VIDEO: A New Fairgrounds Proposal That Would Allow Permitted Events To Take Place Is Now At A Standstill

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Livestock and Fairgrounds’ attorney came before the Columbus City Council again, on Tuesday night.

It was to present some changes made to improve conditions at the grounds, in order to get approval to hold permitted events that fall under the city ordinance.

A few weeks ago, the board passed a measure to stop any events at the fairgrounds.

It came after a shooting took place in December.

Not long after, the attorney asked councilmen to lift that moratorium, and they did for events that don’t need a permit.

Tuesday night’s goal was to get that same approval on a new plan.

“We had to come back tonight and present a plan for them to look at, to see if they approved the changes that were made in order to get us back up and running, and my clients want to be able to host these permitted events that are required if you have over 100 people coming and alcohol is going to be served,” says Fairgrounds’ attorney, Mark Jackson.

Jackson says his clients are doing everything they can to make the grounds safer for events and the community.

“Some of the other issues that we saw were obviously lighting issues, surveillance, wanting to have video cameras there that would be beneficial to the Columbus Police Department, if there are any future events that they could use in investigations, and help cooperate with them and really being open with the police department.”

Councilmen voted to table the plan, until some things get double checked.

“So that we would be able to get our police department, our fire department, our narcotics division, and also the sheriff’s department to go out and view the cameras and all of the equipment that they are going to do to make sure that it’s going to be safe,” says  Ward 1 Councilman, Gene Taylor.

Taylor says it’s very important to make sure the facility is safe before approving a new plan.

“We have had several shootings out there. I think at least two to three deaths and it’s dear to our hearts. I lost a child, early 1985, to gun violence, so I feel the parents’ pain and so it’s very dear to my heart that we make sure that that facility is safe.”