Thank you everyone for uh coming today.

Uh we'll get started.

I need a motion to suspend the rules.

I'll move it.

I'll second it.

All right.

Moved by Mr.

Schumaker, seconded by Mr.

Gray.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

Those opposed.

The motion carries.

Clerk would read the revisions.

To the consent agenda, we're removing item 5U resolution declaring real property to be surplused and authorizing the sale or lease thereof.

Removing 5LL resolution authorizing entry into site access agreement with Celco.

And removing 5Y resolution authorizing renewal of agreement with key impact strategies and B.

Keith Heard.

Thank you.

The chair entertain a motion to approve the budget as amended.

So moved.

Move by Mr.

Creel.

Seconded by Mr.

Tisdale.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Move on to the presentation agenda.

Mayor's report.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

We have a lot of smiling faces here.

Welcome everyone to our meeting.

And uh we have a uh a special retirement proclamation for Tammy or Mims to come up, please, and and uh let me read this to you.

So the whole world can hear this, okay.

Excuse me.

It's a great pleasure for me to honor you with this proclamation.

Whereas after 39 years of dedicated work, as co-director of the Gulf Coast Gulf Coast Rescue, Amy Mims has decided to begin the next phase of her life, retirement.

Oh, you do?

Through her leadership and service, Tammy has ministered to thousands of individuals in need by providing food for the hungry, clothing for the destitute, shelter for the weary, and a temporary home for the homeless, all while sharing the love of God through on Jesus Christ.

Whereas her greatest compliance accomplishments has been ministering to women in need of by offering food, clothing, uh furniture, and countless other items while giving their hope through Governor Hope, her smile, her encouragement, and her loving embrace.

The success of the Gulf Coast Rescue Mission throughout its 60 years of service to the Mississippi Gulf Coast community has been due in large part to the dedication, compassion, and tireless commitments of Tammy.

And whereas, beyond her ministry to the mission, Tammy has been a faithfully faithfully married to Reverend Thomas Mims for 45 years and raised four children in retirement and plans to continue to be an ear to hear, a shoulder to cry on, and arms to hold and hug for those in need.

Now, therefore, Andrew Fofo Gillich, mayor of City of Biloxi, extend my sincere gratitude and recognize Tammy for her extraordinary service, her unwavering compassion, and her lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Congratulations.

One other proclamation.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of suicide prevention and remember the lives lost by suicide.

Suicide affects all ages.

And according to the US Centers for Disease Control, it is the second leading cause of death among ages 10 to 34, with over 49,000 lives lost in 2023.

Also in 2023, an estimated 12.8 million adults in the United States reported serious thoughts of suicide and 1.5 attempted suicide, 1.5 million attempted suicide.

Whereas more than 90% of those who die by suicide have a treatable mental illness condition, yet stigma and the lack of support often prevent them from seeking help.

Whereas the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call, text, or chat, offering immediate and life-saving assistance and sharing this resource could save lives.

Whereas the City of Biloxi encourages all citizens to learn the signs, share resources like 988, and support one another in preventing suicide.

Now therefore, I Andrew Fofro Gillich, Mayor of the City of Biloxi, hereby proclaim the month of September 2025 as suicide prevention month.

Thank you very much.

I'd like to call Frankot to come to give us a an update on insurance.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I know this is this program is new to quite a few of y'all, and so I tried to uh put it in a graph format uh right in front of y'all.

Uh Councilman Creel, Councilman Marshall, it's uh on the uh in front of you next to y'all's nameplate.

Got it.

Thank you.

So this is time for your casualty renewal, that's your liability coverages uh is along with your workers' comp.

City of Bloxy, uh, just give a brief history.

City of Bloxy was the first city in the state of Mississippi um to have an all lines aggregate or a self-insured program.

And so what we do is we retain the first hundred and fifty thousand dollars of each and every claim, with the exception of law enforcement liability, where we where we retain the first two hundred and fifty thousand of each and every claim in order to get your premiums down.

This was done in 1988 in premiums for skyrocketing for a lot of the larger cities and counties, and so legislation was changed to allow y'all to do this.

Once you hit $800,000 in total claims for the year, then the insurance comes and picks up first dollar.

It's called an all-lines aggregate or a basket aggregate.

And so our premiums this year, we have a slight increase.

It's a six percent increase, but you have a six point eight percent increase in your exposure.

So your exposures have gone up in the number of vehicles as well as payroll, and so you would anticipate an increase in your liability uh coverage.

Um, and I know that this is a lot of information.

If any of y'all have in would like to go over this in greater detail or look at any historical information, I can do that um between now and meet next meeting as well.

On the next page, you'll see some historical information, and uh because so many are new, just kind of show you where we've been and where we are throughout the course of the last 10, 15 years from a premium standpoint.

Your um workers' comp is very steady, and quite frankly, y'all's workers' comp claims over the past 10 years really have seen a tremendous decrease in the amount.

Uh right now it's at a historical low.

So the administration and y'all's um uh uh administrators in your each department's doing a fantastic job with the with your employees of having a safe workforce.

Uh that's been a lot of effort done as far as reviewing the claims.

I know Mr.

Glavin and Mr.

Chisdell takes a look at those every year as well as the administration at a very granular level, you know, really going from department to department to day to day through the co uh throughout the course of the year to see where claims are coming from.

Um our whole coverage remains unchanged, and our um excess workers comp remains unchanged.

One change that we are asking for is the uh associated adjusters, who is the third party administrator, and I know we've spoken to Mr.

Abide about this.

They do an excellent job for the city.

Uh, it's not a profit center, but it's also not shouldn't be a law center for us.

We have not really increased rates in years.

They're about a third less than what any other third party administrator would be.

And so we're asking uh to go up five dollars an hour to $95 an hour on their services.

I think Mr.

Abide will back me up on this.

They save the city a tremendous amount of money on how they handle our claims, and so I think that's money very well spent.

Um beyond that, it's uh you really it's claims information.

We have a slight uptick on your liability claims.

Oh, okay.

But your uh liability, your total spent on liability claims are down, and like I said, your work op claims are are much lower.

I can yes, sir.

Quick quick quick question.

The 800,000 that you mentioned earlier, have we met that before?

Um no, you haven't, but you have uh exceeded, and it's intended not to hit that number.

Okay, I would hope, but I just wanted to so at one time when we we had claims, this was uh dating back uh probably 10 years ago.

We we teetered on hitting that number, and our our stop loss increased to a million.

So we've been able to get that down.

We have hit or gone into the excess on some certain claims.

We've spent over the past five years, we've hit the insurance carrier for about $90,000 worth of claims, which isn't bad.

This this the intention of this is for that catastrophic loss.

These carriers, you know, this is Ambridge, but it's uh really Brit.

Y'all are one of three public entities they write in the state of Mississippi.

They they like this account because the controls you do have in place.

The self-insured retentions are quite low compared to some of your counterparts.

Now, is this where the business interruption, if we had it, would it be in this?

No, sir.

So business interruption would be in your property cover.

Okay.

And we probably wouldn't be bad to do a work uh session on your property cover because that has changed tremendously over the past 12 months.

Can we and I do want to uh uh thank the council for allowing the administration to be involved in Coast Gov Pro to the level uh I'm not he's the chairman of the Coast GovPro board and has been very, very vocal and involved, and it's been very beneficial.

Um, but that would be in your property coverage.

Okay.

Uh we currently do not buy any business interruption.

Okay, can we follow his suggestion and do the workshop on the property coverage at some time at a future date.

Okay.

All right.

I mean probably that the best situation that we can come across with uh a number of uh participants in this in this pool, I guess.

Frank would be the West.

But I think uh we're on the right track to minimize the amount that we have to uh in in insurance premiums with the the proper coverage.

I think we're on the right track with that.

Uh you know, some of the business interruption that you know, I'm just maybe I'm hearing the wrong thing, but that could be a subject to uh to look at uh but it's and I know it's expensive.

Uh uh, I guess my question was based on what he said our property that uh uh we had several changes in in in a policy or in coverage.

Very briefly, yeah.

If that's if we count like that, uh premiums we're gonna change with this or reduce is pretty significant.

So last year we entered into we worked with the delegation to change the law to allow for public entities to to create a pool.

We created that pool called CoastGov Pro, which Biloxi was one of the leading members in doing that.

We were able to save the taxpayers of Biloxi were able to save about a half a million dollars.

We also got our deductibles down considerably from 5 percent to 3 percent per building, which was a huge deal.

But we were able to also to get additional coverages like wind-driven rain, things of that nature that had been taken away over the past five years.

So your premiums went down, your limit of insurance stayed the same, but your coverages increased.

Included in that were inspections reports and valuations for every property.

It's a total of 937 properties across the coast that are included into this program.

The market continues to soften on commercial property tremendously.

I didn't believe after last year's savings that we would see a savings going into next year.

If the market remains the same the way it is, not only could we see a savings, but we could see broader coverage, like we're asking for 120.

That's why Mayor Gilled and a few other members are going with me to London to sit in front of the syndicates that are involved in this face to face in asking for broader coverages and obviously additional premium or I mean uh uh additional savings.

London's coming to America in October.

Uh 21 of your syndicates that are on the program will be here.

They're going physically get on buses and see our properties, and then we are going to them not only to meet with the syndicates that are on the program, but also to encourage syndicates that aren't on the program to want to get on the program.

More capacity we get, the better pricing we could get.

We're 50 percent domestic, 50 percent London in this deal.

So is it he's taking it on are you going to Yugoslavia to get there?

No?

Okay, just check actually.

There's no more Yugoslavia.

I think we're Councilman Councilman Creel is uh suggesting is that we do some overview when you get information, and I I would uh suggest that it go through the insurance committee and then from the committee work make the recommendation for perhaps a a workshop to expand uh what findings you have to the rest of the council.

But maybe is that okay, Mr.

Creel?

Yeah, we're as we uh I think in November we'll have everything uh lined out.

But we know we're on the right track, but Frank has been demanded uh his demand for these kinds of things from you across the country.

So we know we're on the right track of uh of the states, you know.

We're lucky to have Frank and put this program because it means initially by $300,000 in what we pay right now, yeah.

And then the future is where um the the savings will be.

But it through his thoughts and innovation, I think he came up with this concept, and and we're on the ground floor of this concept on the coast, and and I think benefits will be shown very short shortly.

Yes, sir.

But you know, over the last two or three years, you know what this this war in in Russia and Ukraine, that impacted what was passed to uh uh us in premiums.

I mean, so it's it's a big deal.

We got a wrong agenda.

What is the wrong agenda?

Uh worth uh you know uh the explanation because it is it's a really significant thing.

Thanks, Frank.

If y'all need my cell phone number, uh I think everybody's got it.

It's pretty easy to get, but just call me if uh if y'all have any questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Bardell.

That concludes my report.

Thanks, Frank.

Is that it, Mayor?

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um we'll go ahead and move on to council reports, Mr.

Gray.

Yeah, first one uh wish Councilman uh Jamie Creel happy birthday.

Thank you, turning 65 this week.

I believe that conclude your report.

No.

Hopefully.

Uh went to the um community festival against crime.

Police department did one good job.

It was nice to see the bomb squad out there teaching the kids about their about bombs and you know what all they do to designate them and where all they travel and had good food.

A lot of a lot of um a lot of knowledge was shared out there with the little kids, and uh it was nice watching them all run around and and interact with the police department.

Um Seafood Museum was nice to draw down.

Just hated that uh I didn't win.

I mean, I probably could have donated that money back if I'd have won, but you know, but I didn't win, so I can't say that for sure.

Uh celebration with the fire uh Bluxy Fire Museum was great.

