NATCHEZ &045; An interlocal agreement under which the city, county and school board would jointly fund, operate and maintain countywide recreation was approved Wednesday by the Attorney General’s Office.

Later that day, City Attorney Walter Brown was notified in writing by Special Assistant Attorney

General Charlene Pierce that the agreement had been approved.

The Natchez Board of Aldermen, the Adams County Board of Supervisors and the Natchez-Adams School Board all gave their approval to the recreation agreement earlier this month.

Copies will now be filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office and the Adams County Chancery Clerk’s Office and, within 60 days, with the State Auditor’s Office as required by law.

&uot;After that, the next step will be for the (aldermen, supervisors and school) boards to meet as quickly as they can and make three appointments each to the (new) recreation commission,&uot; Brown said.

That way, the commission will be a legal board with the authority to hire a consultant to help them formulate a recreation plan to present to the city, county and school board.

Time is of the essence, since the agreement must by submitted to the U.S. Justice Department’s Special Elections Division in September to be placed on the ballot Nov. 4.

If a majority of those voting approve the plan, the agreement would be amended in mid-December to provide for permanent administration of the program.

Ballfields, walking trails and picnic pavilions at a bean field site just north of Natchez High, improvements at Liberty and Duncan parks, a horse arena and a pool are just some facilities that could be included in the plan.

The project could cost as much as $15 million, those close to the project have estimated, although the project will most likely be done in phases.