Aldermen hesitate to regulate nail salons

GLUCKSTADT — An attempt to put a 90-day moratorium on new nail salons here failed to pass Tuesday night as objecting aldermen called it a “slippery slope” to start regulating specific businesses. 

Alderman Miya Warfield Bates first brought up the idea in January, saying there is an over-saturation of new nail salons coming to the city and they should explore possibilities such as space requirements. 

Planning and Zoning Administrator William Hall told aldermen there are currently five nail salons in the city, with two more under permit review. Another is located slightly outside the city limits. 

He said a preliminary search of nearby cities showed only seven total nail salons in Madison and eight in Ridgeland. 

He said the board could look at conditional uses such as distance between other similar business like they have done with gas stations. 

Board Attorney John Scanlon said the moratorium would “press pause” and keep the status quo while the board determined if a need for any new zoning regulations existed. 

Mayor Walter Morrison asked what steps would be taken in the 90 days to determine if any changes were to be made. 

Hall said they would be comparing city data. 

“What’s the test,” Morrison said, adding that if there were nine nail salons making money was a bad thing. 

“Will they continue (to make money),” Bates responded. “That’s the question.”

Alderman John Taylor then pointed to pizza places and whether or not they would be next, calling it all a slippery slope. 

Alderman Jayce Powell concurred, saying coffee places and dentist offices could be next. 

“I just don’t understand how we can legislate who comes in,” he said. “I imagine everybody who opens a business in Gluckstadt has done their market research.”

Alderman Lisa Williams seconded Bates’ motion to place a moratorium, saying it was temporary and would give the board an idea to explore it further and then make a recommendation. 

“It’s a temporary pause,” she said. 

Powell, Taylor and Alderman Wesley Slay voted against the moratorium. 

Bates’ concern about the continued success of businesses comes on the heels of another month of a decrease in sales tax revenue for the Lucky City. 

In January, Gluckstadt collected $21,240 (8.62 percent) less than they did in 2023. The total collections last month were $225,027. 

This fiscal year to date, Gluckstadt is down $46,138, or 4.56 percent, meaning less money is being spent in the city than the year before.