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County without attorney to handle Rentech
Published Wednesday, April 2, 2008
NATCHEZ — When the clock struck midnight Tuesday morning Bob Latham’s contract with Adams County expired.
And right now the county has no attorney to represent them in the Rentech project.
Latham, former county attorney, was specially hired by the Adams County Board of Supervisors to represent the county in the Rentech land closing.
Latham’s contract was written in such a way that even if the land deal did not close, Latham’s contract would be terminated on April 1.
While the Rentech deal was supposed to have closed on March 28, issues dealing with mineral rights cropped up and postponed the closing for 60 days.
Now the land deal remains unfinished and the county has no attorney to facilitate the closing.
Board president Henry Watts said the county’s current attorney Bobby Cox has not agreed to handle the Rentech project nor have the two men discussed it.
“I feel like he (Cox) could do it if he wanted to,” he said.
Watts said no decision will be made on Latham’s replacement between now and the supervisor’s next scheduled meeting on Monday.
While Latham said he would consider continuing to work on the project should he be rehired by the board, the board has yet to discuss that option either, Watts said.
On Tuesday, Watts mentioned hiring a new attorney to represent the county until the Rentech deal is finalized.
But Latham, who has worked on the project for nearly two years, said working with the project this late in the game would be a challenge for any new attorney.
“It would take a new person on the case a while to catch up,” he said.
In addition, Latham said he had spoken with one Rentech official that voiced concern over Latham’s departure from the project.
“I’m not sure (Rentech) anticipated this,” he said.
Latham said he could not foresee any major Rentech-related problems cropping up between now and the next supervisors meeting, when a decision might or might not be reached regarding an attorney for the Rentech project.
Watts said he was not worried about the lack of an attorney for one week.
“I’m sure (Latham) will continue to work without (a contract),” he said.
Latham said he will continue to work with those related to the project but will significantly reduce the amount of time he spends on the project.
Once the land deal closes, Rentech is expected to build a chemical development plant on the site of the old International Paper mill.
No Rentech representatives could be reached for comment.
Comments
Posted by sandyman7 (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now wait a minute??? Isn't Cox paid by the Supervisors?? Then why can't they TELL Mr. Cox what he will do and what he won't do??? And about Mr. Latham..He seems to think he is more important than he really is, in my opinion.....
Posted by DrunkenMonkey (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The inmates are running the asylum.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
looks like the county screwed up another deal for the tax payers what happened to this deal who got a pay off this time watts, mike and spanky
Posted by lambchop (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't really have a comment on the issue -- but seems that natchez500 has a problem with the 3 whites -- hummmm- is this the bone you are picking?
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree lambchop...sures sounds like reverse racism to me. If the roles and races were reversed where would he stand?
Posted by MSroots (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 7:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Friends & Family in Natchez,
Be patient and let the attorney and the county officials do their work. On a project this large and complex, you are going to hit snags like this along the way. Expect it. There are going to be even bigger ones than this. You have intelligent, honest, credible people that you have elected to these offices. Don't start criticizing them and being negative just because they hit a snag that delays closing for 60 days. The last thing that Rentech wants to see is a community that in fights over these types of issues. Work together to fix it. Cooperate. Stop the name calling. Stop the race baiting. It's quite childish and incredibly stupid and only serves to reinforce a negative perception. Think about it for a minute,...You are talking a complex land deal that will lead to $100's of millions of dollars of potential investment. Mineral rights, multiple previous owners, etc.,...these things cause snags. If you've ever built a house (10's of $1000's, not 100's of millions) you know that all sort of things can crop up. Let them work through it. Be positive.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 7:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Very well put and statesman like MS roots...and BTW correct.
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 8:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the family that owns the mineral rights has owned them for over a hundred years.why do they think they would give them to rentech???? and why would rentech need them...ip operated all of these years without the mineral rights....sounds like another silly extention
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MSroots,
Bravo!
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 8:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
msroots...rentech will still be hitting snags years from now..
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 8:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Who has anything to profit by this deal being delayed????? Guess????? The lawyers! Does it make sense now. Same thing with the hospital deal. Who has to wait on their money????? The vendors! Who gets paid to handle the mess???? The lawyers, there is money in misery!
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe this is a "Blessing in Disguise" when Latham's contract ended! If Cox does not to work on the subject project, fire him! He works for the Board! Sounds like a "Smokescreen"? Hope that the Board gets their "Act" together?
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 9:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shedevil, NatchezEnema, rushinghjr,
There are good things that are happening here and good people are working to make them happen. The three of you are always making everything a negative. It gets old.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NatchezEnema...I think, for the record, this is the first time we've agreed...funny story, I was in the elevator today, with a lawyer I know and a lady chef, who all work in my building...the lawyer, in a cheerful way said, "Have a great day" as he got off the elevator.
When the doors shut, I turned to her and said, "It always makes me nervous when a lawyer says, 'have a great day', when you know their job is to ruin somebody else's day today." She said, "Amen to that, brother!"
OK, I've got some friends that are lawyers, but even they would fess up and say that really is their job description.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 11:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
(Hitormiss) I will be very Up Front with you! If You do not like our comments, you do not have to read them!
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 11:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rushinghjr,
Do you live here or in St. Mary Parish?
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 11:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hitormiss...there are good things happening, but there are also a lot of things that haven't happened and should have over the years, we're discussing how to make them finally happen.
What difference does it make if he lives in this parish or not?...you're simply asking whether he is Roman Catholic or not...another way to divide!...for your info, the parish is called by a different name by people of other faiths and is not recognized as a parish at all in others.
I'm with rushinghjr on this one!
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 2, 2008 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No, sam. Not St. Mary's Church Parish. St. Mary Parish Louisiana.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 12:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I stand corrected, but you didn't specifiy that either...my apologies, but...where he lives doesn't really matter...he's obviously from here and cares about Natchez...why shouldn't he express his concerns?
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 12:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The question is what are the constant negative comments regarding current community affairs, from someone who does not live here, founded on?
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 4:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hitormiss...if you would take your rose colored glasses off you would see things as we do.tell me some of the good things that have happened here....not things that are being talked about but has actually happened.all im seeing is horrible street...more people and businesses leaving the area..higher taxes..low paying jobs and instead of trying to get some of the main streets in town repaired we have mr gardner worring about spending millions of dollars on a walking trail downtown....if the streets arent repaired soon we will all be walking thru downtown
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shedevil, I am sorry all you see are negitive things.
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008...
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008...
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008...
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008...
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008...
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008...
"tell me some of the good things that have happened here....not things that are being talked about but has actually happened." (shedevil)
shedevil: I thought I would take the time to post some links of some good things, or things people have done for others, that have taken place lately. All of these stories are from the last two day or so and took about two minutes to copy and paste. I know that a lot of bad things happen. I read the Baton Rouge Advocate everyday and I can tell you that it is not just here. It just seems that the negative stories get way more comments than the positive ones. Hopefully, this will help you feel better about some of the things going on around this area.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 11:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Swapmeet...again, you've expressed wisdom that belies (sp?) your youth!...which I assume, from our previous blogs is young relative to my age...have to be careful here...LOL.
Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on April 3, 2008 at 11:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
After learning and hearing of all the politics and the garden club click. Old money, same industrial park that was a giant gulley full of deeper holes being sold to the county for a huge amount and then resold for pennies to the original owner, who was previously in office in the courthouse,and all the shady dealings with Rentech and whoever,boats and the seizing of the slot machines at the Moose Lodge,so the boats won,t have any competition. These people remind me of a truly famous, and flashy character of the old West, the main and really only difference between a lot of what goes on in Natchez is Jesse James carried a six-gun, i beleive the pistol was a Colt peacemaker. ha..what a town, it,s got it all...You gotta love Natchez,still living in the past, Outlaws abound on every corner...lol
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on April 4, 2008 at 1:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
(Hitormiss) I must state to you again that if you do not like my comments, well then you do not have to read them! I'm sorry that you can't understand that statement. Also, I'm a taxpayer of Natchez and Adams County and I'm also a Native of Natchez and involved in several businesses! Again, I must state that I really could care less about your silly statements about where I live, because, honestly, it is none of your business!
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 4, 2008 at 11:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rushinghjr, your on a blog. People comment on the comments. Looks like I hit a nerve. To bad the paper in St. Mary Parish does not have a blog.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on April 5, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What does the paper in Saint Mary Parish having a blog or not have to do with your posting or mine? Another "silly" from your camp of liberals! Does not make any "sense"?
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