NATCHEZ &8212; Within the year, the Natchez Convention Center, and possibly the Community Center and Auditorium, may be under new management.

Mayor Phillip West said he hoped to have the details of a contract with New Orleans Hotel Consultants ironed out by year&8217;s end.

Walter Brown, representing the hotel consultants, brought a proposed contract before the board of aldermen in Tuesday&8217;s meeting. The board postponed a decision until the details of the contract were finalized.

The hospitality group approached the mayor and board of aldermen with a proposal a few weeks ago, West said, but the board has considered the idea for years.

&8220;The board was aware of the concept years ago and discussed it,&8221; West said.

&8220;But we were approached about it a couple weeks ago, and they asked us to seriously consider it.&8221;

The board did not consider any other companies recently, West said, and are not required to do so in cases of a professional service.

&8220;They will be owning and managing the hotel, so there is a mutual interest in hotel occupancy and convention center business,&8221; West said.

The details of a contract where the hospitality consultants would manage the three buildings are still being sorted out, he said.

&8220;The board expressed concerns in various areas,&8221; West said.

&8220;They want to make sure it has no adverse impact on the community&8217;s use of the buildings. We&8217;re still trying to tie down answers, but conceptually, everybody&8217;s on the same page.&8221;

West said some prices had been presented to the board, and they indicated a slight decrease in costs to the city.

He declined to comment on possible costs because the contract was not concrete.

Warren Reuther Jr., president of New Orleans Hotel Consultants, said managing the future hotel and the convention center together could bring &8220;the whole city to another level in hospitality.&8221;

While the details are still being finalized, it will probably be a five-year contract, he said.

The price they will charge will probably be the same as the current cost of running the convention center, he said.

Reuther also said he would be part-owner of the future private hotel being developed by Tom Bauer across from the convention center.

The hospitality consultants will manage that future hotel, probably Country Inn and Suites, that will be built across the street from the convention center, but that will be a separate contract.

Walter Tipton, tourism director for the city, currently has the responsibility of booking conventions and events at the convention center.

Tipton said he was interested in the possibility of partial private management.

He said there were pros and cons to privatizing something like a convention center, and that the outcome depended on who took on the role.

A New Orleans connection might help Natchez bring in more conventions, Tipton said.

&8220;If you&8217;re going to partner with somebody, who better to partner with than the largest destination in your market, which is New Orleans,&8221; he said.

&8220;That would be a great thing to have an invested connection.&8221;

Tipton said he wanted to make clear that nothing was for sale, and no jobs were at risk.

&8220;The concept here is to refocus, to have a group that is going to be focused on nothing but meetings and conventions,&8221; he said.

&8220;It&8217;s a joint management contract, not a complete severing of management responsibilities.&8221;

He also emphasized he and others wanted to make sure the buildings were still open to the public and would be operated as public facilities.

Alderman Jake Middleton said he had confidence in the hospitality group&8217;s resources and experience.

&8220;We&8217;ve talked about it a long time, but we&8217;ve never really had anybody seriously come in and do it,&8221; Middleton said.

&8220;They&8217;re in the tourism and promotion business and they have a lot of years under their belt.&8221;

Alderman Bob Pollard, head of the aldermen tourism committee, said he thought a private company might be able to market Natchez better &8220;simply because of the resources they have. They&8217;re masters in the business.&8221;

All convention center commitments, bookings and reservations would be honored if the company took over management, he said.

&8220;And they&8217;re sensitive to the issue that the Community Center was built for the community, and it will remain that way,&8221; he said.

&8220;This is strictly hiring a manager to manage properties.&8221;