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Harrison County delays final decision on Jim Simpson pier rebuild as FEMA review continues
Summary
County staff presented three rebuild options for the Jim Simpson pier and said FEMA rejected the earlier bid; county officials have asked MEMA for permission to return to an earlier design and are prepared to prepare bid documents while FEMA/MEMA review continues.
The Harrison County Board of Supervisors discussed repair and replacement options for the Jim Simpson pier and did not take a final vote, after federal review delayed the county's original bid.
County staff told the board they had put the pier project out to bid but FEMA rejected the submission because of cost. The county then sent a letter to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) asking whether it could revert to an earlier stage of construction that included wooden piers and flow‑through decking. "Since the board directed us to send the letter back in January and we've sent that to FEMA, we have not heard anything back from FEMA to this point," presenter Matt Scribe said. He told supervisors the county can prepare bid documents while waiting for formal federal guidance.
The engineering partner provided three cost comparison options for the board: rebuild as originally constructed with wood planking; a wooden structure with flow‑through (composite) decking; and a concrete pile structure included for comparison. Staff reported cost estimates ranged roughly from about $97,000 on the low end up to about $280,000 for other options based on preliminary figures presented to the board. Several items identified in the current designs — benches, additional lighting and concrete approaches — were listed as alternates, meaning the county would pay separately if it elected to include them.
Board members asked whether the concrete approaches and sidewalk removal were included in alternates, and staff said some approach work might be covered under a separate Long Beach gateway project. No formal motion to award a contract or select a preferred design was recorded; instead, staff said it would await FEMA/MEMA guidance and continue preparation of bid documents so the county can act quickly should federal approval come.
The county did not record a vote or take final action on the pier at the meeting. The project remains contingent on FEMA/MEMA concurrence and the county's subsequent decision whether to include alternates paid from local funds.
