Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I do have the thumbs up, which means that we are Facebook Live, which allows me to call this meeting to order. This is our recess meeting of August 18th. We'll first stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an invocation from Alderman Sistrunk, and then a moment of silence, if you would stand.

Let us pray. Loving God, we welcome your grace to sustain us through the challenges, hard moments, and stresses of our day. Grant us the inner strength we need for this day and grant us your wisdom for the decisions and choices before us. Amen.

Yeah, thank you, everyone. We appreciate you being here this evening. Our first order of business will be to approve the official agenda with the consented items and determine if there are any changes. I do have one. We're going to add an executive session, which will come at the end of our meeting, and it will be for pending litigation. So that particular item will be added to the agenda. Any changes, Alderman Vaughn? No, ma'am, ma'am. Thank you. Vice Mayor Perkins?

Thank you, Mayor. Mayor, under the agenda Roman Emerald 10 Board Business Item A, updating discussion of a code enforcement matter in the Roland Hill subdivision, I have been fully briefed on that matter, and I do not see any need from my perspective to proceed with that matter. I'd like for it to be removed from the agenda, please, Mayor.

All right. Thank you. Any objections to that being removed from the agenda? Any objections? Seeing none, we will remove that item from the agenda. Anything further?

No, ma'am.

I yield. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Alderman Polk?

No, ma'am. Thank you. Alderman Brooks? No, ma'am. Thank you.

Alderman Skinner?

No, ma'am. Thank you.

Alderman Systrunk? No, ma'am. Thank you. Alderman Moore? No, ma'am. Thank you. All right. Seeing none, I need a motion to approve the agenda with the amended items as required or as approved. Thank you. I have a motion from Alderman Polk. Do I have a second?

Second.

Second from Alderman Skinner. No further discussion. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? All right. Motion carries. I will read the consented agenda items at this time. First, we have the consideration of the minutes of the July 31, 2026 work session of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Starville. Then we have consideration of the minutes of the August 4, 2026 regular meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Starville. Underboard business, we have consideration of approving the proposed 2027 budget for the 2% funding used by the Mississippi State University student affairs in accordance with the requirements of 2026 Senate bill to 2925. 2 is consideration of approving the proposed 2027 budget for the 2% funding used by the October County economic development. Authority, OCETA, in accordance with the requirements of the 2026 Senate Bill 2925. And three is consideration of approving the proposed 2027 budget for the 2% funding used by the Visitors and Convention Council, VCC, in accordance with the requirements of the 2026 Senate Bill 2925. Under airport, we have item one, consideration of the approval to accept the MDOT matching grant offer of 2.5% for the FAA project number AIG-3, to construct a box hanger in the amount of $15,422. Item 2 under airport is consideration of the approval to accept the MDOT matching grant offer of 2.5% for the FAA project number AIP 3-28-0068-034-2026 to extend the runway, taxiway, and lighting In the amount of 104,232 dollars. Under community development and planning 1st, we have discussion and consideration of an encroachment agreement to allow the placement of a balcony within the right away at 120 East Main Street. 2, we have discussion and consideration of 26 dash a request for approval of a phased preliminary plat for sterling Ridge. at southwest corner intersection of Mockingbird Road and Mississippi Highway 182 in a TN-N zoning district. Number three is discussion and consideration of a final plat 26-08, a request for final plat for minor subdivision approval of the Fowler subdivision located at 314 Louisville Street and 300 Scale Street in a TN-E zoning district. Under engineering, number one is we have consideration of accepting the public infrastructure of Clark Grove, Camden Green Phase 2. Item two under engineering is consideration of approving the low quote from Groundstone Construction LLC in the amount of $38,650 for the replacement of four stormwater drainage inlets on Sycamore Street and Maple Drive. Under finance administration, number one, we have request acceptance of the July 2026 financial statements of the city of Starkville. Two is request acknowledgement of the privilege licenses issued by the city clerk's office for the month of July 2026 by the board in accordance with Mississippi Code 27-17-501, and three is consideration of budget adjustments for fiscal year 9-30-26. Under human resources, we have, number one, request authorization to hire Austin Donahue and Britt Baker as reserve firefighters, non-EMT, in the Starkville Fire Department. Two is request authorization to promote Ashley Boyd to the position of lead customer service representative in the utilities department. Three is request authorization to hire J.P. Buford for the position of driver, commercial one, in the sanitation department. And four is request authorization to hire Abby Ginder for the position of outreach and administrative coordinator one in the sanitation department. Under code enforcement, number one is under Mississippi Code Annotated 21-19-11-2, and as adopted by the City of Starkville Board of Aldermen, the following properties are found in violation of said ordinance and are in such a state of uncleanliness as to be a menace to public health, safety, and welfare of the community and are therefore placed on the property mowing cleanup list. 117 Clements Avenue, 1699 Rock Hill Road, 12944 Mississippi Highway 182, and parcel 1180-00-018.00. Under the Utilities Department, item one is request authorization to advertise for bids for the Stark Road Wastewater Force Main Improvements Project. Two is request authorization to accept the low quote from Berry Electric LLC for manual transfer switch installation at the South Montgomery Water Treatment Plant in the amount of $19,640. Three is request authorization to accept the low quote from Copper Top Sheet Metal Inc. in the amount of $36,339 for replacement of roofs at South Montgomery Plant, Academy Well, and the Airport Booster Station. Four is request authorization to accept the low quote from Thompson Cat in the amount of $35,621.36 for a mini excavator for the Water Distribution and Collections Division. And five is consideration of accepting the sole source quote from Wimcan for VX Expert License annual renewal in the amount of $5,500.00. And that concludes the items that are on the consent agenda. Next, we move to announcements and comments. Still getting used to this agenda structure. Sorry. And under announcements and comments, I have, let's do the fun part first. I have introductions to make. And I believe I have already talked to a couple of them. We have one, I believe, sitting on the front row. So let's start with our police officer, shall we, Chief? So we have John Derevaux. Derevaux, is that correct? Yes, ma'am. Lovely. Mr. Derevaux joins the city of Starkville as a police officer, originally from Vicksburg, Mississippi. He graduated from St. Aloysius High School and proudly served four years in the United States Army, attaining the rank of sergeant. He is committed to serving the Starkville community and making it the best place to live. And thank you very much for your service. You look very squared away. Thank you, ma'am. Welcome to Starkville. And then we have two fire department, Jalil Clemons. Mr. Clemons, come join us up here. Let's get a good look at you, sir. That way we know we put a face to a name, or at least we try to do anyway. Mr. Clemons joins the City of Starkville as a firefighter, originally from Macon, Mississippi. He earned his bachelor's degree in liberal studies from the University of Southern Mississippi, and he wants to serve the community outside of work. He enjoys exercising and reading, and we're happy to have you on board. Thank you so much. And certainly last but not least, we have Meredith Gregg. She comes to the city of Starkville as a firefighter, originally from Maven, Mississippi. She earned her associate's degree in applied science from Holmes Community College, and she wants to be the best she can for the community. She has one cat, Cleo, and one dog, Willow. And outside of work, she enjoys playing the guitar, playing video games, and exercising. And we're happy to have you. Thank you, Meredith. Thank you. Right. And then Mr. Kemp has got several things for me to read. One is somewhat official, and the other one is going to be something that has just arisen today, so I want to make sure I get it right. So first is the City of Starkville, and I'm just going to read it. The City of Starkville intends to file an application for funding through the Local Governments and Rural Water Systems Improvements Board, DWSIRLF, For funds to improve their water system specifically to construct a new water treatment plan for well, water well, number 9, city of start will hold a public hearing at city hall 110 West main street start with Mississippi 3, 9, 7, 5, 9. On Tuesday, September the 22nd, 2026 at 530 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on the proposed project. And that is 1 of those boxes that we need to check. Is that adequate Mr. Kemp? And I'll do it again at the next meeting. Is that accurate? Okay. All right. But more importantly, something that has cropped up today, and I want to make sure that we say it loud and clear, that apparently someone is scamming Starkville Utilities. They are calling our customers or calling, I assume, customers and residents saying that they are representing Starkville Utilities and that they have a past due bill and that they need to pay it over the phone. And so we need to make sure that if you have friends or someone, make sure that they know that. So we're going to get that word out to the best of our ability. But please know that we will not phone you for your bill. We will send you a bill, but we will not phone you and say it's time for you to pay. So it is truly a scam. And please don't let anybody that you know of be caught by that. Anything else about that, Mr. Kemp?

