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Police Chief Greg Hoskins told Mayor Henry Espy and the board Monday that the situation had gotten out of hand recently.
"Our officers were on special detail (around midnight or early Sept. 12) when they found it was total chaos," Hoskins said.
"People were trying to get out of the business (Club Champagne) because there was shooting inside," Hoskins said.
Hoskins said four patrol officers attempted to get inside the club and found that the "place was a wreck."
Hoskins said a male patron was found lying on the floor with his head "bleeding profusely."
Commissioner Budd Phelps said he personally knew of a disturbance at the club on the night of Sept. 19.
"It appears the club can't take care of its problems," Phelps said.
Commissioner Edward Seals asked Hoskins if he had spoken to the club manager.
Hoskins said the manager told him that he had found some patrons "breaking windows (and) coming outside drinking."
Commissioner Buster Moton said "We should put our foot down."
Espy directed City Attorney Curtis Boschert to begin legal proceedings with the Coahoma County Chancery Court that could lead to closure of the club.
Espy said the city can not allow any establishment to create a serious nuisance for the city.
"That goes for any place where the people are bringing the night club into the street," Espy said.
On a more upbeat note, Espy asked and received the board's permission for the city to sponsor a trip Oct. 4 to Greenwood to tour Viking Range Corp. and downtown Greenwood.
Espy said he had learned that Viking has had a strong working relationship with Greenwood and Leflore County elected officials, the private sector and the downtown merchants.
"I hope that we could come out of this meeting with a better concept of a program for Clarksdale," Espy said.
Greenwood is a member of the Main Street Mississippi program, a goal Espy also wants to bring about in Clarksdale.
Espy said members of the Coahoma County Board of Supervisors said they want to make the bus trip.
Attorney Bill Gresham asked and received the board's permission to apply for a license from the Federal Communications Commission to start a Public Broadcast Service radio station in Clarksdale.
Gresham said the FCC is allowing more non-commercial radio stations for educational purposes.
Commissioner Grady Palmer asked if such a station would provide local news, stating, "We don't have a radio station that does that in Clarksdale."
The board carried over its discussion of a request by Scotty Meredith for a zoning variance for his property at the corner of Lee and Carr Avenues.
Meredith, owner of Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home, wants to locate an office for monument sales.
The zoning issue has been shuttled back and forth from the board to the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Planning Commission. The area is zoned R-2 for residential. The request is considered commercial.
Terry Smith, a professional planner, spoke on behalf of Meredith at Monday's meeting, stating that "the cemetery was there long before the city annexed the area."
Phelps suggested as a compromise for Meredith to locate his planned monument sales office further to the north on the Oakridge Cemetery property rather than at the corner of Lee and Carr.
Smith said long-range plans call for continued utilization of the entire area to the south for cemetery usage.
The board carried over a request presented by a representative of Cellular South to locate a tower at 133 13th St., where an old cotton compress once stood.
During that discussion, Moton became irate. Finally, Espy called for a five-minute recess..
On more than one occasion Espy said: "Commissioner Moton, you're out of order."
Moton's apparent anger was over the condition of the property as well as the proposed placement of a tower.
Phelps said he concurred with Moton's concerns about the appearance of the property, but said the tower would benefit the citizens of Clarksdale with cell phones.
City Clerk Cathy Clark reported sales tax receipts of $231,953.15 on Sept. 16, a tiny increase of $142.43 from the same period last September.
The September receipts were distributed by the state from July collections and paid in August. The total revenue was $2,850,514.15 - $50,514.15 more than was budgeted for FY 2007.
Fiscal year 2008 begins Oct. 1.
Clark informed the board that a march for the pee wee football program will be conducted Saturday. Clark also said the Coahoma Community College annual homecoming parade has been set for Oct. 20 in downtown Clarksdale.
In other business, the board:
n Took several bids for knuckleboom trucks under advisement. The board turned the matter over to Public Works Director Todd Jones to consider.
n Renewed a contract with Allied Waste, Inc. for the collection of sanitation and refuse. . n Acknowledged receipt of a letter from First Baptist Church which requested assistance to clean up a lot on the corner of Fifth and West Tallahatchie sts.
n Acknowledged a change order for interior repairs to Carnegie Public Library.
n Agreed to pay a number of miscellaneous claims, including Clarksdale Beautification, Deewayne Travis Miller, Robert Payner, Discount Building Materials, Richard Dickson. Harvey Green and Dabbs.
n Approved a resolution to authorize making application for a CAP loan to purchase a ladder fire truck and for the city's match for the Mississippi Department of Transportation grant for the Delta Blues Museum. The ladder truck at central fire station has been in use for nearly 25 years. It was one of the very last models from the defunct American La France Co.
n Carried over the appointment of Claudett Williams to the General Election Commission to the Oct. 8 meeting.
n Approved the hiring of Earnest Moore, Otis Taylor, Arthur Kelly and Bradley Hillhouse as patrol officers for the Clarksdale Police Department. Moore's hiring is contingent upon his passing the city's drug test. Carl Hinton's status was changed to patrol officer.
n Agreed to longevity pay increases for patrol officers James Lane, Edward Woods, firefighters Rocky Nabors, Willie Turner and Lt. David Rybolt.
n Permit to Hoskins to donate a patrol car and walkie talkies to the Friars Point Police Department, Coahoma County Sheriff's Office and town of Coahoma Police Department, Hoskins was told to determine the fair market prices for each.
n Approved the next five-year contract involving the city of Clarksdale, Coahoma County and Carnegie Public Library.
n Approved (by a 3-1 vote by Commissioners Edward Seals, Phelps and Grady Palmer; Moton objected) to a waive of process to have the Public Works Department demolish property at 627 Mississippi Ave.
n There was a personnel issue pertaining to the Clarksdale Fire Department conducted during executive session.
