MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2021

By: Senator(s) Seymour, Barnett, Jackson To: Rules (11th), Jackson (32nd), Simmons (13th)

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 531

1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXPRESSING LEGISLATIVE INTENT 2 RELATIVE TO ENCOURAGING COOPERATION WITH MILITARY INSTALLATIONS TO 3 ENCOURAGE COMPATIBLE LAND USE AND HELP PREVENT INCOMPATIBLE 4 ENCROACHMENT NEAR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND FACILITATE THE 5 CONTINUED PRESENCE OF MAJOR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THIS STATE; 6 TO SPECIFY THE COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS 7 TO WHICH THIS RESOLUTION APPLIES; TO ENCOURAGE COUNTIES AND 8 MUNICIPALITIES TO PROVIDE MILITARY INSTALLATIONS WITH INFORMATION 9 RELATING TO LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE USE OF 10 LAND ADJACENT TO OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO MILITARY INSTALLATIONS 11 IN THE STATE OF ; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 12 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 13 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 14 the Mississippi Legislature finds and declares that: 15 (a) The Mississippi Legislature of the State of 16 Mississippi is firmly resolved to support the 17 military. The Legislature finds that incompatible development of

18 land close to military installations can adversely affect the 19 ability of such installations to carry out their missions. The 20 Legislature further finds that such development also threatens the 21 public safety because of the possibility of accidents occurring 22 within the areas surrounding a military installation. In

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 21/SS26/R1064 PAGE 1 (rdd\lr) 23 addition, the economic vitality of a community is affected when 24 military operations and missions must relocate because of 25 incompatible urban encroachment. Therefore, the Legislature finds 26 it desirable for counties and municipalities in the state to 27 cooperate with military installations to encourage compatible land 28 use, help prevent incompatible encroachment, and facilitate the

29 continued presence of major military installations in the state. 30 (b) Certain major military installations, due to their 31 mission and activities, have a greater potential for experiencing 32 compatibility and coordination issues than others. This section 33 applies to specific affected counties and municipalities in 34 proximity to and in association with specific military 35 installations, as follows:

36 (i) Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, 37 associated with Hancock County, Mississippi. 38 (ii) Camp McCain, associated with the City of 39 Grenada, Mississippi, and Grenada County, Mississippi. 40 (iii) Camp Shelby, associated with the City of

41 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Forrest County, Mississippi, and Perry 42 County, Mississippi.

43 (iv) Columbus Air Force Base, associated with the 44 City of Columbus, Mississippi, and Lowndes County, Mississippi. 45 (v) Engineer Research and Development Center, 46 associated with the City of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Warren 47 County, Mississippi.

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 21/SS26/R1064 PAGE 2 (rdd\lr) 48 (vi) Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, 49 associated with the City of Gulfport, Mississippi, and Harrison 50 County, Mississippi. 51 (vii) , associated with the 52 City of Biloxi, Mississippi, the City of D'Iberville, Mississippi, 53 and Harrison County, Mississippi.

54 (viii)) 186th Air Refueling Wing, associated with 55 the City of Meridian, Mississippi, and Lauderdale County, 56 Mississippi. 57 (ix) Naval Air Station Meridian, associated with 58 the City of Meridian, Mississippi, the City of Marion, 59 Mississippi, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, Kemper County 60 Mississippi, and Noxubee County, Mississippi.

61 (x) Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, 62 associated with the City of Gulfport, Mississippi, the City of 63 Long Beach, Mississippi, the City of Diamondhead, Mississippi, the 64 City of Waveland, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, and 65 Hancock County, Mississippi.

66 (xi) Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, 67 associated with the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Jackson

68 County, Mississippi. 69 (xii) Thompson Field Air National Guard Base, 70 associated with the City of Jackson, Mississippi, the City of 71 Flowood, Mississippi, and Rankin County, Mississippi.

