More than three dozen engineering teams – covering six Southeastern states – submitted qualifications to be considered for work on the city’s pending $355 million in infrastructure work.
Joining a host of local engineers in submitting qualifications were teams from Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and Georgia. The representatives are vying to a chance to design specifications for the post-Katrina repair or rebuilding of about 100 miles of streets, and the replacement and repair of about 170 miles of sewer and water lines, 60 miles of storm drains, and more than four dozen lift stations. The initial cost estimate for the work is $355 million.
“When you have this type of interest, you get a good range of local regional qualified firms to choose from,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said. “This will help us move this huge project to the next step.”
Under a federally funded and approved plan, the city will evaluate the qualifications and determine those firms qualified before making recommendations to the City Council.
For background on the project,
click here.
City employees to receive share of $760,000 longevity program
Biloxi’s long-serving municipal employees will share in nearly $430,000 in extra pay on Friday, part of the city’s $760,000 longevity pay program this year.
About 490 employees will receive lump-sum payments, while another 103 received payments throughout the year, amounting to nearly $330,000 this year.
The program, designed to foster employee retention, provides money for each month of service to the city, whose workforce averages 10.75 years of service.
This year, under a plan passed by the City Council after a mayoral veto, employees are receiving $6 for nine months of each year of service and $15 for three months of each year of service.
Next year, employees will receive $15 for each month of service, meaning the program will jump in cost to more than $1.186 million, based on the current number of city employees. Last year, employees received about $276,000 in lump sum payments in a program that cost $433,359 overall.
Volunteers to help prepare, deliver Christmas Day meals
The Harrison County Volunteers to
Feed the Needy have begun the 2008 drive to deliver hot Christmas Day meals to
the less fortunate.
The names those needing a meal on Christmas are currently being accepted.
To request meals call one of these numbers:
— Biloxi Police Department, 435-6133
— D’Iberville Police (Christy), 396-4252
— Gulfport Police, 868-5703
— Harrison County, 896-0606
Meals will be delivered on Christmas morning to
needy families that live in the Harrison County area. Deadline to request a Christmas meal is Dec. 22.
If you’d like to participate by preparing,
packaging or delivering meals,
please report to the Bayou View Middle School cafeteria, 212 43rd St., Gulfport on
Dec. 25, at 9 a.m. to help package meals or at 10:30 a.m. to help deliver meals.
Donations to help make this a Merry Christmas for less fortunate Harrison County residents can be mailed to Harrison County Volunteers to Feed the Needy,
10451 Larkin Smith Drive, Gulfport, MS 39503.
