by Hunter Dawkins
After hearing the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Executive Director Matt McDowell introducing his staff and presenting the improvement bids at the Biloxi Courthouse, the Harrison County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the suggestion to improve the carpet and roof repairs needed. McDowell expressed the money used for this project would come out of the trust fund set up for the Coliseum. These funds are only used with the county supervisors approval.
Another hot topic for the board came towards the end of the meeting when a memorandum of agreement between the county and an individual requested use of a property on Texas Avenue in Gulfport as a boxing facility for a four year period beginning on July 1. District 4 Supervisor Kent Jones spoke in favor of the facility and recommended approval of the request “to keep kids off the streets.”
The Harrison County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the agreement for the use of this facility.
A final order authorizing payment to Land Shaper, Inc. in the amount of $85,863.19 was made for paving various streets in Pass Christian pursuant to the interlocal cooperation agreement. The city of Pass Christian will reimburse the county in accordance with this understanding passed in March 2019.
During a lengthy discussion, the board denied a request by a couple to construct a pier and a boathouse on the beachside of their property. Following deliberation of the couple’s counsel to the board, Board Attorney Tim Holleman stated, “The Board of Supervisors has the right to regulate the beach.”
Holleman conveyed that before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, numerous private piers existed in West Harrison County, primarily in Pass Christian. Harrison County Sand Beach Director Chuck Loftis mentioned the county employees working with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) to be removing piers that were left.
Harrison County Sheriff Troy Peterson was recognized and listed 812 were currently housed in the county jail facilities with 136 misdemeanors and 132 female inmates.
In other actions, the Board of Supervisors spread upon the minutes memorandums of understanding with the cities of Long Beach & Pass Christian for the Beatline Parkway Project approved on May 13. Additionally, the county approved an inquiry by the Mississippi Health Department to install an electrical manual transfer switch at the Harrison County Health Department to allow the clinic to be functional if an outage occurs after a hurricane or another natural disaster.
