December 16th meeting to order.

Move by Mr.

Tisville.

Second by Mr.

Creole.

All in favor.

Those opposed.

Motion carries.

To the policy agent we're moving item 4D.

Resolution requesting the Mississippi legislature to adopt legislation to authorize a three-hour levy.

City occupants tax upon the 19 rentals to the room to the routine agenda or substitute the routine resolution should move the following parcel at 610 Howard Avenue adjudications due to other comment due to having edge of the volume.

Thank you.

So move by Mr.

Tuesday.

Second by Mr.

Creel.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

Those opposed.

Motion carries.

Move on the mayor's report.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Welcome to everyone.

Anything wishing my holidays behind Merry Christmas.

Everything else, mayor.

And uh person I would like to my cheat, our chief, no letter to come up and let me recognize you and give you a 35 year pen.

The gold watch will be coming.

Like mayor always said one day.

But I do like the last 10 years.

Absolutely good.

So you now disappoint me a little bit.

So I'll I love you and uh you know all the best.

Thank you.

Let me uh read the statement here regarding uh the uh the amendment to the agenda.

It should be noted that the uh we requested the removal of resolution D for today's agenda.

Resolution was never about a decision today because by giving the citizens of election the opportunity to vote on whether this measure should move forward.

It represents a reasonable attempt to address ongoing budget concerns by asking the visitors to share in the cost of supporting tourism, special events, and become services that medium our residents, our businesses, and our city as a whole.

Other than the lower tax, there's no other direct revenue source.

The city can count to all set the significant increase in the cost of these critical services, especially considering those increases over the last four years.

Many municipalities in Mississippi, including Jackson, Natchez, Vicksburg, Hannisburg, Oxford, utilize options in tax and wells are true as a natives to the east, mobile, go to shores, Pensacola, and to the West, you own blocking the vote of the people remove the option from the table and leave the city fewer choices moving forward, including the possibility of cutting services are elsewhere.

Decisions of this careful consideration, open dialogue, and transparency.

I'm asking the council to reflect, engage with the people they represent, and consider whether allowing the citizens to vote is the appropriate path forward.

The people of Biloxi deserve a voice in the decisions that shape the future of their city.

Thank you, Mayor.

No departmental reports.

We'll move on to council reports.

Mr.

Gray.

I would like to uh wish everybody happy holidays, Merry Christmas, happy new year.

future of their city and and that's uh concludes my report thank you mayor no departmental reports we'll move on to council reports mr gray i'm like the mayor i would like to uh wish everybody happy holidays merry christmas happy new year um this weekend um we did a children's parade last night it was it was really nice to watch uh watch all the kids do the performance and all the kids on the street getting beads we got the um christmas on avenue coming up we have live entertainment they're gonna make it snow on a few more she need plenty of help to make this happen this is just not uh small organization so if anybody wants to they got any vacation they need to burn by the first of the year and they want to volunteer I'm sure uh Wednesday at 12 o'clock they need all the volunteers they can to put the Christmas trees out unfortunately somebody went in there and and helped herself to a bunch of christmas trees that they uh they had set aside um so they're gonna try to figure out a way to get them back so we can get them going I know myself I caught a couple people trying to steal them and stopped them so they can put them you know so they can have these for these events um Nicole Nazak and Joel Davis has been working and their whole crew has been working tirelessly trying to pull this off if they can get this the way they want it to this gonna be something Bluxie has never seen before and this is something Bluxy has been needing for many years and hopefully it'll draw attention to get more people here hopefully they'll rent hotel rooms eating our restaurant things that we want um and that's all I have I thank you thank you Mr.

Gray Mr.

Marshall report thank you Mr.

Nale um I was just gonna say we had um a lot of fun in Woolmarket parade riding throwing beads uh last night same thing but um I don't know if y'all just listen for one minute y'all gonna hear some trucks running over on Camellia Street laying asphalt that's a big deal for that area right now a real big deal I should be through maybe end of the week I hope and um we never did a study on uh greater avenue with the speed speed limit sign I don't think we we haven't had traffic committee yet the little digital one yeah okay all right and um and then we need to uh the uh bathrooms in Hill Park I was just gonna see when we might be able to any kind of update on that I'm waiting on a meeting probably after the holidays with the uh nights of the Peter Claver that we're gonna go out there and assess what they're able to do um with the roof repairs and different things like that then start working on the interior once we get the outside structure up to par where it needs to be okay and uh and uh painting the pavilion down at the bottom oh no I know this is an off you know they're not cutting grass right now I thought maybe they could paint all right that's about it thank you thank you Mr.

Crow yes sir so first of all congratulations Chief Miller 35 years that's longer than I'm alive how about that yeah so uh we had a beautification commission meeting on the uh 10th of uh December last week I shared the minutes with with you um counsel uh from that meeting um according to the agenda today looking forward to confirming uh two additional members uh to that um committee we had a ward four meeting the last one of the year um last Tuesday at Margaret thank you to uh Chief D back um Rick and uh Jamie Lee and then Christina Johnson for showing up uh got into great detailed discussion with uh some speed uh on Pops Ferry and and and uh Sun Kiss Country Club as well as the updates at the causeway uh between parks and rec and with the ports and harbors assistance as well so I uh truly appreciate you guys showing up and so do the residents that are there to uh to gather the information so thank you guys again for coming out uh and if um possible before we adjourn today I'd like to adjourn in memory of uh Pete Mesco who passed away one of Bloxy's finest uh finest gentlemen baseball coaches heroes and uh also um in inducted into the sports hall of fame so uh prayers to his family thank you thank you Mr.

Uh was looking over the monthly financial report for October, and uh we get a cover email from the controller dealing with the general fund, basically the figures revenue and expenses for that month and the water sewer fund, and there's some transfers out in the general fund, but I don't know what they're for.

