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Natchez aldermen close Roth Hill Road for safety
Published Tuesday, April 8, 2008
NATCHEZ — The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to close Roth Hill to vehicle traffic because of the rising Mississippi River.
The vote came after City Engineer David Gardner recommended the aldermen do so for safety reasons.
“The water can be deceptive, and we wouldn’t want anyone to go down the hill and end up in the water,” Gardner said.
Roth Hill is the second Natchez street to close because of the water. The first, Silver Street, has been closed at its base since Saturday, and because it has been converted to two-way traffic parking on either side of the street is prohibited.
The council also discussed how long the Isle of Capri Casino boat would stay open because of the high water.
“Clearly, with the current expected crest, staying where we are has become a virtual impossibility,” Isle of Capri Manager Jack Sours said.
A possible plan to move the boat to another location Under-the-Hill is unlikely to work because of mooring and utility issues, Sours said.
“Our current plan is to stay where we are as long as possible and employ sandbagging,” he said.
Before the boat was moved to its current position slightly downriver from its normal dock, the company was able to keep the river at bay for several days with sandbags.
If the casino is forced to close, it could have a major impact on the city, Alderman David Massey said.
“Without the Isle of Capri and the taxes we draw from them, we would have to lay off half our police or firemen, not to mention the effect it would have on (the Isle of Capri) employees” Massey said. “People don’t realize that.”
In other business the board discussed the demolition of abandoned properties.
Some of the properties on the board’s list for this year were placed on the list in previous years, Alderman Ricky Gray said.
“We need a process in place to make sure it doesn’t take two years to get this problem taken care of,” Gray said.
The problem is that people who own many of the properties live out of the area, and the city cannot demolish the properties outright unless the property they are in eminent danger of collapse, Building Inspector Paul Dawes said.
The city needs to get legal petitions prepared so the property owners can be served the papers so the city can begin the demolition process, City Attorney Everett Sanders said.
The board passed a motion for Sanders to bring a detailed report to the next meeting so the board will know where it stands legally in regard to the various properties.
The board also voted to ratify the hiring of the new city planner, John Lewis.
Comments
Posted by steve_o (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the casino is forced to close, it could have a major impact on the city, Alderman David Massey said.
“Without the Isle of Capri and the taxes we draw from them, we would have to lay off half our police or firemen, not to mention the effect it would have on (the Isle of Capri) employees” Massey said. “People don’t realize that.”
WOW! thats pretty scary! Lay off half the police? man o man, its getting rougher by the day???
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hard to believe if it only had to close while the water was up it would have that type of impact.....
What if someone is going there and falls due to the water wouldn't that lawsuit have some impact???
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it is sad that Natchez is now owned by the casinos.
If there were more industry to bring in jobs then the city could pay the police and firemen. And why would the very people needed the most be the first to go? I am sure that there are other places that pay cuts could be implemented
so as to not interfer with police and fire depts.
I'd say, Aldermen, Mayor, Supervisors, .... I'm sure you get my drift.
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Not on the city fire39212. the Casino would hanle it.
Posted by steve_o (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Civil suits filed:
Grand Soleil-Natchez LLC et al. v. Charles D. Cato et al.
Ain't this the development on the other side of the bridge under Ramada?
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jammin1, You can rest assured that the Aldermen and the Mayor will be the last ones to miss a paycheck when/if there is a financial crunch. The Police and Fire Departments are only used as their politicals pawns. Remember, it was when the police asked for a raise that the Aldermen said "no" and then proceeded to raise their own salaries to what is supposedly the highest in the state.
Posted by ogitchidaa (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 2:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here is the situation caused by your newest Casino in the works.
http://ginew.org/press.html
Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 5:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So, before the casino, we only had half of the police and half of the firemen? wow
I did not know that. Being a bit sarcastic here, because I find that hard to believe....
Posted by msubulldog (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 5:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did the alderman hear from Natchez Fire Chief Johnson? Isn't he retiring to run for city alderman.
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 5:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
why not lay off less needed people on the payroll for the city....but then again that is how our clowns at city hall thinks.i think they should cut the aldermens salary & cut the city engineers also being he is drawing two paychecks from the city....but please dont cut police or firemen
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 6:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I understand your point shed., but I believe they are only using the policemen and firemen as a scare tactic. It seems like law and order was provided just well before the casino got here. To me, it seems hypocritical to close Roth Hill for safety reasons and yet keep the casino open.
Posted by babev1 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Get rid of so of the high paid city officals not the police and fireman that we need, Or you could just cut back on there pay to save the jobs of the people that we need. So of these high paid city officals work other places and could take a pay cut to keep the police and fireman.
