NATCHEZ, Miss. — An environmental assessment of the Fry building downtown will continue next week as the city plans to tear it down and build a parking garage in its place. This is part of the planned restoration of the old Eola hotel next door.
The city acquired the old, deteriorating office building last year in a donation from previous owner Walter Davis.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the mayor and Board of Aldermen, they discussed environmental assessments to be done throughout the city with $492,000 the federal government provided Natchez-Adams County last year. The federal grant will pay for assessing the extent of pollution at various sites that could be cleaned up and redeveloped. The extent of asbestos at the 1950s Fry building is being assessed.
For the Eola, its private hotel developers have encountered higher-than-expected costs to refurbish the 1927 building. However, “everyone is still excited (about the redevelopment plans) but waiting to get the numbers right,” said Mayor Dan Gibson. The hotel has been closed since 2014.
—
AT&T will remove in-ground asbestos on city-owned land at the Forks of the Road site. This is part of the National Park Service’s efforts to develop the former slave market as an historic site.
Natchez National Historical Park Superintendent Kathleen Bond told the mayor and city board that clean-up and erosion-control work is needed before the Park Service can pursue its plans. She said AT&T will pay the estimated $72,000 cost for decontaminating the land by an old brick bridge. The asbestos is from fiber-optic telecommunication lines AT&T has on the property.
The National Park Service is seeking about $540,000 from the U.S. Congress to preserve and further develop the site by St. Catherine Street, Devereaux Drive and Concord Avenue. It’s considered by the Park Service a high priority to tell the history of enslavement.
Congress passed a law in 2017 establishing the Forks of the Road historic site for preservation, commemoration and interpretation by the Natchez National Historical Park. It covers about 18 acres.
—
Natchez aldermen allocated $60,000 Tuesday to the city’s recreation program for general operations as it revs up with a new director and a million-dollar upgrade of city parks.
The $60,000 is from community development funds Magnolia Bluffs Casino gives Natchez for leasing the city-owned land the gambling venue occupies. Senora Cole was hired by the city board last year as Natchez’ parks and recreation director after years of no one in that position to oversee the city’s six parks and other recreational offerings. Cole had to “start something totally new from scratch,” Gibson said.
The board on Tuesday also gave Cole permission to seek bids for purchasing new park equipment and contracting carpenters to renovate park bathrooms. This is being funded by $2 million the board borrowed last year through a bond issue.
—
The Board of Aldermen voted to move forward with upgrading downtown’s center block on North Commerce Street with more than $500,000 in federal and city funds. The money will pay for installing ornamental light poles and making sidewalks handicapped accessible on the block of North Commerce Street between Main and Franklin streets. About $469,000 awarded by the state Department of Transportation last week will be combined with about $120,000 in city matching funds for enhancing the area designated in the city’s downtown master plan as the arts district. Its centerpiece structure is the old Ritz theater that new owners said last year will be renovated.
—
Natchez aldermen are reviewing a proposed animal-control ordinance that rewrites city regulations that would include what to do about stray animals, what constitutes animal cruelty and how pets can be restrained. Gibson said he hopes the board will adopt the ordinance later this month.
There are 134 laws in the City Code Chapter 10, Sections 1- 134 for ANIMALS. The Mayor seems to think adopting new ordinances without reading or enforcing the ones on the books will fix things. Seriously? I see it as grandstanding.
Sec. 10-10. – Payment of pound fees.
Every owner of any animal, including dogs, impounded, whether by the city or voluntarily by the owner, shall be liable for all costs and fees incurred by such impoundment.
(Code 1969, § 5-10)
State Law reference— Dogs running at large, MCA 1972, § 41-53-11.
Sec. 10-11. – Office of animal control officer created; appointment; enforcement of chapter; department; compensation.
(a) There is hereby created within the Natchez Police Department of the city the office and position of animal control officer.
(b) Such office shall be filled by appointment by the mayor and board of aldermen, and each of the persons filling such offices shall serve at the will and pleasure of the mayor and board of aldermen.
(c) The animal control officer shall enforce this chapter, as amended from time to time; reference to which is made for all purposes. The animal control officer shall have the power to enforce all city ordinances and state laws regulating animals as provided in this chapter and shall have the power to issue notices and legal citations returnable to the municipal court of the city and to pursue and file criminal affidavits for the violation of such ordinances or laws. The form of notices and citations shall be approved by the judge of the municipal court.
Sec. 10-64. – Dogs running at large; impoundment; fee for redemption; disposal of unclaimed dogs.
(a) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit the dog to run at large in the city. It shall be the duty of the animal control officer to pick up any dog found running at large in the city, and to impound the same in an enclosure kept for that purpose to be provided and maintained by the city. Such dog shall be kept by the impounder for at least seven days unless claimed sooner by the owner. Within seven days the rightful owner of any dog held by the impounder may, provided the dog has been vaccinated and tagged as required in this chapter or by law, obtain the dog upon payment of a pound fee in the amount of $25.00, and, in addition thereto, the payment of the sum of $5.00 per day, or a fraction thereof, for the time the dog remained impounded. If the dog does not bear evidence of having been vaccinated, the impounder shall report the same to the sheriff of Adams County, giving a description of the dog. If an unvaccinated dog is impounded, it shall be disposed of pursuant to MCA 1972, § 41-53-11, and charges shall be preferred against the owner thereof for failing to comply with the provisions of state law requiring rabies vaccinations.
(b) If a vaccinated dog is not claimed within the seven-day period, the dog shall be given to any person willing to pay the pound fee of $25.00 and the payment of the sum of $5.00 per day, or a fraction thereof, for the time the dog remained impounded; the dog shall be humanely put to death by the impounder; or shall be delivered to the state board of health for experimental purposes, as provided by state law.
(Code 1969, § 5-81; Ord. No. 2002-4, § 1, 8-27-02)
Sec. 10-90. – Disposition of proceeds.
The animal control officer shall pay over to the city clerk all monies received under the provisions of this article.
(Code 1969, § 5-60)
Sec. 10-91. – Owner may recover proceeds of sale less expenses.
Any person whose animal may have been sold under the provisions of this article shall, by making proper proof of ownership, be repaid the proceeds arising from the sale thereof, after deducting the expenses of advertising, feeding, selling and impounding, by petition to the animal control officer.
(Code 1969, § 5-61)
Sec. 10-92. – Record of impounded animals to be kept; information to be shown.
The animal control officer shall keep a book in which the date on which any animal impounded under the provisions of this article shall be entered, registering the animal, with a description specifying its kind, color, stature, marks or brands, by which it may be identified, and if it is a horse or mule, its estimated age.
(Code 1969, § 5-62)
Sec. 10-131. – Capture of animals running at large.
Animals running at large may be taken by officers of the city and placed in the dog pound at any place in the city where they are not on leash or under immediate control of some person,and may be pursued and captured on any public or private property within the city limits.
Sec. 10-134. – Interference with animal control officer.
It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with the animal control officer while in the performance of his or her duties.