We'll be putting that on social media and trying to make everybody aware.

Okay. All right. Well, we have a lot of social media people up here. as possible after the board meeting. And so other than that, I don't think I have anything else we are looking for. The kids are back in town and it's wonderful to have activities going on. Dr. Hyde, I see you back there. Thank you for coming this evening and we appreciate it representing the student affairs for the 2% money. So we're grateful to have you with us and I know you're glad to see the kids back as well.

So excited. We had a big day today.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, again, thank you for being here. We appreciate that. All right. Do we have any comments from the board? Alderman Vaughn, anything? No, ma'am. Thank you. Vice Mayor Perkins?

No, ma'am. Thank you.

Alderman Pocals?

I do. One thing. Thank you to Chris, our city engineer. We had a question today and he was Johnny on the spot getting that attended to. So thanks for that.

There's a question we can share, or am I just going to be curious for a while?

There was questions about some construction at the corner of Montgomery and 182, and he went out there and looked at it and solved it in about, I don't know, five minutes or a couple hours. I left, but he was fantastic, so I appreciate it.

Great. Thank you very much. Alderman Brooks, you want to talk about Sturgis?

I do.

Good, good.

The last time this year starts this weekend actually starts Thursday night and it goes through Sunday morning and. Just a big, I think that the group has done a good job this year of kind of expanding things and trying to trying to, you know. Up the up the game, if you will, Thursday night, there's a band full circle party band. That's a local group and they're really good. And then Friday, there's 2 bands, Colin Stowe and bouncing Betty. Some of these may ring a bell and then Saturday, Garrett Oswald. Who's a local guy, it's done real well and mustache the band. So you got. Entertainment all 3 nights. The to to access that you have to buy arm band. Those are 40 dollars for the weekend. But there are also a number of vendors that will be if you drive through Sturgis, you'll see, they're all out on the main drag through there. So, something for everybody. And you're, you know, if you're a motorcycle guy, like me, you know, that the arm band also get you access to the to the ride, which is the dinner ride. And it comes through star and it'll, it'll come up. Go up 25 and turn on 182 and turn on reed road and come through Greensboro and then turn into Lampkin and then Russell street and back out and then they end up over at Clayton village for a dinner. And then it goes on down to Louisville and then back around. And we've added a bunch of other stuff too. There's a bike show and. Um, but a big thing we've done this year is adding a barbecue cook off. So so I think we try to get something for everybody, not just just bikers, but something for everybody. So, you know, I'm, I'm advocating this, even though I'm sitting on the board of all here startle, because it does impact all the communities around here startle. Lewis for your poor math is to maybe the whole bunch. We all benefit from this. And that that group over there, they've done a good job of trying to try to get it all together and try again, trying to up the game this year. So. Hopefully, some of you guys will make it over there before seeing.

Thank you. Well, and I can certainly say that in the past years, I have seen motorcycle parked at our hotel. So they definitely take advantage of the hotel rooms and eating. And so we do, we certainly benefit from it. And I will say that if you want your best view of watching them go by, go to Fire Station Park and you can enjoy that. And I'm betting the fire department will be there. They may even have a bucket truck with the bucket up, maybe. Getting a good view of it. It should be a lot of fun. Yes, looking forward to that. Alderman Skinner?

No, Mayor, thanks.

Alderman Sistrock? No, ma'am, thank you. Alderman Morland? No, ma'am, thank you. All right, seeing that, we will move to citizens' comments. Anyone wishing to speak to the board now is an opportunity. You have three minutes. And we do have a public hearing tonight, and so citizens' comments is differentiated from the public hearing. So if you're here to talk about the public hearing on either one of those items, that would be the time in which you get to do that. Mr. Turner, always nice to see you. Thank you.

Our greeting to the mayor and board of my name is Alvin Turner Ward 7. And to the mayor, to the police chief, to the fire chief, to the sanitation, and to our NACP president, Reverend Jerry Jefferson. On behalf of Reverend Jefferson, I would like to thank the mayor for coming to our banquet and making us feel like that we can get back into the fight. Because a lot of negativity, it really takes its toll on us. But thank you, Mayor, for giving us some hope and giving us that where we need to get back in the game. Because with these evil days that we live, we want to try to stay on point. To the police chief, we would like to have their assistance on the weekend. On Parkland Acres, we have young people that fear that they can slip in and gamma and smoke dope and stuff because the office is closed. And the office is closed through the week at 430, but we're going to need a little assistance to let them know that it won't be tirade. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Turner. Anyone else wishing to speak to the board under citizens' comments? Anyone else? Anyone else? All right seeing none. I will close it for citizens comments and we will move to public hearings. And the 1st item under public hearing is a public hearing on the tax millage and budget for the city of Starville for fiscal year 20262027. and any discussion from the board before I open it as a public hearing. All right, seeing none. Anyone in the audience wishing to make comments regarding the public hearing on our tax millage and budget for the city of Starkville? We are not adopting it this evening. We will be in a position to adopt it at our next board meeting, which is the regular meeting of September the 1st. So if anyone wishes to speak about it now would be the opportunity. Mr. Turner.

My name is Alvin once again. We hope that people still is up in arms about the cost of new schooling and they are being very vague about it. And we're just hoping that this is to keep the city running and not to put more burdens on what we don't know about the cost and what the new school is going to put us through.

All right. Thank you, Mr. Turner. Anyone else? Anyone else? All right. I will close it as a public hearing. Any discussion among the board at this juncture? None. Okay. Um, we will have a public hearing. Our next is public hearing consideration of 26 dash. Oh, no, Mr. That would bring you up, sir. All right. And, uh, uh, Mr. McClaren note that the city attorney is leaving. He is conflicted out. Keep trying. There you go.

