By Nita McCann

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ —Representatives of the Magnolia Bluff Casino Community Development Board are set to attend the Board of Aldermen’s next finance meeting to answer city officials’ questions and concerns regarding a proposal to help fund a public swimming pool and other recreational facilities.

That meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers across the street from City Hall.

City and county officials have discussed periodically the need for a public pool a variety of times since the pool at Duncan Park closed in 1994, and have mulled over various plans to create an overall recreational complex. However, nothing has ever come to fruition.

As part of its deal with the city, the Magnolia Bluffs Casino is providing money annually, which is to be spent on community development.

An appointed committee is overseeing how the funds earmarked for community development will be spent.

That committee has urged the city to join with the county and build a public pool.

This time around, the plan using the casino funds and strongly supported by casino officials, on a few facilities.

“What they’ve talked about with the board (of aldermen) is a plan for funding a pool and soccer fields,” said Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arcenaux-Mathis.

Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said aldermen want the casino board to explain some of the language and timelines included in its plan.

“In some parts, it looks like text from another document was spliced in by mistake,” he said.

Dillard also wants to ask the casino board representatives to clarify the part of the document that involves the salary for a recreation director.

Dillard said the overall recreation plan also included possibly new tennis courts and/or baseball fields.

“It’s all part of the bigger package,” he said.

Mayor Butch Brown said he doesn’t have many questions to ask the casino board, but he does want to know where other stakeholders stand on funding for the proposed facilities.

“We need to know where the county stands on that,” Brown said.

The proposal being considered by the Board of Aldermen includes $500,000 from the city from casino funds and $750,000 from Adams County to build a junior Olympic-sized pool and two soccer fields and a yearly commitment of $500,000 from the city and $334,000 from the county to fund the operation and maintenance of all city and county recreational facilities.

The document also includes yearly contributions of $100,000 from both the city and county for 10 years to fund a bond issue to fund capital improvements to the rec facilities.