NATCHEZ — James Smith came into town to check on the house he is selling on Wall Street and found his sale sign on the ground, covered by a mound of dirt.

Along with the dirt mound were 15 concrete pipes and a tractor parked illegally on his front lawn by the North Natchez drainage project’s contractor Dirt Works.

When Smith brought this information to the Natchez Board of Aldermen Tuesday morning, City Engineer David Gardner was quick to act.

“We sent a letter to the contractor telling them to shut down all work on the project until all material and equipment that is unauthorized is removed,” Gardner said. “We won’t let them resume work until the property is in the same or better condition than it was before.”

Gardner said this is not the first time that he has contacted the contractor about illegally storing materials. This was not even the first time he has talked to the contractor about this Wall Street house.

“I have written them twice about this property,” Gardner said. “The only other option was shutting down the project, which I did today.”

Gardner said, along with several right of away spots, and deals worked out with private owners, Dirt Works is allowed to use the old Waste Management facility on Wall Street for storage.

Smith said materials have been stored in his yard for five weeks, and he felt like he deserved financial compensation.

“They can pay Waste Management for storage, yet I was not informed,” Smith said. “I have a ‘For Sale’ sign in my yard with phone numbers on it, and they made no effort to contact me.”

Smith said he could not afford a lawyer to seek potential litigation, yet he felt like the city could.

“The city allowed the contractor to put these materials on my property, and they have an attorney,” Smith said. “I have to pay taxes.”

City Attorney Everett Sanders said this was out of the city’s hands.

“The city is going to use its influence with the contractor to get the property repaired,” Sanders said. “That is the extent the city can be involved.”

Sanders said in a case such as this, any fees that the homeowner felt he or she was due would have to be sought through private litigation.

4 The aldermen voted advertise for the demolishment of 2 Purnell St., 3 Cato St. and 22 South Concord St.

The aldermen also approved to advertise to remove debris on 106 October St.

City Planner Bob Nix said the city would first approach public works for the jobs.

4 The board entered into contract with the Historic Natchez Foundation for the second phase design of the Natchez Trails Project.

4 Aldermen approved $5,000 to fix a water and heat leak at Martin School.

4 Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District planner Allen Laird asked for $29,000 in administrative fees for an energy efficiency grant to replace the city’s traffic lights with LED lights. Laird said this money, which was approved, was refundable once the $75,831.05 in no-match grant money comes in.

4 Aldermen approved advertising for grass-cutting bids on city properties along Liberty Road, John R. Quitman Road, Memorial Park and the river bluff.

4 Aldermen voted to renew two of three park grass-cutting contracts on Duncan Park and city sites. Officials will bid out the third contract, involving the baseball parks.

4 Aldermen approved travel to the National League of Cities National Conference in Washington, D.C.

4 Aldermen approved travel for Alderman Bob Pollard and Mayor Jake Middleton to travel to Washington, D.C.

Pollard and Middleton will discuss the transfer of the visitor’s center, the phase two drainage project and a third agenda item to be determined.

They will also discuss the U.S. 84 Corridor.

4 Aldermen voted to increase the salary of dispatchers and jailers at the Natchez Police Department, using the salary from a position that was eliminated when dispatch director Lovey Martin transferred to the transit department.

Chief Mike Mullins said Martin’s salary was $24,000, but he did not yet have specifics on the dollar amount and how it would be divided.

Mullins said he was not made aware that the raises would be voted on.

The vote passed 5-1, with Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis dissenting.

4 Aldermen also approved a 5-percent salary increase to those working at the traffic department, including Director Rick Freeman, which Freeman said will not increase the department’s budget.

Middleton said the traffic department has not had a raise in six years.

The vote passed 5-1, with Arceneaux-Mathis dissenting.

“I would like for everyone to make the maximum they can make,” she said. “But I do not want to vote to lay anyone off in the future. I want them to keep their jobs. We are not out of the woods yet.”

City Clerk Donnie Holloway also said he was opposed to any raises until the economic climate was more sure.