NATCHEZ &045; Saturday has been set as the deadline to apply for the city planner’s position, according to Mayor Phillip West.

While he has said city officials are working diligently to fill the position, Alderman Theodore &uot;Bubber&uot; West, who is spearheading the city’s search efforts, said there’s no way to tell, before reviewing applications, exactly when a hire might be made.

As of Tuesday evening, the city

had received at least 16 applications.

Former City Planner Bob Jackson resigned in February, after a little more than one year on the job, to return to Arizona, where he had formerly served as a planner for Native American tribes.

Members of the city’s planning-related commissions have said they need a planner to advise them in decisions and explain the city’s planning rules to the public.

In a recent aldermen meeting, City Attorney Walter Brown suggested advertising the post on the American Planning Association Web site as well as other sites. Brown said that with an April 30 application deadline, the position could be filled by the end of May.

The position has since been posted on the APA Web site. The ad seeks an &uot;experienced, energetic planner,&uot; preferably with a master’s degree, with strong experience or education in historic preservation.

The city planner explains planning, zoning and preservation ordinances and regulations to the public. He also reviews applications for zoning variances, planning and historic preservation requests and presents them to boards that decide the issues.