Community Development requests $298,000 increase for visitor center chiller, AV and tree program; council hears staffing, mitigation and code‑enforcement costs

Community Development staff told the Biloxi City Council during a budget workshop that the department is requesting a $298,000 increase for fiscal 2025–26 to cover a rebuilt chiller at the visitor center, replacement audio‑visual equipment and several maintenance and programmatic needs. Department staff said the chiller must be custom built, will take about five months, and requires roughly $12,000 of preparatory work before installation.

"But for the most part, we're asking for a $298,000 increase," the Community Development presenter said, citing the chiller and a $68,000 replacement for an audio‑visual kiosk that has been out of service since February. Staff described the kiosk as a visitor information and history station used for promotion and marketing of local businesses and attractions.

The department also asked council to raise the annual salary for a city arborist from $56,000 to at least $60,000 to improve recruitment for a full‑time, certified position. Staff said the arborist must be ISA certified and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified; among duties are routine inspections, permitting support, monitoring mitigation plantings for three years after development projects, and monthly tree‑committee reviews. A consulting arborist currently on retainer charges roughly $300 per hour, and staff reported that a private firm quoted approximately $180,000 a year to supply a full‑time arborist‑level service.

Staff outlined other budget components: requests to replace a small number of aging department vehicles, $73,000 for the tree‑mitigation bank (money that staff said would be drawn from developer mitigation deposits when projects require replacement plantings), and a larger code‑enforcement land‑clearing line used to hire contractors to clear nuisance properties. Staff explained that land‑clearing costs are generally added to property tax bills as special assessments under a state law change, allowing the city to recover most cleanup expenses over time.

Staff also noted a software and licensing request tied to floodplain and permit management, and reported that visitor‑center rental income totaled about $63,000 through July with an $80,000 forecasted year‑end figure.

Council members asked questions about enforcement authority, offsets from mitigation fees, the use of temp staff at the visitor center, and whether consulting costs could be reduced. No formal budget votes were taken during the workshop; staff said they would provide additional materials and cost breakdowns on request.