In a continuation of their meeting last Tuesday, the Poplarville Board of Aldermen, with Byron Wells acting as mayor pro tem, adopted ordinances that were drawn from templates of other counties combined with community input from previous meetings.

The largest discussion was centered on the hours alcoholic beverages could be sold.

Alderman Randy Brown favored prohibiting sales from midnight on Saturday to noon on Sunday “out of respect for church.”

He said, “It was more of respect for the people that voted against it. I don’t drink. I go to church, I teach Sunday school and it was coming from that point of view.”

Brown said that whether people like it or not, the ordinance is a milestone for Poplarville and he believes there will be economic gain.

“I think overall it worked out good, “ Brown said. “I think we have a bright future and we have strong controls in place. People like Tommy Adcox will be bringing festivals now and

from my perspective, everyone wins in those situations.”

After the discussion, the board voted in favor of a time schedule that is consistent with the Picayune’s. This schedule will prohibit the sale of beer and light wine from midnight through 7 a.m. the following day, for each day of the week, with the exclusion of Christmas and Easter.

Under the special events section of the ordinance, there is an option for event sponsors to choose whether to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages. Proper licensing must be acquired, even in temporary situations. Open containers can be permitted at outdoor events such as festivals, street fairs, craft fairs and bazaars, as long it is in a designated area.

Another area of concern was whether underage restaurant employees could serve alcohol to customers. After much discussion, board attorney Martin Smith said that the matter falls under the restaurant service law, which states it is legal for underage employees to sell alcohol.

All proposed ordinances passed and the meeting was adjourned.

The next board of aldermen meeting will be held May 6, at 5 p.m.