Gazebo Gazette
The Harrison County Board of Supervisors and the Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport on Monday will enter into a historic interlocal support agreement.
Capt. William L. Whitmire of NCGBC is scheduled to attend the Monday meeting of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors to sign the agreement which allows the county to assist in the surveillance and abatement of mosquitoes on the Seabee base.
This is the first Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) between the Navy and the county outside of fire and emergency response mutual aid agreements. It is also the first IGSA approved in the Navy’s Southeast region.
“New authority under Title 10 of the U.S. Code allows us to do partnerships directly with the local governments where we can exchange resources,” Whitmire said. “The intent of that is to create opportunities to save money on both sides, and so this is a great business opportunity for us, partnering with local communities to be able to not only drive down costs of our installation operations, but also for the local community governments to drive down the costs of their business operations.”
The ISGA will enable the base to purchase mosquito services at a pre-determined price from the county on an as-needed basis.
“What an honor to be the President of the Board of Supervisors for such a historic event,” Harrison County District 2 Supervisor Angel Kibler-Middleton said. “I see this as the first small step to a successful long term relationship with our wonderful neighbors, the U.S. Navy. The goal of this partnership is to benefit our citizens and our brave men and women who serve our community. I am excited to see what we can successfully partner on next.”
The agreement has been placed on the public agenda, which is discussed at the beginning of the board meeting. The Harrison County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday, Dec. 3, at 9:30 a.m. in the Gulfport courthouse.
