Plastic trash barrels have been transformed by student and local artists, thanks to a new program that's being officially unveiled in Bay St. Louis, Wednesday, November 7th.  
- story by Lisa Monti

The litter containers - whose only adornment are the BSL initials - are being turned into showcases for art reflecting the Gulf Coast, according to Don Siebenkittel, the city’s code enforcement officer who is coordinating the mayor’s art project.

“All the barrels are being painted by local artists from youth organizations and local schools,” he said. “Most of the schools have art programs which are awesome, and these litter barrels are going to look fabulous.”
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Some barrels will bear inspirational messages or school spirit shout-outs, but most will follow the Gulf Coast theme with original renditions of crabs, fish, boats or other coastal characteristics and inhabitants. None will be used to advertise businesses, though.

Adult artists in the community have also volunteered to take on the painting of a barrel. 

Siebenkittel said he’s enjoying getting out and working with the artists, along with his duties as the city’s code enforcement official, a job he's held less than a year.  But it's been an enormously busy one:  more than 800 properties have been cleaned up under Siebenkittel's watch.

So far about 30 litter barrels have been painted and will be placed along Beach Boulevard and Main Street. “Our goal is to have 100 of them by the end of the school year,” Siebenkittel said.
 
The public will get a look at the first collection of painted barrels when they are unveiled Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at City Hall. They will be placed around town starting the following week.
 
Siebenkittel hinted that the project might be expanded to making rain drums or other environmentally friendly assets for the city.

​“There are so many different environmental and educational ways to use the barrels,” he said.

Bay St. Louis's new Code Enforcement officer, Don Siebenkittel, is already having a major impact: in the past six weeks, he's closed 20 cases and had two houses removed - all at no cost to the city. 
- story and photograph by Lisa Monti

The heavy workload doesn’t faze Siebenkittel, and it’s not all that fills his packed schedule on and off the job. He continues to be chairman of Keep Waveland Beautiful. He also works part time as a corporal with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and part time at Waveland Police. A lifelong outdoorsman, Siebenkittel trains field trial fox dogs, is involved in coastal cleanup efforts and is an avid gardener and hunter.
 
He brings an extensive background to the code enforcement job. He worked in law enforcement starting in 1992 with the Pearl River County and Hancock sheriff’s departments. More recently he also worked with the Waveland Fire and Police departments and in that city’s litter control and code enforcement. For 12 years he operated a flooring business in Hancock County.
 
Siebenkittel was born in Louisiana but considers Picayune his hometown. He and his wife, Kathyleen, live in Waveland. He loves the outdoors, especially deer hunting, and enjoys taking photos of nature and of the wildlife like foxes that he finds in the city.
 
Siebenkittel sees his code enforcement role as sort of a referee working to resolve issues with property owners on behalf of the city. “I like working with people,” he said. And if a property is not in compliance, he works toward a resolution.

​His connections with other counties and cities also come into play on the job. “I try to work with other cities and want to keep a good working relationship with them,” he said.

On Katrina's 12th anniversary, Mississippi coast residents are mobilizing to help our neighbors to the west.  Below are some on-going Hancock County efforts, some by individuals with personal connects in Texas, some larger group efforts.  

Meet your Bay St. Louis representatives for the next four years.  Although the race results have yet to be certified (meaning there's always the possibility of a change in close races), acknowledged winners of city races celebrated with friends and family on Tuesday night at the Bay St. Louis Community Hall.  

Only two incumbents won reelection - Jeff Reed (Ward 3) and Doug Seal (Ward 1).  Former At-Large councilman Mike Farve gave up his seat to run for mayor, a gamble that paid off.  All elected officials will start their new terms of office on July 3rd.  
- by Ellis Anderson 

Can I vote?  Most likely you can and should.  It's a race that may well decide who'll be serving as BSL mayor for the next four years.   
- by Ellis Anderson 

Will Bay St. Louis soon join the 73% of communities in the U.S. with curbside recycling service?  Take a short survey that can help determine that!
- by Ellis Anderson

Some eleventh hour jockeying left four candidates for mayor and 22 candidates for city council after the 5pm deadline on March 3rd.  Each will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and answer questions from citizens on Serve BSL, the first bi-partisan online forum in the state of Mississippi.  Things are just getting interesting!
​- story by Ellis Anderson

A workshop with Hancock County Supervisors and library advocates on February 13th will help determine the fate of five local libraries.  Find out meeting details in this Big Buzz story.
- by Ellis Anderson 

Now you don’t even have to leave home to attend City Council Meetings in Bay St. Louis.  

The city’s Facebook Page now  streams meetings in real time as they’re occurring.  Better yet, the videos stay on the page, so if you can't "make a meeting,"  you can check them out later.  ​