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ordinanc 3 correction advice
7
. By WAYNE DUCOMB JR.
The Bay St Louis City Council at a Thursday night meeting bucked the advice of a consultant hired to correct erroneous city zoning ordinances in refusing to place a commercial classification on US-90 property owned by renouned jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain.
At a previous council meeting, the officials accepted 52 out of 53 recommendations by Jules Lagarde, a Bay St. Louis architect, which he formulated to correct discrepancies in zoning regulations of the City Planning and Zoning Commission, formed in 1964.
Thejaljled Lagarde recommendation 1$ which suggested the council classify property northwest of the intersection of the highwa'y and Second Street and the now vacant Fountain lots south of US-90 and on Beach Boulevard, as commercial land. * *
But the council Thursday night prompted by a motion offered by Ward Two Councilman James Thriffiley agreed to only designate the Second Street land as commercial, but to leave the Fountain property as a residential area for multi-family dwellings. ^ Fountain is reportedly planning to build condominiums on his highway property at the foot of the Bay of St. Louis bridge which would comply with the multi-family residential (R-3). classification the council maintained.-
Thriffiley said the minutes of the then -Bay Board of Commissioners approv- , ing the commercial designations were 'Inot signed and contained errors in , Fountain property lot numbers?
*" I?h&^miijjites of the commissioners? meeting in a single motion direct rezon-\ ing of both parcels as commercial property.
Lagarde, in response to Thriffiley, contended, ?This goes against the spirit of what the city commissioners did ^nd F ountain land should be designated 0-3. There were no errors in lot numbers in Uhe zoning commission?s minutes.?
?It?s not a question of whether I?m for or against Pete Fountain, the recommendations are designed to correct a number of errors found,? he stated.
?I don?t think it?s fair to go back and do something just because they didn?t sign the minutes,? Lagarde added.
Joseph Gex, city attorney, stated, ?I?ve seen two sets of lot numbers, but I?m not familiar with the planning and zoning commission minutes.?
?I think it?s going to be what it is,? he added.
Thriffiley remarked, ?Let sleeping dogs lie.?
JOBSPROGRAM The council also approved a recom-
mendation by Ron Murray Consultants, Inc. of Bay St. Louis allowing the firm to seek a Small Cities Community Development Jobs Bill Block Grant.
In addition, a Tuesday hearing at 6 p.m. is scheduled at City Hall to obtain citizen comments regarding the propos- _
ed project.
Ron Murray, company; said Friday that the project vripaQoW the hiring of about 10 unskilled Workers for 12 to 18 months to perform gas line renovation and drainage work.
COUNCIL?PAGE 2A
Planning and Zoning Commission to meet
By JUNE M. HEYDT
The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet Tuesday, Aug. 9 to review a new up-to-date zoning map that will be presented by architect Jules Lagarde.
C.C. McDonald, commission chairman, said, ?If we don?t find anything wrong with the new zoning map, no discrepancies or errors, and it is approved, this will clear the deck to set a date for a public hearing on the beach front ordinance.?
The beach front ordinance prohibits commercial construction on the beach front except for the property owned by the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club, the
American Legion, and the Central Business District, which includes the area from the old Merchants Insurance Building to the north side of the Maurice Colly property.
The one exception is Pete Fountain?s property which is already zoned highway commercial C-3, said McDonald.
McDonald also noted that the ordinance does not mean that the yacht club, or any of the other commercially zoned property owners can build whatever they want to. Anything built on the beach must be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Bay St. Louis City Council.
/
Murray indicted on fraud charges
?, :y .
By JUNE M. HEYDT
A Hancock County Grand Jury has indicted Donn Murray on charges of fraud upon the City of Bay St. Louis.
Murray was indicted earlier this year on charges of fraud and conspiracy but the charges were dropped because of a statute of limitations, the Speedy Trial Act, requiring that prosecution be within two years of commiting the alleged crime.
Murray is charged with securing the services of a carpenter to perform work on the residence of Larry Bennett, mayor of Bay St. Louis in the summer of 1978.
The charges state that a carpenter listed as an employee under a contract for work on the streets of the city was being paid by the city and that the . materials he used on the home of Larry
Bennett were purchased under the false and fraudulent representation that the labor and materials were authorized' expenditures under the city contract.1 r-The charges further state that Murray knew at the time that the materials
and labor were not authorized expenditures under the contract for work on the streets of the city.	/
Murray is employed by Broadway and Seal, engineers of record for Han-? cock County Board of Supervisors. He also serves as inspector for Bay St. Louis street projects and is the building' inspector for the Hancock County Planning Commission.
Murray was Booked at the Hancock County Jail Friday and released under a $5,000 property bond secured by his son, Ron Murray.	.
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