and Kenny Harris – Sergeant.
• Commissioners also approved Bradley Hillhouse being placed at Corporal in the Police Department
• The city hired Hire the following for the Police Department: Byron Vaughn, Mareisha James and Markel Sanders.
• The city voted to obtain proposals for engineering services for the Friars Point Road.
• Commissioners approved the following recommendations from the Planning Commission: Sharon Bane - Conditional Use - Landscaping Business; Sharon Bane - Conditional Use - Tax Business; Irene Buckner - Conditional Use - Medical Marijuana Dispensary; Terry Smith - Preliminary Plat for Patel subdivision.
