NATCHEZ &8212; While they&8217;re in Washington for their national conventions, Natchez aldermen and Adams County supervisors won&8217;t miss an opportunity to lobby for local projects.

Supervisor Darryl Grennell said he and other supervisors will meet today with Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran, both R-Miss., and Rep. Chip Pickering, R-3rd District.

The subject? As with at least two other visits to D.C. since last fall, incentives for the Rentech project.

The Colorado-based fuel manufacturer has said it will build an $800 million, 200-job coal gasification plant near the county port, given needed federal and state incentives.

The Mississippi Legislature is already considering bills that would issue from $2 million to $10 million in bonds to improve the flood-prone former Belwood Country Club site to pave the way for the plant.

Depending on which lawmakers you ask, locals may get the $15 million they originally asked for before the legislative session ends April 2.

But Rentech is also looking for federal incentives, which could include loan guarantees.

&8220;We feel pretty good about our chances,&8221; Grennell said Monday.

Supervisors are also in Washington to attend a convention of the National Association of County Officials, their national organization.

Aldermen will be in Washington next week for their National League of Cities convention.

But they&8217;re also set to meet with Lott, Cochran and Pickering to lobby more than $5 million in money for everything from infrastructure improvements to a housing study.

The wish list includes:

4$4 million for infrastructure improvements in the Marblestone subdivision.

4$650,000 to help build a system of walking trails along the Mississippi River bluff and throughout downtown Natchez.

4$180,000 for a study to determine how much affordable housing Natchez needs and where such housing could best be located.

4$140,000 for a study to determine the feasibility of a recreation complex. A previous effort to erect such a complex stalled after a number of industrial closings in the area hit the local economy hard.

4$40,000 for technology upgrades for the police department &8212; specifically, for a computerized fingerprinting system.

&8220;For there, those (Congressional) offices will tell us which agencies to go to&8221; to apply for the different types of funds, city Grants Coordinator Brett Brinegar.

Brinegar and other city officials met Monday morning to finalize that list of requests.