Last week Natchez aldermen took a key step toward moving the long-discussed city-county recreation project forward a bit.

The city’s leadership team agreed to basically turn over the reigns of the city’s own recreation program to the city-county recreation commission, which ultimately hopes to yield all or part to the YMCA organization.

Letting go of control is a big, bold step for anyone. It’s practically unheard of for elected officials so let’s make sure we all say, “thanks,” for their gutsiness.

The timing, of course, is bad for two reasons.

First, the darned recreation bus should have left the station years ago when the county’s voters first said, in an overwhelming vote, that they supported a city-county recreation project.

The long delay gives fuel to the naysayers who cry, “Sure, voters liked recreation back then, but the world has changed since then and we cannot afford it now.”

Interestingly, as I understand it, the funds for the project as outlined now will, at least from the city’s perspective, utilize either existing funds or funds earmarked by the Magnolia Bluffs Casino lease with the city for community development.

The timing is also bad, in a way, because of the city’s ridiculous financial debacle of late. Huge swings in anticipated budget figures, late audits and aldermen who fight over approving the city’s monthly docket — the municipal version of writing checks to pay bills — because they don’t fully trust the validity of the information they’re provided.

All of that said, however, the move was a slightly positive sign that maybe something will be done soon.

A recent conversation with a local woman who loves Natchez deeply got me thinking again about the huge impact a renewed recreation complex could have on the fabric of our community.

We were talking about the bluff and the relatively recent addition of the Natchez Trails project.

Clearly, historically the bluff was — and perhaps still is — the key drawing point of our city. Residents and visitors alike love the bluff.

It’s been that way for years. Some of my favorite historical photos of Natchez show past generations enjoying the bluff.

What the woman said though wasn’t about the beauty of the majestic river or the magnificent sunsets, but was about the powerful impact a couple of simple changes had on our city.

“They took down the chain-link fence and widened the sidewalk,” she said, as I recall. “And the people just started coming.”

She was correct. Shortly after the Natchez Trails officially opened in 2011, people from all walks of life seemed to flock to the bluff. Young, old, black, white, rich, poor, the people seemed drawn to the bluff again.

It was — and is — an amazing sight to see.

The opening of the Natchez Trails project truly ignited a renewed interest in the bluff.

Continued appreciation goes to the combined effort of a number of entities including the City of Natchez, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Community Alliance and a dozens of local sponsors.

The Natchez Trails worked, in part, because so many players were involved and it was improving upon something the community already had and needed.

Widening the sidewalk and taking down the chain-link fence helped bring us together with a sense of community pride. Suddenly, the bluff was something in which everyone could take pride.

Similarly having the city and county work together to upgrade and enhance our community’s recreational facilities could have an equally positive impact on Natchez-Adams County.

Natchez needs another injection of community pride, and recreation could be the perfect vaccination.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.