Posted by lambchop (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
David Armstrong sold the city down the river with the agreements made for the first casino, Lady Luck. Natchez is hurting its citizens with the casinos. If anyone gets laid off, let it be the ones who make the decisions and not the little guy who is living from payday to payday and still has difficulty making ends meet. Enough is Enough! Start being supervisors/aldermen/leaders -- and run the city/county as it should be.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
let the sheriff take over the city its called saving money and he is elected, therefore taking the alderman out of this it is crazy talking about the boat paying for police and firemen everybody knows we sold our souls when the obat came worst deal of any gambling boat who got that payoff the mayor and alderman maybe we should cut out the mayor and alderman salaries and save money everybody know the county takes care of the money better than the city
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Amen swapmeet....But, as stated above when the city is owned by the boat.....Wonder how much it is costing the casino to stay open???
So true natchez500... Why not cut the mayor? What decisions is he making?? I haven't heard him say anything about the situation of the water......
I have said this before i thought the mayor of Jackson was something to we moved back here....Mayor Melton may say alot and he may say all the wrong things but.....He is saying something at least Jackson knows they have a mayor shoot sometimes i wonder if Natchez has one...
Posted by precious (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have lived in Natchez all my life and was wondering, how did we pay our police officers and firemen before the gambling boat came? Maybe those of least importance, meaning the people who don't protect and serve, should be the first to be laid off in the event of any crisis. Just a thought.
Posted by Boolos (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let the Sheriff run the whole thing. The Mayor and aldermen are not necessary to run this little town. Give the Policemen and Firemen a raise with some of the difference. Send the little politicians packing.
Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Send the politicians packing....now that is the best idea I've heard in weeks.
Who needs P West and his band of thieves anyway....
Posted by Boolos (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well that might be extreme to send them packing lets just say... make them available for other opportunities. Surely they can be useful in the service of the taxpayer in some way. Just watch the news on MSNBC and ABC or any source of the mainstream media and you can see for yourself that we are not smart enough to buy a house that we can pay for. No, we need the government to save us from ourselves and those wicked nasty unscrupulous mortgage criminals. Yes and healthcare don't even bring that into a conversation. Our healthcare system, the envy of the world, is killing all the pregnant women and their babies. Yes thank the good lord for our government and the blessed politicians. With out them we would all be doomed.
A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Boolos,
I thought you were serious until I read the last line of your comment, and then I recognized the sarcasm.
The more I have thought about this, the more asinine it has become to me. If you have such a concern for the people going down Roth Hill Road to observe the river, then how come you don't show the same concern for those people going down the loop to the casino. It's so obvious: greed. They might play semantics and call it needed capital for essential services such as policemen, but it boils down to greed. There are thousands of cities with no gambling industry who pay their law enforcement just fine. There are many non-essential jobs (such as five men staring at a ditch) that could be cut first before having to cut half of the police force. That is just a shameful scare tactic used to force-feed the idea of our precious boat being essential to our survival. The moral implications of a casino in our city being set aside, what about the safety of the workers and people going on that boat right now. A man just died riding his horse through a current. It is so dangerous and the city will have to give an account one day if there is a disaster with the loss of lives on that boat. I pray it doesn't happen, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Yes it is a tired cliche, but there is some profound truth in there.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sheriff doesn't want to run the police dept or the city why should he take on a problem that he doesnot have or need go county take the city
Posted by firered (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Where would they move the boat if they closed it? Or would it stay where it is at?
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I assume that it would stay where it is, but you never know.
Posted by justthefactsman (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ha Ha...I love that first statement ...Hey Alderman Massey!! You might want to check with one of your CO Alderman before you start talking NON SENSE about the Police and Fire Departments. I have heard that the Fire Department is already down about 6-10 men...Yeah..So if you lay off from the FD you might not have a Fire Department anymore. As far as police go,,they are just as low from what I hear. So IMO that was a Lame brain comment you made..How bout this,,You bunch of overpaid Alderman take a pay cut and give that money to your Police and Fire Department...They actually get things done and look professional doing it!!! :)
Posted by babev1 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 2:44 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Where is Roth Hill Road?
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The road right behind the new hotel which starts down the bluff beside the grassy lot with the gazebo. The way I remember it is: "Go left down Silver Street under the hill and go right down Roth Hill Road".
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Roth Hill Rd. is the center road that goes down from the bluffs. If you are looking at the river Silver St. is to your left, Roth Hill near the Pavalion, and Lernerds Hill Rd. farther down past Cock of the Walk and the late Pecan Factory.
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 4 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So, Main Street runs into it?
