McLendon, Kitchens, outline their agenda as new Hernando aldermen

Photo: Ward 5 Alderman Kit Kitchens is sworn into office by state Supreme Court Justice Robert Chamberlain with Kitchens’ family at his side Sunday, June 29. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

New aldermen get right to work in DeSoto County cities Tuesday night and in Hernando, Lauren Leigh McLendon and Kit Kitchens will sit in their first official meetings. McLendon was elected as Alderwomen-at-Large and Kit Kitchens now represents Ward 5. 

Sunday, after being sworn in to the at-Large position, McLendon said she believed the election of herself and Kitchens means a new demographic of residents is about to be represented.  

“Even just swapping out one board member makes a whole new board, and having two brand new board members that bring the average age down decades of the board is, I mean, it’s going to change a lot,” McLendon said. “I’m excited to see how this board flows out over the coming years.”

McLendon said one of the first things she wants to see enacted is a ban on the sale of the substance kratom. 

Kratom is a federally-legal substance in the United States but a number of states have banned its sale and municipalities, including Oxford, have enacted prohibitions on its sale.  

“Right now, the City of Oxford has a kratom ban, and I think we should mirror that until the state level takes steps to ban it,” McLendon said. Alabama and Arkansas are among six states that have a ban on kratom.  

While low doses of offer users to feel more energetic, sociable and alert, moderate to higher doses can typically have sedative or opioid-like effects, including pain relief, relaxation, and even euphoria. Very high doses may cause drowsiness, confusion, or loss of consciousness. While some people use it for managing chronic pain, self-treatment of opioid withdrawal, and improving mood or anxiety, detractors said it can lead to dependency and withdrawal symptoms, nausea, hallucinations or delusions at very high doses.  

McLendon also wants to see limitations on the proximity of vape shops and liquor stores, plus refining the city’s noise and sound ordinance.  

Kitchens said he’s already had several conversations with the returning board members and sees a lot of alignment in what he’s expressed and heard from them.  

“I think there’s going to be a lot of positive change that happens in the next four years,” Kitchens said.  “Lauren and I align very, very closely with what we’d like to get done. Really, even our campaign messages were similar.”

Zoning issues are top of mind for Kitchens immediately with public hearings expected that would move storage units and mini-storage units from a conditional use under C-2 commercial to a conditional use under M-1 or light industrial. 

“One thing that we had a lot of issues with in my ward specifically is having many storages in prime real estate, and so I think the citizens would like to see that addressed,” Kitchens said Sunday after the swearing-in ceremony. 

Kitchens joined McLendon in saying there should be a proximity rule in Hernando for vape shops, liquor stores, CBD stores, dispensaries and similar businesses.  

“I’ve written a draft of an ordinance to make it where any new businesses of those categories would not be able to be within five miles of an existing business in their category,” Kitchen said. 

“That’s going to slow down the rapid spread of those types of things.”

Also look for Kitchens to present a future plan for the Courthouse Square where buildings would be of the style of type of the square and make the Square more of an economic center for Hernando while upholding its cultural atmosphere. 

Both McLendon and Kitchens, along with Mayor Chip Johnson and the returning board members, get right to work Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. in their first regular session at City Hall.