Um on October the 18th, uh 9 a.m.

to 2.

We're gonna do a volunteers for the uh for the Christmas decoration prep to get everything going.

Ms.

K.

Miller and um Tyler Pruitt and hopefully the uh city councilman to show up.

This is for all the wards, not just Ward 1.

So if y'all want to come out and volunteer and y'all want to see Christmas lights up, now's the time to get.

We got over 200 lights that need to be redone and decorated.

And that's all I'll have.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Marshall.

Come back to me.

I'm sorry?

Come back to me.

Oh, okay.

Mr.

Neil.

Um Southern Avenue.

Maybe now.

I'm hoping that they get it a little bit better for cruising.

Got a bad bump on uh Southern Avenue.

And I guess that's to Rick.

I'll do it if you'll do it.

And um Hill of Park, it's it's looking good.

Um can't wait for a new dog park, maybe bigger one.

And um Broadwater property, they never got back with me about riding around looking at it.

But it needs to be cleaned up bad.

I'm getting a lot of calls now myself.

I'd like to ride around and look at it.

With what the owner, if you would.

All right, thank you.

That's it.

Thank you, Mr.

Neil.

Mr.

Creel, you want me to come back to you?

No, I'm good.

You good?

I was supposed to be 66, uh, Wayne, but I was held back a year.

So there you go.

But uh no, we had a uh Ward 4 uh council uh ward meeting.

Uh Rick um Weaver showed up, thank goodness, and um he was able to answer a lot of questions and we uh addressed a lot of needs and and the follow-up was uh great.

So thank you uh the following day with the email and the uh and the work.

Um just to remind our fellow councilman.

Uh I got an email.

You said ward six.

I said word four.

Okay.

Well for no six that didn't have meetings.

Anyway, so back to four back to four.

So uh I I put an email in in your uh in your boxes just to remind you that um going forward with citizens' requests, make sure you send them to the circuit to our county clerks, not to the citizens advocate.

Um we were instructed via email to make sure we send them to the to the clerk's office, and then the clerks forward it to the administration.

Um we were instructed via email to make sure we send them to the to the clerk's office, and then the clerks forward it to the administration, administration forwards it to the citizens' request, which I'm forwards it to the department, which anyway, you know what I'm going there.

So just make sure you send it to uh your council clerks.

That's all I got.

Thank you, Mr.

Crew.

Mr.

Tuesday.

Yes, sir, thank you.

Uh, really, just two things.

Just a reminder on Pine Grove Avenue.

I know there's an infrastructure issue there.

The county's willing to help pave some of that subdivision, but they're really not gonna pave anything or resurface anything to that infrastructure issue.

And I don't know how significant that issue is.

Uh, Christie's probably familiar, much more familiar with it than I am, but anyway, if we can get moving there, uh might be able to get the county to chip in and eventually correct it and resurface the roads in there.

The second thing is is Walt Rhody in the room.

Well, if you just stand, you don't need to do anything, just stand.

Thank you.

This is Walt Rhody.

And he works, he's he's he works uh for the city, and he uh works with the FEMA contractors and everything.

Has anybody didn't been down Beauvoir Road in the last week?

All right, it's paid.

This guy pushed it and got it done.

I just I just want you to know that because it's been a pain for three years, just about.

So thank you, Walt.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

That concludes my report.

Thank you, Mr.

Tuesday, Mr.

Schumacher.

Uh, just a few things.

I know normally I would start out by saying something about grass cutting.

However, I'm not gonna say it this time.

They've actually been cutting grass in ward seven, so I'm not gonna complain about that.

Thank you.

Wow.

Uh two other things.

November 13th.

I'm gonna have a ward seven uh council meeting.

I'll have more particulars.

Um, probably gonna start at 5:30 or 6, but I'll have more particulars moving forward.

But it is set now for November 13th.

And lastly, the Thomson Medical Center on Shriners Boulevard, uh, just north of the interstate.

Uh you know, that's been in the works for a little while, and I spoke to the project manager again recently, and he said, hopefully, hopefully, beginning of fall at some point.

I know it's been pushed off several times, but they ran into a few issues, but he said hopefully beginning of fall they're gonna um start work on that.

So hopefully uh they will.

And well, that's all I have.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Crew has one more thing.

Go ahead, Mr.

Crewe.

Uh, since you brought up your time, is it Chick-fil-A is my time?

Any update on Chick-fil-A?

Okay, thank you.

So the real question we have okay, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Cruel, Mr.

Marshall.

Why y'all looking at me?

You got the floor.

Okay.

Uh I got a ward two meeting.

Um I want to thank all of the heads of departments who came out to the meeting.

Uh appreciate your information, your input.

Um, I also had uh several of my uh city council members there.

I'm glad you came and showed your support admit the light to see that we're all there.

I want to thank the mayor for passing through, and I appreciate that.

I also thank Mr.

Weaver for coming in and greeting my people.

And I appreciate that.

Uh one of the things I want to make up to do a little house planning is uh request.

Um the signs that I used, helped out the people in my community were very grateful for that.

They were thankful because a lot of them that got the little postcard, they didn't realize they got the postcard.

I went out knocking on doors and passed out um uh door hangers and everything, but what they appreciated the most was the signs.

So if any way possible, we can find out if we can get some signs that when the next uh councilman has it here has our meeting.

We can post signs in his ward.

We just use the same signs, just change the the ward number and change the date.

And we can we can get that out.

It's important the people know about that.

And it helped my turnout, and it got the information out, and that way people can say, Well, I didn't know.

Okay.

Uh the next thing is uh uh Bush Park.

The repairs.

I requested the repairs uh on the uh pavilion to Mr.

Weaver, and he came right out and did it.

Those repairs have been requested for over two years, and nothing had been done.

And Mr.

Weaver made sure that it got done right away.

Um the person, one of the people, several people who made a complaint, one of the people complained, made sure that they found me and hugging me.

And I guess I'm supposed to share that hug with you, but nah, you ain't getting that.

Yeah.

But that just something that was very simple that needed to be done.

It was just if we get it's like something bothering you, nagging you, and you see it, and it was bothering them, and it was such a good thing that it gave good uh gave everybody a good feeling.

We thankful.

But on that same park, I asked for dog signs to be put.

And in your zest to be superman, you did put dog signs up, but you put them in the wrong part, it looks like you because I use them, I need them over there too.

So in Bush Park, we also need dog signs.

I have one particular resident that's just like her pet peeves, and she don't like dog poop in the park, and she knows who's doing it, and I ask her to lead on people alone, but there might, you know, and the next thing would be to the officers if if we once we get the signs up, it continues and we we send officers out there to address the issue.

Um niceties as usual.

Um, I have a few questions that I do need to get answered.

It's part of my comments, and it's important because it determines how I proceed.

Uh I have been asking, I've been searching, trying to figure it out.

But on my comments here, is this council's comment?

We have a deficit budget, and I'm having trouble with it.

By now you realize that when it comes to biting my tongue, I don't like the way that feels.

I'm not good at it.

I was elected to do a job.

I put my hand on that Bible, saying that I would do that job, and right now I'm having a problem understanding one major thing that would determine how I proceed going forward.

I'm hearing reports that the budget deficit that I did not go for is in between nine and twelve million dollars.

Ms.

Diane, could you could you clarify that for me?

Is she here?

She's not here.

Mayor, please.

If you say deficit, again, we've had a little misunderstanding about what a deficit is.

And the deficit budget is.

Deficit, in my opinion, I think we had a lot of discussions, and I, you know, I want to re-it the same thing.

We were using initially looking if you're looking at differences between revenues and expenses, it may be uh in the neighborhood about six million.

But that's not a deficit.

We're using fund balances that we gained and that we normally uh again forecast 15 months down the road to understand where we're gonna be.

15 months down the road.

If that were going to be a negative ending balance, which I think what you passed would about 580 something thousand dollars at the beginning, plus the revenues minus the expenses would leave that amount of money every year.

That's a forecast that we outperform.

So let me say this without really uh raising blood pressure or anything like that.

That uh it's not a deficit budget in in the true sense of uh governmental accounting.

What you're calling the deficit is the difference between revenues and expenses.

It's an everyday battle to uh minimize our expenses and increase our revenues.

We've been pretty powerful in uh maintaining a record budget for the last four years.

Uh 76 million dollars, I think a burst against 84 by the time smoke cleared was reduced by doing some things uh in uh uh uh vacancies and so forth.

But uh there is a difference between revenues and expenses, but it's not a deficit budget.

I'm not with that answer.

Um, I just googled it because I want to make sure because I might it may have changed from the last 10 times that I Google.

Um I just googled it because I want to make sure because I might it may have changed from the last 10 times that I Google, and it says a deficit a budget deficit occurs when a government spends more money than it collects in revenue, primarily taxes, over a specific period, such as a fiscal year.

This results in a negative balance where expenditures exceed income.

Let me let me say this right here.

I'm talking, sir.

Well, we're we're gonna go into this again.

No call for it.

Why don't you come to we'll show you exactly uh what we're talking about?

We we need we uh we talk about this you know for 20 years.

I'm speaking.

Okay.

Point of order.

This results in a negative balance where expenditures exceed income, which is what we have to cover the difference.

The government typically borrows money, which we have a 10 million dollar bond, which is borrowing money, and this adds to the national debt, as to the debt and a could and a cumulative total of past deficits.

How many other cities has a six to twelve million dollar deficit?

We're the only one in this whole state.

I know it's uncomfortable, but we were sent here to do a job, whether we like it or not, and we are the most successfully blessed city in this whole state.

We have eight casinos, we have a uh one of the most prized Air Force bases in the whole country.

We have beaches, people in the Delta, they got cotton fields, we got beautiful beaches.

We have everything that a city could ever want.

For us to sit here and change the definition of a deficit to fit the needs of anyone, I'm totally uncomfortable with.

I cannot sit quietly about, and I'm going to be speaking from here forward, from this meeting forward.

I'm gonna treat this as if it is what it is, it is what it is.

Bad the citizens deserve better.

We should not be pulling 1.9 million dollars from our police department when we need them.

Our employees worked their butts off.

We went in with a two million dollar deficit.

The next meeting comes out, our leadership went in and came back with a four million dollar deficit.

Now we had six to twelve million dollar deficit.

I'm hoping we don't have any more meetings.

Every time we go to meet, we get worse.

I don't want to sit here and rubber stamp everything that comes above it comes across this desk, knowing the truth of the matter.

I don't want to play word games about what is the definition of a deficit.

We're all wrong in this room.

No other city has this problem, and this of all the cities should never have that problem.

We are here to do a job as fellow councilmen.

I count on you.

We need to make every decision on everything, every item on this agenda count.

We need to move forward.

We have done in the last week, since since this budget came out over the weekend and even cleaning today, we have made strides by working together, coming together and doing this, and we are able to get things done in this on this agenda, which I don't like today.

But we've shown where we can do this.

The effort that we spent in the last 48 hours, we need to spend it every day until we get this fixed for the citizens who elected us.

But when we put another budget out next year, we start today, this meeting, working towards clearing up every single dollar.

This is not to say I'm putting my mayor down, but this is me letting my mayor know.

I will speak up.

I will not vote on anything that's not gonna be a help to the city, or that I feel is not good for this city, or I feel it's gonna hurt the city financially or any other way.

We do not have a plan that I can put my fingers on about how we're gonna fix this.

No one in leadership has come forward with a plan say this is the organization.

This is how this is how we're gonna fix this deficit going forward.

We had workshops on trying to figure out what the deficit is gonna be, which we didn't come out to be.

We don't really come clear on.

