County leaders are considering possible regulations that would require board approval before a business can open its doors within Yazoo County.
The Yazoo County Board of Supervisors requested that its board attorney investigate the issue following the concerns from some citizens worried about the future landscape of their rural neighborhoods. Supervisor David Berry said he has received concerns from citizens in the Vaughan area.
“A guy from Madison County has come in there and bought a tract of land,” Berry said. “He is in the process of clearing it. From what I hear, he is going to open a club. We have some older residents who live out there who don’t want a club that close to their houses. You know what comes with clubs. There will be shootings, drunk driving, loud music, the whole works. We need some kind of control over this stuff.”
Chancery Clerk Quint Carver reminded the board that the county has never implemented such ordinances.
“We should have had them 20 to 25 years ago,” Carver said. “People constantly call me and ask these questions. My generic answer is that ‘no, there is no kind of ordinance that prevents stuff like that.’”
Berry said Madison County has strict regulations so many are crossing over into Yazoo County to take advantage of the situation.
“They can’t do it in Madison, so they are coming into Yazoo,” Berry said. “Most of these people concerned are elderly, and I don’t blame them for not wanting a club right by their houses.”
Jay Barbour, board attorney, told the board that if there is no state statute on the issue, then a county could enact an ordinance addressing that particular issue under the home rule.
“But you cannot enact an ordinance on something that is already governed by state law,” Barbour said. “The question will be is there any sort of state statute that would govern what you are talking about. If there is not, then under the home rule, if the board chooses to do so, it could enact an ordinance to address it. The question then would be what would that ordinance say?”
Supervisor Joseph Thomas Jr. suggested that the board consider businesses requiring board approval before opening.
“On the top of my head, I can’t think of why you can’t do that,” replied Barbour. “It is kind of like how you have to apply for a privilege license.”
Berry said the Vaughan area is not the only area within his district that he is worried about, adding that he has had some issues in the Scotland area.
“There is a guy about to open a store right there in the middle of a subdivision,” he said. “He has a trailer pulled in there, and they don’t know if he is going to apply for a beer license or what. The residents just don’t want that traffic in their subdivision.”
Supervisor Lee Moore expressed reservations in putting any sort of regulations upon county residents.
“I was naïve enough to question building codes one time on Facebook,” Moore said. “The general public wanted to string me up just for asking the question. They told me I should have known better. Generally, the people in the county don’t want you telling them what they can and cannot do.”
Carver added that there will be both support and opposition to such regulations.
“You are going to offend somebody any way it goes,” agreed Thomas.
The board even considered holding public hearings leading up to possible board approval for future businesses.
“The people in the community would then have the opportunity to protest or whatever to have their side of their story heard,” Berry said.
But Barbour stressed that the board would have to have some type of criteria in their decision.
“I would suggest you need a thorough ordinance or at least an ordinance with criteria because if you just say that you have got to come before us, and we will decide whether you get a permit or not…you are going to be next door in court,” added Barbour.
Berry reminded the board of the opposition from residents that came with the arrival of a marijuana-related business on Highway 16.
“We ran into so many problems out there with that cannabis facility,” Berry said. “Now, people are worried about the retail part of it.”
The board agreed to take the matter under advisement to determine the criteria behind such regulations.
