John Mott Coffey
NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Board of Aldermen on Tuesday decided to get estimates on the costs of implementing drainage projects using $1 million appropriated this year by the state Legislature.
The state Local Improvements Projects Fund for Mississippi communities includes the money for Natchez to correct various street drainage problems in neighborhoods such as Concord, West Stiers Lane and Roselawn.
The money is from the American Rescue Plan Act that Congress enacted in 2021 to help states recover from the economic impact of the COVID pandemic.
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Aldermen voted to move forward with improvements for the Natchez Police Department building on Devereaux Drive that include work on the front facade and front interior costing over $200,000.
While five aldermen support the NPD building’s renovations, the lone dissenter said it’s structurally deficient. “We are wasting taxpayers’ money on that building,” said Alderman Billie Joe Frazier, a retired NPD officer. However, Alderman Sarah Carter Smith noted the city has no alternative building for relocating the NPD and must make the needed repairs.
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The city street repaving project that begins next month is expected to be finished earlier than the planned April date, according to Mayor Dan Gibson. Sections of at least 45 Natchez streets are to get new asphalt surfaces paid for with more than $5 million the city borrowed through bonds.
Streets listed for repaving include Cemetery Road, Brenham Avenue, Liberty Road, Margaret Avenue, Melrose-Montebello Parkway, North Rankin, Auburn, Fatherland, Arlington, Jefferson Davis and more.
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City officials are “very close” to finalizing design plans for restoring the southern part of the old Broadway Street railroad depot to be a visitors center, the mayor said. For the building’s north section, the board agreed Tuesday to seek proposals from private developers on what to do with it.
The city-owned structure’s long-delayed renovation was stalled in 2016 after nearly $1 million was spent to refurbish the century-old building’s exterior. It’s resuming soon with about $190,000 the city has to finish the interior. Plans call for it to have public restrooms, a visitors information center and a small theater to show films about Natchez.
Natchez in January received a $144,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives & History for the historic landmark built circa 1915. The Board of Aldermen has allocated an additional $48,000 for the building’s restoration.
It was leased in 2020 to movie producers Tate Taylor and John Norris to make into a restaurant and music venue, but that fell through last year because it isn’t financially feasible.
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The board voted Tuesday to hire former Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce president Debbie Hudson Germany to search for grants for various city services and programs. The contract calls for paying her $3,500.
The board also agreed to contract Vidal Blankenstein for various creative and marketing services for Natchez. The contract calls for paying her company $3,000 a month. Gibson noted the city will be embarking on an ad campaign to attract more doctors and other health-care providers to Natchez.
The board also agreed to contract Bruce Video Service and videographer Lee Hash to handle the livestreaming of board meetings and other city events shown on Facebook and YouTube. The contract calls for paying at least $300 per meeting or $150 per hour.
The two communications-related contractors come as replacements for former city communications director Dustin Hinkle, who resigned last month.
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The board closed the public out of its meeting Tuesday to talk about personnel at the city Parks & Recreation Department. No details were openly discussed, so it’s uncertain if the closed-door session was about interim Parks & Rec director Ryan Porter. He took previous director Sanora Cole’s place in June, when she resigned.
Thanks for best reporting on the Mayor & Board Meetings as well as all city and county governments.
With regards to the uncertainty as to whether the interim Parks and Rec. director Ryan Porter. I would think if that is what the issue is, then the Board violated Section 25-41-7 of the Open Meetings Act.
The Ethics Commission admonished the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in 2018 for violating the Open Meetings Act “by entering executive session on April
23, May 1 and 3, 2018 to discuss proposals for the provision of garbage collection and recycling services.” 3.2 The Ethics Commission orders the Mayor and Board of Aldermen for the City of Natchez to refrain from further violations and comply strictly with Section 25-41-7 of the Open Meetings Act.
Thanks, John Mott.
City should consider getting out of law enforcement, let the county have it, and quit subsidizing the fire protection in the county that the supervisors have failed to develop or fund for decades.