Much of the Monday work session of the Hattiesburg City Council was occupied with talks regarding the request for approval of a “Group Care Home” for a property located at 2306 Clayton Place. The Planning Commission recommended denial of the conditional use request after residents and homeowners of the neighborhood spoke out in opposition at the meeting.
Many of those residents also attended the council meeting to voice those concerns, with at least five speakers who spoke during public forum. Neighbors reported that there are already four group homes in that area. They were concerned for the safety of not only the families living in those neighborhoods, but for the residents within those group homes.
The Clayton Place residents questioned what kinds of caretakers would be hired, what their qualifications would be, and whether or not the applicant for the request would be held responsible if something were to happen. The overall message from the neighborhood was that they were not unsympathetic to the struggles of those with disabilities, but they did not want another group home in their neighborhood.
The council thanked the residents and homeowners that came to the meetings to voice their concerns and unanimously denied the applicant’s request as was recommended by the Planning Commission.
Dr. Andrew Weist, a professor of history at The University of Southern Mississippi, author of more than 20 books on war history, senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy in the United Kingdom and visiting professor at the United States Air Force War College, was also honored with a proclamation to celebrate his Lifetime Achievement Award.
Additional business conducted at the meetings of the city council is as follows:
-Adoption of an ordinance to approve the use of “crusher run,” also acknowledged by the Mississippi Department of Transportation as “crush and run,” as an approved hard surface for use for parking and driveways in the historic overlay districts
-Adoption of an ordinance to amend the city’s Land Development Code in Sections 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13- the amendments were primarily aimed at clarifying definitions and additional flexibility within the existing standards
-Acceptance of the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve alteration for a major subdivision known as Mineral Creek Manor for a property at 100 J. Ed Turner Drive
-Denial of a conditional use request, as recommended by the Planning Commission, for a request for automotive, truck and small engine repair and maintenance as well as automotive sales and rentals for a property located at 401 Broadway Drive- the former McMullen Motors building
-Adoption of a resolution to request the Mississippi Legislature to extend the repealer imposed on the Hattiesburg Tourism Commission
-Adoption of resolutions to adjudicate and direct the placement of cleanup costs and applicable penalties against the following properties: 718 Northhill Drive, 820 Edwards Street, 703 Magnolia Avenue, 730 N. 19th Avenue, 813 Milton Barnes Avenue, 105 Saucier Avenue, 814 Atlanta Street, 303 S. 13th Avenue, 210 S. 34th Avenue and 224 Fredna Avenue
-Approval of an interlocal agreement between the city and Rawls Springs Utility District regarding services
-Approval of an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide a flight inspection as part of the 2025 Airport Lighting project at the Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport at a cost of $20,896.92
-Approval of Supplemental Agreement No. 1 with Chris Albritton Construction Company for a Federal Aid Project to ultimately decrease the contract by $105 and adding 44 working days to the contract
-Approval of a contract change order with M&P Construction for the Katie-Dabbs Community Center Renovations project for a contract increase of $58,197.28
-Approval of an agreement with the city and the Methodist Hour of Mississippi, Inc. to provide services and programs related to the impacts of the national opiate epidemic
-Approval of a Letter of Engagement with Landry Kitchens Germany Architects to provide architectural concept design services for tennis facilities
-Approval and adoption of Standard Operating Procedures for the Code Enforcement Department
-Acknowledgement of receipt of closing documents for the Hattiesburg Community Arts Center Renovation Project
-Executive session was held in order to discuss “economic development”