Got it. SE 26-09. This is the request by BoardTown Venue Company LLC for a special exception to remove the additional standard that prevents a special event facility on the first floor in a T5D zoning district. It's a property everybody's familiar with. It's the old Creamery Building at Central Station. The applicant has leased out Suite C at 200 South Montgomery Street within the Creamery at Central Station. The Creamery is a mixed-use building that has a mix of commercial uses on the first floor and residential condominium units above portions of the buildings, which include Unit C. The applicant proposes a space as a special event facility for weddings, receptions, meetings, fundraisers, workshops, showers, birthdays, and similar events. The applicant states the events would occur by reservation primarily during the evening and weekends and would not operate as a nightclub or continuous entertainment venue. The special event facility is generally allowed in a T5 district. However, the UDC prevents its use on the first floor unless that restriction is waived. By special exception, this use cannot be continued. If approved, the facility would still need to be subject to the UDC additional standards, which include requirements on parking and hours of operation. Because there's nearby single-family residential property that is located southeast of the site, the applicant would be required to be limited to hours of operation between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. This right here on the screen is the site plan that was approved back in 2009. However, the parking layout is significantly different than what's out there today. There is approximately 117 spaces in total on the site. This includes ADA and reserve spaces in there. The minimum parking requirements can be met on the site based on the existence of existing mixed uses, although the parking availability could become limited depending on the size and timing of the event. The parking for this use was based on the fire marshal occupancy rate of 225 people with tables and chairs. And the chart that's on the bottom right is kind of how this was calculated for all the uses where it comes up. And it does show that from a minimum code standard, it meets the use, but there still probably is some conflict with heavier event days. This is the approved condo plat for phase one. Suite C is highlighted there in the green. The applicant provided letters approving of the request from unit B. However, this morning, the owner of Unit B submitted a new letter requesting denial and removal of that letter. Letters from Unit A requested denial have also been received, and then all the remaining units that are highlighted in the top left are under one ownership, and they provided a letter in support of. This is the approved condo plat for phase two, which is basically the second floor and above. This plat shows six residential units that are directly above suite C on the first floor and this proposed site. Unit K is under the same ownership as a majority of the first floor units. That was a part of that one letter of recommended approval. Five emails against the request from one owner of the residential units were received, or from owners of the residential units were received after the planning and zoning meetings. They're not in the staff report, but they have been submitted to you all on the table. These represent five of the six units. The only one that wasn't included was 209 Suite O. We did not receive a response from them. The criteria for special exception review and approval this, this is kind of the staff's interpretation of it site suitability minimum parking can be met, but adequate parking during peak and overlap overlapping uses has not been discriminate demonstrated traffic. There's no traffic fanning management plan has been provided to address the circulation parking or emergency access issues. Neighborhood impact. The applicant has not demonstrated the event activities. Avoid impact on residential units above or near the homes. Public services. Utilities are available, but obstructing emergency access has not been demonstrated. That's part of the traffic. Site plan. There is no site plan requirement since there is nothing being proposed outside of the facility. Property values. No evidence has been provided to show a positive or negative impact on property values. In the comprehensive plan, The applicant has not demonstrated that removing the first floor restriction is consistent with the comprehensive plan and additional standards. Key operational requirements, including traffic management hours of operation, have not been adequately addressed in the application. This request was noticed in accordance with the UDC. 30 property owners of record with 160 feet of subject property were notified directly by mail. A legal ad was published in Starkville Dispatch on July 24, 2026 in a sign posted on the property in a conspicuous location. As of this date, the Planning and Zoning Office received one letter against the request prior to the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Since that meeting, we received eight additional letters against. Staff does find that the information submitted does not provide sufficient evidence to support a recommendation of approval. However, at the August 11th, 2026 Planning Zoning Commission meeting, the Commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval. But at that meeting, there was a discussion right before the vote. The applicant had offered up some conditions if it were to be approved. Those conditions weren't reduced to writing at that time, so the Planning Zoning Commission recommended that they provide them after the vote before this hearing to be incorporated into the staff report. Then they voted and I recommended it three to two. So of the conditions that they voted on, they can kind of be boiled down into the first four, the ones that they recommended or offered up. So reduced oxygen down to 175 people. I think that's approximately a 20 car reduction. advanced registration and ticketing for the events would be required real-time oxy monitoring using electric counting devices off-peak event scheduling of events and then the final one is one that's added by staff if this is approved it's provided for a clear process to remove the approval if found in violation of any of the previous conditions instead of having to rely on the current code enforcement stuff in the udc this actually gives a clear process of how that would happen And if there are any questions.

Any questions, Mr. Hammond? Any questions, Mr. Hammond?

Yes. You said somebody had sent in a letter of not support and then pulled that letter. Is that correct?

They sent a letter of support and then sent one today. The letter of support was not sent to us. It was sent to the applicant. It was included in their applicant statement. And then today we've actually received the first contact from them where they asked to pull that recommendation and have a new one up to now.

Sure. Well, you look like you were about to say something. Okay. Sister, did you?

I have just a couple of questions for Daniel. So there's no need to include the hours of operations because those are controlled by other ordinances. And so any event has to end before 10 o'clock. Yes. Okay. So that you say several times in the staff report that you cannot conclude. whether or not this should be approved. Is that sort of a hazy way of saying that you recommend we deny it or you just don't have enough information to make a decision one way or the other?

It's kind of based on the fact that they do technically meet the parking requirements, but just from casual observation of anybody who's driven by that property on weeknights, weekends, parking is an issue.

It's going to be hard. It's going to be hard.

So... Kind of based on that. Couldn't deny it. Based on the parking, but couldn't really approve it based on the parking.

So by our codes and our standards, there's sufficient parking.

Correct. Which are written for minimum parking. Right. And this is also an older building that was obviously repurposed. Right. So it was built for more of an industrial use. Right. And it was repurposed for mixed use. And it way predates our codes. Right. 2009.

Right. Okay. Okay. So you can absolutely suggest that we deny it, but just based on your observation, parking is going to be an issue.

Parking is going to be an issue, and there's probably going to be some issues with the neighboring properties.

Okay. All right. Thank you.

All right. How did parking change between when this thing was planned and approved and

Good question. I couldn't tell from the aerials. The aerials didn't become kind of clear enough to actually see the parking. I think like 2014, there's like a five-year gap in there. I do know there was discussion at some point in time to change the parking in the front, but then that became a fire marshal issue with the fire lane. So I know that they had to either reconfigure it or something, but I don't know how that actually came to be. And plus on the approved site plan, This was like, the 1st phase of it, and you can see the property to the South was actually going to be the next phase, which that never occurred. And so that wall is actually in a different spot from where it was.

Okay, so it, it, it meant the parking then would that make the parking now?

I assume it met the parking then. I really don't know. But it does technically meet the parking, the minimum parking requirements now, which are set to be just at a minimum. Yeah, just a minute.

But again, practically speaking, if you go by there at lunch, you got a problem as it is.

Yes.

Anything else, Mark? That's it.

Thank you.

All right.

Anyone else? All right. Is the applicant here? Yes, ma'am. All right. Yes, ma'am. Would you like to make the presentation?

