City officials have ordered Bird Scooters to pack up its inventory and leave town.

Aldermen voted 4-3 Tuesday to prohibit the use of the scooters in the city limits. As his final act as alderman, Ward 3’s David Little proposed the ban, claiming these electric scooters are a danger to the health, safety and wellness of riders and the general public.

“I think they’re an accident waiting to happen,” Little said at the board’s work session Friday. “I think they impede pedestrian flow. … I think it’s just a matter of time before someone is injured on these things.”

Bird, an electric scooter ride-sharing service, delivered its scooters to Starkville in March after communicating with Mayor Lynn Spruill and obtaining a privilege license to conduct business in the city.

What followed were multiple complaints from citizens that riders have been misusing the scooters throughout the city — from riding them down highways and sidewalks to users operating them under the influence. Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty said he believes the devices are dangerous, and before long, someone will get hurt. He said the responsibility of citizen safekeeping falls on the board.

“Sometimes as city government, we have to do things that aren’t popular but are necessary to do,” Beatty said.

Beatty, along with Little, Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver and Ward 6 Alderman and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins, voted for the ban.

Sandra Sistrunk of Ward 2, Jason Walker of Ward 4 and Henry Vaughn of Ward 7 opposed it.

“I’m much more in favor of a measured response where we can have discussions with the company,” Sistrunk said. “… I do think the company seems to be willing to make operational changes, and I do think the scooters serve a purpose, both for entertainment and transportation.”

Spruill said she will contact Bird Wednesday to notify the company that the city will be rescinding its business license.

This is not the first time Starkville has had an issue with a ride-sharing scooter rental service.

In 2019, Lime brought its scooters to town, which were forbidden on Mississippi State University’s campus. However, users still brought them onto campus, sometimes causing dangerous conditions including collisions with cars. Lime decided to pull out of its agreement in Starkville after the continuous complications with the university.

Starkville Police Department has received multiple complaints about Bird scooters since their arrival, SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady told The Dispatch June 4.

Spruill said since the influx of complaints began, she has been in contact with Bird about the city’s concerns, and the company has been extremely reactive to these worries by geofencing off Highway 12 and placing the scooters adjacent to sidewalks instead of directly on them.

“I think they are doing their best to be responsive,” Spruill said. “… I think they are serving a dual purpose. Recreation being one and transportation being another.”

Even though Spruill said the situation has improved, the majority of the board felt the scooters were too much of a menace to the city. Carver said he does not believe Starkville is made for Bird scooters, with very few roads fit for riding.

“I have never in my 12 years received so many negative comments about one singular incident other than the Bird scooters,” Carver said. “… From what I’ve seen Starkville is probably not the city to be laid out for this mode of transportation.”

Juvenile curfew
The board also unanimously approved a juvenile curfew and truancy law for the city, effective immediately.

This curfew applies to all juveniles ages 17 and under from the hours of midnight to 5 a.m.

Police Chief Mark Ballard said the curfew would primarily address the leading felony for Starkville, auto burglaries. In 2021, Ballard said, 44 firearms have been reported stolen out of vehicles as of June 14. This curfew is to alleviate the potential of these auto burglaries where minors steal firearms out of unlocked vehicles and then use those weapons to commit violent crime.

“This application moving forward is to help us have a tool, not the tool, but a tool to help try to measure and see if we can get restrictions on the firearms that are going on the street being used in violent applications,” Ballard said.

Every weapon recovered in crimes this year was either possessed illegally or had been reported stolen from an auto burglary, Ballard said.

The duration of the curfew is indefinite. Board Attorney Chris Latimer said the ordinance requires “check-ins” — Ballard will report back to the board in a month and will repeat the check-ins quarterly for a year. These reports will give the board information and statistics to see if improvements have been made.

Little, Walker bid board farewell
The current board of aldermen is saying goodbye to two of its members who did not seek re-election.

Little, who has served on the board since 2011, said he is thankful for his experience and has loved getting to work with the other board members, city staff and department heads.

“Thank you to the citizens of Ward 3 for putting their trust and confidence in me eight years ago and allowing me the honor and privilege of sitting up here and serving you,” Little said. “… I’m going to be watching from a distance.”

Walker will also be leaving after serving two terms on the board. He said he learned a tremendous amount throughout his eight years and has nothing but positive thoughts for the city moving forward.

“Working with the members of this board has been an absolute pleasure,” Walker said. “We haven’t always agreed on everything, and that’s how government is supposed to work, but we have always tried to talk through things and do what we believe is in the best interest of the community at large. That’s what government is supposed to be.”