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you freedom42, you put that so much more succinctly than I did. LOL
Posted by eyeinthesky (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
natchez 500 somebody told me you were the coroner is that right? If so aren't you a elected official?
Posted by notabigot (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 5:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it's irresponsible for a public official to say what Mr. Massey said to a community who is already afraid to turn off their lights at night. And now the policemen and firemen have got to be concerned for their jobs on top of being stretched to thin both in the force they have to protect us and financially because they don't make nearly enough as it is. It also put every criminal for miles around on notice that we may be vulnerable if the boat closes. I believe the boat closed in 1997 and the employees drew unemployment for that time. If Natchez has become that dependent on a casino, the mayor and aldermen should be ashamed.
Posted by babev1 (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 8:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry they removed what I had to say it was all the truth but I guess we can't read the truth
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 10:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
David Massey’s statement is so strange. Could it be that he misspoke or was misquoted? It would seem a little over reactive to say that the City would have layoffs because the boat closed for a couple of days, considering the fact that there is a million dollars in undedicated funds.
By the way Oldgranddad, the police and fire persons got a raise in 2006.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 11:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Woweee... I get singled out from all these posts? I must be hitting some nerves.
"By the way Oldgranddad, the police and fire persons got a raise in 2006"
After the public outcry???
"Could it be that he misspoke or was misquoted?"
Now, ain't that always the case. Just ask Hillary.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OldGrandDad, you're so witty. But this was your statement "Remember, it was when the police asked for a raise that the Aldermen said "no" and then proceeded to raise their own salaries to what is supposedly the highest in the state."
Next you'll claim the aldermen have a weapon of mass destruction. Oh wait that would be Bush.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"OldGrandDad, you're so witty"
Thank you.
"Next you'll claim the aldermen have a weapon of mass destruction"
Ha. They are injuring themselves quite well without any weapons.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on April 9, 2008 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OldGrandDad, point well taken!
Posted by MsM (anonymous) on April 10, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You people are truly a "piece of work". You obviously have nothing better to do other than to criticize city and county officials and any place of business that [you] don't "deem" suitable. After reading your posts, one could easily conclude that you have a problem digesting the fact that the casino is a major contributor to this community. Surely, you all didn't think that the Spring and Fall Pilgrimages were bringing in enough revenue to fund Adams County's budget. Surely, you all didn't think that it was the hospitals (esp. Ntz. Regional) that is funding AC. What else is there in Ntz. but, the casino and Walmart? The casino is a major sponsor of every event that Ntz. has...the very ones that I'm sure all of you enjoy and yet, you want to be critical, or should I say hypocritical! None of the other cities in Mississippi, that have casinos, have as many problems with its citizens complaining like the city of Ntz. does...the very reason why other businesses and industry won't relocate here. And as for Mr. Gardner's comments, I don't think he was implying that if the casino closed for a few days, we would actually lay off policemen and firemen. I believe he was only stressing just how important the casino is to this city...and you all consider yourselves the "smart" ones! P.S. I bet you all voted for George Bush, too!!
Posted by speakeasy (anonymous) on April 10, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think Mr. Massey wanted us to realize how important HE thinks the casinos are. And, he wants us to think his plan for the Roth Hill Road casino is essential. But, what will we do when we have only casinos to rely on. Water levels will determine the fate of city revenues? These guys can only think of one thing for economic development in this city and that's casinos. They never look beyond their own narrow viewpoint. It's just the easy way out for them. We need an influx of small business in our downtown and surrounding area. But that would take some vision and planning, work!
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on April 10, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"I bet you all voted for George Bush, too!!" (MsM)
And the correlation between not liking a casino and voting for president is what?
And the Isle of Capri is funding AC?
I believe that most people find it hypocritical that they would close Roth Hill Road for people that want to park on dry land and look because of safety issues, but they are willing to allow hundreds to get on a stationary boat in a dangerous river that could snap away and be in those bridge pillars before they could turn their heads, sinking and being a major catastrophe. Moral implications aside, it is a safety issue, and the greed of money is driving it. If it was a hardware store on the water, I would say the same thing. Close it.
Posted by andy (anonymous) on April 10, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
does anyonr know what the sheriff dept was looking for last night in the cranfield area they were blowing sirens and a lot of activity was happening on the scanner i heard the sheriff say no to using the helicopter nothing in the paper just wondered if it was another house burglary
Posted by jack (anonymous) on April 10, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
andy i heard it was missing kids, but i am not sure i do know the search and rescue was called out i heard that on my scanner
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 10, 2008 at 7:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i wonder what lane thinks of closing roth hill because of high water
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