Council tables appeal of 'Bike in the Beach' special-event denial after staffing, safety concerns

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday voted 4–3 to table consideration of an appeal by Genuine Entertainment (operator Jason Stearman) seeking approval for a multi-day motorcycle festival called "Bike in the Beach." Council members asked the applicant and city departments to meet and return with additional plans and staffing details at the council’s April 8 meeting.

The applicant, Jason Stearman of Coastal Development Group, told council he expects roughly 5,000 attendees across a four-day event and projected significant local spending, citing national comparisons. He said he had secured additional parking leases, offered to shift outdoor stages to reduce neighborhood noise and planned private security and contracted off-duty deputies to supplement city resources. "We're hoping about 5,000 attendees over the course of a 4 day event," Stearman said during his presentation.

Public-safety concerns dominated the hearing. Police Chief Miller told the council, "I don't know how we can handle another big event," and said the department lacked the manpower to cover another major gathering so close to other scheduled tier‑1 events. Deputies and off-duty officer programs were discussed, but department leaders told council neighboring agencies have limited spare capacity and that the week after the proposed festival the city must also staff Scrapin' the Coast, another large event.

City staff and the special-events committee had earlier recommended denial over concerns about parking, noise and traffic impacts in a location that abuts residential streets. Stearman responded that he had acquired leases for adjacent lots — including parking agreements with Treasure Bay Casino — and offered alternate site configurations that would move major outdoor activity away from the most residential-facing parcels.

Several council members and the mayor said they were sympathetic to the applicant’s economic argument but wanted a stronger operational plan and certainty about law-enforcement resources before approving an inaugural festival. Others argued that the applicant had followed the city’s application process and that the city should support new tourism events where possible.

After extended discussion and several competing motions, the council voted on a motion by Councilman Glavin, seconded by Councilman Lawrence, to table consideration and ask the applicant to work with city departments to refine traffic, security and staging plans; the motion to table passed 4–3. Council members specified that the item should be returned to council at its April 8 meeting with the police department’s recommended staffing plan, written parking agreements and a finalized event security plan.

Next steps: The applicant and city staff will meet to finalize parking agreements, security staffing, traffic management and emergency-access plans. The council will reconsider the appeal on April 8; the earlier special-events committee denial remains in effect until or unless council overturns it.