Councilman Corey Bowie of Ward 8 should receive applause for putting together Thursday night’s town hall meeting.

Everyone behaved. The meeting ran on time. People voiced their concerns about issues in the city.

For a little while, people came up to the microphone to cheer on a beleaguered city council. Certainly, positive notions are welcome in a time during which disruptions of Selma City Council meetings seem to stymie business.

Other issues came up, too.

For instance, Carolyn Bates brought up the need for a playground that’s compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. While nobody said it, Councilwoman Dr. Monica Newton of Ward 4 has spearheaded an effort to make Valley Creek Park, adjacent to the Farmer’s Market pavilion at Bloch Park more accessible to children with handicaps. The Selma Rotary Club on Tuesday night passed a $2,500 check over to the city to help with the effort.

Brenda Miles called on people in Selma, the police and city officials to do something about drugs in the community. She urged all groups of people to work together for the common good of getting jobs in the city.

These are just a couple of examples of the issues brought up.

The council took some criticism, too. Council members handled their critics with poise.

These meetings can become effective if they run smoothly and on time. Having them once every quarter seems like a good idea.

Especially if the meetings all turn out like this, the first.