We need workshops to figure out a plan and a roadmap that we can present to each of our wards to let our citizens know yes, we are embarrassed by this.

We do not like this, and yet we are committed to fixing it starting today.

If it's something on this agenda that's not helping us, moving us forward, we need to start today.

Tabling it until we get understanding.

We should not blindly vote in rubber stamp things we don't understand.

If it was not presented to us in a timely matter to we can so we can look at it, we need to stop it there.

We have got to make a difference.

I have way more to say.

But we're gonna start today.

I'm gonna start today.

I'm asking each of my council members do it today.

It's okay to table things.

Let's wait and look at it another day.

Give me more time.

When someone presents something on the budget, you and this agenda we don't understand, table it so we can understand our citizens deserve it.

And that's what I wanted to say.

And I said, I think I said it nicely.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Marshall.

Mr.

Gray, you had another thought.

Yeah, um, November the 6th, I'm gonna have a ward one meeting at Frank Groid Center at 5 30.

I just want to bring that up.

Thank you, Mr.

Gray.

I got a few things.

Uh you know, I don't want to belabor the budget thing.

I I hear what Mr.

Marshall is saying, and and what he is saying is that the revenues that we are projecting to generate this year do not cover the expenses we're anticipating or projecting uh to spend this year.

He is correct on that.

However, the we did have a surplus last fiscal year with which was uh a beginning balance, or we we were we were frugal and not spending all of our our money last year, so we're starting with a 12 or 13 million dollar balance before there's projected a dollar of any of those projected 70 something million dollars uh comes into us, and therefore the ending balance as the mayor alluded to uh is somewhere in that 500,000, 600,000 range.

We're not in a deficit if we hold true to this budget this year.

I do agree with Mr.

Marshall that each and every day we should be uh taking steps uh to improve it, and if we can improve that uh ending balance to a million or two million or three million or whatever, we should uh roll up our sleeves and work our butts off to achieve that also.

And uh, and as I've mentioned earlier, I I don't see this council uh rubber stamping everything or or sitting on their laurels or hands uh to achieve that.

Um couple of other things uh in my ward uh near Oak Ridge.

Uh I know that we recently or today on the agenda where uh we have a measure to uh invoke a uh interlocal agreement.

The county is allowed to assist with uh paving that road.

Uh I am real pleased with the progress up in uh the new section of uh ward six, used to be ward seven.

Uh we've paved a lot of roads up there, Hickman, Audubon, uh Paradise Lane, Eden Place, uh among others.

Um Skeet Hunt, uh there's been another one, Big John Road, all in the last uh year, year and a half, so I'm real proud of that.

I'm also uh happy to report that grudging uh continues and Brazier Bayou.

Um we we have a lot of progress being made.

Uh there's a smaller barges that are working their way through the uh inlets over there.

I'm getting a lot of calls uh from the Brazier uh residents are real happy to see that progress and and see their waterfront uh property improve.

Um and I also got some encouraging news that there may be additional funding that might become available uh to uh to map out some additional dredging in that area.

So I'm um I'm kind of opening that up eventually for the some of the residents that uh are asking what about their their bayous or their canals.

So that that's coming.

We're working on it.

Um and last it's very emotional topic for me.

Uh this past weekend we saw a candle white vigil uh at the uh lighthouse.

Uh nearly two thousand people showed up for that.

Uh it was to m memorize uh memorialize Charlie Kirk.

And uh God bless Charlie Kirk.

I'm embarrassed that our local media uh was but a whisper.

Uh Will WOX did give it a little bit, but you don't see it on their Facebook page, you don't see it on their webpage.

You you can go to YouTube and you can see uh a whisper of it.

But you don't you don't hear a whisper from our youth.

Our youth are are tuning in to uh the work that Charlie Kirk did.

And I towed him as a civil rights leader.

Uh he debated anyone freely, uh despite his differences.

He told everyone who debated with them that he loved him, loved them.

Uh he challenged people to look uh deeper than just what they felt or just what they heard, and to come with facts.

He came with facts.

Was he more prepared than most of those students on those campuses or those professors uh that you know in Cambridge and other areas?

He came prepared.

You know, not only from his Christian values, uh, but from scientific, biological, political.

He came prepared to debate.

And uh when the debate was finished, he thanked everyone that came to debate him uh to show up, and they were showing up.

Um, where were you?

Didn't see anything in the Sun Herald.

We saw it early when the incident first occurred, what what was uh published.

Didn't see you afterwards.

WXXV, where were you?

I'll I'll wait for the answer.

Maybe there's a good reason, you know, for it.

But you know, it's up to us as good Christian men and women, and and I'll listen to him, but I'll tell you what was compelling.

I called my son.

I said, You hear about what happened?

He said, Yeah, you know, I listened to Charlie Kirk.

My son's 37 years old, that makes sense.

And then my grandson, 14 years old, uh, he came into the living room and he asked me, Papa, did you hear about Charlie Kirk?

I said, Yeah, how do you know about Charlie Kirk?

He said, I listened to his TikTok.

Let's not let our youth listen to TikTok.

That's good.

I mean, that's good they're getting a source, but they need to be listening to us as parents, as as fathers, as grandfathers more and more.

And um and I'm not here to speak on political uh issues or or or to take a role of Charlie Kirk, but that's that's not gonna be me.

But I do want to recognize the nearly two thousand people who peacefully showed up with with candles and sung.

Uh you could hear the songs that they were singing, and it was very moving to see that we would uh take that kind of action.

With that, I'll conclude my report.

We'll move on to the um citizens' comments.

We have a total allotted time of 45 minutes.

Uh you have three minutes uh once you're recognized to come up here, state your name and write it clearly uh and state it clearly also for the clerk to record it.

Um you can talk on any subject that you want, but this is not a question and answer.

Uh this is simply uh talking on any subject for three minutes that you choose to speak on.

So we'll start on my left, your right.

Raise your hand to be recognized if you would like to speak.

Yes, sir.

Good afternoon, counseling and mayor, and all the citizens here today.

Uh my name is LaRoy Carney.

I'm at 309 Keller Avenue, Belux.

And I mentioned this, I guess every year to the city council going back maybe 10 years or longer.

I'm very disgusted, and particularly in in ward one and two.

You have people that cut their grass, and they deliberately brows all this grass out in the roads, okay, and they leave it that way.

You can drive up down the streets anytime it's cut, and you can see I come down uh Lee Street, the other not Lee Street, uh that that is Lee Street.

I came down Lee Street the other day, right before you get to the bottom of uh Bayview at mid lot when it's cut on the corner, out in the road, all the way down the street there.

All of this stuff ends up in the drainage, and and I can't understand how this can happen in in these two areas.

I don't see it when the grass is cut down in these other areas where people live at, but I notice it more or less in ward one and two.

They just get it on the lawnmower and blow it all out in the streets, and all goes down the drain.

And I've mentioned this time and time again up at this meeting.

I think there need to be a city ordinance passed that they can't do that.

They should be uh do the same thing I do.

I go out there and sweep it up, or if I cut it, I blow it back in my yard.

Okay, and moach it up.

But they blow this out in the street and let the cars pass by and take it away.

And I wish you all would pass a city ordinance to change that, and that'd be very easy to do.

And probably very appreciative by the people that own the cars that all of this debris get blown up under their vehicles.

And I thank you all.

Thank you, sir.

Anyone else on my left, raise your hand to be recognized if you'd like to speak.

Good afternoon.

My name is Ginger Collins.

I live on Kensington Drive.

Um, I wanted to bring up the point that I believe that we need to have a beautification committee in this city.

I've just returned from Canada on a trip, and the most stunning thing about the communities that I saw there were how well they beautified their yards and their the front of their businesses.

And I I just would like to see that happen.

I have ideas about how it can happen and not be that expensive.

So I'd like to just bring this to you, bring this to your uh awareness, if you will.

Um there are people in this community that will help.

You don't have to pay us.

You know, it would be a volunteer type of a of a thing.

Uh I believe we need a committee for it, and I would like to see that happen in this city.

It would make me proud to be from Biloxi.

I already am proud, but it would make me prouder.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Nope.

That's not questioning.

Anyone else on my left?

Your right.

Raise your hand to be recognized.

Anyone on my right?

Hi, everybody, Bob Silvestro 181 Iris.

I went to that thing too.

It was beautiful.

And uh I noticed over the last year and a half trying to work through stuff we did, say it was the homeless situation.

There would be no comment by people coming forward for the most part, except when we started to get to resolutions or solutions, and then these media outlets that we have around here would show up and spin things.

So obviously, WLOX, the Sun Herald, they have no shame, the rags.

I don't know what they're doing, but really they had no comments about what happened with the beautiful event.

Other than that, that's just my opinion.

I noticed that in our neighborhood, when when I see that you're having a deficit or whatever's happening, I've learned myself that uh the bickering back and forth and some, it's just we need more communication with each other.

And just in my small portion, I've noticed homes that were empty that I don't know what the city's getting any taxes.

But somebody comes in, they throw 80-90 grand in it, couple moves from California, they have no children, they're not going to school.

It brings in more revenue.

I thought maybe we can get some people together, maybe and get some questions answered about what exactly we can do to help develop the broadwater, or help do some things to bring in more possible revenue, or try and do some stuff.

Try and work together.

Try not to be such, I don't know.

I don't think people are lying.

I think there's just miscommunication.

And to be honest with you, things are a lot more expensive and taxes are very low here.

But I'd also like to thank the police department for what they're doing in our neighborhood, working real hard.

I'd also like Jerry, who we disagree on a lot of things, but we had issues with someone and he handled it.

And other than that, I'd like to thank the mayor for always trying to have an open door.

And I think Rick's doing a good job, although I miss Mike.

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

Anyone else on my right?

You your left.

I saw several hands go up earlier.

Storm.

Good afternoon.

My name is Mariana Barbier.

I'm an attorney with the law firm of Hopkins Barbier and Hopkins.

And I was here on item 4A of the agenda.

But I I guess for clarification purposes, I understand this is going to be a first reading.

I'm here representing the next door neighbors on this property is asking to be rezoned.

And there are also several neighbors in opposition as well.

But if it's the first reading, I don't want to take any more of the council's time as I understand it.

This is first reading.

Y'all will be voting on it October 7th, I believe, so we can come back at that time and voice any opposition.

I just want to clarification because there are folks that came on their own and wanted to talk about that.

It's not a question and answer, but you are correct.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

My right?

Come on up.

My name is Anna Martin.

I'm representing the property that he just spoke about.

Also just letting you know that it is the first reading.

But if there's any questions that anybody has, um I'll be here afterwards.

I'd love to discuss uh the Bluxy improvement strategy plan that's on y'all's website and how it coordinates with that.

Thank you.

Anyone else, my right?

Your left?

Anyone?

Anyone in the back?

Citizens' comments is now closed.

We'll move on to the policy agenda.

Anytime you're ready.

Ordinance to approve a zoning map amendment for a change in zoning for a parcel of land from RS5, high density single family residential, to limited business for 287 Earquah Street.

Chair entertain a motion to move it.

First reading.

So moved.

I'd like to have questions.

We can have discussion.

All right.

Um Mr.

Creel moved it for discussion.

I need a second.

I'll second.

Okay.

Second.

We can't, even though it's a first reading, we have in the past allowed some dialogue.

So go ahead, Mr.

Gray.

Mr.

Gary.

Ms.

Crill.

Can you give us understanding about this limited business?

What can be there and what can't be there?

Okay.

Limited business is the least intensive business owned that we have.

We used to refer to it as professional business.

Typically allows uh professional offices, like an attorney's office or something along that line.

Uh there can't be any exterior signs that there's a business going on.

