Mayor's Mission To Makeover Moss Point

Nov 04, 2009 (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS/ContentWorks via COMTEX) -- ROH | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- BILOXI, Miss. -- Moss Point Mayor Aneice Liddell has big plans for her small city on the Escatawpa River, a city under economic siege long before Hurricane Katrina.

Once a bustling industrial city hosting big corporations such as International Paper and Rohm & Haas (formerly Morton Thiokol), Moss Point began to change when International Paper, operating in the city since 1928, closed in 2001, eliminating more than 300 jobs.

Then came Hurricane Katrina, putting a lid on its seafood industry and dashing plans of a shipbuilding company to expand operations in Moss Point. The storm also damaged government buildings on the water front, sending city employees to FEMA-donated trailers to conduct business.

Since Katrina, recovery has been steady but rocky in this community of about 14,000. Liddell, Moss Point's first female mayor and elected about four months ago, sees storm recovery from a slightly different angle than others have. For her, recovery of the city is as much about rebuilding its image as its infrastructure.

"We'd like to clean things up; we want curb appeal," Liddell said. "We want to make this city more people friendly, more diverse."

The first of many steps in elevating the profile of Moss Point, Liddell says, is the development of its downtown waterfront and green space. Already underway, the project is expected to be completed by late 2010. It is funded by about $12 million from the Mississippi Development Authority and will feature a recreation center, war memorial, performance shelter, and other projects that may -- or may not -- include an amphitheatre.

Tagged as a new project under the grant and not deadline eligible for MDA funding, the amphitheatre's future is uncertain.

"This is an amendment, not a new project," Liddell said. "It's more cost effective than what was first planned. This is important to the city, to the county. I'm trying to change the perception of Moss Point. This waterfront project will be the core."

Once the core of Moss Point's recovery and redevelopment is complete, Liddell will concentrate on diversifying the city's economic base. She's already considering attracting ecotourism or small industries that could be ancillary to nearby manufacturers, casinos or refineries.

"We'll look at what industries we can capitalize on -- industries that are already here," Liddell said. "Maybe we can provide something right here that they don't have to go far for whether it's a part or food ..."

For some economic guidance, the mayor is collaborating with the Institute for Sustainable Communities, whose mission is to help communities around the world address environmental, economic, and social challenges to build a better future.

Part of the city's future lies in its very foundation. Repairs to the city's infrastructure and government buildings, funded by FEMA and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, are well underway.

"A little over $6 million in MEMA/FEMA funds is laying the ground work for Moss Point's recovery," said MEMA Director Mike Womack. "Like many of the Coast's cities after Hurricane Katrina, Moss Point will bounce back into a future that holds promise."

There are changes in the momentum of Moss Point's recovery; it's no longer moving the zigzag reactive path that defined the city's course of action the months after Katrina.

"We're not operating in crisis mode," Liddell said. "We're taking one step at a time while I'm establishing and reinforcing a chain of command here. Changes are happening."

One of 10 sisters, Liddell appreciates the value of organization, teamwork -- and communication to effect change. A sign in her office reads "Words can be like weapons to divide or unite."

And that's crucial to her - keeping everyone united, on the same track.

"We have to unite as a team working on rebuilding this town," Liddell said. And for this mayor, the team extends beyond her city's limits -- to state and federal partners, private enterprise and her Coast neighbors.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index