NATCHEZ, Miss. – The city has received a $443,600 federal grant for workforce development that will focus on training people in the Natchez area for “quality, in-demand jobs” offered by local businesses.
Provided by the federal Delta Regional Authority, the money will be programmed to train 125 people a year during a three-year period for working in manufacturing, health care and other employment sectors. Courses are to be conducted at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus in partnership with local businesses specifying what skills they need for their workers.
“This has been a prayer that’s been answered,” Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson said Tuesday as the Board of Aldermen officially accepted the federal grant to be combined with about $150,000 a year in state funds. City and Adams County officials have consolidated efforts the past couple of years to implement more workforce training programs.
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The Natchez-Adams County Aquatic Center will remain closed indefinitely until new pump parts arrive, interim city Recreation and Parks Director Ryan Porter said Tuesday. The main pump that filters dirty water and recirculates clean water back into the swimming pool stopped working last week.
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Natchez aldermen rejected a contractor’s proposal to renovate the Duncan Park Golf clubhouse because it exceeds available funds. Originally budgeted in 2021 by city officials to be at least $500,000, renovations would cost about $1.2 million, according to the single bid submitted by Hope Construction.
“It just shows that inflation is becoming our greatest challenge,” said Mayor Dan Gibson, pointing to the accelerating costs of construction. “But we are undaunted.”
He said plans will be revised to reduce the costs of refurbishing the deteriorating golf-course facility. It’s a state-designated Mississippi landmark built in 1948 that originally was a U.S. Navy Reserve center and later a University of Southern Mississippi branch.
The board is also getting contractors to submit cost proposals for renovating the City Auditorium, another historic structure built in 1938. The first of its four renovation phases involves roofing work.
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The Board of Aldermen approved leasing six new Natchez cop cars. With this addition, the city will have a total of 16 new patrol cars recently acquired for the Natchez Police Department.
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The board approved a property tax break for the Main Street building that houses the Butter Cakery. Plans are underway to enhance the structure to include an upstairs apartment, said City Clerk Megan McKenzie.
To encourage property owners to improve structures in Natchez’ historic district, the city lets businesses and homeowners not have to pay higher city property taxes based on the increased value of their enhanced structures. The tax exemption is for seven years. The abatement is not applied to what property owners pay the county and the Natchez-Adams School District.
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The board agreed to remove storm-downed trees at the private Watkins Street Cemetery, considered an historic burial ground for Blacks going back to 1909. With the cemetery organization unable to maintain it, the city helps keep it up. It’s estimated to cost about $3,000 for a contractor to cut and haul away the tree debris.
The city-owned Concord and Duncan parks also had many trees and limbs broken by the June 27 windstorm that swept through the city and damaged a section of the Duncan Park golf course that crews continue to clear out.
I thought Watkins Cemetery was allocated $7,000.00 per year in the City Budget.