The Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s commitment to a sports complex is now a matter of public record.

Confirming an agreement made at a Monday work session, the board Thursday approved a resolution affirming its commitment to develop the city’s Fisher Ferry property as sports complex, hold a 2017 referendum on a 2 percent hotel motel and food and beverage tax to fund it, and continue improvements and upgrades to the city’s other parks.

The resolution also recognizes a private developer is considering a proposed entertainment facility.

“What this resolution does is set out the different venues,” City Attorney Nancy Thomas said. “There is a private developer who is going to build an entertainment venue in the vicinity of East Clay Street. That’s a private developer on private land. The city’s only participation is to do a TIF (tax increment financing) for the public infrastructure and improvements with that project.”

Tax increment financing is a way local governments are able to help developers fund construction projects. Under the TIF plan, the city would reimburse the developer for building the public infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, using a bond issue funded by the difference in tax revenue between the undeveloped and the developed property.

The resolution was proposed Monday after North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said residents were asking why the city continued spending money on Halls Ferry and Bazinsky if it planned to develop a sports complex. He said the board needed to let people know exactly what was going on.

Money for improvements, such as additional tennis courts at Halls Ferry, and better parking at Halls Ferry and Bazinsky parks and upgrades to other city and neighborhood parks is included in the city’s $9.2 million capital improvements project.

“All of this is done to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Vicksburg,” Thomas said. “In October we’ll budget funds to design a master plan for that location (Fisher Ferry), and in June (2017) at the (municipal) general elections, the 2 percent sales tax on hotel rooms and food and beverages will be on the ballot. That’s the blueprint; we’re moving forward.”

Thomas said the amount of special sales tax the city can levy is capped at 3 percent, adding the present 2 percent tax on hotels to support the convention center would have to be reduced, “and we’d have to pay that out of our general fund.”

South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson said the board will be available to answer questions about the sports complex plan and the 2 percent tax, and to listen to residents’ comments.

“We’re going to put out accurate information about what the city’s intentions are,” he said, adding the board in October approved a resolution outlining its commitments to improve city recreation facilities and neighborhood parks.

“We think it’s important to take care of what we already have in addition to the sports complex,” he said.

In another matter, the board declared an emergency to approve a $31,990 change order with contractor J S Haren to plug a ruptured 30-inch water line caused when a clarifier at the wastewater treatment plant on Rifle Range Road popped out the ground.

Haren is presently upgrading the clarifier, which was forced out of the ground Feb. 12 by water from an unknown source that pushed the 20-foot deep, 100-foot diameter pool from its pilings, bursting several pipes under it, including a 30-inch water line.

The waterline, Thomas said, is preventing engineers from investigating the cause of the incident and determining a remedy to fix it.