Can anybody I mean that's that's why I'd asked for the controller to be here, but that's fine.

Um the next thing is I want to thank uh parks and recreation.

Thank you, Jamie, for uh lighting that historic oak.

I've been working on that for a number of years.

You got it done.

I appreciate that.

Uh there is one suggestion.

These these lights are above ground, which means the filaments for the bulb is you see a lot of that, so it diminishes the effect.

So up on the post with the lights, if there's some way to shield the filaments or the bulbs on the side, kind of like they do at the uh uh causeway park, maybe kind of like a dome or something that goes on.

Yeah, just something just almost like a cone around around the light because it's it's hard to anyway.

That would just be an improvement.

I don't know how difficult that is to do, but if it can be done easily, that would be breathtaking.

But anyway, it looks very good.

Thank you so much for that.

The uh next thing is you know we did the Christmas parade last night and uh did the uh Wool Market parade this past Saturday.

Um I think that's really because it was moved, nobody could help that.

It poured the regularly scheduled night, but it was a cold week night last night.

But anyway, those who showed up had a good time and the Kelly's dancers, they did they did an outstanding job.

Uh also I'd like to thank Chief Miller again for his service and support and everything you've done for the city, all the late night calls, all the pointed questions, all the uh bobbing and weaving sometimes we all have to do as employees of the city.

But thank you very much, Chief, uh, for your service to the citizens in the city of Biloxi.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Tisdale.

Mr.

Shoemaker.

Yeah, just a couple of things.

We did have the Wool Market uh Christmas parade Saturday, weather was beautiful.

I thought the turnout was good.

I don't know if we had quite as many participants this year, but there's a couple of reasons for that, but I think next year it'll be even better.

It went great.

A lot of the councilmen were able to show up, the mayor.

Um I think everybody had a good time.

I so hopefully next year we'll continue with it.

It's been going on, I think five years now, but it was a great event, and the weather was beautiful.

Lastly, and I'm gonna preface it with I know this is petty, absolutely petty, compared to what we're the issues we're dealing with in the city.

But I would be remiss if I didn't bring it up.

I brought it up last year, and again, it's petty.

Let me stress that.

Christmas lights in the city.

I can go in any three drive in any three directions of Biloxi, and there are Christmas lights throughout the city.

And I understand Woolmarket gets forgotten when it comes to the city of Biloxi occasionally.

Last year I had three Christmas lights on poles.

I finally, I think Friday or Saturday, was able to get two Christmas lights on telephone poles.

The rest of the city, I mean, there's places all over the city that we need Christmas lights that have lots and lots of traffic and tourists and local people that want to see that.

And again, in the scheme of things, it's nothing and it's not a big deal.

But I think as a city, the size of Biloxi and what people think about when they travel to Biloxi and citizens that live in Biloxi.

I think we are failing when it comes to that.

Again, and I know it takes money.

We discussed this last year, and I'll be quite honest.

K Miller told me she was coming.

I spoke to her last December that she was gonna ask for money and has yet to show up.

At some point, we need to do better.

It's just one of those things I think that a city does as a city for the residents and the people coming to that city.

I've had, and I'm confident that most of the other council, if not all the other council, has received calls as well.

And I've had several.

Again, I don't know what we can do.

The budget, uh, it's gonna be worse next year than it is this year.

But hopefully, we can do something better next year when it comes to Christmas lights and lighting up the city at Christmas time.

And that's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Shoemaker.

Nice jacket, by the way.

Thank you.

Best it.

There you go.

I got a couple of things.

First of all, Chief Miller, 35 years.

You've given everything.

And we we certainly appreciate your leadership.

It certainly shows your reputation when you ask about, you mention your very name.

The next thing that comes is the very best.

And that's what I think about when I think about Chief Miller.

So thank you, sir.

Okay.

You're welcome.

Want to uh recognize Kevin Felsher, uh our representative back of the room.

Also former supervisor, Connie Rocco.

Uh is sitting there.

We'll we'll talk about her in a little bit.

And uh executive director of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association, Miss Linda Hornsby.

Want to recognize her as well.

And we got uh all y'all are special, but I wanted to uh point those out.

Uh I also attended the War Market uh parade, had the pleasure to ride with uh Councilman Tisdale.

Uh he weaved back and forth, but uh there was a purpose to it uh so we could make sure we could make those throws uh to the to the people that were waiting for uh candy or or beads or whatever.

Uh and and the weather was uh outstanding.

It was a nice event.

Um couple uh things in Ward 6.

Uh the entrance to Destiny Plantation, the black top, as you go into the uh brick paved uh subdivision, seems to be uh damaged or a little torn up.

If if somebody can just put some eyes on that, uh, see if it needs any uh tender love and care.

Um there was a writing issue out at the sportsplex uh a couple weeks ago.

I called Ronnie and uh he he kind of gave a quick answer, which I was able to communicate to others, which kind of got them quieted down, and then it was remedied soon after that.

And uh appreciate the attention to that.

Um and then last, um, I know this is our last meeting uh before Christmas, and just wish everybody uh a wonderful Christmas.

Uh it's it means different things to different people this time of year.

Um some people are hurting uh during this time of the year, some people are celebrating uh during this time of the year.

So wrap your arms around your friends and loved ones and and maybe even those that that need a hug that you may not know uh and and let them uh kind of feel what uh Christmas is all about.

So uh it's real important.

Uh this one is certainly special to me for a variety of reasons.

Um and that'll conclude uh council reports.

President, can I bring up one thing?

I'm sorry.

Yes, sir.

My apologies.

I did forget to bring something up.

Y'all, this Saturday, 8 to 10 at the Point Cadet Pavilion.

