NATCHEZ — An Arkansas-based consulting firm is in Natchez this week meeting with representatives from several public and private entities to discuss the Natchez-Adams Economic Authority.

Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Hudson said the meetings came as a result of the Chamber and EDA writing to the Mississippi Development Authority to ask for assistance in restructuring the EDA.

Hudson said that letter led to meetings between the EDA Chairman Woody Allen, Adams County Board of Supervisors President Henry Watts, Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton and Chairman of the Natchez-Adams Chamber Benny Jeansonne and MDA representatives.

Hudson said it was in those meetings that MDA representatives suggested using Boyette Strategic Advisors to interview the community to get its input on how the EDA could be improved.

Boyette’s fee was funded by a $50,000 contribution from the MDA, $12,500 in funding from the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority and a $12,500 from private donations.

Jeansonne said in interviewing individuals, and groups, in local government, education and private business, Boyette hopes to gain an understanding of what types of changes need to be made at the EDA to make the group function more effectively.

“We want to see is (the EDA) going in the right direction, or do we need to take a different route,” Jeansonne said.

Boyette representatives will likely interview up to 50 individuals in the series of interviews ending today, Jeansonne said.

MDA Director of Marketing and Communications Melissa Medley said information gathered by Boyette along with suggestions on how to change the EDA will be presented to the city and county boards and EDA within six months.

Medley said changes recommended by Boyette will be aimed at making the local EDA “more competitive.”

In January the Adams County Board of Supervisors cut funding to the EDA claiming the group was not productive enough.

While the EDA’s funding was reallocated, a community-wide call for change at the EDA came from the supervisors’ cuts.

The city and county boards will also be meeting this month to discuss the coming year’s funding for the EDA. No dates have been set for that meeting.

Jeansonne said while Boyette will end its interviews today, the company is scheduled to return to Natchez for more interviews.

Those meetings have not been planned.