Yes, ma'am. Good evening, aldermen, city staff, and fellow Starkville residents. My name is Heather Lyles, and this is my partner, Bonner Whittington. We are the founders of Wardtown VIP. We are here tonight to discuss our application for the special exception to operate a special event facility at 200 South Montgomery Suite 2C. Before we look at the zoning maps, parking formulas, and the development code, we want to share why we're standing before you tonight. Bonner and I are not outside developers. We have lived right here in Starkville for almost 20 years. Starkville is our home. We have loved Starkville, raised our families here, and our only goal for this venture is to invest our lives and our resources into making our downtown a place where the entire community can thrive. Our core vision is simple. Bortown VIP is not an event venue. It's a place where local families celebrate milestones, nonprofits raise support, entrepreneurs build connections, artists showcase their work, and visitors discover downtown Starkville. We're asking tonight for the opportunity to invest in our community, operate responsibly, and become a long-term partner in the continued and vibrant growth of downtown. To understand the value of Bordetown VIP and what it brings to Montgomery Street, it helps to look at our dual operating model. We'd like to operate this beautifully designed 5,349 square foot street level space with our business model split into two clear areas. First, we can serve as a premier hourly rent space for private milestones. When local families want to celebrate an anniversary, a wedding, or a child's birthday, when local charities need a professional setting to raise funds, or when local entrepreneurs need to hold networking events, we provide a safe, high-end, and clean environment. We have structured our layout to accommodate size and gatherings. featuring a cozy, intimate lounge that's tailored to fit up to 15 guests, and then our spacious main floor for the larger milestone events. But we're not just a passive rental hall that sits empty waiting for someone to book it. The second and the most vital part of our model is an active, curated public programming. We're event planners. We're creative catalysts and community connectors. We help people bring their event visions to life, and we will use this space to host our own carefully designed, family-friendly, and culturally rich public events that bring Starkville residents of all generations together downtown. This brings us directly to the key zoning standard we want to address, Section 1398F12. The City's Unified Development Code states that a special event facility shall not be permitted as a use on the first floor of any building located in TD5, TDC, or TDU zoning districts. As local citizens who care deeply about downtown's walkable character, we completely understand and respect the urban planning intent behind the restriction. First floor spaces in our dense T5 districts are incredibly precious. They are meant to be active, walkable, and visibly open. They are meant to generate the pedestrian energy our downtown needs. What the City Planning Committee and City of Starkville wants to prevent is a dead storefront, such as a traditional shuttered wedding chapel or banquet hall that stays locked, dark, and empty 90% of the week. However, we must look closely at our actual location. Bordetown VIP is not located on Main Street itself. We're tucked away off of Main Street on South Montgomery within the Central Station development. Because we're situated off the primary retail block, our space does not interrupt the continuous pedestrian retail storefront flow of Main Street. Instead, we are naturally oriented toward and largely privy to the patrons, residents, and visitors who are already utilizing the Central Station Complex. Likewise, we are here tonight to prove that Bortown VIP is the exact opposite of a dead storefront. Our entire operational model is designed to be an active, street-level pedestrian catalyst. Unlike a traditional passive venue, our curated community events will keep our first floor windows brightly lit, our doors open, our foot traffic moving through Central Station all week long, both daytime and evening hours. We believe that replacing a dark commercial vacancy with a beautifully designed, high-end, and family-oriented community space will significantly enhance the safety, the desirability, and overall property values at the Central Station development and Montgomery Street corridor. So let's show you exactly how we'll activate this first floor support, our first floor to support Starkville's local residents, families, and our regional visitors. As seen in the handout given to the board, our summer programming is a perfect example of how we will serve our community with downtown foot traffic traditionally drops as the university students leave. During these quiet months, Mississippi's heat is brutal and our downtown outdoor spaces struggle. We will launch our signature Beat the Heat Summer Series, a weekly indoor event held every Tuesday or Thursday all summer long, giving the community a fun, air-conditioned place to gather when it's 95 degrees outside. So here are some things that the pedestrians walking down Montgomery Street will see happening on our first floor. Board Town Kids Club, Summer Friday Fun Days, Princess and Superhero Meet and Greets, Starkville Indoor Market and the Summer Indoor Market. A Kids Entrepreneurial Market. Coffee Community Mornings. Community Bingo Nights. Mystery Game Nights. Uno Championship Game Nights. Local Artist Summer Showcases. Adult Hobby Workshops. A Skills Series for Teens. Christmas in July toy drive, back to school bash, and fundraising for our local clubs and nonprofits. Every single one of these community-focused interactive programs requires an accessible, visible, first floor space to succeed. A mother pushing a double stroller attending our kids club, a senior citizen attending a coffee morning, or a local resident carrying a delicate piece of artwork to showcase cannot easily navigate stairs or an elevator to a second or third floor. First floor access is vital for true community inclusion, safety, and retail vitality. Now let us address the primary concerns raised by city staff. The Planning and Zoning Department noted in our application that while our minimum parking requirements can be met, we must demonstrate that adequate parking will remain available during periods when multiple businesses within the development operate simultaneously. If we look at our official fire marshal capacity limit of 225, the zoning code technically requires about 63 parking spots under a 4 to 1 ratio. That's one parking spot for every four occupants. To protect our development, prevent congestion, and support our neighbors, we are voluntary capping our operational attendance to 175 seated guests or 200 standing guests. When you apply Starkville's 4 to 1 zoning ratio to our voluntary operational caps, our actual parking requirements are fewer than 50 spaces. This fits comfortably and safely within the development's capacity, leaving plenty of shared parking for our neighboring tenants. To solve the issue of simultaneous operations, we've established a cooperative off-peak scheduling matrix. Our family-oriented daytime events, such as Mommy and Me Time, Board Town Kids Club, and the Coffee and Community Mornings take place in morning weekday business hours between 8 and 10 a.m., and our afternoon events will take place after the lunch rush, between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m. During these times, the neighboring tenants use limited parking spaces, ensuring our guests use the shared lot when parking limitations are low. For major weekday evening events, we will structure our programming to start after the main restaurant dinner rush or on days if and when retail operations are closed, which will create a natural parking synergy. The planning and zoning development notated in our application an absence of a formal traffic management plan to address orderly vehicle circulation, emergency access, and unobstructed emergency vehicles. To resolve this completely, we're formally submitting the Board Town Traffic and Parking Management Plan as a direct condition of our operating permit. This is detailed in the packet that was provided. So every single event hosted by BoardTown VIP, whether public or private, is strictly reservation only. There are absolutely no walk-ins and no outdoor ticketing allowed. This means we will know the exact guest count and the exact parking demand days before the event even begins. This will eliminate parking, cruising, and congestion. Knowing these party sizes days before the event allows us ample time to set in motion our official parking and transit plan as needed. We will utilize digital clickers at our sliding glass entry door to monitor occupancy in real time, ensuring we never exceed our self-imposed cap. We will set targeted arrival times and access controls to ensure there is no re-entry without guest credentialing. All Bortown VIP contracted staff, decorators, DJs, and setup crews will be legally prohibited from parking in the Central Station lot during peak weekend hours. They will utilize off-site public municipal parking, preserving 100% of our designated parking footprint for our guests. We will maintain active staff monitoring at our entrance doors during guest arrivals and departures. Our staff will ensure that emergency vehicle lanes and alleyways surrounding Montgomery Street remain 100% unobstructed with an absolute ban on temporary parking or loading in the fire lanes. On every single digital ticket and RSVP confirmation sent to our guests, we will include our mandatory official parking guide. This guide will actively route guests to nearby underutilized downtown public parking lots and encourage ride sharing, directly steering vehicular traffic away from the shared lot. We have partnered with First Baptist Church, which is three-tenths of a mile from our event space, to help alleviate parking concerns in the shared lot. We've also contracted a driver to help shuttle our guests from First Baptist Church to our event space. The Planning and Zoning Department noted that our application raised concerns regarding how our operations, sound, and patron arrivals and departures will affect the residential condominium units located directly above our venue. We want our neighbors upstairs to feel safe, respected, and peaceful. We have completed a test of our speaker system in regards to the decibel level and noise level that could potentially disturb the residential condominium units located directly above us. After testing the speakers, we have concluded that a decibel capped auto limit are not going to exceed 75% of the max volume. When we tested this volume level, the decibels inside the venue were at no more than 75 decibels. We have also tested the decibel level of the residential condominium units with permission of one of the tenants, and we found that no sound could be heard and the normal decibel level of around 40 was observed. We have video evidence of these tests for viewing if requested. In lieu of the Planning and Zoning Committee's concerns, we have previously designed our operations with three strict safeguards to ensure that we are quiet, respectful neighbors. Firstly, we're not a nightclub. Our events are elegant private milestones, family gatherings, and structured cultural programming. As stated, we are committed to a strict speaker volume of 75%, creating less than a 75 decibel limit for all indoor audio. We will require all private renters and contracted DJs and bands to utilize our built-in capped system rather than bringing in unmonitored external speakers. We will establish clear, respectful operating hours. During weekdays, all events will end no later than 9 p.m., and on weekends, all events will wrap up with doors closed and guests departed no later than 10 p.m., ensuring quiet hours for the residents upstairs and that they are being fully respected. Our staff will personally oversee guest departures at the conclusion of every event, ensuring that guests exit the building in an orderly and quiet manner to proceed directly to their vehicles without lingering and generating noise in the common areas in the shared space.

Are we getting near the end?

