District 5 Councilwoman Wanda Moultry held her first meeting with residents on Wednesday after being appointed to the seat last month.

About 20 residents showed up to the meeting at the Troy City Council chambers to voice their concerns and suggestions for improvement in the district.

One of the major suggestions dealt with the old Academy Street High School, which many residents in District 5 attended as children.

As one attendee described it, the high school is “something in our DNA.”

Many residents have voiced the desire at recent district meetings for the school to be used as a venue for events such as high school reunions.

Moultry and District 1 Councilman Robert Jones assured the residents that Mayor Jason Reeves has plans coming up for the school.

“We’ll follow up on that though to get information and for what purpose we can use it,” Moultry said.

The idea to have a board to advise Reeves on how to proceed with the school was considered, but Moultry and many in attendance decided that everybody is able to give input on what to do with it when that time comes.

Several issues were brought up during the meeting including:

speed bumps or police enforcement to help curb speeding on Cedar Lane,

curbing to help protect some houses in the district that are in danger from water erosion,

looking into a potential block grant that has yet to get off the ground for district cleanup,

assurance of involvement in the budget hearing process, and

a mentoring program or other policies to deal with the attrition of high school students, minorities and disadvantaged citizens.

Rev. Jason Thomas summed up what his thoughts were on the purpose of the meetings.

“We want to improve the quality of life in the black community,” Thomas said. “We want a sense of pride and belonging, but we also want it to be something we take care of. We want to do things the right way. We want some money invested in our community.”

Moultry announced that this meeting was only the first of many, and the attendees decided to hold the meetings quarterly.

While dates have not yet been set for the next meeting, Moultry said that it will be held some time in January with the quarterly schedule proceeding from there.