The Biloxi City Council, which did not meet this week, will face an agenda of nearly three dozen measures when councilmembers gather at City Hall Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
Among the items on the agenda: a measure introduced by Councilman George Lawrence requesting Mayor A.J. Holloway to begin negotiations to acquire property for a Division Street entrance to Keesler Air Force Base.
Measures also are on the agenda involving repair projects at the Biloxi City Cemetery and Kurt Jacquet Fire Station on east Howard Avenue, drainage improvements at Rue Petit Bois and in the Edgewater subdivision, and the purchase of three backhoes and a dump truck body for the Public Works Department.
Council will have the first reading of a proposal to re-zone 11.25 acres of land on Back Bay – 39 parcels in all – from single family residential and general business to waterfront, which would allow casino gaming.
Also on the agenda is first reading of an ordinance that would increase the starting annual pay of Biloxi police officers from $28,371 to $30,000.
To see the complete agenda, click here.
Downtown library book sale continues today, Saturday
The Friends of the Biloxi Library group is hosting a book sale at the former site of the downtown Biloxi Library, 139 Lameuse St., today through 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The group has “hundreds of books to sell, many in like-new condition,” according to Biloxi librarian Charline Longino. “Interested buyers will find both adult and children’s books, hard- and soft-cover books, and both fiction and non-fiction in many subjects. Most will cost a dollar or less. Help us clear out the building and find a happy home for these worthy books.”
The downtown library, incidentally, is expecting to be operating out of its temporary home – a double-wide trailer at Howard Avenue and Bellman Street – later this month.
News and notes
Highway 90 landscaping: MDOT crews this week began installing palm trees on Beach Boulevard east of Debuys Road. The work is part of a $1.4 million project that will see nearly 3,000 plantings of palms, oaks, bald cypress and shrubs in the area from Pass Christian to Point Cadet. The work is expected to be completed by the end of July.
Holloway summiting, Part 1: Mayor A.J. Holloway admits that he was very conservative when he revealed at the Southern Gaming Summit that casino resorts had acquired more than 125 acres in east Biloxi. The figure at this point, Holloway said, is probably closer to 175 acres, given the 20 acres acquired by Isle of Capri and 10 acres by Bayview Casino Resort. To read highlights of the mayor’s presentation, click here.
Holloway summiting, Part 2: The mayor also announced that Harrah’s Entertainment, the world’s largest gaming company, will announce the first phase of its plans for east Biloxi on May 15. You can hear more about the mayor’s presentation and other issues du jour in this week’s City Desk. To listen, click here.
Fishing tournament: Back Bay Mission’s annual Fishing Armada and Catfish Dinner is this weekend at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Schooner Pier. For details, click here.
