NATCHEZ — Natchez needs a marketable industrial park to attract economic development into the area.

That was the message from representatives of the Louis Berger Group in a joint meeting with city and county leaders Tuesday.

The group presented its findings from study that was done more than a year ago and was meant to provide an outsider’s perspective that could help the EDA be more effective.

Alan Parter, who worked as a consultant with Berger, has served as deputy commissioner of commerce for New York State and made several recommendations for the local EDA at Tuesday’s meeting.

While Parter said he had some knowledge that local leaders were debating EDA funding, nearly all of his presentation was focused on changes to be made within the EDA.

Parter said for the EDA to be successful in attracting businesses to the area, the group should focus on having a sellable product in the form of an industrial park and have an aggressive focus on marketing Natchez.

“Industry is not just going to come to you,” Parter said. “You have to go out and bring (it) here.”

Parter also spoke on the importance of the EDA board having a well-respected reputation and being able to work well with city and county leaders.

“Right now you don’t have that,” he said. “That’s a problem with the city.”

To move the city forward, Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton said he feels it’s imperative that the city and county boards meet to discuss the future of the EDA and develop a plan to have a well functioning group.

“We have to sit down and talk about this,” he said.

Middleton, lone Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis and a few other city officials were at the meeting.

Representing the county, Supervisors Thomas “Boo” Campbell, Darryl Grennell and Mike Lazarus attended.

EDA Chairman Woody Allen said he also felt it was extremely important for the city, county and EDA boards to have a joint meeting in the near future.

“We need to make a plan to move the EDA forward,” he said. “If not we’re just keeping the doors open, and we’re not making progress.”

Parter also said it would be wise for the county to pursue the instillation of a levee at the flood-prone Belwood property near the port.

Allen said the land has been looked at by prospective businesses in the past but the groups have decided not to build because the land has no flood protection.

Some estimates indicated the levee would take 18 months to construct and cost up to $7 million.

“They don’t want to wait 18-months,” Parter said of prospective businesses.

Allen said in just the past six weeks two different companies have decided not to build on the site because it has no levee.

Middleton said he is in support of having a joint meeting with the county, city and EDA boards as soon as possible to further discuss Berger’s study and make plans to improve the EDA.

“We’re just burning daylight, and we need to get to work,” he said.

In January the Adams County Board of Supervisors voted to cut, then reallocated, funding to the EDA citing a lack of economic development in the community.