You can't have construction equipment, you can't have trucks or anything like that.

It's basically just an office with parking.

And that's what they're asking for.

This is what we would call transitional zoning, because the property on the corner, this is located at the corner of Division Street and Iroquois, almost at the corner.

There's a remnant piece that was left over after the uh division street was approved.

But typically you go from the NB, which is on Division Street, you transition down to the lesser intensive, which is LB, and then you would transition down to the single family zoning, which is next to it.

That's that's planning zoning 101.

That's the way that it works.

So no store, no restaurants, no barrooms, any of that type of stuff.

There are certain uh very low intensity type things that can happen there, but they just don't they don't have the parking there to accommodate some of the things that you're asking for.

So the the question would be: would this be a usable lot for those things?

And the answer would be no.

Okay.

That's a laugh.

Okay.

Any other discussion?

This is a first reading.

Move on to the uh ordinance, the road second reading ordinance.

Ordinance to amend the code of ordinances pertaining to garbage collection and disposal fees.

You moved it.

All right, Mr.

Tuesdale, you have the floor.

Yeah, this is an increase to the garbage fee.

This is a contractual increase per the agreement that is brokered more or less by the Harrison County Utility Authority.

Um almost all the cities in Harrison County belong to the utility authority.

So this is just a contractual obligation.

Uh and it's I guess what would be termed a pass-through fee on uh those folks who have garbage cans that they put by the curb every evening in the city of Biloxi.

That's it.

Thank you.

Mr.

Creel, you got any more garbage?

Just yeah.

Just to add the 13th century administration fee.

That's that's all I got.

All right.

Any other discussion?

There being none call for the question.

All in favor.

Those opposed motion carries unanimous.

Resolution appointing E.

Michael Leonard, Ward 3 representative to the Bluxi Civil Service Commission.

Chair entertain a motion.

Mr.

Neil, do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Mr.

Tisdale, emphatically.

Discussion?

Mr.

Neil.

Uh no.

Mr.

Tisdale.

I have nothing to add.

Mike's a good man, and uh this will keep him active with enough enough time to recuperate between the meetings, which we all need from time to time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

No.

All in favor?

Those opposed.

Motion carries unanimous.

Resolution authorizing facility rental agreement with Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and approving a waiver of facil facility rental fees for the Dr.

Frank Grewage Center.

Chair entertain a motion.

So moved.

Moved by Mr.

Creel.

Do I have a second?

Thank you.

Second by Mr.

Gray.

Mr.

Creel.

So as most of you know, we've have been kind of strict on these few waves here recently.

This one, however, is uh for a good cause.

It's for the Keysler uh Air Force Base.

It's a breakfast for these guys.

So based on the uh the chamber and Keysler, a dynamic duo.

Uh I would urge your support.

All right.

Mr.

Gray?

No.

The chamber rents rents the office from the visitor center, so it's only, you know, they'd be able to use the outside for their meetings.

I think that's a great thing.

That's all I have.

Thank you, Mr.

Gray.

Any other discussion?

Yes, just a quick comment.

I'm gonna vote no on this item and several other items on the agenda simply because I don't think we should be waiving rental fees uh given the fiscal situation.

We're we're trying to scrape together our nickels and dimes.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Tuesdale.

Anyone else?

All right.

Chair will uh call for the question.

All in favor.

Those opposed.

Those opposed, please raise your hand.

Six to one.

Motion passes.

Resolution appointing director of the department of parks and recreation.

Chair will entertain a motion.

So moved.

Moved by Mr.

Creel.

Is there a second?

Oh second.

Second by Mr.

Gray.

Mr.

Creel.

Um this is recognizing Jamie Lee as the new director of parks and recreation.

Um I think Jamie's done a great job uh in the interim.

Um while he is addressed all the questions from from all of us, not to mention he's addressed the budget questions.

Um he's very um resourceful, not to meet it man uh not to be remiss, but his passion for parks and recreation uh speaks volumes.

Uh so I would urge your support.

Thank you, Mr.

Gray.

Yeah, I'm uh I'm happy to see Jamie get this.

So maybe we can move forward, get our parks back in order, get everything fixed.

That's all I have.

Any other discussion?

Yeah.

Mr.

Marshall.

Is that you back there?

Yeah, he's back there.

All right.

Um I gave Mr.

Weaver uh the uh the kudos for fixing the uh the thing, but I I know you really you're the one that really did it, but you know, I was kissing up a little bit.

The uh so far, the communication that I've had, I only have one problem.

I need to be the to uh you know I'm gonna ask, I need to be able to talk to you directly more.

Going through Mr.

Weaver for simple things, that to me is just uh redundancy.

This man has enough job to do, and I need something done.

I ask a question, but I want to tell you what to do.

But I I got a question.

I I'd like to have Victor the call and ask.

And that's above your head.

But and the people who know that they know who I'm talking to.

Uh as far as the responses that you've been getting, I'm I'm happy the doors at the bathroom at Henry Bag Park is is taken care of.

The um work that was done over at Bush Park was taken care of.

Um I've been going through that park two or three times a night, walking their park and getting the homeless people out.

Uh and I just want to say, you know, yeah, you you you are in that one.

So you show us what you can do.

You had a little trial there, and you you step forward and you did your job.

So you're good.

Thank you, Mr.

Marshall.

I'd like Mr.

Lee to come up front and center.

Come on.

You're gonna get this position, you're gonna talk to us a little bit.

See, I I was easy on you, so remember that.

So, first of all, it looks like congratulations.

We haven't voted yet, but uh looks like congratulations.

But talk to us a little bit.

You mean uh what is your a little bit of your vision?

What is a little bit uh of your insight?

What you're gonna do.

Well, uh, you know, like uh councilman marshall was talking about, just you know, improving our speaker to the mic, mr.

Mr.

Creel cannot hear you.

Yeah.

Um just to reiterate on Mr.

Marshall, you know.

Um improving the aesthetics of our parks.

Um the parks are a great amenity that we have in this city, and they should be kept up to where everybody can enjoy them in all of our wards, ward one all the way through ward seven.

So that is something that you know I take pride in.

I think our staff takes pride in, um, and that's just something that we want to continue to improve upon, as well as our facilities that we have as well, not just the parks, but the rental facilities, Donald Snyder Center, the Natatorium, all of them that we have underneath us.

All right, thank you for that.

Got a big job.

We're dependent on you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Got a move.

Yep.

Call for the question.

All in favor, those opposed.

Did you have your hand up?

I get another part, clearly.

I'm I'm a reserve mind for now.

Congratulations, Jamie.

Yep, I think that was unanimous.

All right, let's move on.

Uh next item.

Resolution appointing resolution appointing director of the public works department.

So moved.

Move by Mr.

Tisdale.

Second.

Who seconded?

Mr.

Creel.

All right.

Mr.

Tisdale.

I have nothing to add.

A record speaks for itself.

I look forward to working with her.

Thank you.

Creel.

I concur.

Any other uh comments on yes.

Okay.

You want to you want me to come back to you, or let me go to Mr.

Gray.

You know what?

Go to Mr.

Gray and come back.

Mr.

Gray.

Congratulations, uh, Rick.

I guess you can take two of them hats and get just add one to it.

So you only lost one hat, really.

He's picking up another next.

Congratulations.

All right, Mr.

Marshall.

Uh congratulations.

All right.

Any other comments?

Uh congratulations, Rick.

Any other comments.

All right.

I I need uh Ms.

Lebatard to come up here.

Is it?

I want to go on record.

I didn't call anybody to that table.

I want you to articulate.

I we you and I have had discussions.

I knew one of your dreams was uh to become the uh director of engineering um for the city of Beluxy.

Talk about this new role, talk about how excited you are, or or what some of your visions are, what you're gonna bring to the table.

I am very excited to be in this new role and basically bring the departments workflow together.

Um we already interact back and forth a lot, but we also everything we do is so intertwined with each other.

So I'm really looking forward to getting down there with public works and integrating the two departments that you work flow so that we can make all of this happen a lot easier, a lot quicker, a lot faster, stay on top of things.

Um I'm very organized and very data driven.

So I've even got some data about grass cutting, all kinds of cool stuff that y'all are gonna be like.

This is probably ridiculous.

But I'm very excited um to start this new adventure, and um I appreciate all your support and the mayor's support.

Well, we're ridiculously happy for you.

So this is a novel idea, by the way.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you and congratulations.

Congratulations.

You still have vote.

Those opposed.

Motion carries unanimous.

Next item.

Resolution to confirm mayor's appointment of Rick Weaver to the Board of Commissioners for the Harrison County Development Commission.

We just get you we just get you out of these positions and now you're taking on new roles.

But anyway, uh moved by Mr.

Tisdale.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Mr.

Creel.

Mr.

Tisdale.

Well, if you want something done, ask a busy person.

Good for you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Creel.

As he said, you got rid of two hats and picked up a second one.

Looking forward to working with you.

Thank you.

Sounds good.

Any other discussion from the council?

No.

I mean, yeah.

You've done uh a great job so far, Rick.

So congratulations.

This is what you want.

You gotta get your hard hat now.

I guess put all the stickers on the other discussions, Mr.

Shoemaker.

You got anything?

No, sir.

You sure?

Absolutely.

Okay, you look like you did.

Uh Mr.

Marshall, if you have anything.

Mr.

Nell, you have anything?

I can't wait to start working with you again.

All right.

Mr.

Marshall.

Coming back here.

Coming back to me.

So far, I think I've I've complimented you on your job that you've done.

Uh you came in the same time we came in, and you be honest, if you kind of hit the ground right.

We don't always agree on everything, but when a man shows up and does his job at the end of the day, you gotta say thank you.

So uh I do know that the position that you go into is very important.

Um I'm not gonna make light of it.

We're gonna need your voice over there to help us.

Uh we have so many things that need to be done.

You see that we are financially a little bit tight, but there are things that you can you're gonna have first eyes on, first ears to we ask that you do what you've been doing here over there, put Biloxi first also.

I know your job is with the county now and uh on that board, but there's the real part of the county.

We need projects.

If you know of any projects you can send this way or get going this way, we need everything possible, and I expect that from you.

I know that you're capable of doing it.

If you just keep doing what you've been doing, I mean you're gonna be all right.

Thank you.

Colonel, I'm out of respect.

I'm not gonna ask you to come up here or say say anything unless you want to.

No, I appreciate that.

And the commissioner's status that the mayor put into is the one that Mike Leonard is uh leaving from that, and he's moving over.

And uh Mr.

Marshall, you know I have a significant amount of economic development experience as well, too.

And that is my focus for the mayor to be able to keep him and the council abreast of what's going on countywide, but also to be able to focus and get it moving over to the east comparatively to the west and the center, and that will be exactly what we take a look at and see how we do this.

Um this may this is more of uh part-time, part-time job.

So and uh the two that you just took off, quote unquote, of me, they still get the mentorship of me as well.

So they're not completely out of it yet.

Uh Jerry's safe though, right?

Jerry, is he safe?

Okay, me and Jerry actually worked very well together and uh have been working significantly on a lot of different things for that.

So as we move forward with this, we'll continue to keep the mayor and yourselves updated on the economic development side, and uh we'll go from there.

Thank you, Colonel.

Call for the question, all in favor.

Those opposed, motion carries unanimous.

You had uh motion on the consent.

So moved.

I'm sorry, mayor.

I just let me follow up and appreciative of uh the confidence you voted in all these directors and and uh confidence of Rick and the relationships that I think uh we're gonna enjoy very much over the next uh you know years.

And uh again, this is the um first time out of the box for a lot of processes, but it's intense, it's um it's complex, and it's not no other.

Uh it's not like business, you know.

