The Kings community has been a stepchild of the city too long, residents told Mayor George Flaggs Jr., and it’s time the city started paying more attention to its northernmost community.

Flaggs met with Kings residents Thursday to hear their comments and suggestions on improving their community and the city.

The meeting was the first of five community meetings the mayor wants to hold across the city to get citizens’ recommendations to improve the city.

North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield, who attended the meeting but did not comment, said later he would hold a meeting in Kings within three weeks to discuss the community’s needs, adding he would have department heads with him to answer questions.

“I am not going to be the talker. I’m going to be the listener,” Flaggs told the 13 people attending the 40-minute meeting at the Kings Empowerment Center.

Suggestions for improving the community ranged from recreation and beautification to code enforcement, with several residents calling for more recreation facilities and improving existing parks.

“I look at where we are and where we’re going,” the Rev. Dexter Jones said. “We have a lot of concerns to be addressed. We have a lot of problems.”

At one time, he said, Kings was a thriving residential community with a bustling business area, adding, “Kings has the opportunity to be what it used to be and get better.”

Jones said he was concerned about the bars in the community and traffic problems, especially speeding.

“You can stand out there and watch these cars and those 18-wheelers roll by here,” he said. “If we don’t do anything, somebody will get killed. We need to beautify this area and get people to clean up their property. A lot needs to be done to clean up the area.

“We need a business area with something like a pay center so people don’t have to go across town to pay their bills,” he said.

Jones was also concerned about drainage in the area, saying the city not only needs to clean the ditches, but use rock and rip-rap to line the ditches and nearby bayous to improve their ability to remove water.

He challenged Flaggs and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on the drainage issue, telling them, “I believe you have the wherewithal to do it.”

Resident Lula Jones agreed with Jones, saying the city needed to crack down on the auto repair businesses along North Washington Street, which store abandoned cars near the street.

“Make them put them inside or behind a fence,” she said. “It looks like a slum. I think it’s dangerous and it looks horrible. Nothing’s being done and somebody has to say something, and I’m saying something.

“I feel like we’ve been left out (of city services) and no one seems to care.”

Malcolm Carson said the city needs to landscape the area along North Washington.

“This is a gateway to our city,” he said. “We need to have better.”

Ernest Galloway said the city needs to provide more recreation facilities in Kings and Mission Park.

“Black kids need a place to play tennis, too,” he said, referring to the courts at Halls Ferry Park. “I think we need to change directions. I think we need to have a commission to look at recreation.

“It’s time to get the recreation facilities we need here. We need to get some people who will do that.”

Galloway also asked Flaggs for a copy of his five-year plan of accomplishments he introduced after he took office.

Glen Palmer recommended the city fix the Sherman Avenue ball fields adding the city should forget about a sports complex “and take care of what we’ve got.” He said the city needs to start paying  more attention to the area.

“It’s time we stopped being a stepchild,” Palmer said.