[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6210479,"mediaKeyId","3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb","parentId",3718482,"title","Council approves short-term contract extension to finish 2024 audit work","audioSeconds",88,"startMs",905000,"endMs",993000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb&start=905&end=993","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb/thumbnail_905000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6210479/Gulfport/Harrison-County/Mississippi/Council-approves-short-term-contract-extension-to-finish-2024-audit-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210479-3483ae275d3455eba023f210f19bfe9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766259&Signature=nh-c59YJaChBmfGE0Q5bUn1hwJ1xEuZc2xufAF2JG8A44QRG3dfGa7ftdd7JlsAFDD-G0pFP6q7~LieA73LY6V61o3i3~WLdqBDjHELVWVf2CcaJMLGTzoW4LUrFKJUOn0-JR6hP0gH6lE0Moj8QbK1X98ZP8mi4uBVNjImia~UeepwaDE5Et24WsQ-tMXnVD04h01YEVwau63ouuHwKaaGzuOO~hAdOEJ6HwomViKN4KSgVVmRQBZ80ZWT0KVol3iAgMNxDhaezFGZWSh1OQmf1Lz~CKHWKPHNXeocfhtCBMkRhhmyo6SxCIEGIoxdNrhbvE0nKf18XFLK8csw36A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Gulfport Harrison MS","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Gulfport City Council approved a contract extension to retain a contractor identified as Amber to assist with the city’s 2024 audit and help resolve prior journal entries, a measure staff said would prevent a further delayed audit.

City finance staff told the council the 2023 audit work papers are with the auditing firm and Amber’s assistance on 2024 items will help avoid additional delay. A finance speaker said Amber’s help would be “helpful in unraveling prior journal entries” and that further delay “would be harmful to the city.”

City staff said they had promoted Kathleen “Kathy” Spear to accounting manager. The finance speaker said the extension for Amber would be short-term and that 2025 audit responsibilities will be handled by Spear and the finance director.

The contract extension was included in the block of items approved as items 5 through 13; council approved those items without recorded objection.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Gulfport Council Meeting | June 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved a contract extension to retain an auditor named Amber to assist with the 2024 audit and avoid further delay; staff said 2025 audit work will transition to newly promoted accounting manager Kathy Spear.","taxTitle","Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi","taxId",24961,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210484,"Gulfport council accepts forfeited vehicle, directs drug-forfeiture funds to training and equipment",39,1116000,1155000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb&start=1116&end=1155","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb/thumbnail_1116000.jpg","/articles/6210484/Gulfport/Harrison-County/Mississippi/Gulfport-council-accepts-forfeited-vehicle-directs-drug-forfeiture-funds-to-training-and-equipment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210484-accbd99a7df9a769c8f2d07d968f45b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766259&Signature=Qfac7KlEeTeU3YolITLbHcKJaKMep7F~cPFW2xEB3k6mAjDcWWJDexYBl1BFjcWQtgP~DjcWxAsMhr8NV8sJQ2WMtuadsCyB6dEAJvlmcnf5VFAYR-u5kxKfE9rcK3Y9JyNT8gGbXb70M17KBaanTqGrNmCrAevBGdeK1UAF2WJbnc-FR5rgwHUrmd6EzT7WM4DDDv0E9uDpwiwTprDoi1hNO8MzLkYBvRII06H9RXsixVbfQgQmayAnn6~74lVpfR1g7x7JuN0lwpi1GQlJLCzvnPmxI4EyGNefcXuUcJ6~WDriYgRjE0E-x0Ct13NMsQGsby9TxBBPaEvaGpkGdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gulfport City Council unanimously approved a resolution to accept a vehicle forfeited to the Gulfport Police Department after a drug-related seizure and approved a related budget amendment to direct cash from a drug case into training and equipment.

Council members said the actions matter because courts often award forfeited property to law enforcement and council approval is needed for city acceptance and lawful use of forfeiture proceeds.

Councilmember Mike Kozlowski asked for detail on item 11, and Chief Cooper said there was one vehicle forfeited during a drug seizure. “Just 1,” he said when asked whether multiple vehicles were involved. Later in the meeting, a staff member described budget amendment 77 (item 17) as a drug-forfeiture matter: “It is... cash from a drug case going into the training and... we can't use it for personnel. We'll use it for training and equipment,” the speaker said.

The items were approved as part of a block of resolutions and ordinances (items 5 through 13) and later budget amendments (items 14 through 17); the clerk recorded the votes and the motions carried unanimously on those items. The council recorded Ms. Hynes’ nay on item 9 earlier in the meeting, but the forfeiture and the drug-forfeiture budget amendment carried.

