It didn’t take long for Biloxi to come up with rules designed to curb violence and other issues during this year’s Black Spring Break April 7-9.
On Tuesday’s council agenda are the first readings for several ordinances designed to quell problems with spring break and all special events in the city. The meeting is at 1:30 p.m. at city hall on Lameuse Street.
The council members can talk about the ordinances during the first reading, but often wait until the following week to discuss them and to vote.
Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich vowed there will not be a repeat of what happened during this year’s spring break.
A suspect in the shooting of a Biloxi police officer and four other people during spring break was just apprehended Wednesday by Covington County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshall Fugitive Task Force, more then a month after the shooting.
During that month, Biloxi Police Chief John Miller, the mayor and other city representatives contacted officials from tourist destinations that had the same problem with spring break and similar events, Gilich said.
“The intent is for the administration and the council to devise a plan to strengthen or replace ordinances to ensure that events that pose a threat to our community and our national reputation are no longer welcome,” he said.
New events ordinances
These are some of the provisions of the ordinances dealing with special events in Biloxi:
A special event ordinance will create a Special Events Committee, which will recommend to the mayor to approve, conditionally approve or deny event requests in accordance with the ordinance.
Every application will include provisions for food and water, health and sanitation facilities, medical facilities, parking, lighting, noise control, facilities for cleanup and waste disposal, insurance and bonding arrangements
The intent is to establish reasonable limits to the demand for police, fire and other city services, to minimize detrimental effects to surrounding properties, to recover a reasonable portion of the cost of events to the city and provide a regulatory framework for permitting special events, the ordinance says.
Other ordinances on the agenda Tuesday will regulate:
▪ Food truck vendors must file a permit 60 days in advance of being authorized to open and the city must approve the site, location and appearance of the food truck, under the proposed ordinance.
▪ City facilities’ ordinance amendment to include a $35 fee per hour for police officers and fire guards when required.
▪ Storage or parking of heavy trucks, trailers, major recreational equipment or mobile homes
This story was originally published May 12, 2023 9:48 AM.
