The board room of the Sturgis Town Hall was near capacity Tuesday night during the town’s monthly Board of Aldermen meeting, which saw several locals opposing changes to the town’s yard sale ordinance.
The issue was unanimously passed by the Board of Aldermen in January and subsequently sparked backlash on social media.
Mayor Billy Blankenship told those in attendance Tuesday that, at first, he thought the comments were funny and harmless. However, the tone of the dialogue changed for the negative.
“It ended up being totally ridiculous, it was shameful,” Blankenship said. “When you get to the point where you’re putting your own town down … if you have a problem, come sit in a board meeting and figure out why we can’t do something.”
The new regulations restrict sales time, while requiring a permit. No permit shall be issued more frequently than every 90 days and each permit carries a $25 price tag, with the town clerk keeping a record of permits issued on file for 180 days.
A special permit for an outdoor sale at a “town declared event” will cost $150.
Board Attorney Bruce Brown said the ordinance was modeled from similar policies in other towns.
The main point of contention in the crowd came from Charles Dobbins of Edwards Street, who has lived on and owned his land for more than 30 years.
“We have a dictatorship going on down here, it seems like,” Dobbins told the Starkville Daily News after the meeting. “I want the whole thing off the books, It’s my land, I bought and paid for it.”
Dobbins claims to have never had a yard sale and doesn’t intend to in the future. For him, his concern rests on overreach from the town’s government.
“I don’t see how they can tell me what I can and can’t do on my property,” Dobbins said. “That’s not right. When you go dictating to me what I can do on my land, what’s next? Tell me where I’m going to cut my grass, when I'm going to cut it, where I can put my barbecue grill?”
While Dobbins said he wanted to see the law completely done away with, others lobbied for amendments to the ordinance to allow for some some exceptions.
Blankenship said exceptions can be made and he believes town officials will take the concerns addressed Tuesday into consideration.
“I’m sure there were comments that were heard tonight that the aldermen will take into consideration, especially comments made so some people maybe should be granted a yard sale or maybe not charged for the first two, so I’m thinking … they will make amendments where needed.”
Following the meeting, Blankenship told the Starkville Daily News that he viewed feedback on the ordinance as negative, especially with some thinking the town is trying to overstep what it can and can’t do.
“This is a municipality and the Board of Aldermen make the rules for what is and is not legal and can be done in the town,” Blankenship said. “And I understand a lot of the thoughts and questions brought up, I understand that but it is a way for a town to do business and that is what it is actually doing.”
OTHER BUSINESS
• The Board of Aldermen heard a short presentation from Phyllis Benson of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District concerning community development block grants (CDBGs)
• District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller gave a presentation to the board to discuss different infrastructure projects currently underway in the town and others that could come up in the future.