Starkville aldermen reasserted the ban on motorized scooters in a special-call meeting Friday afternoon, forcing Bird to cease operating in the city limits, at least for now.

By a vote of 5-1, aldermen overrode Mayor Lynn Spruill’s veto of the board’s original ban, which passed June 15 by a 4-3 margin.

Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn, who opposed the original ban, switched his vote Friday to override the veto, giving the board the fifth vote needed to re-institute the ban. Though he said he supports Bird and having the scooters in town, he believes the city should better codify parameters for the company and its users before allowing them to operate again.

Spruill, who said the city currently doesn’t have any regulations on the books pertaining to the scooters, vowed to bring an ordinance draft and a memorandum of understanding with Bird for the new board of aldermen to consider at its July 6 meeting.

Bird, which has operated with a privilege license in Starkville for about three months, came under fire recently after multiple complaints of its scooters being ridden on Highway 12, on sidewalks and by users who had been drinking.

David Little of Ward 3 and Hamp Beatty of Ward 5 called Friday’s meeting, citing safety issues with the scooters. Ward 1’s Ben Carver and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins of Ward 6 also voted for the original ban and to override Spruill’s veto.

Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk opposed both. Jason Walker of Ward 4, who also opposed the original ban, was not present Friday.

The new board will include two new members — Jeffrey Rupp replacing Little in Ward 3 and Mike Brooks replacing Walker in Ward 4. In an interview earlier this week, Rupp told The Dispatch he would be willing to consider allowing Bird to operate if certain safety issues were satisfied.

Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.