Um Representative Kevin Felcher sponsors this, I think a couple times throughout the year.

It's clean up Biloxi, bags, gloves, water, things like that will be provided, and it's a great time if you can volunteer come out.

We're gonna pick up litter, pick up trash, and try to clean up Biloxi some.

Uh it's a usually a great event.

Usually we have a good turnout.

So I know it's Christmas time, so hopefully everyone can turn out again.

That's 8 to 10 this coming Saturday at Point Cadet Pavilion.

Thank you, Councilman.

Thank you, Mr.

Shoemaker.

Mr.

Felsher, you want to add anything?

Uh okay.

Mr.

Quay, you had something.

Now I was thanking uh Councilman Schumaker for bringing that up.

I was just fixing trying to get your attention to bring it up.

Okay.

And also the uh trees on the Christmas on Avenue on the 21st.

Y'all know somebody that's in need of a Christmas tree, they're gonna be free.

And some of them's decorated, some ain't, but all of them have lights.

So if you need a needy uh family that needs one, they're gonna be there.

Y'all contact me and I can help y'all organize that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

All right.

Um council reports are now concluded.

We'll move on to public agenda, citizens' comments.

We have a total time of 45 minutes.

Uh each person will have three minutes to talk on any subject uh that you desire.

This is not a question and answer session.

This is uh strictly public comments.

Uh when you're recognized, uh come up to the front, sign in your name and your address and state it uh clearly for the clerk to re record.

We'll start on my left, your right.

Raise your hand to be recognized.

Yes, sir.

What?

Good afternoon, City Council.

My name is Andy Linville.

I was asked to come here tonight by several citizens who are deeply concerned about the direction the city's headed.

Community interest appears high, and the public discussion is very active at this time.

People are worried, and they have every reason to be worried.

You're about to vote about adding a three dollar room tax to create more revenue, but Baloxi doesn't have a revenue problem.

We have an accountability problem that needs to be solved first.

Baloxy has substantial revenue compared to many cities.

But Baloxi keeps running short.

It's not a revenue problem.

It's a management problem.

Before we ask citizens to pay more, we need to see where our money is going.

Based on public records that I have requested, transparency at City Hall is selective and inconsistent, especially when it comes to information about our finances.

On July 1st, this council voted to bring Curry Johnson and Myers under the city attorney.

I believe this uh arrangement raises serious legal questions under state law and city charter.

From public information, it appears that the director of legal is typically a city employee, not an outside council villain through a private firm.

How long is this city operated under this structure?

And what is that legal basis?

Since then, our legal spending has significantly increased.

Cases take longer, they cost more, and taxpayers are footing the bill.

Hourly rates don't mean much when the hours continue to grow.

This isn't good government.

It creates the appearance of self-dealing and weak oversight.

Council members, you have the power to fix this.

That vote you took last July, it can be reversed.

Here's what needs to happen.

Call an executive session as permitted by law.

Do it without the mayor.

Do it without the city attorney.

You can't have an honest conversation replacing someone when they're sitting in the room.

On your next meeting, vote to hire an independent, out-of-area attorney, someone without local politics.

To make this happen, you need to create a legal oversight committee made up of council members and citizens.

Give that committee appropriate access consistent with law to review contracts, invoices, and summaries of settlements.

Before you vote to raise taxes, vote to clean your own house.

Citizens of Bilexi are watching, and they're ready for leadership that stands with them, not above them.

It only takes four votes when you figure the recusal.

Thank you.

Anyone else on my left or right?

Yes, sir.

Hello.

Um please enter the record, the three files that I handed to you.

That would be the affidavit.

That would be the letter to the city council.

And that would also be a very backs report that was uh that has a lot of things that was uh sent to the FBI.

So what I'm here for is because we've been having a very grave situation that resulted in three lawsuits to which the city attorney here has been playing some very weird games.

Um city attorney has been playing some very weird games.

So when does it start it?

Um I have tried to saddle several times with the city without asking for absolutely any compensation, but the corruption goes so far and the bills as well that they have been checked for so long.

They have no sense of limits whatsoever.

So as you can all see, um, it's very unfortunate that I only have three minutes, and that would be three hours.

But one star short, you can see there are several instances of Mr.

Kerr here showing up on Sundays.

That's not a Monday notches, they were talking about Sundays.

Um he's been caught on video.

He's he's transparent to my commercial property to which I have connections to department of state.

And that trigger a actually a true party investigation that is ongoing, and um, I'm expected to be called into testimony soon.

You can uh you all have a copy of that in that he's also in the record for the public to see.

But uh this goes very far, but I do expect then, and all of you running copy in an email that um what's going on is that they keep intimidating, they keep showing up, cruel, and I've allowed for him to say it's a lie.

He built my commercial property more than one time.

He delegated my wife, he walked over a hundred and fifty inside on a wheel and buddy by herself and started asking questions, start taking features.

That is not acceptable.

They think they are some sort of muffioso, he's been stealing over I don't know how many hundred thousands of dollars.

So his wife has several weird dealings, but you know, we have two minutes and I'll be here many other times.

I appreciate everyone.

Anyone else on my left, your right?

Raise your hand to be recognized if you'd like to speak.

Anyone on my right, your left.

Uh good afternoon, everybody.

I'm Jason Steerman, Goose Point Boulevard Bilexi, Mississippi.

Uh, thanks for letting me speak.

I actually want to bring some good news today and express some gratitude to all the city leadership.

Uh Mike, I appreciate you helping us.

Like he said, we've got trucks rolling on Camellia.

It's been a pain in the neck for everybody.

I'd like to recognize uh Walt Rhody.

Jerry hooked me up with him a while ago, and he's been really doing a good job trying to keep this complicated project together.

We're finally seeing some progress.

So I wanted to thank you guys very much.