Business is easy.

This is not this is different.

And uh I think the folks that uh you know you've you uh uh voice your confidence in or uh are are the right people.

We've uh you know we looked at it long and hard with uh the goal in mind is uh what's best for Biloxi.

This is what's best for Biloxi, sorry.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right, so moved.

Yeah, we voted.

All right.

Move on to the consent.

So Mr.

Creel, do I have a second?

Second, second by Mr.

Tisdale, Mr.

Creel.

Um, if I could let's see here, Jamie, real quick on uh item G.

So this list of um equipment here, or I guess like thereof, right?

So this is equipment we don't have.

Right, yes, sir.

Now, one thing that we need to, Mr.

Krill remember is switching out from the past to the future.

We went and did a very thorough inventory on there.

So this will have the slate clean as Mr.

Lee moves into that directorship.

Perfect.

That was my just looking for clarification is all now.

Was there a police report or anything filled out when these items come missing, or do we not do we do anything of that nature?

We're following up on those right now to see if they were surplused in the past, if they were missing, our the expenditure of it, and also the life of the lifehood of it.

Gotcha.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Um, and then let's see here where my paper goes.

Item Z.

So just getting some clarification on the Thailands.

Is this money that we've already been appropriated that we're reallocating, or is this new Thailand's request or this is funding that we have already received.

We actually received it in 24.

Uh it's a pop for the Pumps Ferry where that circular pier was.

Right.

We removed that.

We have quite a bit of additional funding still left.

We're asking them to allow us to use it within the park, but not necessarily on that pier.

Okay, so it's still be used at the causeway, it's just in another area of the causeway.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Cruel.

Mr.

Tuesday.

Uh yes, thank you.

On the item J, this deals with um think pads in the police department.

Are these think pads that are replacing uh older technology or are they in addition to what you already have?

Some of both.

Some are replacing.

Some are additional.

Thank you, Chief.

On item K.

This deals with uh limited taxable bond series A and B from 2017.

Could someone explain what we're doing here exactly?

Thank thank you, Rachel.

Um basically what we're doing and why, and apparently there's a plan, whatever the plan is, if you would.

Okay, thank you.

These are bond funds that have never been recognized into a budget.

When we take the bond, and I'm using round numbers here, if we have seven million, but we've only recognized six million of it into projects.

That million stays on our balance sheet, but is not allocated.

That's what happened here.

This is that it's approximately one million dollars of bond funds.

And so we're going to recognize this into our port repair project, and at the same time, we'll take that same amount of money out of the port project and put it into a new project so that it's everything, the funding is staying equal.

All right, that the new project would be the next item, item L.

Correct.

So we we're recognizing roughly $715,000, $716,000 from the proceeds of the bonds, and then that um interest earned on the bonds was about $380,000.

Correct.

That's roughly a million.

Okay, thank you.

Go ahead, Jay.

Question on that real quick.

So is for the lighthouse peer since he moved on to L is do we have the match?

Is that match money there?

Is that what that's used for?

Right now.

I mean, while we are we do have plans, and the mayor has definitely been working on this project.

This is really just an anticipation.

We're we're swirling our money, planning for it.

There's nothing, there's no contract currently against this project.

It's brand new, but it will be there to allow us to move forward.

And then is are there plans on the pier yet?

Have we devised a plan?

Okay.

Thank you.

So item item L, this deals with the lighthouse peer, and I don't want, you know, sometimes people get excited when they hear lighthouse peer, one way or the other.

And basically all we're doing is creating this capital project, and we're moving this roughly 1.1 million dollars into this project.

Correct.

And the other project that we moved it from, I think was it 1102?

Yes.

1102.

And that's basically just a spot where we park money for improvements to the peers, wharves, and so forth.

1102 is improvements to the peers.

Because we have limited amounts of time to spend bond funding.

And this is capable of using it quickly.

Okay.

And it uh really two things.

Mayor, I know you've mentioned this a couple of times, but as you as you often mentioned, you talk really fast, and I can't often hear that fast.

So if you could put together something for me, just a breakdown of the cost for the proposed lighthouse peer, what it's going to cost, what FEMA, all that of the local funds, that kind of stuff.

I just want to be sure that I understand that.

And do we we have some plans at this point drawn up?

Is that accurate?

And again, we're going to Jackson tomorrow to discuss some of those detailed plans, both with FEMA and MEMA, and both subjects that are very critical.

Real shortly, you know, short order.

Uh in Zeta, it was the first opportunity to build things back better than it were was before.

The premise was uh in 2021, I think uh as we start tiny of 2021, we were expecting a significant amount of money.

We had an opinion of probable cost to replace it as it was of 1.2 million dollars.

And my arithmetic said we were going to get an initial an additional 1.2 million dollars.

We uh designed and paid for the planning uh of uh a two a 4.2 million dollar period with the expectation that about two uh to 2.4 million coming from the Federal Government and the rest would come from our funding source.

Uh since that time, this would be our uh second appeal, which drags on and on and on.

Uh appealing that their determination, it would only take $555,000 to replace that pier as was, which we don't think that is anywhere close to uh what it should be considered.

Bottom line, we do have plans for a $4.2 million pier that includes a $326 break uh feet of breakwater that would protect the pier as it ties into the bulkhead in seawall uh with uh concrete uh bulkhead, concrete uh pilings, uh deck flow through decking and uh uh a four million now four million dollar plus maybe five million by the time smoke clears, but you know our application for that at least half of that amount to be paid by the by FEMA.

Right.

So that's so that would be plan A.

Do we have a plan B in case FEMA doesn't cooperate?

Well, we have a plan B, but we would be uh you know, actually committing some some funds long term to to do that.

You know, this will be the third time we prepare this pier.

And part of this whole uh game that FEMA played to show repetitive uh damage to that pier.

I think this would be the third time I've had to deal with it over the last 10 years, but there's been at least telling you $3.6 million spent on that pier over the last uh 20 years.

So we've demonstrated everything we need to demonstrate, and uh we just need uh again, we've been in Washington a number of times, at least the last two times with that as being the subject.

And uh we've been told, and uh we've been uh you know pleading our case, and uh it's it's uh it's crunch time now, and uh both the uh the need to uh get additional funding for the completion of the 3.4 million, 340 million dollar infrastructure as well as this pier or the high uh priority on on you know in in our uh administration where FEMA can come into play.

So it's uh that's a lot and it's fast.

But bottom line, we we're expecting at least two two million plus coming from the uh from FEMA, and we're gonna put our two million up as as we uh as the port bond allows us to do that.

Secretary of State built a pier on Deer Island.

I don't know how long that is.

Yes, 475,000.

Right.

And how long I I'm thinking, was that before Zeta?

I think it was, but yeah, before Zeta.

I'm thinking, and it withstood Zeta.

I don't know how long, and I'm just saying plan B might include construction of that nature or something like that.

I just I just know when you deal with the government, we are we are a form we're the local level, but when you deal with the feds, it's nice to have a plan A and a plan B, and quite often you need a plan C.

And the only reason I mention that is we've been going toe-to-toe for five years.

That's how long ago Zeta was there.

That's half your term.

I know it's no fun for you.

You're trying to do the right thing, and we would hope that FEMA does the right thing.

Maybe they do, maybe they don't, but at some point somebody they'll make a decision, and then we have to make decisions.

So okay, that's all I have on item L.

Um item.

On item T, which deals with a special event agreement with crews and the coast.

I know that uh we allocated 24,300 in non departmental funding uh to sub to support this event, and we also provide some in-kind services.

Is there any estimate on what our in-kind services cost?

You uh I don't expect you to have the figure here.

If you if you could get that to me, I just know there's a lot of barricades, there's a lot of overtime.

Uh there's a lot of people tied up with that.

Uh it fire away, Chief, no pun intended.

No, sir.

I'll put it together and have it to you within a couple of days.

Okay.

Uh, but also I know there are costs associated with public works and all that.

So just we'll put it all together.

Good deal.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

You make sure that we all get a copy of it.

You make sure we all get a copy of it?

Yes.

All right, let's see.

Then on item.

Item QQ.

Is uh an intent to finance um for vehicles or so forth.

Peter, could you could you ex explain to us what what we're doing here?

And I know exhibit A lists the no number of different vehicles that I would assume would be uh the the object of of uh this finance.

Oh, uh or Peter and a Rachel suit.

Go ahead.

I can address both of these, both Q R because they're R is similar, yeah.

Go ahead with QQ, please.

For the water sewer enterprise fund.

When we take lease purchases, if we are taking them to repay ourselves so that we're, you know, rather than having a loan closing for every truck, if we decide that we're going to buy it, pay it out of the general fund, and then repay ourselves with proceeds.

In order for it to be a non-taxable loan, basically the lease purchase.

We have to do this declaration of intent.

This is not committing us to anything.

We are saying that we intend to take these lease purchases, and we will repay the general fund or the water sewer fund, whichever is appropriate with those proceeds.

Didn't we do this before last year?

I don't know.

Did we did we ever purchase a vehicle?

And uh 24.

Uh we did three lease purchases, one of which ended up being a taxable lease purchase because this declaration was not done.

Right, several years ago.

Declaration done.

Several years ago, we did not do this, and the interest rate was higher.

So as a result of that, we've done this ever since.

Gotcha.

Okay.

And uh it it's just an intent.

Yes.

More or less.

And at some point, whichever vehicles we elect to purchase still come to us.

Yes.

Okay.

And then on item RR, which is uh to reimburse the water sewer fund for vehicles, same type of arrangement, that's accurate.

Yes.

All right.

Anything legally Peter, we need to know other than that, it's similar to what was discussed on the previous item.

Same thing.

Okay, thank you.

And you are on um on WW, which is uh accepting a bid for uniforms and accessories and related services for a number of departments.

Uh, Peter, are are we losing bidders?

I think we require the the bidders whatever price they submit for the items, we require them to hold that price for two years.

Does that we given the current given the current atmosphere and the prices of things depending on who's who's being tariffed or not?

Is that is that are we losing bidders because of that, I guess?

No, I mean I think we've been under a long contract with Unifirst that Billy Ray was sort of shepherding and issues we've had with them.

I think we've got a good handle on limiting the scope of what needs to be supplied as a uniform, the prices, the cleaning of it.

Uh I think we've we did the RFP this year to where the uniform company could not uh take advantage of us on certain certain areas.

So we've I noticed that we did have some bidders.

I can't recall how many off the top of my head, but I think it was a a few, maybe it was two or from just one.

It's a single one.

So that's in the past.

Two.

Okay.

One that was upset about what you talked about.

Okay.

I I'm just uh yeah, I'm just thinking it's it would be toughen this in the current economic atmosphere we're in, I think maybe to give you a quote, not knowing what's gonna happen from month to month or year to year.

Just I think the terms on this one is more favorable than what we what we got out of.

Yeah, what we have had before.

Sure.

Okay.

And it's entirely up to whoever wants to bid to bid or not bid based on whether they think it's a good deal for them or not.

All right.

I think Mr.

Glavin, I've come to the end of my list.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Cruel.

Oh, no, actually, I moved it here second, so we're good.

All right.

Mr.

Schumacher, you have anything.

I just got to accept it.

Well, most, I guess all of mine pretty much have been answered.

All the questions I had, other than um maybe U U.

And that's just regarding the case and three thousand dollars, I guess.

I I understand it's a change order, and I understand maybe they had to do a little bit of extra work.

It's three thousand dollars.

Good afternoon, counsel.

Regarding five UU, Councilman uh Shoemaker, yes.

The you see the backup documentation with the resolution from uh the contractor, uh NKE Brothers Construction Company.

