"All hope is on you," or why the Governor of the Vitebsk region receives calls even from Gomel?
Three hours, 27 callers, and only one complaint about roads, traditional reproaches regarding the work of the housing and communal services, and issues of improvement. The head of the Vitebsk region, Alexander Subbotin, held a direct telephone line.
New Old Orekhovo
The first call was from the Orekhovo microdistrict in Vitebsk. And if earlier new settlers approached the management with issues of equipping communications, this time a resident of the long-established quarter asked for help. The woman's house has a solid fuel boiler, she lives alone, and due to her age, it is difficult to constantly carry peat briquettes, while neighbors from new buildings use electricity to heat their homes. So she asks for assistance so that the benefits of civilization reach the old-timers as well.
The Vitebsk City Executive Committee is already working on resolving this issue to help connect the existing development to the transformer substation. To put it briefly and very simply: first, the issue with documents needs to be resolved – to combine the long-existing houses and the new quarter into one microdistrict. Then, designers and energy specialists will get to work (it will be necessary to replace the power lines with more powerful ones with increased cross-section). The process is, of course, not fast, but it is underway. An intermediate result can be assessed by October 1. We are confident that electric heating will definitely come to Orekhovaya Street.
Gomel on the line
Even from Gomel, they called the chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. A resident of an agro-town in the Polotsk district said that 20 meters of the old "public" fence along the highway were removed in the settlement, and they promised to replace it with another one with sound-absorbing panels. The work is underway, but the woman was advised to call the governor to ensure the process is under control.
Is "Vitebchanka" closing down?
Anna Polotskaya from Vitebsk is worried about the fate of her native enterprise. She works at "Vitebchanka", which, according to rumors in the team, will be merged with the "Znamya Industrializatsii" factory:
– Our production has good potential, modern equipment, and hardworking people. What will happen to our "Vitebchanka", will the brand really disappear?
Alexander Subbotin told the woman that both "Znamya Industrializatsii" and "Vitebchanka" will remain, but will be merged with the flagship of the light industry of the northern region – "Orsha Linen Mill", which ensures a full production cycle from growing flax and manufacturing fabrics to sewing products and selling them through its own retail chain. This is why new capacities and skilled labor are needed. The effect of this decision is economic – the sewing departments will be additionally loaded, which means people will be able to earn more.
Is it practical?
A resident of Vitebsk "assigned" a series of tasks to the regional leadership: to improve the territory near the house on Stroiteli Street, to repair the sidewalk leading to Gymnasium No. 5, indicated addresses where speed bumps would be useful, and suggested where a pedestrian path to the "Evroopt" store should be made. He even praised the utility workers for regularly mowing the lawns, but complained that they do not remove the grass afterward.
Such a proprietorial view of one's hometown is, of course, pleasing, and during the direct phone line, all the voiced problems were taken note of by both the housing and communal services and the traffic police. But a not very positive aftertaste remained. If you are so concerned about order in your yard, then instead of criticizing for shortcomings, you could well gather with other equally indifferent people and clean up the mowed grass yourselves. The Year of Improvement is declared in the country not only so that someone cleans up for you, while you control and signal shortcomings...
The Future of DSK
Elena Evgenievna is concerned about the fate of her DSK microdistrict in the regional center.
– Bilevo, Cherepushki, Tarny are being actively built up in Vitebsk, but have the authorities forgotten about DSK? We have so much free land here, two schools, four kindergartens, but the number of new settlers with children is not increasing. The local population is aging, I'm afraid soon no one will care about us.
The Chairman of the City Executive Committee, Alexey Geroev, assured that DSK has a future. The city's long-term construction plan includes the construction of residential buildings there as well. True, part of the territories is located in the sanitary protection zone of the "Vitebskdrev" enterprise. A decision is in progress, and for now, builders are working on other facilities.
They Will Answer for "Belarus"
One of the affected entrepreneurs approached with a question about the progress of the investigation into the case after the fire in the "Belarus" shopping center. She thanked them for meeting the "private traders" halfway: they were provided with new trading spaces, helped to receive initial compensation payments, and promptly resolved tax issues, but the culprit of the emergency has not yet been officially named. The applicant was explained that the investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Prosecutor General's Office, and its deadline has been extended again until July 14. It is possible that it will not be completed even by the designated time, as complex technological expertise and thorough analysis of the circumstances are required to study all the details. Haste in the proceedings regarding the tragedy that occurred, which, fortunately, did not result in human casualties, is not necessary. The court will put an end to the case.
A Stop in Kruglyany
– The store in our agro-town is closing, they say a mobile shop will come twice a week. Almost 60 people live in Kruglyany, many of us work in the neighboring farm. I'm afraid we won't make it in time for the mobile shop's arrival, where else can we buy milk, bread, and grandmothers want to treat their grandchildren to sweets, – said a local resident, adding that she understands the benefit of maintaining a loss-making store?
