NATCHEZ — The Natchez Board of Aldermen paved the way this morning for improvements at two of the city’s parks, as well as gave the go-ahead to continue a program to provide summer employment for five college students.

The aldermen met in an unusual Monday morning special session in order to take care of some routine business. The board’s typical March schedule has been altered because several aldermen and city officials have been out of town on spring break-related vacations.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis led the meeting in the absence of Mayor Butch Brown, who was out of town.

James Johnston, Natchez community development director, asked the board to accept a project agreement for work on the North Natchez Park on Triumph Lane and the Jack Waite Park on St. Catherine Street with My Brother’s Keeper, a non-profit organization in Jackson that focuses on reducing health disparities in communities, particularly those in vulnerable populations.

Shamir Lee Gates, regional project coordinator in Adams and Wilkinson counties for My Brother’s Keeper, said the organization received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control to be used specifically in the Central Southwest Mississippi River regions.

“We are looking at beautification of the parks, as well as the addition of fitness equipment and benches,” Gates said.

Gates said she hopes work on the projects will begin in the next couple of months. Johnston said My Brother’s Keeper would spend an estimated $100,000 total on improvements at the two parks.

“We encourage people to be on the lookout. We are planning to make a lot of improvements in your area. The parks are just a start,” Gates said.

She said the grant covers several projects in the area, which would be completed during the next three years.

Also, aldermen approved participating for the third year in the Urban Youth Corps program, which is funded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“The program will provide monies to eligible cities with a population over 10,000,” Johnston said. “We’ll hire five college age students to work in the public works department on specific and non-specific transportation-related projects.”

The program requires a 20-percent match from the city, but Johnston said the city’s portion comes from in-kind services, such as the time city employees spend with the college students and the use of the city’s equipment.

The students will work from approximately the first week of May, he said, through the first of August.

“Using these students, the first year we upgraded the walking trail in Duncan Park. The second year we began improvements at Memorial Park. This year, we want to try to finish Memorial Park and do sidewalk repair along Broadway and Canal streets,” Johnston said.

He said the program benefits the city and the students.

“They not only earn pocket money, but they also work in a professional work environment. In addition, the program requires they receive basic skills training. We set up training for them like basic CPR classes, an intro to the legal system and the basics of finance,” Johnston said.

To be eligible for one of the five summer jobs, students must be enrolled in college and be U.S. residents.

Johnston said those interested should come by City Hall to the offices of planning and community development to pick up an application.

In other business, aldermen:

-Approved the hiring of consultant Greg Fender for an amount not to exceed $2,500 to assist City Attorney Hyde Carby with a Cable One franchise transfer.

Carby said Cable One has been purchased by Graham Holdings, which plans to spin the company off into a separate, publicly traded entity. Doing so requires the transfer of the city’s current Cable One franchise agreement.

Carby said Fender is already working with Adams County on a similar agreement and would provide a discounted rate because of that work.

“I would like him to comb through the agreement and make sure we’re getting the same thing (as the current agreement). You would spend more money on me trying to go through this,” Carby said. “He’s the expert.”

-Approved paying the city’s bills with several exceptions brought about after Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard offered an amendment.

Dillard asked why routine repairs and maintenance for several city departments were being charged to the city’s public properties fund, rather than each of the departments’ maintenance or repair funds.

“We have everything from mattresses to fan motors being charged to public properties,” Dillard said.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway said the problem arises when supervisors managing the different city department code the expenditures incorrectly. He said the accounts could be changed from public property to the proper ones.

Ward 1 Alderman James “Ricky” Gray moved to pay only the bills presented as employee wages and salary, but that motion died for lack of a second.

-Opened bids for the next six months’ worth of general supplies for the city’s public works department. City Engineer David Gardner accepted those bids and said he would come back at a later aldermen meeting and make recommendations as to which to accept.