GULFPORT — The federal government says the Mississippi Development Authority has documented only 50 of the 1,286 direct, full-time jobs it claims at the state port, and insists MDA provide records to show all the jobs exist.  The Sun Herald obtained a copy of a letter sent April 22 to the MDA from Stanley Gimont, director of block grant compliance in community development and planning for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

MDA must supply documentation on the jobs by early June, an enclosed report says. If the jobs are not documented, the report warns, the state could face repayment of Community Development Block Grant money HUD redirected from post-Katrina housing assistance to economic development at the port.

Port workers and community advocates monitoring the project have long questioned the number of jobs the port claims now, and the 1,200 jobs it promises to create with the $580 million in federal funding. The project requires 51 percent of port jobs go to low- to moderate-income residents. The port is spending the money on restoration, expansion and upgrades that will not be completed until 2017. Daron Wilson, director of MDA’s disaster-recovery division, said port jobs in place before expansion, called “retained” jobs, were never meant to be counted as part of MDA’s compliance with HUD regulations.

‘About job creation’

“This project is about job creation,” Wilson said. “The only reason that we track job retention is so that we know how to measure job creation. We’ve got to have a starting place to say, ‘This is how many jobs we know were still here’ so that we can count every job going forward from that point as a job created.

“So, we’re going to challenge this report with respect to that …. Their assertion that we have an issue here is related to their assumption that we’re trying to document job retention.”

HUD’s assumption is based on a 2007 plan submitted by MDA, as administrator of the federal grant money, for port expansion. It says: “All jobs created or retained and those that are made available to low- to moderate-income workers will be documented and reported. These efforts will provide relief and long-term recovery to the disaster area and are consistent with the CDBG program’s primary purpose.”

HUD has reminded MDA of its duty to track and document jobs. Community advocates who monitor port expansion have been frustrated by the job numbers the port claims. For example, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association say the port employs only about 60 to 110 full-time workers to load and unload cargo, even though the port claims 388 ILA jobs.

Confirmation from HUD

Reilly Morse, an attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice who represents the Steps Coalition of community organizations, said the HUD report confirms what Steps and community leaders have been saying all along.

Morse called the lack of documentation “unacceptable.” He said, “That’s putting the port at risk of losing the money if it can’t show a better performance.”

MDA’s Wilson noted the report, from HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development, says the port “has improved its citizen participation and public outreach regarding the progress of the port’s restoration and job opportunities.”

In a separate report this month, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity cites MDA’s lack of “due diligence” in ensuring the port, its contractors and subcontractors are meeting low- to moderate-income job requirements during construction.

The report says MDA has failed to dedicate full-time coordinators to monitor the requirements or set up a central office for record-keeping on outreach, hiring, training and contracting. The report cites MDA for noncompliance in a number of areas, and demands corrective action.

GULFPORT — The Environmental Protection Agency wants to make sure cumulative effects of proposed Port of Gulfport-related projects are studied, an EPA letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says.

The Corps of Engineers is the lead agency for environmental assessments of port expansion; plans by Ward Investments to develop property in the Turkey Creek watershed between U.S. 49 and Canal Road; and a port connector road the state plans to build near Canal Road south of Interstate 10 to the port. Gov. Phil Bryant is expected at the port at 11 a.m. today to view the completed work on the port’s 84-acre West Pier expansion. The corps study concerns expansion still in the planning stages.

The EPA letter, to Damon Young of the corps Mobile District, points out Turkey Creek is a “priority watershed” for the EPA and state Department of Environmental Quality. It also mentions the historic importance of the Turkey Creek community, settled in 1866 by emancipated slaves.

Young said separate permit applications for port expansion, the connector road and the Ward project will each deal with combined effects of the three projects on surrounding communities. Water and air quality, along with economic impacts, are some of the areas the corps will study.

“It’s a very, very big deal, especially with the three projects being in this watershed and the proposed impacts on the watershed,” Young said.

Turkey Creek area residents have been following port expansion and asking questions about potential air pollution from increased truck and cargo traffic. They also are concerned about traffic congestion, and division of their communities by the connector road and an improved rail line.

Flooding exacerbated by development has been and will continue to be a major concern, community advocates say. Residents and community advocates also worry the corps has studied projects independently rather than as a whole. The EPA letter, written by Heinz Mueller of Region 4 in Atlanta, takes into account those concerns: “We support working closely with communities during the evaluation process to holistically examine impacts to both natural and human resources.

