Q&A on building in a flood zone; other news and notes

Residents and contractors with questions about building in flood-prone areas of the city will have a chance to get answers in upcoming meetings featuring representatives of FEMA, MEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program and the Mississippi Development Authority.

The meetings will be hosted by the City of Biloxi and conducted in the auditorium of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Municipal Building, on MLK Boulevard in downtown Biloxi.

The meeting for homeowners seeking to rebuild will be April 5 at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting for contractors will be April 19 at 5:30 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity for homeowners and contractors to get direct answers to any questions they have about rebuilding in a flood zone,” said city Community Development Director Jerry Creel. “We’re happy that we’re able to be able to provide this informational forum.”

To see a map showing the existing and proposed flood zones in Biloxi, click here.

St. Pat’s parade, aerial photos now online

The city’s online Photo Gallery now includes more than 90 photographs from the weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Also new to the gallery are aerial photographs taken 90 days before the Hurricane Katrina and 90 days after the storm.

To visit the online Photo Gallery, a growing archive of Biloxi video and photos, click here.

News and notes

Isle meeting: The City Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday, March 27 at 11 a.m. to discuss requests from the Isle of Capri Casino Resort regarding its proposed updated master plan, an initiative that originally began before Hurricane Katrina. The meeting will be held at City Hall.

Easter events: The Parks and Recreation Department has Easter Egg hunts planned for March 24 and 31. For times, locations and other details, click here.

Biloxi calendars: The Biloxi Bay Chamber is selling calendars with photos of pre- and post-Katrina Biloxi. The calendars — $10 each or $12, if mailed – are available by contacting Susan Hunt at (228) 435-6149. Visa and MasterCard accepted.

SOTC mailout: The city’s annual report to the citizens of Biloxi – called “State of the City: Katrina +2” this year – is being compiled and is expected to be in the mail in the next couple of weeks. To read an abbreviated version, created for the March 1 visit by President Bush, click here or you can read last year’s State of the City report by
clicking here.