Biloxi council sends methadone clinic complaints to planning commission after residents urge revocation

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday voted 6–1 to charge the planning commission with holding a public hearing to consider revoking the conditional-use permit for the New Seasons methadone clinic at the Broadwater property.

Councilwoman Dixie Newman moved the action, saying residents want a formal review; Councilmember McGilvray seconded. The directive does not itself revoke the permit but instructs staff and the planning commission to investigate complaints and to hold a public hearing that will lead to a recommendation to council.

Why it matters: Residents and nearby business owners described years of trash, encampments and what they said was an increase in unsafe behavior near the Broadwater property, and they asked the city to use its code-enforcement and conditional-use tools. Petitioners asked for criminal and civil enforcement against Broadwater Development LLP and a formal review of the clinic’s permit.

Community-development director Jerry Creel told council that the conditional-use process requires the city to identify specific code violations before taking formal enforcement steps. "If they don't correct it, then we can take it back to planning commission and city council," Creel said, describing standard steps: investigate complaints, issue a written notice specifying code sections, give the permit holder a period (commonly 30 days) to correct, then return the matter to planning if violations persist.

Creel said staff have inspected the site regularly and that code officers check the property about once a week. He said inspectors found and documented a previous dumpster problem and that the clinic cleaned it after notice. Creel also said police have not found evidence of drug transactions on the property and that a hypodermic needle reported months ago did not originate from clinic operations; Creel said the clinic reports it does not use needles for its treatment protocol.

Residents told the council they want faster, stricter action. George D. Elder Jr., who submitted a petition, asked the city to treat the Broadwater parcels as a public nuisance under Biloxi code §9‑1‑13 and to pursue the penalties available under §1‑1‑8. "Immediate and thorough action is required," Elder said in the petition he read into the record.

Business owners and neighbors described thefts, threats and frequent encampments behind the property. Jennifer Miller, a Ward 3 business owner, said police recovered a stolen electric bicycle near her storefront and found the suspect with needles during an arrest; she praised police response but called for a safer neighborhood.

Councilmembers discussed a parallel town hall scheduled for April 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Civic Center, and some members said it might produce additional specific complaints staff could use in any investigation. Still, a majority concluded there was sufficient public concern to direct a formal investigation and public hearing now.

The motion directs planning commission staff to investigate parking, loitering, trash and other allegations, notify the clinic of any alleged violations, and schedule a planning-commission public hearing to develop a recommendation for the council. The council vote to send the matter to planning was 6 yes, 1 no.

Next steps: The planning commission will schedule the hearing, and staff said they will investigate alleged violations and attempt to document them with photos, witness statements and police records before the hearing. If the planning commission recommends revocation, the council would take the final action after additional notice and hearings.

Votes and formal action: The council’s instruction to planning is a referral for investigation and a public hearing; it is not a revocation. The council did not set a specific hearing date; that scheduling will come from planning staff.