NATCHEZ — Appeals to the decisions of Natchez Preservation and Planning commissions could soon be headed to circuit court instead of the Natchez Board of Aldermen.

The aldermen voted Tuesday, at the request of Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith, to establish a committee to research the legalities of amending the city ordinance to send commission appeals to court.

Currently appeals from the preservation and planning commissions are heard by the aldermen.

Historic Natchez Foundation Executive Director Mimi Miller said appeals to decisions of the planning commission have never gone to circuit court, always to the aldermen.

Preservation commission appeals, however, historically went to circuit court prior to September 2005 when the aldermen unanimously voted to reroute the appeals.

Their actions followed questions of the preservation commission on design appropriateness of proposed condominiums at the old pecan factory site.

Mayor Butch Brown, who was prepared to support the ordinance change at Tuesday’s meeting, said after the meeting it is possible that the aldermen thought the appeals process needed to be changed in 2005. He said, however, since then he believes it has become a headache for the aldermen.

“The bottom line is I think the board and Butch Brown share a unanimous opinion that we want to take the local politics out of those decisions,” he said.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said she is not yet convinced that the ordinance should be changed. Mathis and Ward 2 Alderman Rickey Gray served on the board when the ordinance was changed.

Mathis said she asked to join the committee because she wants to be part of the discussions on changing the ordinance since preservation issues are most prevalent in her ward.

Mathis said she does not recall an instance where the aldermen abused their power when deciding appeals of preservation or planning commission decisions, and she said most of the time the board sides with the commissions.

Mathis said she understood the argument that politics do not need to play a role in decisions on appeals.

“But aren’t you being political when you make the appointments (to the commissions)?” Mathis said.

Smith, Mathis, Ward 5 Alderman Mark Fortenbery and City Attorney Hyde Carby, whose appointment was ratified at Tuesday’s meeting, will serve on the committee.

Smith said she believes the appeals should be sent to court because the aldermen do not always have the legal expertise to handle certain matters.

“After the deal with (the) Arlington (oil well), I feel like the legalities of (appeals) get to be more than our expertise as aldermen,” Smith said.

In other news from the meeting:

-Michelle Brooks appeared before the board to contest the hiring process of the city’s animal control officer.

Brooks said he was interviewed in April for the job, which was ultimately given to Randy Myers. Myers replaced Lisa Freeman, who retired form the position.

Brooks said his interview was brief and “simply a formality.” He said he believed the decision on who to hire had been made prior to his interview.

Brooks said he also did not believe Freeman should have been present at the interview because it was a conflict of interest.

Gray said he had sent a memo to former Mayor Jake Middleton about Brooks’ objections, but the issue was never resolved.

Gray asked City Clerk Donnie Holloway, who also serves as personnel director, if he was aware of what happened during the process of hiring the animal control officer.

Holloway said he did not see the applications for the position, as department heads hire employees for their respective departments. Holloway said after the meeting that animal control is under Natchez Public Works, and Justin Dollar, public works supervisor, hired Myers.

Brown told Brooks the board would look into the matter to see if the city’s personnel procedures were violated and hiring for the position would reopen or stand as is.

-The aldermen approved a change order for approximately $53,800 in additional work to be done on the city’s roof replacement project with leftover grant money from the project.

Amelia Salmon, the project’s architect, requested approval for the change order and informed the board the project has approximately $60,000 in leftover grant funds.

The $562,884 grant replaced the roofs of Natchez Fire Station No. 2, Natchez Senior Citizens Center and the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture Museum.

The grant covers 100 percent of the roof project, including the grant administration, architect and construction fees.

The additional work will include interior painting and two new drain lines at NAPAC and necessary repairs to wall flashing at NPD to prevent water from further leaking into the building.

-The board awarded an approximately $57,000 contract to Thorpe Sheet Metal of Natchez to replace heating and air conditioning units at City Hall, fire stations No. 1 and No. 2, public works and the police department.

-The Natchez Grand Hotel was recognized as business of the month.