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Council amends municipal facility rules, lowers some Civic Center rental fees
Summary
The council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 2, Article 14 of the Code of Ordinances to clarify and generally lower fees and to clarify which Civic Center spaces are included when renting the ballroom or entire facility.
The Biloxi City Council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 2, Article 14 of the Biloxi Code of Ordinances to clarify municipal facility rental rules and in most cases lower fees.
City staff said the ordinance cleans up inconsistent language about what is included when someone rents the entire Civic Center — clarifying that booking the ballroom for the entire facility includes the kitchen, lobby and courtyard — and changes some charges from a per-day model to a per-event model. Staff said the intent was to better align charges with actual use and to make the fee schedule more customer friendly rather than to increase revenue.
The ordinance was introduced as Item A on the policy agenda; staff described the amendments as primarily clarifications and fee reductions. Councilmembers asked whether the Snyder Center would be affected; staff clarified the changes apply to the Gruetts Center and the Civic Center. Council passed the ordinance unanimously.
The revised language should reduce double-charging for items such as lighting when a multi-day rental uses lights for only one day, staff said. The city will implement the clarified fee schedule through its existing rental and permitting processes.