They came across an unknown foundation that was underground at Gateway Drive, and they had to rent uh a ramho to break it up because of its size and density of the concrete.

They do have track hose, but they don't have uh track hose with uh uh ram uh hammer attachments, and so this is uh something they had to go out and rent from um caterpillar or yeah, pocket rents, which typically is caterpillar products.

And if we owe them money, certainly if they had to rent something, however, I find it very hard to believe they wouldn't have something to do that.

But three thousand dollars and what's left of this contract is six million.

Is that weird or just kinda odd to to put in a change order for three thousand dollars in the scheme of six million dollars?

I'm just wondering if it's a some kind of stall tactic to stall.

I mean, it seemed like everything we do, it's nothing's getting done, but we do a lot for them.

Yes, sir.

No, this uh this change order uh both me and my staff uh is warranted.

Uh we had similar issues along this DEA project where there's just a bunch of old signed foundations, uh pre-Catrina or even back in the Camille days that just wasn't picked up in the plan.

So this is let me jump in front too.

On these kinds of contracts, it's a giant spreadsheet.

If it has so many linear feet, so many pounds, so much equipment, so much mobilization.

It is literally you know, a book that thick.

And if you got to spend an item that's on the schedule as a rate, you know, whether how many days it's anticipated.

As Malt said, this was uh like happened at the Sun and Sand Foundation.

It was something that they ran across and they got to break it up.

And I think that's it's not unusual to to ask for these kinds of, but it's an item on that spreadsheet that we probably had to add to the spreadsheet.

I don't know if there was a uh, you know, that piece of equipment was on a this spreadsheet with a rate, but it was it not anticipated in in doing the job, not part of a mobilization or anything like that.

The mayor, the mayor is correct.

We do have a line item for uh unforeseen obstructions as a line item that all contractors when they bid on our infrastructure projects have to account for.

Uh but with the type of infrastructure of what they're doing, they typically just have the typical track over the buckets and the teeth.

Uh a lot of them, or at least this particular con contractor doesn't have the the ramho or the size to have broke to break up that foundation.

Okay.

And and just the last I have, Walt, if you'll hang on one second, is V.

Yes, sir.

That's uh related to the additional days requested by the contractor.

Yes, sir.

And I guess all I'm gonna ask is it warranted in your opinion, is it warranted?

The contractor asked for 175 days, and uh we were just like, well, no.

Um this wasn't a design issue uh related to as I've told uh council on previous meetings related to there was a lot of overlay along Highway 90.

These plans were originally designed in 2012, 2013, and they're reissued in 2021, 2022.

Um, so the designer didn't come back and recognize that there had been a lot of overlooked, so there's tying issues, but 175 days that they that uh knee case brothers asked for it, no, absolutely not.

Because it's there was other areas of the projects that work.

In days they could still work.

Well, you know, but uh talking with my uh project manager and the inspectors, of course, my own trips out there uh daily.

Uh we felt 45 will should be sufficient in our opinion.

You notice they they did not sign it.

So we are going to request the council approve it based on our recommendation, and we will see how this ends up at the end of the contract.

Question.

Question on that.

If we if it fails today, so we don't extend the 45 days, right?

That is correct.

Okay.

And just curious, if we do not extend the 45 days, then what happens?

Uh Council, before we sort of get into what ifs, things like that, something that's could surely go into litigation that that probably is better addressed in executive session.

All right, that's fine.

I how how this project here, how many times has it been extended?

And the inclusive of rain days and other kinds of things, too.

I guess that's what you're asking.

There's a number of weather days, rain days that are used too.

Yes, sir.

The mayor is correct.

Uh the original uh prior to this specific request for additional 45 days, the project, I wouldn't say how many, but it's been extended 109 days for all areas, uh, primarily due to weather.

Um in this case, Camellia Street did have a design issue, so it took a little bit uh time to work that out so we can tie it in with Highway 90 and uh Southern Avenue.

Again, they asked for 175 days.

We said absolutely not.

That's why you don't have the contractor sequence.

They just don't agree.

So it's 109, then additional 175, so it would be what we're doing.

Right, no, but they they're requesting 175.

We're offering 45, correct?

Yes, 44, yeah.

45.

In that 40 45 days, 44, um, are they gonna do anything with um to try to get anything straightened out before cruising?

You think?

Yes.

They have anything to do with it, maybe?

No, the what they're what they are working on, um, and if you go down highway 90 uh right now, you'll see the contractor has uh crews starting around uh super eight motel, which is by big play, and they're going through every single driveway entrance.

They're removing the old temporary asphalt or the aggregate, and they're putting back the permanent act uh permanent asphalt or concrete, depending on what was there prior to and start of construction.

Um they are aware, obviously, of cruising the coast.

And having said that, with cruising the coast, this if if the council does approve this 45 days, which me and my staff recommend, there will be another change order for the cruising the coast time because that was a unanticipated impact to this particular contract.

It's in there under the original time, but because we extended it, they would be due the additional eight days, or we would recommend it.

But you can go up and down the coast, I mean in their project area and see uh obviously whether they got contractor crews out there or not.

I know we have a lot of sidewalks.

We issued a letter out uh yesterday, I believe, Monday, yes.

Say, hey, you know, that we've got at least 2600 linear feet of sidewalks that y'all haven't touched in two two two and a half years.

Why isn't it getting any dump?

We we need a schedule.

We require when are you gonna get it done?

Response back we got was well, show us the plans on where these sidewalks are missing or damaged.

Well, we've marked up a set of plans and sent it to them, but uh anybody that drives there every day can see where the sidewalks have been removed for them to install the infrastructure.

And I guess the reason it just seems like we have multiple, multiple, multiple issues with the same company on multiple projects within the city.

But what I see is we continue, and I know some of that we have to, and some of that is warranted, but certainly not all of it.

And we just keep seems like bending over backwards to help them, and we'll be having this discussion next year and the next year and the next year.

I don't know that we're ever going to get anywhere until we, I don't know, and do something, but I mean, I understand what you're saying, Walt.

The 45 days they asked for a lot more.

However, they must not have liked what you said because they didn't sign it, but at some point we're gonna have to deal with this company, or we're gonna keep seeing this forever.

And that's all I have.

Thank you.

Uh if you think this has been bad, where were you in 2015 when we had one company in thousands of days?

No plans.

I mean, this may be in at first blank glance, feel like it's a forever, but it is a forever kind of constant thing.

But we learned some things in this these last part of the south of contract to do as much as you can before you move to the other.

I mean, it was we had 55 miles of street, owed 17 million dollars, had to borrow 11 million dollars in 2015 to complete this thing.

If you'd if you'd have been in the trenches with us, it I mean this is right, this is the same.

So, mayor, let me ask the question.

We we got this um uh on the consent agenda today.

Is it uh behoove us to look deeper into it with the the executive session, or should we continue to negotiate with them and try to push this forward?

To me, this is part of business and and at at as part of the of the the back and forth in dealing with these contractors.

They've been uh systematically going from west to from east to west and doing the things that they can.

We don't as well said, they asked for 175 days.

We you know, 44 days we're saying, okay, this is what you think.

I think it's part of the the the system, you know, I guess a systemic way to finish this project.

We want to get the done.

Yeah, let me ask another question.

Can we tack on some kind of note or agenda on the or addendum on this to let this contractor know that this council is uh wearing thin uh with us and uh we're not too happy and we'd like to see some progress legally, can we do that, Peter?

Just say our our patience is wearing thin on the progress.

We don't understand why it's it's uh it's dragging out.

It's all public record now.

So I mean it is just I hope that's conveyed.

Well, can you convey that wherever this goes today?

But uh we may, you know, we take some action to to make a statement and ends up pushing us further back than forward, maybe we can go forward a step with with sending them a message.

Hey, something's got to happen.

And I understand exactly what Mr.

Schumacher is saying.

And and he may be thinking, well, how heck, we've we've tried this and we're we're still not getting too far.

We're we're still crawling on our our knees here.

Well, shoemaker, wait, Mr.

Schumacher.

If I could just say one thing and I respect what you said, Mayor.

However, we've got to hold their feet to the fire, because if we don't, it's business as usual.

They see what they're getting away with, and I know it's aggravating, and there was a whole lot more issues back in 2015, but this is gonna be a repeat with just a different company, I'm assuming.

I don't know that the the what you were talking about with the sidewalk.

But it doesn't matter really if it's two and a half years past due.

Quite frankly, that's unacceptable.

We've I mean, what if we had in two and a half years to keep them from doing the job that we as the city hired them to do?

I don't know anywhere you can go as a company and not do a job for two years and and and nothing happens.

I just think we're gonna keep kicking the can down the curb or down the street, and at some point we're gonna have to face it and deal with it and let's get moving.

They got projects they're working on.

We all hear about the everybody up here, all you guys.

The administration hears about these problems, and and maybe if they finish one, we could get somewhere and wouldn't hear and get yelled at by the constituents all the time.

We are we're shooting to end in this time this light at the end of the tunnel is at the end of this year is what we were playing with, right?

With B11, two and three.

Yes, hopefully so.

There's with this uh change order and the uh the next one we're gonna propose to the council, which will be for the cruising coast time.

Uh I do not if we see any other change orders other than weather, uh, which since our last one it really hasn't rained uh that much, if any at all.

So we're we're nearing the end of any additional time that could be warranted as I sit here today for this contract.

So it's coming up pretty quick, and there's a lot of work for them to do in a short amount of time.

So if we didn't support this, would it delay it or potentially delay it or would it move it forward?

The work to get done.

That's the question again, councilman.

If we didn't support this uh resolution, would it delay them getting the job done, or would it help get the job done?

I want to say it would delay it.

They still have a responsibility to finish out a contract.

You know, we got a contract and there's legal issues come up, they still have responsibility to finish it.

But it would definitely get into a situation.

Well, again, I don't want to get into it.

Let me say that you know, they get paid for the work that they do.

If they want to make profit on the work that you do, they got to finish work.

So that's the main thing.

That's their incentive.

Do the job, you get paid, your profits in the how many, how much you lay in how much you think you do.

That's the incentive.

We we we tell you you got so many days over a year to do the job.

So that's uh, you know, no more profit.

If you don't do the work, you you don't make the profit.

So that's the profit is the got it.

Uh Mr.

Gore.

This this is what happens when a city lets one company take on three big major projects.

And they set yourself thin doing that, and and the city hurts, and the businesses that hurt they affect.

Let me say this.

I've been going through this every day since I've been mayor.

The laws that lowest bid wins this, and you have no real issues.

You can't use performance or capacity to perform in making these decisions.

You know, from a federal government, there's something called a red book, and there's man, there's all kinds of rules and regs that you know, me and you in business could pull the trigger.

You know that book, I know.

But that's that's the challenges we've had for the last 10 years on this thing.

But I mean, there are most of our businesses hurting over off Camellia Street and down 90.

So we keep letting them do it.

I I don't support the 45 days.

I just can't.

Not with it being so dry, they ain't done anything on Camellia in a while.

I mean, uh them businesses have been on dirt for how long?

For a while.

That's all I got.

Yeah.

Go ahead, Mr.

Green.

So, real quick, speaking of the business, the poor sanctuary, that guy is trying to have a vents over there, and he it's it's crazy trying to get to his place.

First of all, second of all, I understand the guy's in business.

We just on this thing, we're proving something that he didn't have.

He took the job, he knew what it was going to entail.

Now he's asking us to pay for a piece of equipment that he needs to finish the job.

It it uh and and it is the lowest bid, you're right, but it's the lowest and best bid.

So that's where the that red book comes in handy.

Well, plus he shouldn't have took on a third job if he wasn't finished with the first two.

