Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
Dispatch Mobile Logo
Share
Subscribe
Login
August 8, 2022
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • eEdition
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
August 8, 2022
Dispatch Logo

Open eyes, open minds.

Home » News » Columbus ends mask-wearing mandate

Columbus ends mask-wearing mandate

By Isabelle Altman • April 7, 2021

 • 7 mins to read

Columbus ends mask-wearing mandate

Columbus City Council lifted its citywide mask mandate at its regular meeting Tuesday night, though not without some tense back and forth between two council members.

The council voted 4-1 to require face coverings only in city buildings. Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens opposed.

Joseph Mickens

“I think we’re making a huge mistake here,” Mickens said before the vote. “I’ve got to totally disagree with you on this one. What I’m hearing, what the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is saying now, (is) that we’ve got an uptick with a new virus coming out now. But now we get a little pressure on us, we want to hunker down and get rid of the mask.

“It’s not right,” he added. “The CDC has not changed their standard. I don’t care what the governor says. The CDC has not changed their standard, so why would we?”

The city has required citizens to wear face coverings in businesses and city-owned buildings in order to help curb the spread of COVID-19 since July, even after Gov. Tate Reeves ended the statewide mask mandate on March 2.

While state and local numbers are down — Vice Mayor Bill Gavin said there was only one COVID-19 case in Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle when he checked with hospital officials last week — national numbers are trending up, and health officials have warned of a new variant of the virus that could spread.

Gavin, who presided over the meeting because Mayor Robert Smith is still under the care of doctors after a stint in Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in February, specified during the meeting that businesses may still require customers to wear masks in their buildings if they wish, and that citizens could choose to wear masks as well.

Stephen Jones

Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones, who had moved to end the mandate, said city police officers have not been enforcing the mandate, and he didn’t see the point in having one that isn’t enforced.

“Why have an ordinance if we’re not going to enforce it?” Jones said.

Mickens spoke over him: “That’s no reason.”

“I’m speaking, like you just said,” Jones said. “… That’s my opinion. … If it was definitely being enforced, then it would be a different (story). It’s basically the same thing — people who want to wear them, wear them. People who don’t want to wear them won’t wear them.”

The council’s decision came on the first day this year that council meetings were reopened to in-person public attendance, though citizens may still livestream the meetings on the city’s website at thecityofcolumbus.org or the City of Columbus, MS – Mayor’s Office Facebook page.

Patio 45 Restaurant
The council also heard complaints from citizens who live in the Holly Hills neighborhood who said they could hear loud and sometimes vulgar music coming from Patio 45 Restaurant on Highway 45 North.

Curtis Bordenave, who owns Patio 45 Restaurant on Highway 45 North with his wife Eurie Bordenave, defends the noise level at the restaurant during the Columbus City Council meeting at Columbus Municipal Complex Tuesday evening. Several residents of the Holly Hills neighborhood behind Patio 45 have complained about the loud music coming from Bordenave’s restaurant, and Bordenave asked the council to clarify the city’s noise ordinance by mandating restaurants and events not go over a certain decibel, rather than just reacting based on the complaints of nearby residents. Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff

Curtis Bordenave, who owns the restaurant with his wife Eurie Bordenave, spoke first, saying he has invested in sound-measuring equipment to test the decibels the restaurant speakers emit and said his speakers do not emit sounds more than 50 decibels.

newsletter

The Dispatch delivers the most in-depth, responsible journalism straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

He said businesses on either side of his restaurant have not complained, and he invited the council members to visit the restaurant and listen to the music themselves, even offering to pay for police to come sit in his parking lot on a weekend night to make sure it isn’t turned up too loud.

Bordenave then asked the council to clarify the city’s noise ordinance to a particular decibel, drawing a comparison between that and speed limits for traffic.

“You can’t give us a speeding ticket without some type of speeding sign posted,” he said.

But residents from the neighborhood directly behind Patio 45 said they could hear the music from within their homes, claiming the beat from the base rattles their windows and that they could hear “the F word” and other profanities from their homes on Easter Sunday.

Holly Hills resident Larry Wayne Jeona tells members of Columbus City Council that he and fellow residents of his neighborhood are concerned about loud music coming from Highway 45 North restaurant Patio 45 on weekends during the city council meeting at Columbus Municipal Complex Tuesday evening. While Patio 45 owner Curtis Bordenave said his restaurant’s speakers are not loud enough to disturb residents in the neighborhood behind his restaurant, Jeona said it is sometimes so loud the windows rattle in his house. Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff

“We’re not trying to shut anybody down,” said resident Larry Wayne Jeona. “We just want to have a peace(ful) and quiet neighborhood.”

Jeona also invited council members to his home to hear the music from his house.

“We’ll sit in there and drink and have a good time and listen to the music on a Friday or Saturday night,” he said. “The later it gets, the louder it gets.”

The city noise ordinance currently forbids businesses and individuals from playing loud music or otherwise making loud noises after 11 p.m., Police Chief Fred Shelton said. However, the ordinance does not specify a decibel amount.

Shelton said at the meeting his officers have been called out to the restaurant several times, but the noise has never been loud enough for them to issue a citation. He added he’s driven through the area himself just to see if he could hear it.
“Sometimes I could hear it and sometimes I could not,” he said.

Patio 45 received a permitted use variance to open in 2019, said Gavin and Zoning/Inspection Department head Kenneth Wiegel, at which time Bordenave specifically said he would not play loud music.

Bill Gavin

“At that time, you just told me you were going to have a home stereo system that was going to play quiet music for the restaurant,” Gavin said. “We talked about this noise issue, and in this meeting. You have a special permit granted by the city council to operate this business. I supported you and voted for you to have that permit. Had I known you were going to do this, I would never have voted for that. I know these people. … I’ve been up to your place late at night. I’ve heard the music. In my opinion, it’s loud.”

Gavin said he feels it’s the speakers of the live musicians hired to play on the weekends rather than the restaurant’s speakers that are bothering residents.

The council voted 4-1 to table any action and give City Attorney Jeff Turnage time to look over the city’s noise ordinance and see if it would be improved by specifying a particular decibel amount. Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box, who had said during the discussion that he feels the music is too loud, was the opposing vote.

You can help your community

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.

Subscribe

READER FAVORITES

  • Man sentenced to 40 years for Propst Park killing

    By Jessica Lindsey • 1 day ago

  • Community rallies around beloved waitress following house fire

    By Robert Scott • 1 day ago

Popular

Two Lowndes men charged with child sex crimes

August 6, 2022

Man sentenced to 40 years for Propst Park killing

August 6, 2022

Community rallies around beloved waitress following house fire

August 6, 2022

Golden Triangle Theatre finds new home at old church

August 6, 2022




On This Day 2021

Bulldogs feeling acclimated as fall camp begins

By Theo DeRosa

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Dispatch

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Contact

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2022 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT