NATCHEZ &8212; If you have a vision for Natchez or an idea for a community project, an opportunity to share it with others is yours at the town hall meeting Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Natchez Convention Center.

Topics of the meeting will be the city&8217;s comprehensive plan for the future and selection of a project that will benefit the entire community, said Mayor Phillip West.

&8220;One of the major purposes is to allow community input,&8221; West said of the meeting. &8220;We want to come up with a project the total community can get behind.&8221;

Guest speakers at the meeting will include Clifton C. James, president and CEO of Urban Design Research Center in New Orleans.

&8220;He will talk about overall planning,&8221; West said. &8220;But the bulk of the meeting will center around Dr. McAfee and Dr. West.&8221;

Dalton McAfee is Extension administrator for Alcorn State University; James West is mayor pro tem of Raleigh, N.C. Both men met as advisers to the mayor and board of aldermen at a retreat in November 2005.

At that retreat, the board came up with a list of possible focus areas to place before the community.

They included riverfront development, annexation, partnerships with Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Alcorn State University, investment in recreation and regular meetings with business groups and the Historic Natchez Foundation to discuss visions for the city.

Darlene Jones, city director of community development, said the Thursday meeting is designed to promote community awareness and involvement &8220;and at the same time encourage unity between government officials and our city.&8221;

Topics may include how residents want the community to look and work &8212; culturally, economically, environmentally and socially, Jones said.

Who should attend? Everyone in the community, she said. &8220;It&8217;s a community-wide effort.&8221;