Mr.

Mr.

Tuesday.

Uh just um I'm gonna think out loud for a moment here.

Walt, you you deal with these contractors all day, every day.

That's your job.

You stay after them, you you broke them when you have to.

Sometimes there are good reasons why they couldn't do in a timely manner, what was expected of them to do.

Uh I know uh I realize also that sometimes the leverage in the relationship changes at different points of these construction projects.

That being said, you're more familiar with that than anybody.

And if you recommend an additional 45 days, I'd support that.

Thank you.

Um reference to this, the um there's nothing in the contract for not completing it by a certain time, a penalty or anything, they don't lose anything.

Well, it's it's not a penalty, uh, councilman.

That's a good question.

There's not a penalty, it's called liquidated damages.

It's spelled out in the black and white of the uh contract documents and in the red book.

Um, what that entails when a contractor does not complete the contract within the given time.

Of course, they have their side, and we have ours, and uh then you get into the litigation.

But we do have it in there as liquidated damages.

Okay, then we need to stick with that.

Well, I would only ask the council to consider that uh this is the the recommendation is from me and my staff, and again, that's why you don't see the contractor having signed it because he wanted 175, which we do not feel is warranted.

Uh, if he was working up and down the project with all his crews during all that time and getting everything done, and now he's where he is now with Camellia Street, then we'd be like, okay.

But uh we didn't see that uh and we did pretty good scrubbing of the dailies trying to see what was going on uh or what wasn't going on, and we believe the 45 days is warranted.

We're quickly coming up to the end of fall, and his time is gonna run out, and then we may get into the uh liquidated damage.

So just to be clear, I'm sorry, Councilman.

This is your recommendations.

This isn't their recommendations, this is your recommendation.

Yes, sir.

Okay, we just need to pull the trigger and go on do what we're gonna do.

I'm working, I represent the people, I represent the businesses, and we're gonna put this one business above all our taxpaying business who was suffering.

My answer is very clear on that.

Uh they have a contract.

We signed the contract, and no no, I have not heard anything good about this company at all.

At all.

And yet they come in and asking for more, ask for more.

We gotta pay for equipment they're supposed to already have.

Then they have a job, they're not equipment to do the job.

So pull the trigger.

Pull the trigger, never send a message.

Don't play with us like that.

All right, thanks.

Well, any other comments?

Any other discussion?

So to be clear, this is uh Mr.

Roadie's recommendations, you know, for dealing with this contractor.

This isn't what they asked for.

Sometimes you gotta hold your nose and and vote for it and let Mr.

Roadie do his job, and and hopefully uh they're watching today on on the demeanor of this council, and uh you know, we understand you know the the brevity and gravity of our uh votes today.

All right, there being no other discussion on this matter, we'll continue to move on.

You still have the floor, Mr.

Crew, I believe, or Mr.

Schumaker, I'm sorry, we'll move uh to Mr.

Nail.

Any subjects on the consent?

No.

Uh Mr.

Gray, I'll come back to you.

I'll come back to you, Mr.

Marshall.

Mr.

Gray, you have anything?

No, uh Councilman Fisdale doesn't ask all my questions.

Okay, very good.

Mr.

Marshall.

Um that's uh C BDG.

Uh resolution resolution meaning of municipal budget for fiscal year, September third, 2025 for Capital Project 1039, Main Street Cross and Upgrade.

Yes.

Uh in reference to this, the uh we're talking this is CSX crossing.

Correct.

Okay, they own their property.

Yeah, all my life I've been told that those tracks belong not to us but to CSX.

That is correct, and then contributed.

Okay, but we we went out and got the money to fix it.

Um we're noticing that uh we have a project in East Beloxi.

Um we just call it East Belexi Recreation Center.

Uh I know that in my research, we took 120,000.

That is correct, and we returned 18,000 of that back to that project when we completed construction on the east on the railroad crossing.

So we left a total that has not been returned back to their project of approximately how much?

102,000 dollars of bond money was utilized in this main street crossing project.

Okay.

102,000 taken from their taken from their project specifically that was placed in their project for a purpose that we got pictures of us standing out there flipping the ground about we spent 27,000, 218,000 on the uh plans, drawings of that.

We took 120, which eventually we've already taken out, we're down to 40 45.

I'm sorry, are you asking about the recreation center or about item in the recreation center?

We're down to like 40 48 dollars and 25 cents.

And the funding.

So what's so when we close this out, we're seeing that the railroad project, which received a total of 12,000 of the money.

He remaining no, if the money is spent.

Did he anything that was taken that was not spent did go back?

That's that 18,000 that went back.

Okay.

All right.

We've accomplished what the purpose of the East Plexie project as it was funded was, which was to design.

That's done.

So wait a minute.

Well the funding was used elsewhere.

Wait a minute.

So let me get this clear.

The purpose was never to build the building, it was just to design the building.

The funding that was allocated was to design 500,000 would never have built this building ever.

That was to get our designs.

We've done that.

So we have people for our community out there.

Turning dirt on something that wasn't gonna happen.

Nobody said it's not going to happen, but there was never funding to do construction with.

So there was no funding to build a building that was promised.

There was the funding to get it designed.

After we designed, then we can begin seeking grant funding and other funding.

Just typically how we do our projects.

The funding was to design this the center.

After design, you have a pin of probable cost, then you have a opportunity to funding source the ability to go forward with a bid.

Okay.

Do we own the property?

No.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Marshall.

I I don't have any uh thing to add.

Oh, whoa, whoa, that was just my oh, you still let me come back to you.

AAA triple A.

Triple A.

Resolution to execute a funding agreement.

Um City of Bloxy 2025, Mrs.

Susan Pickett.

I'm here.

Here you are.

I'm here.

And I did promise you I would be nice, and I will be nice.

That's six times.

Uh times.

So take advantage.

Six more, maybe less.

The resolution.

Yes.

This resolution is the final step, which is the grant agreement from HUD that the mayor will sign, HUD will sign, they will send to Fort Worth, and they will put the four the grant, our grant for 2025 and locks, and we can start our program year.

That's all this is the final step.

Okay.

Has any so none of that has been spent?

No, we can't spend it because it's it's not it's total.

That's the end final approval.

Okay.

Okay, now is my understanding that after this is done.

Uh because of our talks in the past, if we choose to do a substantial amendment, we could still do that to change the use of the funds.

Yes, you could you can you could do that.

Okay.

What would be the steps to do that?

Whether it's council or organization or whoever get with the mayor and Rick, and they will discuss what wants to be done or whatever.

Then the administration will get with my office, and they'll say, we want to do this, is it eligible?

And then the process will start.

Then that's whenever everything will be advertised, a public hearing, 30-day comment, period, and it will come back to the council for the council to approve, and then it will go to HUD for final approval.

Okay.

All right.

So has any uh bids been put out for this any of this money committed bids?

No, we can't.

Well, it's it's committed because we have partial money sitting there, and we're waiting on this to be approved to finish the road project.

The design is re is 99.9% ready to go.

They're putting the specs together.

Okay.

All right.

So let me because I'm kind of you know kind of dense in the hand.

Um the timing that we need to file this substantial agreement.

We there is time to do all of this.

Yes.

Okay.

All right.

But just keep in mind that this money that for 25 is allocated already.

That's the purpose of the substantial agreement to reallocate, right?

Yes.

Okay.

You know, if the reallocate because it's allocated.

We understand that.

Told y'all was gonna be good.

Thank you.

Thank you.

What what areas are eligible for these funds?

The map that I sent you, there's there's basically at this time, there's uh low mod area and also.

Thank you.

Okay, all while we're here.

In the past, we bought a fire truck.

And that fire truck is sitting in the East Biloxi.

Correct.

So we move that fire truck to Mr.

Gravin's district.

No, because we you we qualified it to use in the service area of East Biloxi, which is low mod.

But he has low mod in his area though.

Yeah, I mean if there were if there was a fire out there, you could take, I mean, you could take that truck out there.

It's not like it can only fight fires in East Biloxi.

Well, I'm seeing right now it's stationed, and I talked to the fire chief about it, and he said that's gonna be stationed in that particular station because of this, but why would we can't what is it stopping us from stationing that in his district?

Well, that's where it's housed.

It's it's housed in why is it housed there and not and not in his district?

Is it anything to do with his funds?

Allocation they fund?

When we bought the fire truck, we bought it for East the service area or East Biloxi, which is Keisler to the to the east.

So let's say we want to move that particular fire truck to his area.

Is there anything in this HUD that would be illegal or cause us to have a problem?

If you if the service area that you're moving it to is a low mod area, you could move it.

Is that a low mod area that will qualify?

I don't, you know, there's a little you it services a greater area.

So the question is, is there anything to stop us?

You know the map, you know his service area, you know his low mod area.

That's your job.

So is there anything to stop from moving that truck over there?

If that fire station where you want to move it to is located in low mod area, yes, you can move it.

Is your fire station in the low mart area?

It's certainly near in a low mod area.

We certainly want to help anyone, anyone that's in a low mod area.

We want to do everything that we can to to help them listen to the not uh disenfranchise them, but I I would agree with that.

I appreciate you.

I appreciate you being honest.

Say it again.

Thank you.

No, no, say it again about his area not qualified.

That one area, but he does have low bod area.

I'm not I'm not contesting it.

I'm asking you one specific question.

The fire station in Kitty's ward is not in a low mod area.

So we can't prove so why would we want to move it?

That's uh we don't want to move.

I just want to know is there a reason why we can't move it.

If we wanted to move it.

If I may fire station five in West Biloxi and Ward 5 is in a low mod area.

And we have so we could move if you want to.

Well, I'll be glad to take that newer fire truck anytime you want to see.

But there are restrictions.

Yes.

Okay.

That's why that's all I'm trying to get to.

There's a reason.

So we'll save there.

There are certain restrictions.

Yeah.

Now can we use this fire truck to put a fire out and that's not in a low mod area?

Yes.

And take that fire truck.

We just know that um fire truck.

But if it would come eligible, we could buy you a fire truck.

Yeah.

In other words, if your area, if your area became low mod, where the fire says if that area starts to look more like East Biloxi, then you will definitely not be sitting up here talking about a fire truck.

Thank you all from I through.

We're all from Biloxi, and we look at this from an entire Biloxi lens, and what's good for all the Biloxi and for all of our constituents.

And to try to leverage something, uh, you know, so I'll all vote for something as long as I get something.

Uh I would hope that we would all revisit our thoughts on that.

Uh particular company uh so there's a reason why the chapter is drawn that way.

I think that's what the whole point is.

It's not leveraging, it's speaking up for those who don't have your case.

For everyone, they're speaking up for an area that needs it and has to have it.

Versus an area that has a little bit.

We're all hungry.

We all get hungry, but there's a difference to those who are starving.

There's a two different things.

We all poor, but there's a different those who are outpouring.

There's two different things.

We're not pivoting, we're not putting one against the other.

But I am speaking up for those who need it the most.

That's right, Mr.

Marshall.

Your your efforts and intentions are appreciated.

Okay, the next on the item.

K and L.

I know we were asking if she was to explain it to us.

So I did have another question or two on it.

I guess I guess my question, though, ma'am.

I guess my question is gonna be more to the mayor, if you don't mind.

Uh did he leave me?

Peter, I'll answer your question if we can.

How many years have you waited on this pier?

It was damaged in 2020.

Sir?

It was damaged in 2020.

Okay.

So you what you're saying, what I understand it, because I'm I'm I'm really having trouble following it.

We have two million.

We're gonna go two million.

We're trying to go get two more million from where.

I think I repeated it already.