Yes, we are. Give me like two minutes. Okay. Our business model is beautifully aligned with the core mission of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and the city's comprehensive plan. By bringing local artists, teen life skills, youth entrepreneurial markets, and family programming downtown, Bordetown VIP directly translate the city's comprehensive plan goals into real-world street-level actions. We believe that thriving local business communities create a stronger Starkville for everyone. We would like to say clearly and on the record that we support the grill. John Bean and the Central Station Grill have built an incredible, beloved Starkville staple. We are so sincere that our proactive goal is to collaborate directly with them, establishing the grill as our preferred go-to caterer. We have reached out to Mr. Bean and discussed opportunities of alliance. We want our business success to translate into direct, predictable wholesale revenue stream for all of our fellow business owners at Central Station. To prove how serious we are about these commitments, we are proactively asking the Board of Aldermen to write our voluntary attendance cap of 175 seated and 200 standing, our proposed hours of operation, our traffic management plan directly into the special exemption permit as formal legally binding conditions of our approval. By granting this special exception, you're choosing to replace a consistently dark commercial vacancy with a highly regulated, active, and deeply passionate community partner. We ask for your approval of the special use exception and add our legally binding covenants we have self-imposed on our business so we can bring these incredible programs to life and keep downtown Starkville booming. Thank you for your time and we're happy to answer any questions.

All right.

Thank you.

That was very thorough. Any questions of the app? I do, yes.

First of all, that was thorough. So I know y'all have put a lot of time into mapping this out and to trying to create something that I don't think otherwise exists in that area specifically. Do you know of any other programs like the ones that you have mentioned that exist in our area right now?

Not that we have found.

Okay. Are there any other areas like this in our downtown corridor?

No, most of the event spaces are outside of city limits.

Okay. Does the owner of that space have any other plans that you know of? No, not that I know of. Okay. It's been vacant for how many years?

About three to five, I believe.

Okay. Did y'all consider any alternative locations?

We did look at level three, which was on Main Street. However... the money that we would have to put in and the purchase price was not where we could be at this time. Then we did look at Bortown Bikes, which is where we are located. Felt like it was home. It had everything that we needed, had the vibe that we were going for. We have not found anywhere else that could compete with what Bortown Bikes was giving us at that time.

Thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah. Anyone else?

So your traffic plan, it appears to be more a suggestion than a requirement?

No, we're writing into all of our contracts. and letting all of our, everyone that comes to us and wants to rent our space, we're writing it in the contracts of what the plan is. We're letting them know ahead of time before they even book with us. So this is the plan that we have. Our traffic plan is 100% our operating model.

And how do you ensure that they adhere to this?

Well, myself and Bonner are going to be at every single event. We are just two people and we will have committed to be at every single event to oversee if there's any kind of issues or problems. That way we are the business owners and we can go ahead and handle that at that time.

And you will ask that they move that parking lot and move to our station?

Yes, ma'am. And then we're also contracted with the Boy Scouts. We're working with them, and they're going to help us with traffic so that we know exactly who's parking in our spots and exactly which ones that we can move to our off-site parking. The only people that we're actually asking to put into those spots are if we have anybody with a handicap restriction or any kind of ability restriction where they would not be able to use our shuttle services.

Okay. And will this be applicable to the other programming, the summer events that you talked about? Yes, ma'am. So even though those hours don't necessarily conflict with the grill, you're still going to just... keep people adjusting to the idea that they need to park elsewhere and walk in.

Yes, ma'am. Our goal is to put the least amount of impact on that parking lot as possible. We understand that that is primary parking for not only the grill, but simply Southern. We also understand that we have condo members that have designated spots. So even though there may be, you know, I think they said 117 spots, There's 12 spots for the condo owners. So that takes that out of there. And, you know, our goal is to make sure we put the least amount of impact on the parking as we possibly can.

No matter what the event.

No matter what the event. Okay.

Anyone else?

Yeah. So if I understood you right, though, you said 50 spaces. You were looking for 50 parking spaces.

That is what the fire marshal and the city says that we have to have, but we are not looking to use those 50 spots. We want to use the least amount of spots, like I said, only for any of the people that are utilizing our events, any of our customers that maybe have a handicap or some sort of mobility issues where they cannot get in and out of the ride share. Other than that, we are actually going to use less spots than we're than we can actually have. We were just showing that there were adequate spots.

You think adequate when they're 50 spaces, what's 100? I mean, what's the total?

I think the city said 117.

Okay, less 12 for the condo. So that's almost half. Yes, sir. For your business. I have a problem with parking. And I also have a problem with the, you're talking about the First Baptist Church lot over by the warehouse. Is that what you're talking about?

That lot and their back parking, we have talked with several of the pastors there, and they have given us permission to use that as an off-site parking, not to be utilized during the times that they're using it, of course, but when they're not using that parking.

So I'm looking at how you would, because I use that. We visit George Blue occasionally and we'll park in that lot you're talking about. And there's certain days in there where it's full. Yes, sir. So leaving there, you've either got to walk south on Jackson Street and then over the hill on Hogan and back up Worley Street or go up Jackson Street to Lampkin and back around.

Yes, sir. We're going to have a shuttle that will shuttle people when we have those events to make sure that we give them, you know, a nice clean ride to and from that parking.

So I'm looking here at your packet. Oh. Let me say, you know, what you're proposing, I mean, I think there's probably a need for that in town. I just, I'm not convinced of the location because of these issues that, you know, you're trying to address. So, you know, that's my concern. And, you know, you've got, you actually turned in three in support of one of those rescinded, and then we've got eight against. And most of those from the condo owners are concerned, plus the rest of them.

All right, anyone else for open it as a public hearing.

Okay, y'all would step back please.

Thank you. Yes, ma'am. I'll open it as a public hearing and I know that there are some folks here to speak to it. So we're going to time will be 15 minutes for 15 minutes against. And for those of you who want to come forward, there's a sign in pad up there. So we will tax Ms McLaurin too much too badly on keeping up with everyone. So. Now, I will open it as a public hearing, and if you'd like to come speak now is the opportunity. In this case, I'm going to start with the against.

Thank you. Thank you. I'm John Bean from Central Station Grill and the Eat With Us group. First, I'd like to praise Bonner Whittington and Heather Lyles from Fordtown VIP for their initiative in wanting to start a business. I have talked to Heather twice since the planning and zoning meeting last Tuesday about this issue. And appreciate the passion they have for this project. I do not think the location they have chosen is a good location for an event venue. And I do not think their plans that address the issues with this location, the board town bike space and central station have been properly planned for or are executable. Also, I recognize that David and Jan Morgan, the owners of Bortown Bike Space, have a significant investment in this property and would like to sell or lease the space. They've been great neighbors of ours for years. You should have letters from five condo owners who are located directly above where the event venue will be located. There are six condos there, and I have talked with all the owners, and all are opposed to having an event venue right below them. Some are here tonight and will speak. Their concerns are obvious. Noise, traffic, parking, and declining property values are the main topics of conversations when we talked. All spoke of when they bought at Central Station, they never imagined there could be an event venue beneath them. Some pointed out the bylaws in the association docs for the condo owners calling for quiet time to start at 9 p.m. they are surprised that an event venue could be located right beneath them. I'd also like to point out that Something Southern owner Mike Huesley has submitted a letter stating his opposition to an event venue locating at Central Station. You should have received that letter today. I'd also like to point out that the planning and zoning staff did not recommend this exception be granted. I'm sure you have read and heard the report, but these are the findings presented at the meeting last Tuesday. Staff identified concerns regarding parking availability, traffic management, emergency access, and potential impacts to nearby residential uses. Although minimum parking requirements can be met based on the approved occupancy, the applicant has not demonstrated that adequate parking will remain available when other businesses are operating or during high demand events. The required traffic management plan, traffic control procedures, and parking attendant information have also not been submitted. Staff also found that insufficient information had been provided to determine compliance with certain operational requirements, including proposed hours of operation or to demonstrate that removal of the first floor restriction is consistent with the comprehensive plan. Based on the information submitted, the staff finds that sufficient evidence has not been provided to support all required affirmative findings for approval. Parking. I know Daniel said there's 117 spaces there on that plot. There are 85 parking spaces there. I've counted several times. There are 85 spaces available total at central station simply. There is simply not enough parking there now for residents. The other businesses offices and our restaurant, the central station grill, the fire chief has set a 225 capacity limit. Board Town VIP has said they will self-impose a 200 capacity limit. I realize that code calls for one parking space for four attendees, but in the real world, if you have an event for 200 people, there will be 100 vehicles. Board Town VIP has requested from Bell Building Supply and Renasant Bank consent to overflow into their lots on their property. Neither Bell Building Supply nor Renasant have granted consent. I believe this shows that Board Town VIP knows there is not adequate parking there for them and the existing businesses and residents. Board Town VIP has offered some conditions for approval. I want to be clear that my concern is not whether the applicant has good intentions or whether these proposed conditions sound reasonable on paper. My concern is whether these conditions will actually protect neighboring businesses, residents, and the neighborhood when an event is taking place. The proposed conditions require advanced digital registration or ticketing, but registration does not necessarily control how many people actually show up. What happens when a registered guest brings additional people? Who turns them away from a rehearsal dinner, a wedding reception, or a bridal shower? A policy requiring registration is a very different system than actually preventing overcapacity. Board Town VIP also proposes electronic devices to maintain a real-time count of people entering and leaving. That sounds reassuring, but again, I ask the Board to consider how that works in the real world. Who monitors that number? What happens when the maximum is reached and more guests arrive? Who verifies that every entrance and exit is being counted?

