Mayor says FEMA mitigation award for Lighthouse Pier reduced after appeal; city to submit revised design
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Summary
Biloxi's mayor told the council that appeals reduced the cost estimate for Lighthouse Pier repairs and that the city will submit a revised pier design for additional mitigation funds; MEMA support was noted for other Katrina infrastructure appeals.
Biloxi—s mayor reported that the city—s appeal of a federal grant award for Lighthouse Pier produced a lower mitigation cost estimate and that staff plan to submit a revised, mitigated pier design to request additional funding to rebuild with the desired materials.
The mayor said an initial FEMA figure of roughly $1.2 million was cut to $519,000 after mitigation analysis, and that appeals raised the total federal award (without mitigation) to about $873,000. He said the city hopes to secure that amount and possibly another $873,000 to fund a concrete pier with flow-through decking, concrete piles and other features the city sought.
The mayor also said the city is engaging Seymour Engineering to finalize the design to be submitted to FEMA and noted support from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) on a related Katrina infrastructure appeal intended to complete the last two parts of a project.
The mayor characterized the results as "not as much as we wanted, but something we can work with," and said the administration will combine federal funds with local or other funds to pursue the concrete-reconstruction option. Council members asked whether the revised submission would use existing plans; the mayor and council confirmed Seymour Engineering will be involved in final design discussions.
Why it matters: The pier is both an infrastructure and coastal resilience project. The design choice (concrete pilings, flow-through decking) affects durability and long-term costs, while FEMA/MEMA decisions will shape the city—s ability to fund construction without substituting weaker materials.
Next steps: Staff will meet with Seymour Engineering to refine the design and submit a revised plan to FEMA. The mayor said the city may also pursue further help through the congressional delegation.