MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Game and Fish; Ways and Means

By: Representative Maples

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 2, CHAPTER 464, LAWS OF 1999, TO REVISE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE PROCEEDS OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AUTHORIZED TO BE ISSUED BY THIS ACT MAY BE UTILIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 2, Chapter 464, Laws of 1999, is amended as follows:

Section 2. (1) (a) A special fund, to be designated as the "1999 Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Improvements Fund" is created within the State Treasury. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state and investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund.

(b) Monies deposited into the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Department of Finance and Administration, to pay the costs of capital improvements, renovation and/or repair of existing facilities, furnishing and/or equipping facilities and purchasing real property for public facilities for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for the following projects:

(i) Critical dam repairs to lakes

in, and renovation and repair of existing facilities

and equipping facilities at the following parks and

fishing lakes:

Bolivar $ 500,000.00

Neshoba 450,000.00

Tom Bailey 275,000.00

Roosevelt 150,000.00

Trace 800,000.00

Legion 100,000.00

Percy Quinn 100,000.00

Walthall County 700,000.00

Tombigbee 100,000.00

Perry County 100,000.00

TOTAL $ 3,275,000.00

(ii) Repairs, renovation and

construction at the following state fish

hatcheries:

Turcotte $ 200,000.00

Meridian 250,000.00

Lyman 1,000,000.00

North Mississippi 1,000,000.00

TOTAL $ 2,450,000.00

(iii) Construction of new

headquarters buildings, and renovation and

repair of existing headquarters buildings as

at the following wildlife management areas:

Tuscumbia, Yockanookany, Choctaw, Chickasaw,

Calhoun, Grenada, Chickasawhay, Sunflower $1,550,000.00

(iv) Construction of new, and

renovation and repair of equipment sheds as

at the following wildlife management areas:

Black Prairie, Trim Cane, Malmaison,

Caney Creek, Tallahala, Bienville,

Chickasawhay, Sandy Creek, Caston

Creek, Little Biloxi, Old River,

Upper and Lower Pascagoula, Wolf

River .......................................$ 150,000.00

(v) Construction of new

facilities and storage sheds, and renovation
and repair of existing facilities and storage

sheds at the following state lakes:

Lamar Bruce, Simpson County, Bogue Homa,

Kemper County, Jeff Davis, Bill Waller,

Mary Crawford, Oktibbeha County, Tippah

County, Monroe County $ 875,000.00

(vi) Construction of lakes

and parking for such lakes in the following

counties:

Copiah County $ 3,250,000.00

George County 3,500,000.00

TOTAL $ 6,750,000.00

(vii) Repair, renovation,

reconstruction or resurfacing of a certain

public road in Yalobusha County beginning at

Mississippi Highway 32 and extending northerly

to the entrance of George Payne Cossar State

Park $ 200,000.00

(viii) Repair, renovation

and restoration of Lakeland Park in Wayne

County $ 100,000.00

(ix) Repair, renovation,

reconstruction and resurfacing of certain

public roads in Panola County beginning at

the intersection of John Harmon Road and

Mississippi Highway 315 and extending

northerly along John Harmon Road and thence

easterly along State Park Road to John Kyle

State Park. Any state aid road funds or other

funds that may be available for such road

projects may be used to match any of the funds

authorized under this subparagraph (ix).

However, if no state aid road funds or other

funds are available to match the funds made

available under this subparagraph (ix), then

the funds authorized under this subparagraph

(ix) may be used for the road project along

State Park Road, and any remaining funds may

be used on the John Harmon Road project $ 500,000.00

(x) Paving a walking/bicycle

path at Percy Quinn State Park $ 25,000.00

(xi) Repair and renovation of

manager and assistant manager residences at

Percy Quinn State Park $ 50,000.00

GRAND TOTAL $15,925,000.00

(c) If a project described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1) is completed without utilizing the full amount of the funds allocated for such project, the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks may utilize such excess funds as necessary to complete any of the other projects described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1).

(2) Amounts deposited into such special fund shall be disbursed to pay the costs of projects described in subsection (1) of this section. Promptly after the commission has certified, by resolution duly adopted, that the projects described in subsection (1) shall have been completed, abandoned, or cannot be completed in a timely fashion, any amounts remaining in such special fund shall be applied to pay debt service on the bonds issued under this act, in accordance with the proceedings authorizing the issuance of such bonds and as directed by the commission.

(3) The Department of Finance and Administration, acting through the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management, is expressly authorized and empowered to receive and expend any local or other source funds in connection with the expenditure of funds provided for in this section. The expenditure of monies deposited into the special fund shall be under the direction of the Department of Finance and Administration, and such funds shall be paid by the State Treasurer upon warrants issued by such department, which warrants shall be issued upon requisitions signed by the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration or his designee.

(4) The Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to pay for the purchase of real estate, construction, repair, renovation, furnishing and equipping of facilities.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.