Wiggins Board of Aldermen Recap | September 1, 2026
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 — 5:00 PM Wiggins, Mississippi
Rachel Bonney and Brittany Harris not present.
At this meeting: The board voted to adopt an electronic citation system and the OmniCourt municipal court case-management system, with the cost to be paid by defendants through a fee added to citations; committed matching funds for a Main Street Revitalization Grant application covering a $592,841 downtown project; approved a $98,800 pay request on the water tank project; authorized advertising roughly $250,000 in sewer repairs including a line installed in 1949; approved the purchase of a training building at the police range; set new Senior Center hours ahead of the start of SMPDD meal service; and passed, reconsidered, debated, and ultimately reaffirmed a $2,000 payment to the Stone County Fair Association.
I. Call to Order
II. Invocation
An invocation was given asking blessing on the board’s decision-making and on the dignity of the community’s residents.
III. Pledge of Allegiance
IV. Approval of the September 1, 2026 Agenda, as Amended
The board amended the agenda to add an item under the Police Department regarding a letter to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
Motion to approve the agenda as amended. Passed.
Rachel Bonney and Brittany Harris were recorded absent.
V. Approval of Minutes — Regular Meeting, August 18, 2026
Motion to approve. Passed.
VI. Approval of Docket of Claims — September 1, 2026 (19782 through 19925)
Motion to approve. Passed.
VII. Approval of Payroll — August 21, 2026 and August 28, 2026
Motion to approve. Passed.
VIII. Citizens’ Comments
No citizens signed up to speak during the formal comment period.
IX. Old Business/Tabled Issues
None.
X. New Business
X.a — Krissie Richey, OmniCourt
Krissie Richey presented two related systems: an electronic citation program available to Mississippi law enforcement agencies at no cost, and OmniCourt, a municipal court case-management system her company provides.
The e-citation program. Developed at the University of Alabama for that state’s highway patrol under the name CAPS, the program was made available to Mississippi in 2010; all state troopers use it. It covers traffic citations, criminal infractions, and local ordinance violations such as grass and animal complaints. Officers scan a driver’s license and vehicle registration and the system auto-populates the citation; agencies also gain the ability to issue and track warnings, digital file storage, statistical reporting, and legal coverage through sworn digital documents. Participation requires only a memorandum of understanding under the state’s contract; the equipment needed is an internet-capable device and a thermal printer. Gautier is expected to go live soon, and several agencies in north Mississippi are already on the system.
The court system. OmniCourt would receive the digital citation directly, eliminating the current practice of entering a ticket by hand twice — once on the police side and once on the court side, which the court clerk said would help with typos and with reading officers’ handwriting. The system consolidates a defendant’s full record on a single screen, handles warrants, affidavits, bonds and financial reporting, provides an interactive docket for batch dispositions, and offers an online payment portal in English and Spanish with QR-code access, which matters for non-resident tickets. A recurring problem the system is intended to solve was named directly: the municipal judge cannot currently sign a warrant when he is out of town or otherwise unavailable, and the department must wait or locate another judge. Richey identified Tyler Technologies as a competitor and said OmniCourt has been in business roughly 50 years.
Cost. The city pays for training; ongoing maintenance is covered by a per-defendant fee, and the vendor is paid last, collecting only on what the city collects. Recent proposals have run $15 to $18 per ticket, scaled to the number of cases actually paid per month. Adopting the fee requires a city ordinance. Richey offered to supply an example ordinance, the governing statute, the relevant pages of the Municipal Court Clerks Manual, and a Department of Public Safety training video on adopting the fee.
Timeline. Implementation was discussed as beginning October 1, with lead time and training of approximately two to three months, and migration of existing case data dependent on extracting and identifying records from the city’s current provider.
Board members questioned whether the e-citation program is genuinely free, what happens to the fee when a charge is dismissed or unfounded (nothing is collected and nothing is owed), and what prevents a citation from being voided improperly. Richey described audit trails on every record and said only the judge may dismiss a citation once it is entered.
Motion to approve the e-citation program and OmniCourt, with defendants paying for it. Passed.
The per-ticket technology fee will require adoption of a city ordinance before it can be charged. This item follows the OmniCourt discussion at the August 18, 2026 meeting, at which no vote was taken.
