City of Wiggins Board of Aldermen Recap | September 15, 2026

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 · 5:00 p.m. · Wiggins City Hall

Sundee Williams left when the board went into non-public session near the end of the meeting. The meeting ended after she left. Items taken up after that point are listed under “Outcomes Not Observed.”

At this meeting: The board accepted the resignation of City Attorney Jenny Tyler-Baker effective September 30, approved an overtime policy required for a $10,000 highway safety grant, heard that the city's paving funds have arrived and set a work session to begin building a paving plan with the county, accepted the resignations of two police officers, accepted a $2,750 donation from Hood Industries to the fire department, authorized a public hearing on the revised sewer facility plan for the U.S. Highway 49 crossing, approved a letter to clean up unused special accounts, and tabled the tobacco and homeless/panhandler ordinances and a proposal to raise water tap fees.

The meeting opened with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Opening Business

IV. September 15, 2026 agenda. The board amended the agenda to add water tapping fees under Public Works. Passed.

V. Minutes of the September 1, 2026 regular meeting. The printed agenda listed the minutes as September 15; the board confirmed it was approving the September 1 minutes. Passed.

VI. Docket of claims (19930 through 20096). Passed.

VII. Payroll for September 4 and September 11, 2026. Passed.

VIII. Citizens’ comments. No one signed up to speak.

Old Business/Tabled Issues

IX.a. Tobacco ordinance. The ordinance was tabled again so more could be added to it, including provisions related to new businesses coming to the city. The sheriff has asked that it be written so it can also be enforced countywide. Tabled.

IX.b. Homeless/panhandler ordinance. The board heard that the same problem exists countywide, with people living under bridges and being moved back and forth between the city and the county. Churches once provided temporary housing, and the city is looking at an agreement with Biloxi for at least two shelter beds; available beds are currently going to Gulfport and Biloxi. The crisis intervention team has made contact with people, but they have declined help. The board wants to settle how people will be helped before adopting an ordinance. Tabled.

IX.c. Overtime policy. The board received a projected overtime policy recommending the city follow federal Fair Labor Standards Act overtime guidelines. The policy is a requirement for the department to receive payment on a $10,000 highway safety grant, and about four weeks remained before it had to be turned in. The item had been deferred on September 1. Passed.

IX.d. Letter to combine/delete special accounts no longer in use. Passed.

X. New business. None.

Departments

Land Code Administrator

XI.a.i–ii. Seymour Engineering; Donovan Scruggs. Both had a conflict and could not attend. No presentation.

Police Department

XI.b.i. Resignation of Officer David Tarvin. Officer Tarvin, with the department two years, is going to the Department of Corrections. Passed.

XI.b.ii. Resignation of Officer Jack O’Neal. Officer O’Neal, a hazmat specialist, has taken a position at the fuel plant. Passed.

XI.b.iii. Promotion of Officer Ethan Hughes to Sergeant. Taken up as a personnel matter in non-public session. 

Fire Department

XI.c.i. Hood Industries donation of $2,750.00. Passed.

Safe surrender (“baby box”) update. Not on the printed agenda. The site is ready for concrete for the sidewalk. Testing takes about a week after that, and the department hopes to be live October 1. For information; no vote.

Public Works

XI.d.i. Water tapping fees. Added to the agenda by amendment. Water and Sewer Superintendent Archie Gray was not present; Mayor Berry presented proposed new tap fees for ¾-inch, 1-inch, 1½-inch, and 2-inch taps alongside the current fees. As an example, the city has collected $750 for a 1½-inch tap, while the meter alone costs $920 and the meter plus materials comes to a little over $2,100. The proposal does not yet include labor. The board tabled the fees so labor can be added. Tabled.

Street Department (Cassandra Arrington): no report.

Municipal Court

No report.

City Engineer

XI.f.i. Public hearing on the revised sewer facility plan. The board authorized TEI to publish a public hearing and comment period for the revised sewer facility plan, which includes improvements to the sewer crossing U.S. Highway 49. A hearing is required whenever the facility plan changes, so residents can comment for or against it. Passed.

Water tank. Not on the printed agenda. The contractor is finishing up. The tank was turned back on after a setback and was to be flushed and refilled, followed by bacteria testing before returning to service. For information; no vote.

FEMA / Storm Arthur. Not on the printed agenda. The city’s Storm Arthur submission is complete. A meeting with FEMA was set for September 22 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall and was open to anyone wishing to attend. For information; no vote.

Main Street Revitalization grant. Not on the printed agenda. The application the board voted to submit on September 1 was submitted September 11. For information; no vote.

Survey stakes. Not on the printed agenda. A board member asked about wooden stakes with pink flags marking property corners along several streets. The engineer said it is not a city project and he does not know who placed them; it could be a utility or a private survey. For information; no vote.

City Clerk: no items.

Aldermen/Mayor

Paving funds and an interlocal agreement with the county. Not on the printed agenda. The board heard that the city’s paving money arrived the previous Thursday and must be spent within three years. Alderman Damian McKay pressed for an interlocal agreement that would let the city piggyback on the county’s paving contract, and said he had asked for months for a plan to be in place before the money arrived. The city attorney said a draft agreement exists, but the Attorney General’s office needs specific projects — which streets and areas — before it can move forward. Board members agreed the funds should not simply be split equally among wards or left to any one official to direct. For information; no vote.

Building the paving list. Not on the printed agenda. Board members will each bring a list of roads and intersections in their wards. Miles Avenue, which runs through two wards, is on the list, and many intersections have utility cuts that were never properly repaired. Some projects will require underground work first. For planning figures, the board heard that MDOT’s work on Magnolia Drive is a mill and overlay of roughly an inch and a half to two inches; Magnolia is 36 feet wide (three 12-foot lanes) in the middle and 24 feet at the ends. Asphalt typically runs $160 to $170 a ton, and one ton covers about nine feet of a 12-foot-wide lane. For information; no vote.

Paving work session. Not on the printed agenda. A work session was set for Wednesday, September 23, at 5:00 p.m. to run numbers and begin putting the plan together.

Resignation of City Attorney Jenny Tyler-Baker. Not on the printed agenda. Tyler-Baker, the city’s attorney since 2019, told the board she has been promoted to a leadership position with her firm, which will bring more travel and responsibility, and that she needs to resign. She left the effective date to the board. Board members thanked her for her service. Motion: To accept the resignation effective September 30, 2026. Passed.

Non-Public Session

The board voted to enter executive session for personnel. The printed agenda marks the proposed promotion of Officer Ethan Hughes to Sergeant as an executive session item. Passed.