ORDINANCE

Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller said he has thought about the same approach Sistrunk had, but he said there has been a "divide" between the Cotton District and Downtown. He said he would like to keep the current corridor to help link the two areas together.

When Mayor Lynn Spruill asked if she could place the ordinance on the agenda to call for a public hearing, Miller said their main concern in the beginning was formatting a more solid structure of the ordnance.

Miller said they accomplished a strong enough draft to present to the public.

The ordinance would allow residents to purchase an alcoholic beverage or wine from an authorized business, then leave the business as long as it remains within the boundaries of the designated leisure and recreation district.

According to Mississippi House Bill 1223 which was passed in 2016, state law defines a “leisure and recreation district” as a area

designated by the municipal governing body with an ordinance or resolution.

The boundaries for the leisure and recreation district will be from the corridor of City Hall on Main Street down University Drive to the pedestrian bridge leading to Mississippi State University's campus.

The current hours of the ordinance will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The hours are subject to change if city leaders decide to amend it after the trial period.

Other specific regulations for the ordinance includes a specific cup, no larger than 16 ounces. Also, residents can't go into other establishments who sell alcohol with their Go Cup.

The board decided the cups will be clear and plastic, along with a sticker to designate the container is being used under the Go Cup ordinance.

As residents leave the designated area, there will be notification of the boundary and they will have to dispose of their cup.