” … By working together with federal, state and local partners, we can promote watershed and air quality protection, community involvement and environmental sustainability as an integral part of the decision-making process for these projects.”

Though study of port expansion has started, environmental assessments have yet to begin on the connector road and Ward project. The state’s previous plan — to take Ward property for a conservation easement that would offset wetlands loss from the connector road — is no longer in play.

Ward is working on a new proposal for a new conservation easement that would allow the firm to keep about 500 acres for port-related retail and office development. Ward attorney John Brunini said project developers are reaching out to community leaders for input on plans.

Young said the state Department of Transportation will have to file a new permit request for connector-road construction, which is at a standstill. Community groups are encouraged by the EPA letter.

“For the first time, EPA has linked together concern about the port, the port-connector road and the Ward development,” said Reilly Morse, attorney with the nonprofit Mississippi Center for Justice.

With four years and $97 million spent, Gov. Phil Bryant, port officials and community leaders on Wednesday celebrated the dumping of the last load of dirt on an expanded West Pier. Bryant stressed the number of jobs an expanded port will create when speaking to the crowd. He said the project funded with about $600 million from the federal government will create about 1,300 jobs. ”We have made tremendous progress and that’s why we are here today to celebrate,” Bryant said.

AMANDA McCOY/SUN HERALD Governor Phil Bryant is on hand as the last truckload of fill is dumped on the expanded West Pier on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, in Gulfport. The ceremony included a blessing of the port as the 80-acre fill project nears completion.

He said 1.75 million tons of dirt has been added to the West Pier, enough to fill 16 aircraft carriers. Some in the crowd were skeptical about job creation.

They say the port has fewer jobs today than it did before Hurricane Katrina and does not employ the 1,200 people the port claims.

“I think it was a joke, I really do, to throw out numbers like that,” said Glenn Cobb, Gulfport’s representative on the Pathways to the Port Committee, which is working on job creation. “Those of us sitting here know those numbers are far from being correct.”

After almost four years and $97 million spent, Gov. Phil Bryant, port officials and community leaders celebrated the dumping of the last load of dirt Wednesday on an expanded West Pier. Bryant said the project, funded with $570 million from the federal government, will create about 1,300 jobs.

“We have made tremendous progress and that’s why we are here today, to celebrate,” Bryant said.

He said 1.75 million tons of dirt has been added to the West Pier, enough to fill 16 aircraft carriers.

The port expects to award $150 million to $180 million in contracts, most for construction, over the next year. Interim Director Matt Wypyski said about $75 million of that will be spent to upgrade the West Pier wharf. The wharf will be strengthened and rails added to move gantry cranes for more efficiently loading ships. The port plans to move current East Pier tenants to the West Pier.

Bryant also mentioned plans for office, retail and maritime development on the north shore. Wypyski and Daron Wilson of the Mississippi Development Authority said 50 acres will be freed up for development on the north shore and East Pier when tenants move to the West Pier. West Pier work is expected to be finished in 2015.

Some in the crowd were skeptical about job creation.

They say the port has fewer jobs today than it had before Hurricane Katrina and does not employ the 1,200 people the port claims.

“I think it was a joke, I really do, to throw out numbers like that,” said Glenn Cobb, Gulfport’s representative on the Pathways to the Port Committee, which is working on job creation. “Those of us sitting here know those numbers are far from being correct.”

Truck Casey, a Gulfport city councilman, also said the port’s job-number estimates are too high. Casey is a member of the International Longshoremen’s Association, which loads and unloads ships at the port. The port jobs report counts 388 longshoremen, a figure that comes from the ILA. However, only 60 longshoremen at most have full-time work at the port, Casey said. The number might increase to 110, he said, when a container ship is docked.

The three container-cargo carriers — Dole, Chiquita and Crowley — each have one ship per week docked at the port. Casey sat on the front row for Bryant’s speech under a tent pitched on the West Pier. ”All they’re doing is hauling dirt,” Casey said. “I don’t see any jobs created whatsoever.”

The dirt has filled 84 acres to 12 to 14 feet high. Bryant said port construction has so far employed 312.  ”Look around you,” he said. “The port of the future exists. We stand on it today.” A dump truck was parked behind the tent. When Bryant finished speaking, the driver dumped the last load of dirt onto the West Pier.

The Rev. Anthony Thompson, who also serves on the Pathways to the Port committee, believes the port project will generate the promised jobs. He said he is already working through a community group to help prepare residents for the future jobs.