The whole part of the mitigation allowance uh of Zeta that was never done before, part of that mitigation that they would additional money they would do to build something better than it was, requires an opinion of professional cost.

That uh to build it back as it was, a wooden peer 800 feet long.

The FEMA offered offered opportunity that we would give you an additional uh cost to match up with your OPC of what it would take to build a wooden peer back.

Okay, as it turns out to do the things with concrete uh pilings, concrete fasteners, throat flow through decking, uh those uh uh break water uh amenities uh would cost 4.2 million dollars to put it back as it was estimated by Seymour Engineering of one point, and that's Christy was that three years ago or four years ago?

Three years ago.

We it you know, spayed uh about 75 or 100,000 to do that.

Okay.

Came up with that 1.2 million dollars, submitted to the MEMA, they submitted to the FEMA, and bottom line, it was riddled down from 1.2 million to 555,000.

So the 4.2 million dollar project, expecting uh to uh a partnership, we would uh invest two million dollars, they would get 2.4 million.

We've got a peer that will never have to be rebuilt.

That process started right after right after Zeta.

If you ask me how long we've been doing this, we've been doing that for that long.

So if you go to you say you're gonna you're gonna go to Jackson tomorrow.

Yeah.

Okay.

If it doesn't work, uh I I know he was asking about a plan B.

We need a peer.

So what's the goal then?

If you don't get your extra money, what's the goal?

What's the plan?

We gotta have a peer.

People think it's in my ward.

It's the city of Bloxy, I'm for the city of Brexit, but technically it's not in my ward.

Is it your ward?

And they're asking us, what about the peer?

So what's the answer?

Well, one answer, uh, plan A, B, and C is that the United States government, the Congress would pass an appropriation to allowing us to not only finish that peer, but the hundred or so million dollars that we'll need in order to finish uh the infrastructure project.

That's a plan B, and it's about plan and plan A.

What do we have to do to get the peer, the peer?

We need to get four million, four point two million dollars in our hands to fund it.

I got just as far as he did.

Can we start it?

No money we got.

We we engineered it, and we can we can proceed with that.

Okay.

QQ R.

We're gonna go both at the same time.

This will allow us to pass this resolution and Peter may be able to go into more detail, but this will allow us not to be charged taxes on the purchase of the vehicle at that time.

If we don't do that, then we're gonna be paying taxes on those vehicles.

So this is a savings that we're looking at doing, generating a savings and revenue.

This is true.

Is that correct, Peter?

Okay.

So well, it is a savings, but I think it's a difference in when you go to the banks to get your finance rate.

Is it a taxable lease or a non-taxable lease?

And you get a better rate when it's non-taxable.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

Um let me double check my notes here, make sure I got everything.

Okay, I'm good.

Thank you, Mr.

Marshall.

Uh anyone, did you miss anything?

Anyone miss anything, Mr.

Tisdale?

No.

Okay.

All right.

Uh we'll go ahead and call for the question, and then we'll ask for exceptions.

Uh all in favor, consent.

All opposed.

Abstain.

Uh Mr.

Marshall, let the record show you abstained.

I'll ask for the uh exceptions, uh, starting with Mr.

Gray.

V V.

Did you get that?

Mr.

Marshall.

M.

A.

K.

L.

Q.

You hold on.

The clerk has a question.

You abstain for the whole consent.

So therefore you abstained from every item.

From every item.

Well, I vote no then.

Can he go back and change his vote?

Can I ask?

Yeah, I mean it's all right.

It's not been I ask for your uh vote on the consent.

No.

Your votes no on the consent.

That means you vote no on everything.

Okay.

So will you approve the consent and then we can ask for your exception?

Say you wait.

Go back.

Okay.

Voting yes, then I'm gonna give you my exception.

Thank you.

So let the record show that uh Mr.

Marshall has changed his vote for the consent agenda agenda from abstaining to approving it, and now he wants to enter into the record his exceptions.

Go ahead, Mr.

Marshall.

If you begin from MM, I believe is what I heard and speak clearly so the clerk record your answers.

AAA K L Q R V.

Victor Victor.

Okay.

Uh Mr.

Nail, any exceptions?

No, the B V.

Mr.

Creel.

What was this?

B B F B.

E B.

V.

Victor V.

Yeah, we got it.

V D.

Mr.

Creel.

Uh B as in boys, C, cat, D is in dog, E.

F is in Frank, and V, Victor, Victor.

Mr.

Tuesday.

Yes.

Um, I'll vote.

I'm voting no on item B, C, D, E, and F.

And I am abstaining on item S.

Thank you, Mr.

Shoemaker.

B, B as and boy, C, B as in David, E, F, and V.

Victor Vicker.

Thank you, Mr.

Shoemaker.

I have no exceptions.

We'll move on to code enforcement, Mr.

Creel.

Hey, Kenny.

Only excuse myself.

Hold on.

Excuse me.

One second.

I want to excuse myself from uh accuse myself from A and K.

That's my neighbor.

Okay.

Did you get that?

A A and K.

Mr.

Gray would like to recuse himself or to abstain or recuse.

Abstain.

Would you like to abstain?

Yeah.

You would like to abstain.

A and K.

A and K.

Now we'll start with code enforcement, Mr.

Creel.

Okay.

Item A, Philip H.

Sass, Revocable Trust.

205 Iroquois Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item B, Ms.

10 LLC, 13100, Hudson Crown Road.

That case has been resolved.

Item C Sylvia A.

Bosco Life Estate.

1662 Pass Road.

Is property still in violation?

No.

Is there anyone here to speak on behalf of Sylvia A.

Bosco?

1662 Pass Road.

Is that him?

There being no one, this case is closed.

Item D, Moeney Mohammed Estate, Zero Bayview Avenue.

That case has been resolved.

Item E, Biloxi Associates LP, Negro, Carlin, Siegel, and Felström.

That case has been resolved.

That's 328 Rosalie Maria Drive.

Item F, Michael T.

Tootle, 383 Brown Street.

This property is still in violation.

Is there anyone here to speak on behalf of Michael T.

Toole?

383 Bond Street.

Anyone here?

There being no one, this case is closed.

Item G, Mississippi Coast Coliseum Commission, Zero Highway 90.

That case has been resolved.

Item H, Division File LLC, 511 Division Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item I, Robert M and Jeremiah R Daly, Zero Bay Shore Avenue, that case has been resolved.

Item J, Harry J.

Now Sr.

Zero Moran Alley, that case has been resolved.

Item K, Philip H.

Sass Revocable Trust.

Zero Railroad Street, that case has been resolved.

Oh well, wait, wait.

On that one, is that the uh there's two uh he has two of them on there, A and K.

That's correct.

Both have been resolved.

One of them has it.

Because it's six foot tall back there.

So maybe they need to table one of these before it gets resolved.

Okay, okay.

Because it's on the other side of my fence.

Okay.

So one of them is not.

I don't know.

One of them is this should be his yard, the other one should be uh uh right his back part that's right on side of mine.

Okay, I'll check with the councilman.

Since there is a uh a dispute here, of course you got eyewitness.

Do we just table this for a week or yeah till the next meeting, which is two weeks?

All right, yes.

Yeah, that's good.

Would you like to make a motion?

I'll make a motion to table do I have a second?

A A and K because we're not for sure which piece of second that's on there.

Okay, and I'll check with our code officer that uh reported this as being resolved.

Been duly motion and segment by Mr.

Tisdale.

Hold on, man, Kenny.

Any discussion?

Wait a minute.

It is A.

Right.

A for the record, we closed it.

There was no one here to speak on behalf or against it, so we did close that one.

You do have an opportunity on this one to keep it open.

Well, we're not for sure which one.

We closed it, Councilman.

I'm sorry I hit the gowner.

I don't A, you didn't know.

Mr.

Will do I don't A, you which one backs up to your house?

Is it the one on Iroquois or the one on railroad?

The one on Air Corps.

Okay, so that would be A.

No, A, we did.

You didn't gather A.

Did I gavel A?

Did we vote on A?

Yes.

Uh Did there was a Councilman Creel would like to verify?

We reconsider.

Yeah, can we reconsider that?

A is closed.

I asked if there was anyone here to speak on behalf or against it.

No one spoke on behalf or against it, and I said this case is now closed.

If you re-inspect the property and find their additional violations, go ahead and uh cite the property and we'll do that.

Bring it back to us.

A was resolved.

So you didn't gavel A.

Do we move we that case was closed when we moved on when the he said it was resolved?

Anyone had an opportunity to object at that time, which they did not, so we moved on to the next case.

I get it, but you didn't gavel A.

Okay.

Well, and all intents and purposes, the case that case has been resolved.

There was no uh opportunity before we moved on to the next case.

If there is a violation, I would suggest you cite it and bring it back to the council.

Thank you.

All right.

On on K though, there is a motion on the floor by mid duly uh made by Mr.

Gray.

It was duly seconded by Mr.

Tisdale.

That was yeah, that was to table it, correct?

That was to table it.

Just K.

Just K.

Just K.

Any other discussion?

But that's but that's not the parcel.

That's not A.

That's K.

So we're not for sure which one's what.

All right, but we're only voting on K.

That's it.

All right.

All right.

That's two weeks.

Two weeks.

Next council meeting.

Next council meeting.

All right.

Next council meeting.

Yeah.

Next council meeting.

Any other discussion?

Any other discussion, Mr.

Creel?

Just on gavel.

All right.

All in favor.

Opposed?

Motion carries.

We'll move on to L.

Robert M and Jeremiah R.

Daly.

Zero Pine Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item M, Castle Luna Acquisitions, LLC.

219 Dory Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item N, Gilda H.

Davis Estate.

346 Frank's Drive.

That case has been resolved.

Item O, Mock 6 holding LLC, 812 Lackland Drive.

That case has been resolved.

Item P, Addy M.

Brown, 6308, Shady Creek Drive.

That case has been resolved.

And item Q, Larry Jones Jr.

Zero Hudson Crone Road.

That case has been resolved.

Thank you, Director.

Code enforcement hearing is now closed.

Need a motion for the routine.

So moved.

Move by Mr.

Tisdale.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Mr.

Gray.

Mr.

Tisdale?

Not a thing.

Can we get Mr.

Brody come up?

Give us a like George Taylor.

Show us the money.

Sorry for the delay, Councilman.

I had to get around our director's foot there for public works and rec there.

For parks and rec.

Uh the question, sir.

See if we got any what money we got coming in.

Yes, sir.

So I believe I reported last time we were waiting on the 751.7,000.

We did receive that.

And the next round of funding that we have in there is 671.7,000.

That's in step three of five.

Uh it's been there for 11 days.

When we go up to Jackson tomorrow, we will uh bring that subject up with MEMA to see if they can push that through.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Any other discussion?

Yes, sir.

I need to uh recuse on the expenses for Curry Johnson.

Section three.

Did you get that?

Abstain, yeah.

All right.

Give me one second.

Make sure I thought it was silenced.

All right.

Um did we vote on the routine?

All right.

Um we'll go ahead and vote on the routine.

All in favor.

Those opposed.

Motion carries.

I'd like to make a motion in lieu of uh these school shootings and things that are going across America.

Like to close in memory of Charlie Kirk and his uh widow's words.

Uh she said that young man, I forgive him.

So I'd like to close in memory of that.

Do I have a second?

I'll second.

All right.

Second by Mr.

Gray.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

Opposed.

Any abstains?

I'm opposed.

Anybody abstain or vote against it?

I'm I'm good.

We're good.

It was unanimous.

No.

Very unanimously briefing.

I'm sorry, I want to make sure I get these right.

Uh Mr.

Tisdale voted against it.

Any other votes against it?

All right.

Passes six to one.

Thank you.