Alexander Subbotin explained that indeed, the turnover of the retail outlet is 170 rubles a day, the store itself is located in a wooden house with stove heating, which has long required repairs, and a lot of money will be needed for it. Therefore, the decision was made to close it, and so that the quality of trade services does not suffer, and villagers always have fresh and quality products, a mobile shop will operate. Its schedule will be adjusted to people's needs, and there is an option for the mobile shop to visit the enterprise where most of the residents of Kruglyany work. The solution must be approached rationally, taking into account people's interests and economic efficiency.
And a Dacha as a Bonus
The resident of the regional center will have to come to an agreement with her neighbors in the gardening partnership to solve her problem. For several years, she has been living in her dacha in the Sebyakhi microdistrict in Vitebsk, has arranged her life with comfort, and even has electric heating, so she has no desire to return to her city apartment in winter. The only thing that upsets her in this situation is that she has to pay for electricity at the tariffs for gardening associations. And "wintering" at the dacha costs her a pretty penny. Having studied the issue, she seemed to have found a way out. The law provides for the possibility of converting a dacha into residential buildings and then paying for utilities at city tariffs.
– But this norm does not work here, it turns out to be impossible! – emotionally exclaims the owner of the dacha estate in Vitebsk.
It turned out that the possibility exists, but this process will require time and... the neighbors' cooperativeness. As explained to the woman, it is indeed impossible to include one house with a small plot within the city limits, but if all members of the garden association support the idea, they will hold a meeting and apply to the city executive committee for permission. However, summer residents should consider that they will not only have to pay according to generally established tariffs, but also the territory of the association should be brought into compliance with city requirements (width of driveways, plot development standards, and much more.). If the initiative-taking summer resident is supported by her neighbors, the process will proceed in accordance with the law.
Neighbor is poisoning me
– You are my only hope! Help me find a way to deal with my neighbor.
He smokes on the balcony, poisoning the last piece of my life, – asked a pensioner from Vitebsk. In her fight for clean air, she had already approached a deputy and the police. But the neighbor does not stop smoking.
Frankly, the head of the region is also powerless to solve her problem. A preventive conversation with the smoker will, of course, be held. But something suggests that the confrontation will not end there.
– Issues that lie in the plane of interpersonal relationships are always the most difficult, even unsolvable. When people ask to punish a neighbor or when participants in dacha cooperatives cannot find understanding, and communication between the parties takes place in a format of mutual hatred. Here, the state cannot help and, possibly, should not interfere. After all, by taking one person's side, we will receive the indignation and resentment of the other. I would like such disputes to be resolved amicably by the participants themselves, – summed up Alexander Subbotin.
Breaking the mold
People call the direct line not only to complain, but also to thank.
– We have an abundance of complainants. All services are working excellently, there is order in the village, everything is available in the shops, and it's not a problem to get an appointment with a specialist. If necessary, medics arrive upon request, examine, and prescribe treatment. Thanks to both the chairman of the district executive committee and you, Alexander Mikhailovich! – said a resident of the village of Kopys, Orsha district, adding that his fellow villagers sometimes abuse the process of appealing to various authorities, while they cannot always maintain order on their own plots and mow the grass.
A lonely lilac branch and other troubles
To avoid tiring the readers, I will no longer go into detail about the situation of everyone who sought help from Alexander Subbotin this Saturday. I will only write that there were no unimportant calls.
The mother of 6-month-old twins asked for help trimming lilac bushes that had grown so much that they were blocking enough sunlight from entering the apartment. Another young mother drew attention to the quality of tap water in Vitebsk and advocated for a new playground, requested assistance with flooded basements and dampness in apartments, more streetlights, and even adjustment of motion sensors on hallway light bulbs. Alexander Subbotin and his team – heads of structural divisions and regions of the oblast – delved into each issue.
– Is it possible to help everyone at once? People raise completely different issues. Some are initially unsolvable, but we try to find a way out. It is outrageous that a number of problems could have been easily and quickly resolved by the very first link, but they reach the regional level and are then resolved in literally 15-20 minutes. This, of course, should not happen. In general, the calls were standard: issues of improvement, fewer appeals regarding roads, and even complaints about housing and communal services. This is an indicator that we have chosen the right strategy and are moving in the right direction, implementing the "basements" program, and have more intensively taken up the renovation of houses. All this is bearing fruit, but there are still many problems, and we have to solve them, – summarized Alexander Subbotin, adding that what pleases and surprises the most is when people call and say "thank you." This breaks the general pattern and shows that direct lines really work in the feedback format.
"Vitebskiye Vesti"