The contractor that constructed the Natchez Visitor Reception Center may have to pay for repairs to the leaking, moldy facility.

The board of aldermen asked Board Attorney Everett Sanders at Wednesday’s meeting to look into the possibility of passing along costs of repairs to Carothers Construction Co.

The construction company is also in legal hot water over another of their projects — a beef plant built in Oakland that closed in 2004, allegedly costing taxpayers millions.

According to a Department of Justice statement, company president Sean Carothers pleaded guilty Jan. 18 to charges of fraud in conjunction with the failed Mississippi Beef Processors plant.

Carothers agreed to pay $250,000 to the state of Mississippi.

The Natchez visitors’ center has had leaks since it was constructed nearly a decade ago, city officials said.

Recently the carpet had to be removed and replaced with tile because of water damage, said Kathleen McClain Jenkins, superintendent of the Natchez National Historical Park, which shares the building with the city.

“Anytime there is constant intrusion of a porous material, it’s a prime target for microbial growth,” Jenkins said.

The building’s bookstore was closed in December due to what Jenkins said was a problem with mold or mildew. At least one bookstore employee has been out ill, probably because of the environment, Jenkins said.

Environmental samples have been taken, but the test results were hard to interpret, she said.

The main cause was probably leaks — leaks that have plagued the building since its construction.

Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, chair of the public properties committee, said the contractor’s legal problems had nothing to do with her motion to investigate the possibility of passing along the cost of repairs.

“(The company) needs to be responsible for the work they’ve done,” Mathis said Friday. “We want people to work in a safe, healthy environment, so we’re going back to the root of the problem.”

The root of the problem is leaks, and that’s not something new, City Engineer David Gardner said.

“The building has been plagued with leaks over the years, mainly from roof drains,” Gardner said Friday. “Although they’re not 100 percent (repaired), they’re much better than they were. And to try to find and isolate a leak is very difficult.”

Although most of the roof leaks have been fixed over the years, other leaks from windows, internal problems from the heating and cooling system, and other areas of the building could cause the problem, he said.

“Just when we think we had them fixed, here comes another one,” he said. “It could be a combination of things.”

Whatever the cause, Jenkins said she, along with National Park Service and city officials, would inspect the buildings in a couple weeks.

“We will walk and look over all the issues in the building,” Jenkins said. “We’re hoping from that meting we will have a consensus about what the problems are and what we might to do remedy them.”