NATCHEZ &8212; Several Natchez neighborhoods are one step closer to receiving special attention from city government on problems such as dilapidated properties, crime and the like.

A public hearing has been set for 6 p.m. Jan. 10 at that night&8217;s aldermen meeting at the city council chambers on Pearl Street to help determine whether the areas should be deemed Intensive Care Neighborhoods by the city. The Board of Aldermen will have the final vote on naming those areas ICU Neighborhoods.

Mayor Phillip West and the planning department identified seven potential ICU Neighborhoods to receive special attention based on their history of poor property conditions, crime and the like, including the following:

4The Maple Street area, including an area from Oak Street to Madison Street and Wall Street.

4Minorville, whose boundaries include Brenham Avenue from Concord Street to Aldrich Street, Oak Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Street to Minor Street, Williams Street and Henderson Street.

4McIntyre Subdivision.

4Roselawn Subdivision.

4Ann Holden&8217;s Subdivision.

4Bluff Heights, including Zoa, Pogo, Irving and October streets.

4Marblestone Subdivision.

A public hearing was held in each of those neighborhoods to determine, based partly on residents&8217; comments, whether Intensive Care status should be given to those neighborhoods. The last hearing was held Monday.

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 the structure up to city codes or moving the abandoned vehicle, the city itself could always take formal action, notifying the owner of the ordinance and 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 city crews to clean the property and place the cost of that cleanup on the owner&8217;s taxes.

Also, aldermen on Tuesday voted to declare 18 properties safety and health hazards and direct city crews to clean up the properties. Then the city will place the cost of cleanup, plus a 25-percent penalty, as a lien on the property.