NATCHEZ — The Natchez Board of Aldermen is set to meet today to discuss the city’s tourism operations ahead of interviews for its next tourism director.

Mayor Darryl Grennell and the board are scheduled to discuss the duties of the director, to whom the director will report and other related tourism matters.

The board is scheduled to interview applicants for the next director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Dec. 17.

“The meeting is to ensure we are all on the same page, so that before we start the interviews with the potential director, we are all together in respect to providing guidance to the CVB director,” Grennell said.

The board will specifically discuss to whom the director will be accountable, whether that is the mayor’s office, board of aldermen or the Natchez Convention Promotion Commission, which oversees CVB operations, Grennell said.

The director position was left vacant after former director Kevin Kirby was terminated in April following ongoing personnel issues at the CVB. The board of aldermen also asked for the resignations of the members of the CPC.

The board has since appointed new commissioners.

In recent months, the board of aldermen and tourism leaders have discussed the complicated structure of the city’s tourism operation and confusion surrounding the boards and documents that govern it.

“In the past, from what I can ascertain … there was some confusion about who it is that the CVB director is directly accountable to and who he or she is supposed to directly report to,” Grennell said.

The board requested the opinion of the Stennis Institute in regards to the city’s tourism legislation, management agreements and overall tourism structure in August. A meeting to discuss those findings will be at a later date, Grennell said.

Another aspect of tourism to be discussed, Grennell said, is the operation of the Natchez Convention and Community centers.

The city currently contracts with New Orleans Hotel Consultants to manage the convention and community centers. The management agreement is set to expire in early 2017.

“At one time, when they first built the convention center, it was the CVB director who was in charge of overseeing those properties,” Grennell said. “We need to figure out whether … we will continue to hire somebody (to manage the properties) or will that be part of the duties of the CVB director.”

The meeting is set for 4:30 p.m. In the Natchez City Council Chambers.