Um also I wanted to just make a couple of public uh announcements.

We're doing a Mississippi sanitary drive this afternoon at the sanctuary from four to eight p.m.

We're giving away toys.

If anybody in any of y'all's districts has any need for toys, there's no special requirements, they just show up.

We got Santa Claus over there.

Uh, we're gonna be whipping up some hot cocoa and giving away cookies, everything is free.

Um, if you have anybody, they don't need to apply.

I don't need to know why they need toys, they bring their kids and they can pick our tours.

We got a ton of them, so I want to be empty-handed by eight o'clock tonight.

If y'all could help me out with that.

And then finally, uh January 17th.

Um we have and thank you on behalf of all of my tenants in the building, by the way.

It really does make uh a big difference with the road.

And on January 17th, we've got a tunnel to towers fundraiser event.

We've partnered with a spirit manufacturer, uh, Rockavaca.

They have a tunnel to towers commemorative heroes bottle, the first worldwide launch.

It was supposed to be in Los Angeles.

I was able to bring it to Biloxi, Mississippi.

The first time that this bottle will be sold will be in Biloxi.

We're doing a big fundraiser, five dollars off of every bottle that they sell anywhere in the world goes directly to Tunnel to Towers.

I've already got uh a lot of commitments from some sponsors that are gonna write checks directly to Tunnel for Tunnel to Towers.

It's gonna be an all-day event starting at 10 a.m.

Um we're gonna have uh exhibition wrestling match, we're gonna have a couple of bands, we're gonna do silent auctions.

We're gonna uh we've got some celebrities coming, some of the actors from Chicago Fire on MBC are gonna be in town, they're gonna sign some of these hero bottles so we can raise a lot of money.

Um, and uh we're gonna donate a percentage of our sales.

Uh we've also got Scott Payne, he's a very famous undercover FBI agent.

He's now retired, and he was on Joe Rogan recently.

He's coming and uh speaking for us for free to raise awareness and try to raise a lot of money.

I'd like to invite everybody here.

Um, and actually it's uh Chief Miller's retirement party, he just doesn't know it.

It's the day after he retires, we figured out.

But um seriously, I'd like to invite everybody here.

Kenny's gonna speak for us for sure.

Mr.

Mayor would love if you'd come and say a few words, and please let everybody know.

Um it's a really good car.

Tunnel to Towers does a lot of great things.

They give away mortgage-free homes to first responders and the families, uh, Gold Star families of fallen uh veterans, great organization, and uh all of their money goes to the charity.

So please, if you could help us support that and bring a lot of goodwill to Beluxie.

And that's my time.

Thank you guys.

Merry Christmas.

Um thank you, Jason.

Yes, sir.

Appreciate everything you do in the community for us.

Anyone else on my right?

Your left?

Anyone raise your hand to be recognized?

Anyone in the back of the room?

All right.

Citizens' comments is now closed.

We'll move on to the policy agenda.

We'll start with the ordinance of first reading.

Ordnance to amend Chapter 12, licenses, licenses and businesses regulations to add Article 15 towing services.

Do I have a motion?

It's first reading.

Do I have a motion?

So move.

Oh, second.

Moved by Mr.

Crew, seconded by Mr.

Gray.

This is a uh first reading.

Move on to the resolutions.

Resolution appointing Colonel Rocco to the Biloxi Beautification Commission for a term beginning December 2nd, 2025 and ending December 1st, 2028.

I'd like to move that.

Second.

Second by Mr.

Creel.

Like to uh call Ms.

Rocco up for a second or or two to make uh some some uh comments.

Uh we've been patiently waiting for this moment.

And uh and I believe I speak for majority, if not all of the council members.

Uh we're really excited.

Your experience in beautification on the county level, your leadership on the state national level goes without saying.

And uh we're just all excited that that you would join this effort.

I think it's gonna move the needle significantly along with the others that are working so hard uh to make our city beautiful.

Uh you you have a track record of success, and uh I can't wait to see what magic uh no pressure, the magic that you can uh add to this uh commission.

Thank you so much for having that much uh yeah, caring that much about and and really believing in what we say.

But in um uh I'm sorry that I'm a little under the weather, but I have lost my wind beneath my wings, so I'm a little I'm a little gonna be starting a little slow this time, but um Robert always told me my husband that uh people had two ears and one mouth for a reason.

He reminded me that a lot.

So I would just like to say that um I'm very honored uh to be here and I hope that I that we can accomplish a lot.

And when we started beautification in the county and all five cities, we uh became certified with Keep America Beautiful, and that was in 1989.

And uh we did the household hazardous waste collection days, the Christmas tree recycling, the telephone book recycling, and cleanups, and we also did trees and that sort of thing.

And we had a budget of twelve thousand dollars, which was my salary.

I was a big paid director.

And um we were uh Bobby A.

Terris was very instrumental in it, as well as uh Boyce Holliman and writing the law because we didn't have permission or a law to even make a beautification commission in the county.

So um with that, uh we used basically the money for uh our success was the community.

We went to businesses uh if you want to maybe a light.

I know my husband used to put up lights for Christmas, and I remember that.

Um but maybe businesses would like to buy an ornament, or you know, maybe there should be an honor of Christ uh trees to be planted, or uh you'd be surprised how many people would like to participate in helping their community look beautiful.

And um, there's casinos, I'll put them on the spot.

And um there's casinos, I'll put them on the spot uh uh for medians uh to look good, and um also uh we have education if you can get into the schools and into uh uh these uh c uh clubs such as um you know the lions club and the different clubs and educate people on litter and encourage them to recycle because it gives some value to trash.

So I will I can hear my husband saying, all right, that's enough.

And I appreciate the fact that uh we've come full circle here, and I get to talk trash and show dirty movies again.

