NATCHEZ — A Natchez resident has filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Natchez for failing to provide requested documents related to the Roth Hill casino within the state-mandated 14 days from the day of a public records request.

Natchez resident Gwen Ball submitted a public records request to the city on Jan. 12 for documents, including e-mails, letters, legislation or other documents specifically related to several aspects of the casino project.

The requested documents include:

• Copies of all Natchez Board of Aldermen meeting minutes since January 2007, in which the aldermen discussed the casino.

• Applications, approvals and reports regarding the casino project from several agencies including the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard and Natchez Port Authority.

• All appraisals conducted that are required by law for the lease and sale of public property.

• Copies of any local and private act requested by the city in connection with the lease of the casino site.

• Proposals for the casino’s non-gaming infrastructure.

To date, Ball said she has received a limited number of aldermen meeting minutes in response to her request, but none of the other documents.

Ball said her lawyer, Wilson Carroll of Jackson, represents herself and several other residents concerned with the transparency of the city’s dealings with the casino.

“In order to have a transparent government, we need to know what is going with these critical issues,” Ball said. “And in order to have some answers, then we have to have the records.”

Carroll addressed the aldermen about the records request and the lawsuit at their work session meeting on Monday for the proposed third amendment to the city’s lease with Natchez Gaming Enterprises, the Premier Gaming Group company responsible for the proposed Magnolia Bluffs Casino.

Natchez City Attorney Everett Sanders said at the meeting that he had been told the city is working to gather all the requested documents, which could take some time since the documents are spread out across several city departments.

“We have no intention of not providing to you the documents that are public record, but you have to understand we can’t just shut down the government to look for them,” Sanders said.

Ball said Wednesday she did not understand why the city did not have quicker access to the documents.

“They have had almost a month,” Ball said. “That should, quite frankly, be readily available information,” she said.

Carroll asked the aldermen at the meeting if they had been provided the market studies and revenue projections completed by developers for the casino. He said he believed since the city was a partner in the casino project that the documents are important for the city — and the public — to have.

Natchez Enterprises’ attorney Tommy Shepherd said the company would not voluntarily hand over market studies or revenue projection documents for public viewing.

“We are in partnership with the city, not you,” Shepherd said.

Carroll reminded Shepherd that the mayor and aldermen are elected officials representing the public, and he said it would be up to an Adams County Chancery Court judge to determine whether those documents are public record.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said at the meeting that if Carroll’s clients’ concerns could have been brought to the city several years ago when the city first leased the casino site to developers, the city could have had plenty of time to address the concerns.

Ball said she does feel better about the city’s role in the casino project since the aldermen voted to deny the first draft of the third amendment and are now considering an agreement with more agreeable terms that she believes are better for the city. She said, however, the documents relating to the casino are necessary for the public to fully understand

“I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but it’s something that has to be done in order to hold our governing bodies accountable,” she said.