In regards to last week’s editorial, “City should be up front about Lane,” I, David Massey, am only one alderman but hopefully I can shed some light on your uniformed staff as to the status of The Lane Company.

First of all in open session — finance meeting — the city attorney advised the mayor and board of aldermen that the Lane contract would need to be extended by nine months, that’s three more months in addition to a previously approved extension of six months, because of the problems they had getting their permits in a timely manner.

There was no reporter at this posted meeting and everyone there knew of the reasons and the openness of which we handled this matter.

There has been no action taken by this board to spend any money that would be derived from the Lane project once it is up and going and money has been paid to the city.

All of us have voiced our ideas about what we would like to see done with the money but only speculation at this point as to when and what we would like to do.

There have been no secret meetings, no secret negotiations, nothing hidden from the public, and certainly no attempt to keep The Natchez Democrat or any other news service from information that would be called public information.

We all agree that recreation is a priority and so is street repairs, as is funding the demolition of condemned structures, and many other ideas that are being thrown out there.

The city’s contract with the Lane Company was signed months ago and is now a public record.

Hopefully, in the future, The Natchez Democrat will have their reporter at our meeting on time so he can be informed as to what actually takes place rather than the obvious negative reporting that The Natchez Democrat continues in an attempt to make news out of nothing.

Running down our city officials at every turn seems to be the lifeblood of The Natchez Democrat. There’s more positive news that could be written about our city now than anytime in the last 20 years.

Maybe, just a thought, positive reporting on the City of Natchez might make us all feel better about our beautiful city and you wouldn’t have to make up stories just to have something to report.

David Massey