The council did not provide additional detail in the public record about the vehicle’s make, model or the amount of cash transferred into the training line; staff said personnel costs are not eligible uses for the forfeiture funds. Chief Cooper and staff confirmed the forfeited assets will be used only for allowed purposes such as training and equipment.","Council approved a resolution letting the city accept a single vehicle forfeited during a drug seizure and adopted a budget amendment moving cash from a drug case into training and equipment for police.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210489,"Gulfport council orders cleanups, residents press city over vacant-lot debris and event noise",58,467000,525000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb&start=467&end=525","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3718482-1fadeea949529587bb525443f85a91bb/thumbnail_467000.jpg","/articles/6210489/Gulfport/Harrison-County/Mississippi/Gulfport-council-orders-cleanups-residents-press-city-over-vacant-lot-debris-and-event-noise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210489-7ae31856309be80141c054a551399e09/orig.mp4?Expires=1773766259&Signature=fC0wNxol~n5dzM9xvI8moLXp7WQz4RFShfjHDVnzCi-fKRlNQtfL67OusMA1DM~f3WeUm5T-e~R3qpktiBOwoB8oQubgcT2Krzp4xfWX0~ONPXYl2VaaZLA80BjNrMwHBsGwPOXu11-ArFXgefKKv0QrNMPk1ZIt11eCy3BLxj2PhrYIb11CqNTaY-UWEef9t0p1-iPyFOd~0seox~SBhtJdBhEGIQNzQVv9D9mDaeqMiEaz5HqlQDQVDD1dlGGWFvTw1nI2rsghbEvM0QO3y~sp0r2R7fDGNpW7bQcexO9hoEODP11wJpu97AjBqeE5z31LQTyo3NOlavBe7jODsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gulfport City Council opened a code-enforcement hearing and issued orders to remove debris and secure properties while residents urged the city to do more to address trash on vacant lots and noise from nearby events and a longshoremen hall.

Residents and council members said the issue matters because vacant properties can become neighborhood nuisances and the current service rules mean many lot owners are ineligible for city pickup.

At the hearing the council identified parcel 191440 Fourth Avenue and ordered that it be cut, cleaned and boarded up. A man who said he is in the process of repossessing the property told the council his attorney advised him to wait; he said, “I had financed it for the fellow.” Mayor Billy Hughes told the man he should follow his attorney’s advice but also directed the owner to have the property cleaned within 30 days and to coordinate with code enforcement. “Tell Mr. Orgler that you have been given a mandate to get it cleaned up, and he needs to have it done within 30 days,” the mayor said.

The hearing also included a notice regarding debris on Dixie Avenue; the agenda item described removal of trash and debris from that location. The council opened and closed the hearing without a recorded roll-call vote on each lot; the mayor instructed staff to follow up with individual property owners.

In public comment, several residents said vacant lots remain cluttered despite paying property taxes. One resident asked why city tax dollars could not be used to clear lots. Council members and staff explained Gulfport’s collection rules: the city’s contracted hauler (referred to at the meeting as H2O) will pick up household garbage only where a property has an active water account and a garbage contract tied to the water bill. A staff member said, “If you do not, then H2O is not allowed by law to pick it up.” The council suggested residents with vacant-lot problems contact code enforcement (Mr. Johnson) or county offices; the meeting provided Supervisor Kent Jones’s office contact for additional county disposal resources.

Staff told residents that county residents may use the Pecan Grove landfill and that the county allows a limited free dump for Harrison County residents; council members said they would try to connect residents with supervisors’ offices or small businesses that could haul debris.

Residents also raised noise and event concerns. One resident, Carolyn Jones, described repeated disturbances from a longshoremen organization’s hall behind her home, frequent meetings and music, and multiple street festivals with food trucks. She urged the council to consider moving such events to parks. The council said special-events staff and the city would follow up.

Council members urged residents to contact code enforcement for case-specific help. The mayor and staff emphasized that long-term policy changes—such as extending municipal garbage service to vacant lots—would require council consideration and coordination with county services.

The hearing was closed after staff and council members agreed to follow up with affected property owners and supervisors’ offices.","At a June meeting, the Gulfport City Council opened a code-enforcement hearing that produced orders to clean and secure at least one property and heard multiple residents complain that the city does not collect debris from vacant lots and that neighborhood events and a longshoremen hall generate persistent noise.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves short-term contract extension to finish 2024 audit work

Gulfport council accepts forfeited vehicle, directs drug-forfeiture funds to training and equipment

Gulfport council orders cleanups, residents press city over vacant-lot debris and event noise