Violence erupted during a spring break shooting in Biloxi earlier this year with Dontavius Magee being arrested for the shooting that injured five people, including a police officer.
After months of debate, city leaders approved three special events ordinances with regard to parades, municipal facility rentals, and mobile food vending at small and large events. While the rental of municipal facilities ordinance goes into effect immediately, the other two will go into effect on Nov. 23.
The purpose of the ordinances is to put rules and requirements into place so that organizers know what’s expected of them. Because these events require city resources, like additional police, the ordinances are also intended to ensure city resources aren’t overstrained.
“We want to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said after a city council meeting earlier this week. “The special events coordinator will have the tools for events, to schedule events in the right way to not overbook or overstress the tools we have.”
Prior to the approval of these new ordinances, the city would often use a parade ordinance as a guideline for most special events. Gilich added that separating different kinds of social events in terms of rules and regulations is the right move to create the safest environments possible.
“We are procedurally doing the right thing to ensure safety and welcome our visitors to enjoy this safe, friendly, and beautiful city,” Gilich said.
So, what else do you need to know about Biloxi’s new event ordinances?
- Permitting requirements are based on five tiers, which will be categorized based on the number of extra personnel hours needed and the anticipated attendees. This ranges from more than 75 extra personnel hours and/or anticipated attendance for more than 1,000 people to no city services required.
- Any person or organization that wants to hold an event in Biloxi is to request a special event permit with the Biloxi Police Department. The primary contact will be Captain Grandver Everett at [email protected] or (228)702-3121.
- Applications must be completed within the timeline prescribed by the coordinator. Timelines range from 30 to 360 days prior to the event based on the anticipated number of attendees and extra personnel hours needed.
- Completed permit applications will be provided to the special events committee for recommendation of approval, conditional approval, or denial by the city administration.
The newly approved ordinances can be viewed in full below:
