The Mayor and Board of Aldermen have issued a State of Emergency Proclamation that put into place two (2) measures designed to curtail crime city-wide:
1. There is now a curfew in place that prohibits anyone of loitering after 12:00am – midnight.
2. There is a restriction regarding crowd size as it relates to bars, dance halls/clubs, restaurants with dining areas, etc. Under the provisions of the Proclamation, businesses can only operate at 80% of their regular occupancy limit.
As a caveat, the Proclamation explains that residents are to remain in their homes during the curfew hours, with the exception of those traveling to and from work or attending medical or other emergencies. The Proclamation does not prohibit citizens from gassing their vehicles after midnight or any other normal function. However, if it is discovered that there are gatherings after midnight, the Indianola Police Department is authorized and empowered to enforce the Proclamation and immediately disperse such gatherings found to be in violation of the Proclamation. In regard to the crowd size, there are explicit and clear exceptions to the Proclamation, which include weddings, funerals, church events, school activities and any event with prior Board approval. There is lots of misinformation in the public and this correspondence is designed to dispel said misinformation. Additionally, the Proclamation is not designed to be a permanent safety measure. The Proclamation is not designed to be a hinderance to business operations. Because of the recent increase in violence, the Proclamation was put in place to curtail crime and save lives. I am asking for our business community to be more understanding, patient and cooperative with the City because lives were lost due to senseless violence. The Proclamation does require an added step to come before the Board for prior approval of any events that may exceed a certain size and time of evening. As inconvenient as this may be, we all have to make necessary adjustments during this time.
In 2013, the City of Indianola zoned a portion of the city as an “Entertainment District” (ED). The district includes Church Street, Mill Street, Hannah Street, Clay Street, etc. The Indianola ED is a visionary plan designed to create a vibrant, mixed-use urban neighborhood. The ED plan, once in place, will support the continued renaissance of downtown Indianola connecting the City’s rich Blues history, Civil Rights, and Heritage through a planned redevelopment specifically designed to capture the essence of the Blues through urban design, coupled with the preservation of Civil Rights local history and storytelling. The ED will extend the historic street grid; construct apartment/loft housing, office spaces, entertainment venues that will include coffee shops, Southern cuisine restaurants, historical markers, novelty shops, art/entertainment venues, and open-air markets.
We can expect to see planning and community development moving in the direction of bringing this vision into reality. Today, we see loitering, littering and criminal activity; tomorrow we will see gentrification, sprawling businesses and an active, safe, progressive community. Stay tuned!
Indianola Mayor
Ken Featherstone
