Council eyes change to temporary housing ordinance

The Biloxi City Council will consider a measure today that is designed to ensure that temporary housing remains “temporary.”

An amendment to the city’s temporary uses ordinance is among the issues on the agenda for this afternoon’s City Council meeting, which begins at 1:30 at City Hall.

Ward 6 Councilmember Ed Gemmill is proposing a measure that would direct the Community Development director to make sure storm-damaged residences are uninhabitable before a temporary trailer permit is granted – and to inspect the home before any permits are renewed or extended.

In the wake of Hurricane Kasrina, Biloxi has issued nearly 2,400 permits for temporary trailers throughout the city.

Among the other measures on the council agenda this afternoon: a request for preliminary plat approval and several variances for a proposed 27-unit residential condominium subdivision, which will involve four two-story town homes to be known as Benachi Bay Townhome Subdivision and located on Benachi Avenue.

To see the complete agenda and available resolutions, click here.

Updated info on debris removal, permitting efforts

The city of Biloxi’s debris-removal teams have now hauled more than 2.65 million cubic yards of debris, enough to cover a football field with a pile that would stand more than 124 stories tall.

The total amount of debris hauled represents nearly 90 percent of the rubble resulting from Katrina, but the remaining debris may be a time-consuming chore, according to city “debris czar” Jonathan Kiser.

“That first week, we moved a record amount because there was so much of it, and it was primarily on public rights-of-way,” Kiser said. “It became a little more time-consuming with the process we went through on private property, and now it’s mostly a matter of hauling it when property owners move it to the curbside.”

A new chart in the debris removal report tracks the amount of debris hauled since Day 1 of the effort.

You can see the info online in the Katrina stats section of the city web site, where you can also find reports on permitting – more than 13,000 permits have been issued since the storm – and condo development. To visit the Katrina stats section, click here.