The Rankin County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing Oct. 30 on complaints that music, heavy bass and late‑night activity at the Back Porch, a restaurant/venue at 2146 Highway 471, are disturbing nearby residents.

County attorney Craig Slay opened the hearing saying complaints included noise disturbances, public drunkenness and concerns about whether the venue’s current operations match the permits the county issued. Owner representatives said they had taken decibel readings and that the venue now hosts amplified entertainment and sells liquor under a resort‑status determination; neighbors disputed the readings and described repeated sleep disruption.

Why it matters: Neighbors said the bass and high sound levels have persisted late into the night, sometimes past 1 a.m., and interfered with sleep and normal use of nearby homes. Supervisors and staff said the scale of complaints puts the matter beyond an isolated private dispute and into the county’s public‑safety and permitting remit.

Beau Cox, a resident who lives about 250 yards south of the venue, told supervisors his readings reached 90 dB on his back porch and 78 dB inside his kitchen during a midweek night; he said the bass was audible over the phone while speaking indoors. "Come to my house at 1:30 a.m.," he said. "You lay there in bed and it's doing that." (Beau Cox, resident.)

Venue representative Chad Horton said the establishment remains a restaurant that serves shrimp, ribs and other food and that music was sometimes performed outside during seasonal events. Horton said the venue had applied to ABC for liquor licensure and that the state treated the site as "resort status," which affects how ABC sets alcohol conditions. Horton said he would work with county staff and volunteered to reduce bass after 11 p.m.

County staff and supervisors said they do not have county records confirming the resort status designation and that ABC’s relicensure, if pending, should include county input because residents have raised operational and public‑safety concerns. Staff noted several potential regulatory issues to review, including unpermitted construction or renovations, occupancy loads and hours of operation.

Action and next steps: Supervisors directed community development staff to contact ABC and request participation by the county in any relicensure discussions; staff will also inspect the building, review permits and occupancy calculations with the fire coordinator, and report back. The county said it will seek to set enforceable hours and consider how to address noise and life‑safety issues while recognizing that noise regulation is technically complex.

Quotes are verbatim and attributed to speakers who spoke on the record at the Oct. 30 meeting.

Ending: County staff will conduct permit and safety reviews and coordinate with ABC; supervisors said they expect the owner to work with staff and the community as the county completes its review.