NATCHEZ — The Natchez Convention Center is getting new internet and telephone service through C Spire after the Natchez board of aldermen unanimously agreed during Tuesday’s meeting to authorize Mayor Darryl Grennell to sign a contract upgrade.

The motion changes service providers from Cable One to C Spire was entertained and was approved during the last regular board meeting on Aug. 14, during which the board agreed to enter the contract that would ultimately save money and provide better service, said Natchez Convention Center general manager Walter Tipton during the Aug. 14 meeting.

“Our phone and internet service comes from Cable One,” Tipton said, “for which the total monthly cost is $1,025. The Cable One service comes in with an upload speed of 20 million bites per second and a download speed of 100 million bites per second. We also have to pay annual maintenance fees on our telephone equipment, which is now 60 years old. … We have to have a maintenance agreement just to be sure our telephone system stays supported.”

Tipton said C Spire would provide the center with 10 new phones at no initial set-up costs and replace all of the lines in the center with fiber optic cable, as opposed to the copper cable used currently. The contract with C Spire costs $898.86 per month, which is about $100 less than the Cable One contract, Tipton said.

“The difference … is substantial,” Tipton said. “The glass (fiber optic) cable provides a much broader bandwidth and is much more reliable because it is not affected by thunderstorms and things of that nature. The upload speed is 250 million bites per second — that is ten times greater than Cable One — and it has a download speed equal to that at 250 million bites per second.”

In other matters at the Natchez Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday:

4The board unanimously agreed to take two bids to clean up three illegal dumpsites under advisement. The bids are from R.W. Delaney for $67,500 and G. Rayborn Equipment for $25,000.

4The board unanimously agreed to accept a General Work Plan for submittal to the National Park Service for funding consideration for the Natchez Visitor and Reception Center renovation, which follows a 52.45 percent and 47.55 percent split of expenses between the National Park Service and the City respectively with a total estimated budget of $196,230 for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

4The board unanimously agreed to pay MSAudio, LLC $28,489 for work performed at the Natchez Convention Center.

4The board unanimously granted permission to Rev. Eddie Schiele to build a handicap ramp at Mount Sinai Baptist Church on Saint Catherine Street. The ramp would partly occupy city property near the church.

4The board unanimously agreed to adopt nuisance property resolutions for grace and weeds and litter violations.