Mr. Bean, I don't know how many folks out there want to speak, but we're getting close to getting halfway through 15 minutes of live.

More importantly, counting people inside the building does not count the vehicles outside it. It does not prevent guests from parking on neighboring property, blocking access, creating traffic congestion, or interfering with customers trying to reach an existing business. The proposed conditions also state that high occupancy events should be scheduled during off-peak hours when reasonably practicable. That raises a huge concern. What is a high occupancy event? What are off peak hours? And who decides what is reasonably practicable? Finally, the proposed enforcement mechanism is largely reactive. The conditions say a violation may ultimately be grounds for revocation after notice, an opportunity to be heard and finding by the board. But by then the event is over. The traffic has occurred. The parking problem has occurred. The residents have been disturbed. So I respectfully ask the board to consider a very practical question. Do these conditions actually prevent the adverse impacts or do they simply provide a process for dealing them after they have already happened? Policies, ticketing systems and electronic counters cannot create additional parking spaces. or additional road capacity to provide the neighborhood quiet enjoyment of their homes and condominiums. This decision could affect neighboring property owners for years. I respectfully ask the board to base its decision on what can practically be controlled, measured, and enforced in the real world, not simply what is workable on paper. Just a word about our business and our relationship with Starkville.

Mr. Bean, let me let some of these other folks talk, please. Okay.

I'm going to just one last thing, please. Okay. Finally, I am sure that Vortown VIP is well-intended, but their plan is very difficult, I would say impossible to implement and enforce. The neighbors to Central Station, the condominium owners at Central Station, and other businesses invested there based on the rules, zoning, and code on the books at that time. All the condo owners are opposed to an event venue being beneath them, as are most of the surrounding businesses.

Let's let them speak now, please, sir. Thank you. All right. And keep it keep in mind that do we have others who wish to speak raise your hand or we've got someone who's speaking for you.

I did not get my letter and I just wanted to put on the record that 209 is against.

Okay, so are you with condo? Yes. Okay. So we'll kind of let him talk about those things. To represent you guys, if that's all right. Okay. All right.

Yes, sir. Mayor, Board of Aldermen, thank you for the opportunity to speak this afternoon. John Bean did a great job of outlining some things. I'll be brief. Identify yourself. My name is Glenn Driscoll. I'm the owner of Unit 211 at the loss at Central Station. Okay. Just to add to some of my concerns... these special events weddings have DJs they have bands they're celebrating right even the use or requirement to use of an in-house system may or may not comply with the decibel that we have supposedly have a test on I bought this place because it's very unique. I bought it because it's quiet. It's private. Most people drive right by it and they don't even know it's there. That's how private it is. It's very unique that the structure of it. I have 20 foot ceilings in that condominium. I'll search through other places in Starkville to find something that I just really fell in love with, and this was it. So I feel like part of that privacy, part of that uniqueness in the community, or for me, could be taken away. I'm within walking distance of about 10 restaurants, and that's very, very unique. Starkville's one of the hottest restaurants. To me, one of the hottest real estate markets in the state. And, of course, I have a history here being a graduate. My daughter's a graduate. Parking, obviously, has been outlined. The plan that they have, it sounds great. But if you've ever been in crowd control or been around a major event, a large event, it's difficult making that or having an execution plan on a consistent basis. Um, I could understand, you know, the first 60, 90 days being very compliant and very controlled. Uh, but after staff has been turned over because of, uh, you know, not showing up for work or, or not doing the job right or something of that nature, it just becomes a boondoggle and, uh, it happens. Uh, so it's, it's execution on the plan that they presented is going to be very, very difficult and challenging. And I think, I think that will be a problem down the road. Um, Let's see. Closing by 10 p.m. I go to bed about 9 o'clock. I get up about 5 o'clock most every day, even on Saturdays. So 10 o'clock is late for me. I'm usually in bed. But I would respectfully ask for you to consider my objections and respectfully deny the bill. Thank you, Mr. Criscoll. Thank you.

Okay. Anyone else wishing to take the last how many minutes?

Four minutes.

Four minutes. We have four minutes left.

Hello, I'm Michael Kelly.

I own Hogan Place right there on Hogan Street and Worley Street. Been in the neighborhood since 98. And John called me and I talked to Wes a few weeks ago with apartment changeover. And the plan sounds great, but it keeps coming back to I'll do this, I'll do this, I'll do this to mitigate not having the parking. And I'm in the neighborhood all the time. Worley Street, many times during weekends, even small event weekends, is a one-way street. I have a parking lot for all my tenants. We have extra spaces. But that area is just always congested. And an event space that even 50 parking spaces is going to overrun that area. So while I like the idea, I just don't think this is the space for it just on a logistics, just because of logistics. You just don't have the space. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kelley. Yes, ma'am. Two minutes.

My name is Chloe Darden. I live in Rollingport, Mississippi. My husband and I own unit 209. We are directly above where Bore Town Bikes used to be. In fact, there's a steel structure right out. If you walk into one of these units, I don't know if any of you have been provided with pictures, but there's a great window. And right outside of our unit is a steel structure where the Bortown bike signage used to be. You know, just sitting here thinking about it, that troubles me that my view could be obstructed by signage. But I'm worried about parking. In one of the models, it said that there were one parking space per bedroom. I think that We may get one or two. I'm not sure. Anyway, parking is already a struggle. I'm very pro-business. I get tickled in the mornings waking up and seeing on Sunday mornings Central Station Grill draws a huge crowd. So it's not that I don't want traffic. It's... It just seems they know it's a problem and that's why they're being proactive in addressing it. But parking is a concern and noise and signage.

Okay.

Thank you, ma'am. Okay. Do we have any time left? One minute. Okay. One minute left. Anybody? All right. Seeing none, I will close it for the against side and we'll go to the for side. Do we have anyone supporting this project? Yes, sir.

