VIDALIA — The Vidalia aldermen told local tattoo shop owners Tuesday night they just didn’t feel comfortable letting the artists make a mark on the community.

During their regular meeting, the aldermen heard an occupational license application from Anthony and Brandy Lewis of Tattoos Unlimited, but did not grant the license.

Anthony Lewis, who is the business’ manager, said the business wants to move Natchez to Vidalia, and Brandy Lewis said that in Mississippi they are not allowed to tattoo a minor even with parental consent. In Louisiana it is allowed with parental consent.

That fact apparently bothered the aldermen, with Alderwoman Maureen “Mo” Saunders stating that she wished the minimum age for legal tattoos was raised to 25.

Brandy Lewis said the couple works with teenagers in the community and with their church.

“They are getting tattoos and piercings anyway, and they are doing it in hotel rooms and people’s houses and in the back of people’s cars,” she said.

“We are trying to give them a sanitized, professional outlook on it so they are not trying to pick up a tattoo machine in their house thinking they know what they are doing.”

Parents have come to them asking the couple to correct poorly done homemade tattoos on teenagers, Brandy Lewis said.

Alderman Jon Betts responded that even though teenagers are doing something illegally doesn’t mean the town should grant the occupational license.

“For all of our actions, we have consequences, and even though they make a horrible mistake with that, it is not a reason for us to put someone in business to correct a mistake,” Betts said.

“Personally, I find tattoos to be offensive. I find them something that a person should stay away from whether they are 16, whether they are 80.”

When Mayor Hyram Copeland asked for a motion to approve the license, one was not made.

The aldermen also heard a summary from consultant Ed Duffy of Rock Hill, S.C., about Vidalia’s proposed broadband project.

“The area we sort of hit at and talked about (during meetings Monday and Tuesday) that is strongest is probably economic development,” Duffy said.

“This (broadband) connection will make Vidalia, make this area, far more attractive to a variety of folks to come, which means more jobs and keeping young people who might be thinking of going somewhere else,” he said.

Also during the meeting:

-The aldermen adopted the city’s tax millage for 2012, setting it at 3.310 mills.

That millage comes to on average $26 a household, Copeland said.

-When Alderman Tron McCoy asked if the city was still going to maintain the former police and fire stations on John Dale Drive as a police, fire and ambulance substation, Copeland said the building is currently being renovated but will be opened as a substation within 30 days.

-The aldermen asked their attorney, Scott McLemore, to draft an amendment to a city ordinance to require that professional tree cutters remove all debris generated by their jobs.

Copeland said the city has recently seen tree cutters coming in and leaving large piles of wood debris behind even though they are supposed to haul the debris away.