NATCHEZ &045; Natchez Aldermen agreed Thursday to take their time in making a decision about funding the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority and to continue to look at alternatives to the traditional structure of an EDA headed by a board and an executive director.

Both city and county funding have supported the EDA. Recently, however, city officials have questioned the effectiveness of the EDA and have not committed to city funding.

EDA Executive Director Michael Ferdinand resigned from his position in June.

At a work session held in the boardroom of City Hall, Mayor Phillip West told aldermen about a comment made to him at a Momentum Mississippi meeting in Jackson by a high-ranking official with the Mississippi Development Authority.

&uot;One of the top two MDA officials came up to me at that meeting. He suggested to me that we have an opportunity now that we do not have an executive director,&uot; West said. &uot;He suggested we go slow and that we visit some communities who are doing some different things.&uot;

Since that contact, the MDA official has called to help set up visits to communities who have taken a different approach to economic development, West said.

In other business, the board agreed to a request by Ralph Tedder,

director of the City Recreation Department, for a $3,500 match to complete a $12,000 project to resurface four older Duncan Park tennis courts prior to the Aug. 26 Senior Mix Doubles State Tournament to be held at the park.

The Mississippi Tennis Association will provide a $5,000 grant, and the Natchez Community Tennis Association will donate $3,500.

Aldermen agreed that the city match is not in the budget but that the opportunity to get a $12,000 resurfacing project by putting up $3,500 was too attractive to pass.

&uot;We all want these programs and we want the recreation facilities available for all, but no one wants to come up with the cash,&uot; Alderman Jake Middleton said.

The question of proper funding for recreation reminded Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux Mathis of recent talks with county supervisors about getting more recreation funding from county sources.

&uot;If the county doesn’t help, we need to remind people they are paying taxes in two places. We need to educate our constituents who live in the city that they are paying county taxes, too, and we need help from the county to help their children,&uot; she said.

The mayor and board also heard from Angela Cain of the Mississippi Association of Realtors, which will hold its annual convention in Natchez Sept. 14 through 17.

The convention is expected to draw up to 700 attendees, Cain said, telling city officials she was losing confidence in the city’s ability to host her convention.

&uot;This is the largest and most complex convention you’ve done in Natchez,&uot; she said, explaining that she had not been kept up-to-date about changes in hotels and inns that affect the number of rooms available to association members.

Alderman David Massey suggested she provide all the information about the convention so that the board could appoint specific convention-savvy workers to assist her directly. &uot;We will not let you down,&uot; he said.

The board also discussed but came to no firm conclusions on a Mississippi Department of Transportation grass-cutting contract and membership in the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce.