NATCHEZ &8212; A new city program to get citizens more involved in pinpointing blighted properties in their neighborhoods is about to get under way.

&8220;We&8217;ve set the dates for hearings&8221; to inform several neighborhoods throughout Natchez about the program, said City Planner Andrew Smith, who refers to the city&8217;s Intensive Care Neighborhoods program as a case of &8220;neighbors helping neighbors.&8221;

Mayor Phillip West and the Planning Department have identified seven potential Intensive Care Neighborhoods to receive special attention based on their history of poor property conditions, crime and the like.

A public hearing will be held in each of those neighborhoods to determine whether Intensive Care status should be given to those neighborhoods. A second hearing will be held before the Board of Aldermen, which will have the final say on giving that status. Those hearings are:

Bluff Heights (including Zoa, Pogo, Irving and October streets), 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at Union Baptist Church, 611 S. Canal St.

Ann Holden&8217;s Lane subdivision, 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 191 D&8217;Evereux Drive.

The Maple Street area (including an area from Oak Street to Madison Street and Wall Street), 10 a.m. Nov. 12 at Bright Star Baptist Church, 509 Maple St.

Marblestone subdivision, 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at Marblestone Baptist Church, 31 Marblestone Road.

McIntyre subdivision, 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Mount Nebo Baptist Church on West Stiers Lane.

Minorville (including Brenham Avenue from Concord Street to Aldrich Street, Oak Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Street to Minor Street, Williams Street and Henderson Street), 6 p.m. Nov. 15 at Macedonia Baptist Church, 33 Minor St.

Roselawn subdivision, 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Duncan Park Canteen.

Under the program, neighborhood associations would be formed in each Intensive Care area.

Residents seeing problems such as dilapidated or overgrown properties, abandoned cars and the like would fill out complaint cards with the addresses of the violations and forward them to City Hall, which would mail them to the property owners. The cards, addressed from the neighborhood association to the property owner in question, would simply point out that neighbors have seen a possible violation of city ordinances.

If the property owner doesn&8217;t respond by cleaning up the property, bringing it up to city codes or moving the abandoned vehicle, the city itself would notify the owner of the violation by certified letter.

If a response to that letter isn&8217;t received within the time limit set by law, aldermen could direct crews to clean the property and place the cost of that cleanup on the owner&8217;s taxes.