Any other comments?

Yeah, so just a few things that you said uh um the 12,000, we certainly would take that.

Uh yeah, unfortunately, this is uh uh uh not funded uh committee uh commission, but uh based on your comments and and to further what you said, that's exactly what um the the commission, the current commission has been discussing is is uh civic and public involvement in and reaching out to the cities to I mean to the citizens to uh to assist us.

And although there's seven members appointed, we can have as many ex of facto members as we need, and so I think everyone in the city is should be on the beautification commission, honestly.

However, we're in the process of trying to come up with a fund uh through through a uh entity to where citizens can donate in honor of as you just mentioned to where the commission would have some funding through public donations and private donations uh to assist in your efforts.

We look forward to having you on there and your expertise and thank you for for accepting a nomination for a commission that has no authority and and no funding.

So that that's peace value.

All right, with that, um we'll go ahead and call for the uh question.

All in favor, those opposed, congratulations.

Beluxy need you, congratulations.

Move on to the next item.

Resolution appointing James McClendon to the Bloxi Beautification Commission for a term beginning December 16th, 2025 and ending December 15th, 2028.

Entertain a motion.

Second.

Motion by Mr.

Mr.

Marshall, second by Mr.

Tuesday, Mr.

Marshall.

Um Mr.

Janus McClendon is a uh retired maybe veteran, electrician.

He served on the um USS Enterprise, USS Eisenhower, USS Memet.

Uh I knew his mother very well.

He's always been uh upstanding man in our community, always been very supportive.

Anything we need him in the community, whether I'm asking him or anyone asking him, he always come forward and make sure that he does his job.

Whatever you ask him to do, he does it with honor and with respect.

Um I wish it was a paid position, but it's not, but he's that type of man he's gonna work for free, and we you know we need that.

We need somebody to care about our community, and we're gonna be supporting him.

And I said he'd come forward, you want to see a couple words.

Hi my name is James McClinton, and I appreciated being nominated and accept working with the commission, the beautification commission, and on the committee as well, and looking forward to putting my input with the committee and everybody else and stuff like that.

But I'm looking forward to it.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, yes, sir.

Thank you so much uh again for for for accepting the the position.

Um we look forward to your you contributing uh and just so you know I want to let you and Ms.

Rocco know that the next meeting is uh January the 7th in Council Chambers at 11 a.m.

Okay.

And thank you again, sir.

You all the comments thank you for your service.

Thank you.

Call for the question.

All in favor.

Those opposed motion carries.

Congratulations.

One little comment.

I want to thank uh Chief Miller for 35 years of service.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Next item consent agenda.

That's it.

All right.

We'll move on to the consent.

Do I have a motion?

So moved.

Moved by Mr.

Creel.

Second.

Second by Mr.

Tuesday, Mr.

Greel.

All right, let's see here.

So item S, I believe.

Just quick question.

That's on the transfer funds.

Right.

So one question, and I'm sure you you have a dissertation, but one question that it indicates that half the money is going to citywide street repairs.

Is that would that be included in paving?

621,000 is going to citywide street repairs.

That's where we pave out of.

We repair streets and pay from that project.

Okay, so that would provide funding that we currently do not have for paving.

Right.

Okay.

21,000.

The additional money is just going to water and sewer.

It is currently in the water sewer balance, the fund balance.

What this is going to do is it's going to remove the encumbrance that's prevented us from being able to spend that in that fund balance.

Okay.

It basically goes back to the water sewer.

Okay.

Perfect.

Does anyone else have any questions on that?

I do.

So the the actual 600 something thousand going to paving, it'll go into a paving fund.

It doesn't go into the general fund, it goes into a paving fund.

It goes into to the to that account that's designated as paving fund, which makes it encumbered for it can only be used for paving.

I think you've got coupled in a 999 project.

Citywide paving in a project, a catch-all project.

Yeah, that this is this one sends it back to our catch-all.

Bottom line is the distribute redistribution of some excess funding we had for the water well project.

Uh understand the water part.

So the water part, so there's a million two 621 is going to the paving fund.

Correct.

600 is going to repay or sewer fund back the water and sewer fund back that we were going to borrow and use.

Correct.

Correct.

So here's my question.

If we don't do paving, does the money sit there and uh until it's spent, or could it be a budget amendment to put it back into the general fund?

It will that money can't just go back to general.

That's what I'm asking.

Okay.

Christy might want to enhance the the position.

So as as Christie, before you answer, so my point is this.

So it could offset money that we would use in the future in general fund to go into the paving fund that now we may not need to because we found the surplus money.

Uh potentially, yes.

1025 is what we do.

We do paving out of it.

We do repair replace projects.

It's our internet use tax money that we get.

It's specific for infrastructure repairs, maintenance, that kind of stuff.

So she's got an unfunded list that would help use eminent money.

It could be paving.

It couldn't, you know, we haven't the mayor and I haven't really talked about what's going to happen yet, but yes, paving is done out of this account with this funding, but so is other repairplace drainage projects, whatever.

It has the potential to preserve some of our uh general fund.

Yeah that normally we would have to uh go into.

So that's a good thing as we're trying to increase the general fund as we move throughout the year.

Okay.

That that was my ultimate point.

Okay, I wait, wait, wait, wait, mission.

Okay, you're saying this is a part of the internet youth.

No, no, not this.

This is not a part of the industry.

Did I hear you say that?

The 1.2 million was this was ARPA.

Was it ARPA?

No, we would we moved our ARPA into this and it released the process.

Okay, what was this?

What was this?

What project that was?

And what was the source of of the it it was a Bay Vista project that was ARPA funded?

Okay, and we moved we had this as a placeholder until we could close out Tanglewood.

So you split the 1.2 excess up to those two, correct.