X.b — Stone County Fair Association, Annual Payment of $2,000
Motion to approve the payment. Passed.
This item was reconsidered later in the meeting; see Aldermen/Mayor below.
XI. Departments
a. Land Code Administrator
Gulf Coast Technologies — Occupational Permit
The Land Code Administrator clarified for the record that Gulf Coast Technologies, which recently obtained an occupational permit, is an information technology company performing computer repair and related work.
i. Seymour Engineering — City Building Roof and Soffit Repair
The board received an existing conditions report and repair recommendations for the city building’s roof and soffit, prepared by Verve Architecture, along with an estimate of construction cost and a fee proposal covering plans, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction administration. The design fee falls in the standard 7 to 9 percent range.
Staff said the overall figure looks high and recommended taking a week or two to seek a lower cost, while cautioning that the number may well prove accurate — the scope is not roof work alone but interior damage that accelerated after the storm. Board members observed that roughly $250,000 may be about right. The firm has worked for the city before and was described as fair and reasonably priced but slow. The item will return in approximately two weeks.
No vote was taken.
ii. Boring Ordinance
A draft boring ordinance is in progress, intended to address damage to underground utility lines by contractors performing directional boring. Biloxi’s ordinance is being used as a frame; it requires a contractor working within 100 feet of existing lines to record video and provide it to the engineer. Staff raised the difficulty of proving causation from video alone, and the further complication of unmarked lines throughout the city, which a contractor cannot reasonably be held liable for damaging. Requiring both pre-work and post-work video was described as excessive; the board’s discussion concluded that post-work video is probably sufficient, with pre-work video remaining an option for a contractor who wishes to document existing condition. Fees remain to be worked out, and staff will consult the city engineer before bringing a draft forward.
No vote was taken.
b. Police Department
i. Purchase of the Training Building at the Range
The department requested approval to purchase an air-conditioned building at the range for training and events, noting the site currently has only a covered pavilion. The building would support departmental training, 4-H programming, church security training, and concealed-carry classes. A $30,000 grant was identified as the funding source. Two quotes were submitted.
Motion to purchase the building. Passed. The Andersen bid was accepted.
ii. Over Time Policy
A written overtime policy is a condition of a grant already awarded to the department, with a deadline of September 30. Alderman Jared Harris said he received the draft policy options the previous evening and had not had time to review them; addressing the item at the next meeting was described as leaving sufficient time.
Deferred to the next regular meeting.
iii. Homeless Ordinance
The chief told the board the city has no current policy allowing officers to require a person to move on. He described a transient woman who had been sleeping in a city park and has since relocated to the area near the Subway restaurant, where she has become hostile and disruptive to that business; two additional people are now in the same situation. When the department took the matter to the municipal judge, the existing provisions did not have enough teeth to act on. The city has no camping ordinance, and officers cannot cite trespassing on private property unless the owner presses charges.
An existing ordinance permits sleeping in the Walmart parking lot, a provision dating to when that store operated 24 hours and accommodated truck drivers and RVs; it was never updated after that practice ended.
On panhandling, the chief said the city likewise has no ordinance and that churches in particular are being taken advantage of. He also reported that Hattiesburg had been dropping people at the Dizzy Dean rest area. A board member noted that any ordinance would have to be applied consistently, pointing out that groups such as school cheerleaders solicit at intersections on Saturday mornings; a permit issued at City Hall was discussed as one approach.
The board asked staff to bring back an ordinance for consideration. No vote was taken.
iv. Tobacco/Nicotine Ordinance
The chief reported the department is still having problems with the Magnolia One Stop, which he said continues to sell illegal substances to minors, describing a password arrangement among teenagers and characterizing the store as their regular spot. The department is receiving calls from parents and is conducting surveillance; in each of the last three compliance operations, the store sold tobacco to the department’s buyer. Vape products containing THC were identified as a particular concern, since they are not easily distinguishable from ordinary vapes by a parent. The department does not have the manpower to maintain continuous observation.
