Mississippi § 49-35-9 - Agreements reached before consideration by commission; public notice; notice to property owners; public hearings.

§ 49-35-9. Agreements reached before consideration by commission; public notice; notice to property owners; public hearings.

If the department and a brownfield party reach a proposed agreement, then at least thirty (30) days before the date that the commission considers the proposed brownfield agreement under Section 49-35-11, the department shall publish a public notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which the brownfield agreement site is located. The public notice shall (i) describe the proposed brownfield agreement, including the proposed brownfield agreement site; (ii) request public comment on the proposed agreement within thirty (30) days after the date of publication of the notice; and (iii) provide the date and location of the commission’s consideration of the proposed brownfield agreement. A copy of the proposed brownfield agreement shall be filed for public inspection in the county courthouse of the county or counties in which the proposed brownfield agreement site is located. The commission shall notify in writing the governing authority of the local government in which the proposed site is located. At the time of publication of the public notice under paragraph (a) of this subsection, an applicant brownfield party shall notify by certified mail, each record owner of property contiguous to the brownfield agreement site identified by the brownfield party after examination of the land records of the county or counties in which the brownfield agreement site is located at the address contained in the county records, if available. No brownfield agreement shall be declared invalid based on failure of any person to receive notice under this subsection. The commission may by regulation require additional public notice. The department may conduct a public hearing on the proposed brownfield agreement in the county in which the majority of the proposed brownfield agreement site is located, or in any other location in the local area of the proposed brownfield agreement site that is convenient to the members of the public who may have an interest in the proposed brownfield agreement. The department shall publish a notice of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which the proposed brownfield agreement site is located. The department shall provide to the commission for review before its consideration of the proposed brownfield agreement all public comments and the transcript of any public hearing on the proposed brownfield agreement.