DECATUR - Maintaining the value of neighborhoods in Decatur was supposed to be the topic at a city staff-led public forum Saturday, but residents had other concerns on their minds.

Saturday was the first of a series of forums, hosted by city council members to get comments from residents that will be considered during the city's five-year Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan.

More than 60 people packed a room at the former Dove Inc. shelter, 788 E. Clay St., and they had their own agenda.

City staff had four topics they had planned to discuss, such as affordable housing, vacant houses and structures, rental upkeep and rehabilitation.

However, people left the meeting feeling frustrated after airing their concerns about improving their properties, how to get grants and loans to fix up their property and quicker police response and getting drug dealers out of their neighborhoods.

"Those people who came to the meeting were there to get information on what was available now or in the near future on grants and loans to rehab their homes and wanted more dialogue with the city," said city Councilwoman Betsy Stockard, who chaired the meeting.

Decatur resident James Ligon, who lives off Riverview Avenue at Sunset Avenue, attended Saturday's meeting because he heard there was money available from the city to help fix windows, doors and roofs of residents' homes. His wife also expressed her concerns about what the city was doing about the uncut grass and the upkeep of the property of condemned homes around town.

"I was disappointed because they didn't address a lot of things and there was so many people trying to talk, and they ran out of time," Ligon said. "People were more confused when they left than when they first came."

The next meeting Tuesday will be chaired by City Councilman Pat Laegeler, focusing on redevelopment of neighborhoods seeking public comment on priorities for the city's redevelopment plans.

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