Correct.

As far as what's to be paid, she's got about 30 uh projects on the list with no money to pay for it.

At least you'll have 600,000 to work that list down.

That we had the vote to set it aside.

This is not the same funds.

No, no, that's not okay.

Now, to be clear, what you're saying is that I have areas in my community need to be potholes need to be fixed and paid.

Could this fund be used for that?

Citywide.

Could be.

Have you already allocated these funds somewhere else?

Yeah.

Okay, so we can put we can start off resident projects that we have in our area, streets that need to be paved, potholes need to be fixed.

So now we have funding for that.

We can we can provide a list of those things that have been identified to be paved.

Okay, and you would be y'all's call to how you work it through.

Well where do we get that list?

It's an idea tomorrow.

I can I can supply tomorrow.

I can supply that list.

That's the list I think y'all gave to Rick in the very beginning.

We did some paving requests for so I can I we have that list, a running list.

I can't there's some excuse me.

There's also a list, I think, in your engineering report.

Yes, and I haven't been attaching the um the um repair place list lately because nothing's been changing on it, but that repair placelist that typically comes out on Monday with my engineering report.

I'll re send that out this week so you have it.

Those are all the projects too that would also we use this funding for.

Okay, so it's not set in the list of project that you have that's running if that's not set in stone already.

No, no, no, no, no.

Okay, yeah.

Okay, because I remember not much within Ward 2.

Are you supposed to left the on it?

So we can work on that, right?

Yeah, perfect.

Thank you so much.

Hey, one more one more thing.

Like a little more.

I do like to go back when I put someone on the spot and they're not only spot anymore.

I do remember asking you twice.

Okay, and you were very clear.

We don't have any funds to pay a fix the pothole.

So now you can give me a better answer for now, huh?

I I yes, I could say there are funds, but I gotta make sure I can spend them that way that I'm I have permission from my boss to spend them that way.

Yes.

We'll work on him.

Yeah, we work on it.

And we can fix potholes in-house with our in-house crews.

You and so if you have some specific ones we can fix that are small, we can do those.

Um we can tackle some of those if we need to in-house.

Right.

I just want to pull you off the spot.

I put you on the spot twice.

I know I did that.

So I didn't I I can say I want to be fair.

And you're a straightforward person.

I like that about you.

You know, truth is the truth, and you don't like I say, perfectly.

Could have you put a bit of milk, you could have given me a political answer that meant nothing, but you didn't.

You told the truth.

I appreciate that.

But I'm glad to see we do have something to work with.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Marshall.

Mr.

Cruel, you still have the floor.

Okay, let's see.

Um uh item M.

That's uh so that's that's replacing or or changing or swapping a fence.

We're going from a chain link to a wrought iron fence, correct?

If if I'm not mistaken.

My question is is that at before 90?

Is that the lift station that's at before 90 that we're beautifying, so to speak, with the with the new fence?

Okay, okay.

No, that's the one that uh Edward Mall, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir, Rick.

That is correct.

It's the one at Edgewater Mall.

You was a chain link in the design, but we wanted to match the style at the Beauvoir.

So it's consistent.

Gotcha.

Okay, so that's why Blue Force Anders.

So we're not replacing or doing anything at the one at the foot of the Coliseum then.

No, sir, we're gonna match it so it looks consistent across uh the highway.

Okay.

Perfect thank you.

That's all I have.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Anyone else have anything for the consent?

I got something.

All right.

Uh on item D.

Um, why do we need these?

These are service beds.

This one and the next one is a dump bed for the vehicles.

Some of the vehicles we ordered, we ordered without beds, so that we have the service beds that they get they can put their tools and stuff in instead of just a regular truck bed.

So we don't have those kind of trucks right now.

We only have one, maybe two.

So we're getting them to where we can have one in vehicle maintenance and um some other crews that like our our construction crew, they can store their tools in them instead of storing them in the back of the bed.

Who who comes to you and says this is what I need?

Our supervisor 21,000.

Superintendents.

All right.

And then the dump body bed, same thing.

Yes.

Yes, it's for public works.

Now, as we work through these, Councilman Neil, this will be the only list that we'll have for the next two or three years of vehicles besides the police department that we're gonna be requesting.

So we came in and did this, and as we do the financing across the five years, that's why we did what we did on this one, and we worked with you on those to be able to show you everything that we've got and lay it out.

The vehicle had we're getting older and older and older, and it was costing us more and more money to put in.

So this way we were able to go in one time and spread that money over five years instead of just paying it at once.

The only ones that you'll see in here that were paid outright are the ports because they had the funding in there, and it's easier just to do that instead of doing another finance from those because it's obviously a different funding.

Because they had the funding in there, and it's easier just to do that instead of doing another finance from those because it's obviously a different funding.

So we're able to utilize that.

So those are where we're looking at from here.

Next year, when I come to you on the budget, then you'll have basically some police because what we do is rotate out around 15 or 20, Chief Miller, a year.

And as those patrol cars roll through, so the next two or three years, we won't have any additional vehicles across the city that we're requesting currently at this time, unless we just have major accidents or something.

So if we don't if we don't get the trucks that you're asking for, we won't need this, huh?

We're gonna get the trucks that we're asking for.

That's also on here as well.

Those are the ones that are in the five-year financing.

But those trucks don't come with beds on them.

You have to purchase those beds separately.

Okay, all right, thank you.

All right.

Anyone else on consent?

Mr.

Gray.

Item I know we're talking about a five-year thing.

Can you explain to us?

All these were not purchasing them outright.

Everything is gonna be a lease purchase, correct?

It's gonna be just like you do with your vehicle at the house.

We'll go to the bank and get a five-year note.

And at the end of five years, then I we get the title for those.

