by Hunter Dawkins

After months of discussion, complaints issued and letters to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Harrison County Board of Supervisors approved a final plat of 54 homes for the newly constructed Audubon Lake Subdivision in northwestern Gulfport despite environmental concerns last Monday at the Biloxi Courthouse.
“Our first priority should be one of public safety,” said District 2 Supervisor Angel Kibler-Middleton.  “This is a problem adding to a problem.”
Elliot Homes representative Kenneth Jones expressed to the board this would be a loss of economic development and the building of this subdivision was allowed during the permit process.
District 3 Supervisor and Board President Dr. Marlin Ladner expressed the need for MDEQ to settle this ongoing problem with the lagoon and told Middleton the board’s only interest was a will-serve letter.
According to Middleton nearly 400 gallons will be released a day into the lagoon off Highway 53 in Gulfport, but Dr. Ladner stated that MDEQ had a responsibility for dealing with the problems of this lagoon.  Following the deliberation, the board of supervisors voted 3-1 with Middleton voting against and District 5 Supervisor Connie Rocko being absent.
A week before the meeting, the board of supervisors tabled the docket of claims from the Long Beach Water Management District due to adding a special meeting with the city of Long Beach Mayor.  Board Attorney Tim Holleman provided counsel that this special meeting should be approved.
The Long Beach Water Management District is an organization that has been around in some capacity for decades under the 8th Chancery Court District of Mississippi.  This group is in charge of two canals that both exist in West Harrison County.  Each month this group meets and the meeting time and place can be found at http://www.lbwmd.org.
In other actions, the board tabled a budget resolution about the budget of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum after the Executive Director Matt McDonnell presented his numbers.  Dr. Ladner explained the need for a budget resolution from the county school district before the supervisors can move forward.
 
Finally, Harrison County Troy Peterson was recognized to state that 831 inmates were being housed at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center along with 122 individuals for misdemeanor charges and 52 housed federal suspects.  
 
The next meeting for the Harrison County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for October 7 at the county courthouse in Gulfport.