Good evening. My name is Dalton Winans-Pruitt. I'm a member of Ward 2 here in Starkville. I'm here tonight to speak in support of the approval of the special exemption request for Wardtown VIP. I was a stay-at-home dad for the first year of my son's life, and it was an experience, and I wouldn't change much of it, but one of the things that I would change is that I would have gotten out with him more. Um, eventually I did find things to do with him outside of the house, but having a place to specifically talk with other parents while he met other children would have been a great outlet. I love going to our parks, but it's the summer and it's hot. We went outside, uh, we went to McKee Park the other evening at 7pm. It was 7pm, but I was already practically melting. And that was in the shade. There are other indoor options that offer good opportunities for kids to play while the parents chill for a bit, but some of the events that Bortown VIP is proposing seem to offer an alternative with a bit more focus on socializing with parents, which would have been a benefit to me. I knew of nothing similar to such family events, and I think they would be beneficial to those that participate. Other potential events they could host, such as video game nights and competitions, entrepreneurial events and art shows, could encourage local commerce, both at the nearby restaurant and other businesses in town. Some of the events may offer enough enticement for more students to get out into the town as well. I can envision a partnership between Boratown VIP and several of the businesses nearby in the vicinity. Some more of my own personal interest in this venue is as an alternative space for the monthly tech-focused meetup that I host, we may eventually outgrow the current space downtown we use, and planning a backup location that is slightly bigger and within walking distance to the usual location seems prudent. While technically the triggering issue for this special exemption is the fact that there are event spaces on the first floor, there has been a good bit of discussion on the parking situation. However, for both issues, I believe that the applicants have demonstrated a willingness to address the concerns of their business neighbors, residential neighbors, and the city by describing a business that does not sound like a dead storefront, and by offering to be legally bound to several compromises to their own operations. And being locals with good reputations to uphold, I believe that they will comply with the restrictions they have asked you to tie to this special exception." I hope that you will support the approval of this special exception request, and in doing so, support the development of a richer experience of SARTville for everyone, residents, students, and even out-of-towners. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Williams. Anyone else wishing to speak in favor? Anyone else? All right. Seeing none, I will close it as a public hearing, and we will move into discussion with the board. Do I see your hand?

I just wanted to make a statement, a comment.

Okay. Do we have a motion?

Do I have a motion? You have a motion? Would you like to make it? No, I just want to make a statement about this.

I'm sorry, let me see if I can get a motion to see where we can go from there. Do I have a motion?

I move to deny this request based on the issue with parking and You know, the neighbors concern, I'm looking, we've always kind of air on the side with. With the neighbors on most all of our zoning. Issues and we've. Again, we've got a significant number of people here that are against this and almost every 1 of them says it could be a good. Good business model, but just not at this location. I have to agree. I think it probably would. And they've done a lot of work, obviously. To come up with this. This business model, but I just, I just have a problem with the location. And, you know, city staff was against this thing also from, from the, from the beginning. So I'm going to make a motion and we deny this question.

Okay, I have a motion to deny. I need a 2nd, we'll have a 2nd. You have a 2nd 2nd, I have a sorry I have a 2nd from vice mayor Perkins. All right discussion.

With that being said with the parking, and it is an event center, but I'm afraid that any business that she used to go in this space is still going to cause a problem with parking. And it doesn't matter who it is. They've got 5,000 and something square feet in that shopping center. They have majority, probably the biggest space in there. It doesn't matter what business goes here. It's going to be a problem for parking, whether it's 50 or 15 spots. I don't know that somebody's going to get a tenant that's going to be as willing to, I guess, go around the parking situations with shuttles. I just, I think parking is going to be an issue no matter what you do. I think, With that space, but even the calculations 50.6. That would not be good for the grill or any of those condo owners. So I don't know that parking is ever going to get better no matter what goes in that spot.

That's all right any other discussion.

I mean, I have a question for Mr. Um, if could you go back to the slide that showed us the minimum parking requirements. And that's 106 total?

106, correct.

And Mr. Bean says that by his count, there are 85 spaces there.

It's kind of difficult to tell even to go out there. The stripes are kind of rubbed off. That was based off multiple years of aerials going back and forth and actually measuring using aerial maps. And so it was kind of between 114 and 117, but it was definitely more than 80 or something. Because there's some that have just kind of washed away almost. I was trying to do the benefit of the doubt as much as possible.

You stand by the fact that there is sufficient minimal parking?

Yes, according to the code, correct. Okay.

Okay. That's important to me.

And that's also under the current codes, not the codes. Right. Right. Right.

I'd like to say that a lot of this does seem to center on parking. And unfortunately, as we become a more urban area and businesses and people are... in denser situations, then parking will be a problem no matter what. It is unfortunate, but I would prefer not to have huge parking lots in our downtown core area because that's not exactly the highest and best use of that space. It could be much better used in terms of city benefit by having businesses and residences and that sort of thing. I will say that in following up with the city engineer's department, that they're in front of Fire Station 1. There are 29 additional parking places. On the Cadence side by South Montgomery, there are 13 additional parking places. There are 50 on Lampkin. Um, if you're willing to walk a little bit further, they're 35 on the university that are public public parking places. And so I think even though parking is tight there. After the building proper. I think there is parking in the area. That doesn't mean that people are pleased with those parking places. They want to park as close as possible to the location that they're going to go to, whether that's the grill or the venue space. And I have not, maybe still have not made up my mind how I want to vote on this issue. It's a difficult decision because it's a great business idea, something that I think would be very well received in the community, it's not an ideal location. It also troubles me that it got here, should have been headed off at the pass a couple of times. One, when the applicants were doing their due diligence and making a phone call or reading what's allowed and what spaces, they would have known this earlier. much earlier in the process, to the condo association. I can't believe that your condo association doesn't have something. Well, I can believe, but I'm disappointed if your condo association doesn't have something in place that addresses this. Y'all are much more vested in this than us. And so I'm disappointed there. All of that to say... As a city, we're changing and parking is going to be problematic. I applaud the efforts that the applicants have made to try to come up with a solution. I struggle with how well you can herd those cats. Thank you.

All right. Anyone else? Anyone else? Okay. Well, I have a motion and a second. And from the sound of it, I believe we're going to do a roll call. So if we would answer yay or nay, as the city clerk calls your name.

Alderman Vaughn.

Yay.

Vice Mayor Perkins.

Vote in support of the motion. Yay.

No.

May I?

Deny.

Oh, deny, you say. Deny.

Alderman Poco.

Nay.

Alderman Brooks. Yay. Alderman Skinner.

Yay.

Alderman Systrom.

I'm going to do this on principle because the votes are there to have I counted to four the votes are there to deny the motion so I'm going to do this on principle and I'm going to say yay because I do think it's appropriate to have this kind of business in that location and that parking can be managed but So you're saying, but you're saying... I'm saying nay. Nay. Okay. Thank you. Sorry. I got myself confused. I told you I wasn't sure how I wanted to vote.

See, I had to write it down so I didn't get confused. Alderman Morley. Nay. Okay.

All right. So the motion to deny carries by a vote of 4-3. All right. Everyone understand what we just did? Thank you. All right, um, that takes us down under board business to item B, which is information discussion concerning the closing of fire station number 3 and vice mayor. This is something you asked to have on the agenda. We have a little brief. Comments section of work session, but you may proceed. I'm going to get the audience time. Thank you. We leave him out there in the hall forever.

Mayor, thank you for the recognition. I heard you said the brief comments. I'm going to give whatever comments I desire.

No, I said I gave brief comments.

Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me. I'm sorry. But I'm going to be brief anyway on it. Mayor, let me, and to my distinguished colleagues, let me say very briefly, I want to say this very humbly, respectfully, and professionally. And I left this matter on the agenda for a very important point that I would like to respectfully make. I just want to take this moment of privilege to clearly articulate that whenever there is any desire and proposal to close a fire station, or any other building or structure with the intent to cease city functions and to move that operations into another building. It is very imperative, very imperative that the legislative branch of government that the legislative branch of government is clearly informed up front. And I understand what everything's been said, but I just want to make this on the record. We have traveled this path in the past, and it's very important that we be involved in the decision-making, and it's very imperative that we be involved given the opportunity to know about it, not that we're going to object, but this is a situation where the vice mayor asked the question at the last meeting, is fire station number three closed? And both of these stations are in my ward, and it may be justified, but the key point is the legislative body, the Board of Aldermen, needs to be clearly and thoroughly consulted and informed. So hopefully, it's a very humble, respectful, and professional comment that we do not have to travel this path again. Mayor, that is the only reason I left this matter on the agenda. I just wanted to say this on public record. I didn't want to say it Friday. No disrespect to you nor the colleagues, but I want to get this on record. in a public meeting and i wanted to be real clear about i want this these comments to go on the record and hopefully we don't have to visit any type of issue again regarding this matter and i just wanted to say that this is dear to my heart and we all tried to do our best for the city and uh just want to make this unknown mayor thank you you're the floor all right thank you vice mayor any discussion from the board on this particular matter

All right. Seeing none, that was not an action item. We will move to item C, which is a request adoption of a resolution lowering and setting the city's millage rate downward from 34 mils to 28.69 mils for the fiscal year 2027 for the city of Starkville, Mississippi. Again, this is a vice mayor's request to be on the agenda. And so, Vice Mayor, I will leave it to you.

Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate the continuous recognition. I'm going to be very brief on this matter, and I'm just going to go ahead and make the motion, Mayor. The Vice Mayor moves for the adoption of a resolution to lower the millage rate of the City of Starkville downward. from 34.0 mils and to reset the millage to 28.69 mils effective fiscal year 2027. I yield, Mayor. Thank you.

All right. So I have a motion from Alderman Perkins. Is there a second? Second. Alderman Vaughn, was that you? Yes, ma'am. All right. So I have a second from Alderman Vaughn. Time for discussion. Alderman Skinner.

Uh, vice mayor, hey, I'm on board, I'd love to cut taxes and. You know, I think it would help the city, but I need to know where this is going to come from. That doesn't affect public safety because. Our citizens deserve to be safe, but also there's 30,000 students out there that their parents in here because they know they're going to be safe. So, I need to know what we're going to cut to get down there.

I'll make this response. I won't talk back and forth all night on it, but let me offer this response.

If this motion is adopted, it is my very respectful request and desire for the budget committee to reconvene and come up with a budget that is consistent with the 28.69 mills and bring it back to this board for study, consideration, and approval. Thank you.

Alderman Skinner, anything further? No, Alderman Sistrom.

And I would just like to say that I think it's premature to talk about an amount of millage that will be set because we don't know where those cuts are likely to come from. Typically in the budget process, you develop a list of the proposed expenditures. You know what that number is. You make estimates about your revenues outside of the property taxes and You make an estimate of all those revenues. You subtract the revenues from the expenses. You take the balance. You divide it by the value of a mill, and that's how you set your millage rate. So to try to set millage without having that other support, is either premature or fiscally irresponsible. And so I would encourage everybody to vote no to this motion, but to know that the budget committee will do what they can to present a balanced budget at the lowest possible millage. And I would appreciate the help of the board by maybe having a special call, not just a work session, but a special call meeting where we can discuss where those cuts are likely or can be made, if they can be made. And a special call will allow the board to vote. For instance, the police department has asked for additional policemen for next year. And so each person on the board would have an opportunity to make a vote up or down on that very important public policy decision.

All right. Anyone else? Anyone else from a discussion standpoint? All involved? Okay. Anyone? Okay. Well, I take the opportunity. I do think that this is a cut that is cutting down further than we have ever cut. We have been working very hard over the last nine years that I have been here to provide services that are the very best that each department can bring. Our tax ad valorem piece, this doesn't affect utilities, because that's rate driven, doesn't affect sanitation, that's rate driven, but it affects police, it affects fire, and we have achieved incredible services through both use of our ad valorem taxes to support the police from cameras, which we all voted on to add. In this case, there are cameras that are built into this budget. So are we talking about scrapping those and going backwards on those? There's personnel in this, and as we all know, we are growing, and as we grow, we need more police to monitor that. We are not becoming any less Less, what shall I say? Well, we're becoming more contentious in our society, as it were, and we have seen actions in the district that we've had to gear up for. Those are the kinds of things that the police department takes care of for us. The fire department, the same thing. We have a fire rating of three. We have just hired, we are now, I think, full complement for the fire department. Those are the things that come from our general fund. Our police department is $10 million. Our fire department is $5 million, plus or minus. So those are the things that we have spent years now building up. And to cut $2 million out of the budget when we have obligations that include a billion dollars in street work, which everybody wants streets, I don't see how we get there from here, to be perfectly frank. There may be some areas where we can cut. We can certainly cut outside contributions to a certain extent. We can cut other areas, but those, again, you cut brick fire. Brick fire serves our public. The library serves our public. Boys and girls clubs serve our public. So those are all things that are going to have an impact on our communities, And on our city, as we're trying to meet the expectations of our residents who, by the way, are supplemented by tourism. And so that's another piece of who we are and why people come to Starkville. They feel safe. They have things to do. We support our special events. For example, we do in-kind services for our special events. The Cotton District Arts Festival is well over $5,000. The Dog Derby, the Dachshund Derby is well over $5,000 that we give in in-kind services. So there are many ways that we can either add revenue or reduce, but those are all going to be things that we're going to be policy-driven and that are not simply a... budget committee to come back and hand it off because we've got to know where we're cutting, what we're cutting, and I think we're at a policy point. So you need to say, you know, I don't want another code enforcement officer. I don't want another fireman. I don't want another police sergeant. Those are the things that we're going to have to talk about. And so I entirely agree with Alderman Sistrunk, and since I have the floor, does anybody have an issue with having a special call for the budget On the 25th, what's this? Today's the 18th. That would be next Tuesday. Anybody have an issue with having a special call on a Tuesday night, similar to a board meeting night? Do we have anyone? That's the Tuesday night. That's next Tuesday. So if I were to call a special call meeting for next Tuesday for budget discussion and budget determination, anybody want to push back on me on that? Okay, well, okay. All right, but we'll. Have an opportunity to do that and I'll send out a plan, send it out a special call. If you. At least tentatively say that on your calendar so that we can Tuesday. Yes, sir. It'll be Tuesday. It'd be just like we were having a board meeting on a Tuesday night. Same 10 concept. Okay. All right. So we have emotionally have a 2nd, any further discussion. Further discussion. All right, seeing none, if you would.

Alderman Baum.

Aye.

Vice Mayor Perkins. Aye. Alderman Pankhurst.

Nay.

Alderman Brooks. Nay. Alderman Skinner.

Nay.

Alderman Sistrom.

Nay.

Alderman Moreland.

Nay. All right, that motion fails by a vote of five to two, and we will move next to The claims docket do I have a motion approval? I have a motion on poker. We have a 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, all those in favor please signify by saying, aye, aye, opposed. All right motion carries and that will move us to, I need to have a vote to go into executive to close section to discuss the need for executive session and I'll move on. That was you. Thank you. All right. And second from all of the Brooks, all those in favor, signify by saying, aye opposed motion carries. If you would please exit the room and allow us to go into a closed session to determine the need for executive session. Thank you. So let me do the call for the work session. In accordance with the notice required under Mississippi Code Annotated 2541.13, the board will have a work session on Friday the 28th of August, 2026 at 11 a.m. That meeting will be held at City Hall, a second floor conference room located at 110 West Main. Notice should be provided at the work session within one hour of this meeting by posting such notice at City Hall. Notice for the work session should be made a part of the minutes of the board meeting. The work session will be an open public meeting and the City of Starkville and the public press are invited to attend. Can I have a motion to adjourn? So moved. Thank you. And a second? Second. All those in favor? Opposed? All right. We are in adjournment.

Thank you, everyone.