So that's what we're talking about as far as lease purchase, yes, sir.

Right.

We're not paying this money up front.

We're doing a little bit of a we're spreading it out, and what we and that's we've discussed many times.

Instead of eating that elephant one bite at or at one time, we're eating it one bite at a time.

So these vehicles are gonna last.

These should last approximately 10 years.

The police usually about every five years we rotate out.

That's why we try to every year buy 15 or 20 vehicles for the police department.

The remainder of these should be lasting around 10 years.

So what we did was want to stretch that funding out instead of paying for it once.

For the next five years, we shouldn't be voting on any cars, right?

I said next year.

I appreciate you trying to catch me on that one, Councilman Gray, but next year, the only ones you'll be voting on are for the police department.

Correct.

And uh we'd have no plans currently, unless something does come up, and I mean things happen.

Right.

But I have no plans currently right now discussing with the mayor and with the different directors that we're gonna need any other vehicles besides the ones that we had.

And these are replacing 2005, 2008s.

These are some elderly vehicles that we're gonna replace to make sure that now our maintenance is not taken care of as well, too.

And another thing we were very fortunate that from a state contract side, we've got those down on the coast, so now we can also have a quicker route of getting them repaired.

All right, okay.

I just wanted you to clarify that.

Um, because I mean it looks like we're buying a lot, but actually we're not.

So I appreciate you for clarifying that.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Creel.

So quick question.

So the 1.9 million, that's a total over for for for five years.

We might have another 1.9 next year.

No.

No.

Okay.

Not on vehicles.

Not they should no, I'm good with that.

That that was good.

Uh it was something else, but no, that that's good.

So now you will though, Councilman Creel, you're gonna have some more on the police because they rotate and we kind of keep those rolling.

Uh Chief Miller and about every five years, like I stated, we try to get rid of those, and then we're doing those.

Um, for Mr.

Nail before he hits me up on it, we're also working to get rid of all the other ones on either Dove.com or also doing some crushing of the vehicles.

So we've been working with our legal and purchasing, and they've been working with Chief Miller to clean that out on the Pops Ferry side.

So we're cleaning up our inventory, we're looking at what we need, what we don't need, and then we're moving forward on those.

So, real quick, the the the cars that we're replacing the 2005-2008s, we'll see those on the bid sheet like we do, like we have today, the suburban, we'll start seeing those cars be better.

Okay.

And I don't think we'll receive these until it's probably end of January, first of February before these even start coming in, maybe even March.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Mr.

Shoemaker, just one question also on I.

And I know that's 1.9 million-ish over five years, but do we know what that cost will be yearly through the five years?

I think that's in there, Rachel.

Uh and if it is, I look through it multiple times.

I may have overlooked that.

First year.

Not yet.

Uh the Feds met on the 10th.

The rate the new rates have not published.

We'll be seeking the request January.

Yes, right.

We have we have sufficient debt service to cover it in the budget, but I can't tell you exactly what the rate will be.

So that we don't have to re-quote.

The bank's just not going to hold their rate for more than 30 days.

And that number will be the same throughout the five years.

That will.

It will be fixed, and we'll give you that once we are able to get it.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

All right.

Anything else on the consent before we uh call for requests.

On this right here.

If you don't mind.

So we're vote, we're voting blind, and we don't know how much it's going to actually go to the final cost is.

We just know that this is the upfront cost based on the bid.

Well, we don't know about the interest rate.

This will be the principal amount.

Okay, so we don't know what the final cost.

No, you're not voting blindly.

You know what the vehicles cost.

What you don't know currently right now is the interest rate that we're going for.

And that's one reason why we held off until at least December, because we knew the Fed was going to do hopefully a reduction in interest.

So they'll do it again because we can't lock that rate in until 30 days in advance.

Currently, those interest rates are going down, so you're actually getting a better cost than we did if we were to lock that in in October.

Right.

We estimated it at the current interest.

It's going down, so we should very good shape.

Okay.

So when you know that when you do know the amount of the interest in the debt service amount, you'll be coming back and let us know.

It'll be on the agenda again to do the lease purchase, and it'll have the full amount, the principal, the amount of interest, the rate, everything.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Any other questions?

There being none.

Uh we'll vote on the consent, then I'll ask for any exceptions.

All in favor of the consent.

All opposed?

Motion carries.

I'll ask for the exceptions.

Mr.

Gray?

I have none.

Mr.

Marshall.

Come back to me, please.

Mr.

Nail.

I I have none.

Mr.

Creel.

N and B.

Mr.

Tisdale?

None.

Mr.

Schumacher.

I and Thank you.

Mr.

Marshall.

I have none.

Okay.

All right.

We'll move on to our code enforcements.

Mr.

Creel.

Thank you, sir.

Item A on the agenda.

PSGC properties LLC.

2369 Pass Road.

This property is still in violation.

Is there anyone here to speak on behalf of PSGC properties LLC?

2369 Pass Road.

There being no one, this case is closed.

Item B, Deborah D.

Boland, 137 Holly Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item C, Michael A.

Jones, 150 Pine Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item D, uh foul owned don, 152 Pine Street.

That case has been resolved.

Item E, Michael.

Pietascalzo.

165 Rosetti Street.

This property is still in violation.

Sir, anyone here to speak on behalf of Michael Pete Scalo Scalzo?

165 Rosetti Street.

Good guess, Kenny.

Yeah, with there being no one, this case is closed.

Item F, Mass Limited LLC, 2638 executive place.

That case has been resolved.

Item G, Maybell Hutcherson, 338 Maple Street.

This property is still in violation.

This is a uh camper that is parked on a private piece of property that's not allowed in this zoning.

Uh it has no services to it.

It's a violation, and the resolution is to bring it before the council.

Is there anyone here to speak on behalf of May Bell Hutchinson?