The city has no local tobacco or nicotine ordinance and must proceed under state statute, which the chief said is not enough. He asked the board for a local ordinance with enforcement authority comparable to the alcohol ordinance, so the city can address the store as a nuisance and remove products from shelves. Staff will draft an ordinance for the board’s consideration. No vote was taken.
Letter to MDOT — Magnolia Drive Signage (added by agenda amendment)
The department sent a second letter to MDOT regarding speed limit signage on Magnolia Drive, following an earlier request that resulted in signage being changed along the entire corridor rather than only the requested segment. An Alderman reported the original letter was confusing because it referenced areas north of Fifth Avenue while requesting work to the south and characterized the miscommunication as attributable to both sides. MDOT was contacted again the day of the meeting and indicated the correction would be made within a few days, noting the agency is short-handed across fourteen counties but will get the signs installed.
The department also relayed MDOT’s position on driver-feedback speed signs: MDOT installs them only where a hazard exists, but a municipality may purchase and install its own with a permit, which was described as straightforward to obtain. Because a facility under construction north of town generates log-truck traffic with wide turning movements, MDOT indicated it may have a safety interest there. City Engineer Ryan Tice was asked to determine how many signs are needed, identify a compliant type, and obtain pricing and the permit. A local family previously offered to help fund the signs. Placement should follow the requirement that a speed limit be posted after every major intersection.
No vote was taken.
c. Fire Department
i. EMS Conference — Ronni McBride and Kellen Vann
Approval was requested for Ronni McBride and Kellen Vann to attend the Mississippians for Emergency Medical Services Conference at the Golden Nugget in Biloxi, October 12–14, 2026.
Motion to approve. Passed.
ii. Hazardous Materials Training — Jacob Martin
Approval was requested for Jacob Martin to attend Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations training at the Mississippi State Fire Academy, September 7–24, 2026, a prerequisite for Basic Firefighter certification. The course itself is covered; the city’s cost is meals.
Motion to approve. Passed.
Safe Surrender (“Baby Box”) Update
Installation is complete. Alarm work is the next step before the program moves forward.
d. Public Works
i. Archie Gray — Water and Sewer
Not present. Quotes were obtained for new taps using the same meters; additional time is needed before the item returns to the board.
ii. Cassandra Arrington — Street Department
No report.
Tree Removal
Staff reported that several trees need to be cut and asked whether the city should handle what it can in-house, with a tree service taking the remainder. Two quotes were obtained, from Brooks at S&M and from Scott Strickland; one tree came in at $2,500 with the city hauling off the debris. One larger quote of $9,500 was reduced to roughly $4,000 after the city agreed to build about $1,200 of access road so equipment could reach the site. Additional trees were identified at a city field that staff believe can be handled internally. The board discussed timing against available funds, noting that a tree left until it is rotten costs substantially more to remove than one taken down earlier.
No vote was taken.
e. Municipal Court
No report.
f. City Engineer
i. Pay Request #2 — G&L Tank Sandblasting and Coatings, LLC, $98,800.00
Motion to approve. Passed.
Water Tank Update
The second coat of primer is complete; two coats of the final color follow. New plates were welded where the tank had leaked. The interior requires one more rubberized coat. The logo template will be positioned and shown to the board for approval before it is painted.
ii. Resolution Authorizing a Main Street Revitalization Grant Application
The board considered a resolution authorizing preparation and submittal of a Main Street Revitalization Grant program application to the Mississippi Development Authority for the Downtown Revitalization project. The program offers up to $500,000; the first $100,000 is funded 90/10 and the remainder 80/20, putting the city’s commitment at approximately $92,000. Applications are due September 11 — before the board’s next regular meeting.
The proposed scope covers sidewalks and resurfacing, including courts, and was developed with a downtown working group. First Street sidewalks were highlighted as a priority: they are among the city’s oldest, are separating, and present a trip hazard.
Whether other grants could cover the match was reviewed at length. State appropriated funds cannot be used. Options identified were an 80/20 MDOT grant due September 30; a land and watershed conservation program with a maximum of $200,000; the Blue Cross Blue Shield private grant of $50,000 to $100,000, which requires the city to have qualifying health policies in place and for which staff advised continuing to apply; USDA community grants through SMPDD; and a limited population program offering $150,000 with a $30,000 match, due October 30. The Economic Development Partnership was raised as a possible additional source.
