They came with a room full of questions and concerns about their future. More than 60 residents of Cliftondale and south Fulton County met with Congressman David Scott at a town hall meeting March 3 at Cliftondale Community Center to discuss issues ranging from eminent domain and recent annexations to illegal immigration and the war in Iraq.

Scott was receptive, answering questions and indicating his willingness to get involved in local issues affecting residents. One of those issues involves an eminent domain proposal to install an electric power substation in the Cliftondale community. Scott arranged to meet with affected residents on March 12.

“We want to do what you want done,” Scott told residents. “And then move to a strategy to get that done.”

Other residents asked Scott to intervene on a potential move they said would have the Laramore Detention Center turned into an enlarged facility for youth detention or other purposes.

“They’ve tried to bring this in under the radar of citizens using federal dollars to retrofit Laramore,” said A.J. James.

Scott said Laramore and citizen complaints of a possible new inert landfill in the Union City area will also be a topic of an upcoming meeting.

“What’s most devastating is this plethora of landfills (in Georgia),” Scott said, noting the sentiment of residents and acknowledging the way permit modifications can lead to alternative uses of landfills. “Dry landfills are a precursor to wet (household trash) landfills.”

Another local issue surfaced by several at the meeting revolved around the recent annexations by south Fulton cities. There was no problem for the new cities that wanted to form on the north side of Fulton County, said Cliftondale resident Bruce Moody, but on the south side what we got was land grabbing by the existing cities.

“On the south side we have to fight for the new cities, for schools and for clean air. Demographically, we’ve been written off,” Moody said.

Scott agreed to hold another meeting to discuss the issues surrounding the upcoming vote on June 19 to form the new city of South Fulton. A straw poll vote initiated by Scott over whether residents favored forming the new city showed nearly everyone in the meeting room wanting the new city.

Residents at the Saturday meeting also expressed concerns over local issues such as school safety and national issues such as illegal immigration, trade policies and the war in Iraq.

“I will not vote to cut funds for our troops, but we have to take them out of the situation where they are being targets,” Scott said. “We need to stop the loss of life and redeploy our troops and put the emphasis on diplomatic means.”