MESQUITE (1080 KRLD) - The Mesquite City Council will hold a special meeting next week to take public comment on a temporary moratorium on new convenience stores in the city.
Officials say that 90-day hold on new stores would give the Council time to adopt new safety regulations for those stores after a string of robberies.
"One of the more disturbing trends in our community is the quantity and frequency of violent crimes being committed at convenience stores," said Mesquite City Manager Cliff Keheley. The Mesquite Police Department will propose regulations next week designed to improve safety. Other communities regulate the placement of signs or stickers in store windows to ensure visibility and set standards for security cameras.
"This will help us fight crime," said Council Member Robert Miklos. The City, he said, is "not banning or slowing down or preventing convenience stores from coming to mesquite or being in Mesquite, but putting common-sense crime-fighting tools in our stores."
The vote to schedule the public hearing for Tuesday, January 28th at 6:00pm was 6-0.
"We're not trying to punish anyone," said Council Member Sherry Wilson. "But if your 19-year-old son is working at 2 o'clock in the morning by themselves in a convenience store that has no security cameras, that's a problem."
The Council could take a final vote on the 90-day moratorium in early February. It would not affect existing stores.
In addition to studying safety regulations, the Council could also use the 90-day period to study issues related to zoning and site plans for convenience stores.
"Neighbors in certain neighborhoods have expressed concerns over the impact these stores have when they are placed in residential areas," said City Manager Cliff Keheley. "Traffic and noise are issues with these types of businesses that can be addressed through enhanced regulation."