Restaurants and bars with resort status in the city could be allowed to stay open until 3 a.m. on certain days pending approval by the Mississippi Department of Revenue of a resolution passed by the Board of Mayor and Alderman.

The board Monday approved a resolution asking the Department of Revenue to amend a recent decision on closing times for four city businesses to allow them to remain open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday.

The resolution is part of a settlement between the city and the state and David Belden, owner of KJ’s River Town Grille, who sued over the state’s decision to reduce the hours his business, LD’s Kitchen, Monsour’s at the Biscuit Company and the Beechwood Restaurant could sell alcohol from 24 hours to a 2 a.m. closing time.

In return for the longer hours on Thursday through Saturday, Belden agreed to drop the lawsuit he filed in Hinds County Chancery Court.

Resort status is granted by the Mississippi Department of Revenue and allows a business to sell alcohol 24 hours a day.

The Department of Revenue can, however, at the request of a municipality, restrict the hours businesses with resort status can sell alcohol. The move does not revoke the resort status, which is attached to the property the business occupies.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Dec. 10 passed a resolution asking the state to restrict the hours of the four restaurants and prohibit selling alcohol after 2 a.m. At the time of the resolution, the board said the move was done to improve safety in the downtown area.

The resolution sought to restrict alcohol sales “for all resort areas and permittees and clubs within the City of Vicksburg with the exception of those casinos and hotels which are under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Gaming Commission.”

Belden filed his suit in Hinds County on Jan. 8. The two parties agreed to the settlement on Jan. 22.