NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez began the process to purchase Brumfield School Apartments for approximately $59,000 Tuesday — just one day before the property’s foreclosure sale.

The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted 4-1 at its meeting Tuesday to purchase the apartments after City Attorney Everett Sanders announced to the board that the property’s foreclosure sale would be today. Ward 5 Alderman Mark Fortenbery voted against the purchase. Ward 3 Alderman Bob Pollard did not participate in the vote because he left the meeting early.

The building is currently owned by Gleichman and Company and was abandoned by its management company, Stanford Management, in February 2011.

The building’s residents were forced to vacate their apartments and find alternate housing. The building is now empty.

Gleichman and Company received no bids for the building at its proposed minimum bid of $400,000 during its bid process in August.

The city will pay off the $59,000 mortgage with Britton & Koontz Bank to prevent the foreclosure and will also have to pay the approximately $31,000 in delinquent city and county taxes on the building.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis made the motion to purchase the apartments, which included that the taxes would be paid at a later date.

Mayor Jake Middleton said after the meeting he believes the city will pay the outstanding balances on the building and then sell it to be developed as affordable housing.

Natchez City Clerk Donnie Holloway said after the meeting that paperwork for the purchase started Tuesday afternoon after the meeting to prevent the foreclosure sale scheduled for today.

Holloway said a loan will be made from the city’s gaming revenue fund for the purchase, and the $59,000 will paid back when money can be generated from the building.

Ward 4 Alderman Ernest “Tony” Fields, whose ward the apartments are in, said the city has different options on what to do with the property.

“But this way we can ensure that we are in control of what happens with the building,” he said.

In other news from the meeting:

4The board met in executive session for approximately 45 minutes to discuss a personnel matter regarding the resignation of former Natchez Public Works director Robbie Dollar. Dollar was hired Monday by the Adams County Board of Supervisors as county road manager.

Middleton said after the meeting Natchez City Engineer David Gardner is currently in the process of hiring a public works superintendent to replace the position left open by Dollar.

4Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard questioned Gardner on comments he made to The Natchez Democrat regarding the emergency vehicle route for the Roth Hill casino site reported in Saturday’s story titled “Community members offer casino questions.”

Dillard asked Gardner if it was true, as Dillard said was stated in the article, that the future extension of a Natchez Trails Project sidewalk toward the casino site would be part of the emergency vehicle route for the casino. Gardner said the sidewalk is not part of the current route for emergency vehicles.

The referenced article stated Gardner said the sidewalk would be constructed wider and thicker so it could be “potential” access for emergency vehicles. It did not state the future sidewalk is part of the current emergency vehicle route.

4The board received five contractor bids for the Daisy Street overlay and drainage project. The board awarded the project to W.E. Blain & Sons, which made the lowest bid of approximately $240,000.

4Gardner reported that a notice to proceed with replacement of the roofs of four city buildings was given to E. Cornell Malone Corporation at a recent pre-construction meeting with the project’s architect, Amelia Salmon.

The roofing project will replace the flat roofs of the Natchez Police Department, Natchez Fire Station No. 2, Natchez Senior Citizens Center and the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture Museum.

Gardner said the company, which contracted by the city, has 180 days to complete the project and completion is scheduled for July 7.

4Gardner said the engineering department will use eight surplus light poles donated by the Mississippi Department of Transportation from a previous project to replace poles on Learneds Mill Road. He said fitting the poles to existing foundation will cost approximately $3,400, and all installation will be done by city staff.

4The board recognized The Malt Shop as January’s business of the month.

4The board rescheduled its Jan. 24 meeting for Jan. 17, with the finance session beginning at 4:30 p.m. and regular meeting at 6 p.m.