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 21/SS26/R1064 PAGE 3 (rdd\lr) 72 (xiii) Army Aviation Support Facility Number 1 at 73 Hawkins Field, associated with the City of Jackson, Mississippi, 74 and Hinds County, Mississippi. 75 (xiv) Army Aviation Support Facility Number 2 at 76 the Tupelo Regional Airport, associated with the City of Tupelo, 77 Mississippi, and Lee County, Mississippi.

78 (c) The Mississippi Military Communities Council or 79 Installation Commanders Council may recommend to the Legislature 80 changes to the military installations and counties and 81 municipalities specified in paragraph (b) of this section based on 82 the potential for impacts from encroachment on a military base, 83 and incompatible land uses and development. 84 (d) (i) The Mississippi Legislature strongly

85 encourages each affected county or municipality to transmit to the 86 commanding officer of the relevant associated military 87 installation or installations information relating to proposed 88 changes to comprehensive plans, plan amendments, and proposed 89 changes to land development regulations which, if approved, would

90 affect the intensity, density, or use of the land adjacent to or 91 in close proximity to the military installation. At the request

92 of the commanding officer, an affected county or municipality is 93 encouraged to also transmit to the commanding officer copies of 94 applications for development orders requesting a variance or 95 waiver from height or lighting restrictions or noise attenuation 96 reduction requirements within areas defined in a county's or

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 21/SS26/R1064 PAGE 4 (rdd\lr) 97 municipality's comprehensive plan as being in a zone of influence 98 of the military installation. An affected county or municipality 99 is encouraged to provide the military installation an opportunity 100 to review and comment on the proposed changes. For a county or 101 municipality without a comprehensive plan or zoning, the county or 102 municipality is encouraged to transmit any plans or proposals that

103 may affect the military installation or its mission. 104 (ii) The commanding officer or his or her designee 105 may provide advisory comments to the affected county or 106 municipality on the impact such proposed changes may have on the 107 mission of the military installation. Such advisory comments 108 shall be based on appropriate data and analyses provided with the 109 comments and may include:

110 1. If the installation has an airfield, 111 whether such proposed changes will be incompatible with the safety 112 and noise standards contained in the Air Installation Compatible 113 Use Zone (AICUZ) adopted by the military installation for that 114 airfield;

115 2. Whether such changes are incompatible with 116 the Installation Environmental Noise Management Program (IENMP) of

117 the United States Army; 118 3. Whether such changes are incompatible with 119 the findings of a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) or Compatible Use 120 Study for the area if one has been completed; and

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 21/SS26/R1064 PAGE 5 (rdd\lr) 121 4. Whether the military installation's 122 mission will be adversely affected by the proposed actions of the 123 county or municipality. The county or municipality is encouraged 124 to consider the commanding officer's comments, underlying studies, 125 and reports in the same manner as the comments received from other 126 reviewing agencies.

127 (iii) The affected county or municipality is 128 encouraged to take into consideration any comments and 129 accompanying data and analyses provided by the commanding officer 130 or his or her designee pursuant to this paragraph (d) as they 131 relate to the strategic mission of the military installation, 132 public safety, and the economic vitality associated with the 133 installation's operations, while also respecting private property

134 rights and not being unduly restrictive on those rights. 135 (iv) The commanding officer is encouraged to 136 provide information about any community planning assistance grants 137 that may be available to a county or municipality through programs 138 such as those of the federal Office of Economic Adjustment as an

139 incentive for communities to participate in a joint-planning 140 process that would facilitate the compatibility of community

141 planning and the activities and mission of the military 142 installation. 143 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this concurrent resolution be 144 transmitted to each military installation named in paragraph (b),

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 21/SS26/R1064 PAGE 6 (rdd\lr) 145 the Mississippi Association of Supervisors and the Mississippi 146 Municipal League, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.

S. C. R. No. 531 *SS26/R1064* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 21/SS26/R1064 ST: Encourage counties and municipalities to PAGE 7 (rdd\lr) exchange land use and development information with military installations.