338 Maple Street.

There being no one, this case is closed.

Item H, C CJ Shaw Consulting in Real Estate LLC, Zero Elmer Street.

This property is still a violation.

Overgrowth and abandoned vehicle.

Thank you.

Anyone here to speak on behalf of CJ Shaw Consulting in Real Estate LLC 0 Elmer Street?

There being no one, this case is closed.

Thank you, Director.

Need a uh motion on the routine.

So moved by Mr.

Creel.

Thank you.

Second.

Executive session.

Oh.

Okay, hold on one second.

We're going to back up.

If I can get you to draw your motion.

So I need a motion to go into closed session for the purpose of examining the necessity to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation.

I'll make that motion.

All in favor.

Any other discussion?

All in favor?

Those opposed were in executive session.

Oh yes, we lost everyone.

You already know around the chair will entertain a motion uh to conclude the executive session, reconvene as an open meeting and note that no action was taken.

I'll make that motion.

Second.

Made by Mr.

Tuesday, seconded by Mr.

Creel.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

Those opposed.

Motion carries.

Need a motion on the routine.

So moved.

Mr.

Creel, seconded by Mr.

Tisdale.

Discussion, Mr.

Creel.

Yes, sir.

All right, let's see who we are here.

Okay, so I noticed in here we have uh invoices from the county regarding uh uh payments for Joe Blessing consulting on the save our sound for the total amount of twenty seven twenty-seven thousand and some change.

That that is coming out of the eighty-two thousand, correct?

That that line item, the eighty-two thousand that we had left.

Right.

So once the eighty-two thousand is is exhausted, um Mr.

Bessie doesn't have the um or the county doesn't send us any more invoices up to unless we renew an additional amount to put in that line item, correct?

So we'll zero that out and then it'll have to be refunded.

Okay.

Um the next thing is uh I see Keith Heard's uh invoice came in and I got a copy of his report.

If we could have this report for all the councilman, um I noticed uh I know he didn't send one in in October due to the uh middle of the month signing his contract.

Uh he emailed one in November that we got in the middle of the meeting, and then we get the one today.

Uh if part of that of of putting him back on contract was that he be available for discussion.

Is there any way we can have him available either in person or by phone for the next Tuesday meeting?

There's just some questions I want to ask.

For example, the government's been shut down for 47 days, and I got that he's working with me, Mafema, working with the congressional delegation, and I just don't know how he's doing that when the governor shut down.

So I this are some questions that I'd like to ask him if he can be available.

Good catch.

Question.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

So uh and then um also I'd like to be on record to uh abstain from the Curry Johnson uh invoices.

Thank you, Mr.

Creel, Mr.

Tuesday.

Not a thing, thank you.

Anyone else?

I do.

Oh, Mr.

Schumacher.

I'm sorry, real quick.

I just want to echo everything Councilman Creel said about Keith Heard.

I and yes, in the future, what he's putting down, and I'll be honest with you, I he sent it last year last month.

This month, I think we only received it because we asked for it.

Again, we're paying him a lot of money, and it's very simple what he needs to do.

And I'll be quite honest, I changed my vote at the very last minute.

And I shouldn't have, honestly, but I did.

And all he's got to do, it's very simple.

He's getting paid very good money to do what he's doing.

And quite frankly, I still don't know what he's doing.

Just like I did last month and last year.

It's very simple.

Provide us with a report.

If it takes an hour by God, he should be able to report that because he's making plenty of money.

I we shouldn't have to ask for this every month.

So if he can't do it, then we need to revisit it.

If he can do it, then I would say he does it very well ahead of time.

So the seven councilmen up here can review that, and if we have questions, we can arrange for him to answer questions.

And if he doesn't want to do that or doesn't want to make himself available to us, then we definitely need to rethink it.

So that's all I had to say.

Thank you.

Yep, Mr.

Crew.

Just to follow up on that, and and just to further his point and mine as well.

Exactly what transpired and all the things.

So I got 37 pages from Gerald Blessy, and I get a letter head copy fact sheet from our lobbyist.

So if if there's a way he could pay more attention to detail, simpler as as his counterpart does, is all we're asking.

Let me respond to you a little bit about some of the things he will have some opportunity at the legislation for three or four meetings that you it would be critical to understanding what the role of our lobbyists, especially with the legislative sessions going on the 7th and 8th, I think is uh but FEMA was not shut down.

Okay, so in essence there was some movement.

Joe Nicholson uh uh Congressman Edel's chief of staff had indicated that there was some uh effort before uh I think uh about eight days ago, FEMA director who was you know critical to uh the the request was uh we were trying to do some lobbying in order to get a favorable decision before he left town on the infeme infrastructure, but officially uh FEMA was still running the running the deal, it's according to Joe.

He told me that.

So it wasn't the complete government wasn't shut down, but there was a 90-day or 60-day appeal that the time was running on their response, and I'm not sure where they are in their response, but that's just point of the and those are questions I'd I'd love to ask for him if uh or it should be in here, rather.

I'm sure I understand uh it seems as though we still have the misunderstanding with uh with our uh raw good friend.

I'd like to say this the one way we can settle this is the next time it says no.

Find somebody else.

All right.

Any anything else on routine?

Nothing on routine.

All right, call for the question.

All in favor.

Those opposed voted uh Mr.

Creel said he's abstaining from the Curry Johnson bills.

All right.

Uh and just if I could uh reiterate my motion to injourn in memory of uh Pistol Pete Misco, uh longtime coach, uh baseball coach for Biloxi uh youth and mentor, and um, as I said, a member of our uh sports hall of fame.

Prayers to his family.

Thank you, Mr.

Creel.

Second.

We'll all second.

We're all seconding it.

All in favor?

Those opposed?