Alderman Jared Harris asked where the matching funds would come from and noted the city could reduce project cost and chase other grant funding; he also observed that the work is mostly infrastructure, which should allow other infrastructure dollars to be applied. Asked whether approving the resolution locks the city in, the city attorney said it does not.
Motion to approve the resolution. Passed.
iii. Resolution Committing Matching Funds
Motion to approve the resolution committing the city’s matching funds, if awarded. Passed.
Motion to commit to the full project amount of $592,841.00, if awarded and if funds are available. Passed.
Elevated Sewer and 1949 Line Repairs
The engineer presented a map of the city’s elevated sewer lines and of lines near the lagoon installed in 1949 — 77 years old — identified as functioning but in desperate need of repair. Total estimated cost is approximately $250,000; without the elevated sewer lines the figure would probably fall to $150,000 to $200,000. Repairs to the elevated lines consist largely of driving and re-bolting new support posts, the existing supports having rotted; the need was identified after a tree fell on one section.
The engineer recommended bidding the work together while structuring separate payouts to different accounts. Capital funds of $500,000 are expected in by Thanksgiving and can cover part of the cost. The timeline discussed was an October start, with a bid good for 60 days.
Motion to advertise the sewer repair projects, including the emergency sewer line, and to accept bids. Passed.
Paving
Paving work funded through bond proceeds remains under consideration. The board will take it up at a workshop after the budget is set.
No vote was taken.
FEMA — Storm Arthur
All of the city’s Storm Arthur reimbursement requests have been loaded to the FEMA portal ahead of the September 4 deadline; the city’s submission is already in. A FEMA representative was expected in the area to review the Stone County Utility Authority’s request and may review the city’s at the same time.
g. City Clerk
i. Fall Certified Municipal Clerk Program — Hattiesburg, October 21–23, 2026
Motion to approve attendance for Halee Nelson. Passed.
ii. Fall Municipal Clerk Conference — Natchez, October 28–30, 2026, and hotel for two nights
Motion to approve attendance for Halee Nelson. Passed.
iii. Winter Municipal Clerk Conference — Flowood, December 9–11, and hotel for two nights
Motion to approve attendance for Halee Nelson. Passed.
iv. Letter to Combine/Delete Special Accounts No Longer in Use
This item, discussed at the budget workshop, concerns cleaning up special accounts that are no longer used.
Motion to table. Passed.
XII. Aldermen/Mayor
a. North Magnolia Drive — Speed Limit
Addressed in the Police Department report above. No vote was taken.
b. SMPDD Meals
A representative of the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District was expected at the Senior Center on Wednesday to inspect the facility, and to send a contract for signature so meal service can begin. If everything proceeds as expected, meals could start within about two weeks.
c. Senior Center Hours of Operations
The board discussed setting hours at five hours a day, four days a week, in connection with the start of meal service, and noted that municipal court sessions may require use of the building.
Motion to adjust Senior Center hours of operation to Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., taking effect when SMPDD meal operations begin. Passed.
d. Water Tap Fees
Deferred. More time was requested; the related quotes for new taps are still being assembled (see Public Works above).
Reconsideration — Stone County Fair Association
Alderman Jared Harris moved to reconsider the annual payment to the Stone County Fair Association approved earlier in the meeting, asking what the Stone County Fair Association is and whether the payment is a sponsorship.
Motion to reconsider. Passed.
The board established that the payment is a sponsorship rather than a donation: the city’s name is displayed at the fair, which constitutes promotion of the city.
Alderman Harris said he does not believe the city should be paying for promotions and advertising, and that residents remain free to donate personally.
Motion to not pay the $2,000 to the fair. Seconded. Failed.
City Attorney Jenny Tyler-Baker advised that the sponsorship is permissible and legal. Other members spoke in support of the payment, citing the fair’s role in youth programming: young people use the hall, show animals, and develop skills through the work.
Motion to approve $2,000 to the Stone County Fair Association. Passed.
The board re-voted the approval expressly so the outcome would be recorded cleanly.
Executive Session
Motion to enter executive session for land acquisition. Passed.
The city engineer was asked to remain.
e. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn until Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Passed.