NATCHEZ — A precious piece of bluff real estate, the gazebo, is a prime spot to say, “I do.”

And while a $100 deposit for the gazebo may seem small, city officials recently said the gazebo’s rental policy needed some reworking.

After some discussion, Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said the city decided to make that deposit nonrefundable.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said the city’s monthly docket showed several instances of parties canceling their gazebo reservation, and then getting a refund from the city.

“What I was suggesting that we do is set up a policy for the rental of the gazebo which would have a time limit of when you could get your refund back,” Arceneaux-Mathis said.

With Natchez steadily becoming a wedding destination, Brown said it was in the city’s best interest to establish such a policy.

However, since several people booked the gazebo weeks — or in some cases, months in advance — Brown said the new policy only recently took effect for those who booked the gazebo in the last few weeks.

After the city goes through the cycle of people who booked the gazebo before the new policy took effect, Brown said, then the nonrefundable plan will be completely in place.

“As time passes, that will all take care of itself,” Brown said.

With Natchez’s 300th birthday approaching in 2016, Brown also said the city is working to increase security on the bluff — especially when it comes to maintenance.

“We’ve already been in discussion about how we’re going to keep that area clean,” Brown said. “It’ll take coordination from everyone.”

Brown said any organization that hosts an event would be responsible for cleanup.

“We need everyone to step up to keep that area clean,” Brown said. “We just want the public to understand that this is the only time in our history we will have the opportunity to celebrate 300 years. The eyes of America will be on us.”

For information on renting the gazebo, call Natchez City Hall at 601-445-7500 and ask to speak to the mayor’s office.