NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez has only a few weeks to redeem the $89,951.96 in taxes owed on the former Brumfield School Apartments property before it goes up for tax sale in August.

“We have got to redeem these taxes on (this building) before it goes to sale, otherwise we will lose the property,” City Clerk Donnie Holloway said.

The property, which was formerly owned by Gleichman and Company and was abandoned by its management company, Stanford Management, in February 2011, was in the process of being foreclosed on when the city bought the mortgage on it from Britton and Koontz Bank in January.

Part of the motion — made by Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux Mathis — that approved that purchase in January was that the city would pay the back taxes on the property.

In addition to paying the taxes on the property, Holloway said the board needs to start the foreclosure process so the board can decide what it wants to do with the building.

Mayor Butch Brown asked Holloway what the last possible date to pay the taxes was, to which Holloway replied he was unsure but he was certain it was in August.

“We are actively working on some good news for (the Brumfield School Apartments), and hopefully in the next week or so we will have some good news for that and some other abandoned public properties,” Brown said.

In a related discussion, Alderman Dan Dillard asked that Holloway provide him with a full list of city-owned properties. Dillard is the head of the public properties committee.

“The city is one of the largest property owners in the city, and it has a responsibility for the upkeep and the maintenance of those properties,” Dillard said.

In other news:

– The aldermen voted to renew the interlocal agreement between the city and Natchez Water Works for engineering services.

Under the agreement, Water Works provides engineering services for the city, with Water Works Superintendent David Gardner acting as the de facto city engineer.

Brown said the agreement was the same, save for some minor changes, and that the contract was for 14 months so it would end at the end of fiscal year 2013.

Gardner said he appreciated the vote of confidence from the board in the renewal of the contract.

– The aldermen approved a request from Gardner to increase the do-not-exceed amount for the construction, engineering and inspection firm Volkert and Associates’ part of the Natchez Transit Facility project.

The amount was originally set at $245,000 and was increased to $280,000.

Gardner said even with the increase, the Volkert portion of the project was below what had been budgeted for it.

– The board passed at the request of Southwest Planning and Development District Planner Allen Laird a resolution that would allow SWPDD to apply for a grant program that could replace the homes of up to five residents who met certain financial criteria and whose residences were in such a state of disrepair that it would be cheaper to replace the home than fix it.

The board also approved having a public hearing for the grant program Aug. 28.

– The board appointed Wayne Bryant to the Preservation Commission and Stratton Bull to the Civil Service Commission.

The board tabled an appointment to the Natchez-Adams County School District after Arceneaux-Mathis said that in the past the board has reviewed resumes and met with potential school board appointees, and the aldermen have not done so yet.

Nominated for the position are current school board member Thelma Newsome and Tammy Williams.

– Alderwoman Sarah Smith said the committee reviewing changing how the appeals process from the planning and preservation commission could be changed still had a few questions, and the issue would be brought up at the next meeting.

Since 2005, the aldermen have heard appeals for preservation commission decisions. Prior to that, the appeals were heard in circuit court. The aldermen have always heard planning commission appeals.