Questions about the recently passed city ordinance establishing a leisure and recreation district dominated the discussion as Mayor George Flaggs Jr. met Thursday night with residents.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday approved an ordinance establishing a leisure and recreation district allowing customers to buy their favorite alcoholic beverage at a restaurant or club in an area known as the “Washington Street District” and take it with them when they leave, or sit at an outside table at the business to enjoy their libation.

Under state law, the ordinance becomes effective after 30 days.

The district runs the length of Washington Street from the Klondyke, 100 North Washington St., south to Veto Street and including Mulberry Street and a section of Madison Street.

Besides the Klondyke, the district includes Rusty’s Riverfront Grill, Mousour’s at the Biscuit Company, 10 South, Roca, Jacques and Cocktails 101, and will be active from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

But several residents addressing the mayor raised concerns about the propriety of the ordinance and its possible effect on the downtown area.

“When people started discussing it (the district) in our place, these people who are our customers said they’re not coming back at night any more,” said Leslie Silver, who with her husband owns a gallery and the Highway 61 Coffee Shop on Washington Street. “I don’t know why it was passed in the first place, I don’t understand it, and I want someone to make sense of it to me.”

Flaggs discussed the basics of the ordinance, adding businesses did not have to participate.

He said LD’s Kitchen near Levee Street was left out because of its location to the Catfish Row Art Park and the splash pad where families go.

“It works in a lot of cities,” he said, adding he checked with the cities of Gulfport and Ocean Springs and Hattiesburg. “I think it’s one of the most progressive things we can do. Let’s try it; let’s go outside the box and see if it works. If it doesn’t work, we’ll pull the trigger and remove it. But at least let’s try it.”

Flaggs would not say what specific criteria would be used to determine whether to rescind the ordinance.

He added the city has hired a private security guard company to monitor the area and ensure the district’s rules were being followed. He said the majority of the downtown merchants supported it at a meeting on the district held earlier in the year.

Flaggs quoted a Wall Street Journal article about cities and towns establishing leisure and recreation districts, saying, “Every city that had that, their sales tax and revenue increased.”

When asked later for the statistics given in the article, the mayor said he could not recall them and would have to go back to the article to get the numbers.

He was also unable to give revenue projections for the city once the district goes into effect, or which businesses would be the most affected by the district. “I hope it will have a positive effect on business,” he said.

Blake Morgan, a downtown resident, asked Flaggs if he would support a ballot initiative on the district.

Flaggs said people have 30 days until the ordinance went into effect to object. If Aldermen Alex Monsour and Michael Mayfield could be convinced to rescind the district, he said, “If they agree to take it off, they can. I’m for trying it out. I’m for going forward because I believe it’s good for the city.”

Morgan also asked if having security guards monitoring the regulations would create a legal problem for the city.

Flaggs said the guards have no arrest power and would call police for serious problems.

“But if you see something going on, don’t wait for the security guard, call 911,” he said.

Resident Gina Hendrickson, who wrote a letter to Flaggs outlining her concerns about the ordinance, asked about the security guards and the $15,000 approved in the Vicksburg Main Street budget for guards.

“There’s already open drinking going on; we know it,” Hendrickson said. “It’s already there. You’re just pretty much encouraging open drinking, that’s my issue.”

Her concern, she said, was the potential increase for crime caused by overdrinking.

“You have to look at the mindset of what people may do; how they are going to abuse it,” she said.

“I understand you want to give something a chance. The sad part is something will need to happen and what if it has to be revisited and what if it has to be changed.”

If there are problems, Flaggs said, they will be addressed, but he didn’t believe will be any problems. In other issues, Flaggs said he would consider making Vicksburg a smoke-free city, would not include the casinos in any smoke-free ordinance.

“We’re looking at that, but I want to give it some more thought to that and see what the board want to do with that,” he said. He also discussed the $1 million earmarked for the Kings community, saying many of the beautification items outlined by the residents committee, were a matter of routine maintenance, adding, “We just weren’t doing our job.”