Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Dmitry Demidov held a reception of citizens at Housing and Communal Services Department No. 19 in Vitebsk

"There are no unsolvable problems, especially if you work proactively," concluded Dmitry Demidov, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council, following a citizen reception at Housing and Utility Department No. 19 in Vitebsk.

Dmitry Demidov held his first citizen reception at the Vitebsk housing management office in April, a month after being elected head of the deputy corps. And now, another reception. Again at a housing and utility department, in the evening: from half past five to seven – everything to make it convenient for people to come with their problems and receive help.

Judging by the mail of "Vitbichi," Housing and Utility Department No. 19 is one of the least problematic in the city. There are practically no complaints about its work to the editorial office. Perhaps that's why no one came to the reception with problems concerning the activities of utility services in the microdistrict. However, people came from other parts of the city to meet with the head of the deputy corps.

A young mother living in the private sector on Titov Street asked for a regulated pedestrian crossing to make it easier for parents with children to cross the road on their way to the playground. And in general, she also wished for modern playgrounds in the private sector. There are many young children in the microdistrict, but nowhere to play, the woman complained.

Dmitry Demidov promised to keep the situation under control but explained that both traffic management and the construction of a playground require not only budget funds but also technical justifications.

Specialists of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee and the head of the administration of the Pervomaisky District have been instructed to thoroughly study the problem and resolve the legal conundrum described by a pensioner. Her daughter's family, living with her, cannot be registered as needing housing improvement because the ex-husband, who leads an antisocial lifestyle, refuses to submit his documents to the city executive committee. Dmitry Demidov is confident that this family's problem can be solved, and the woman will receive qualified consultation in the near future.

As during the previous reception, there were complaints about infill development in old residential microdistricts. This time, a resident of the building at 7 Chkalov Street came, allegedly on behalf of his neighbors, with a complaint about the proposed construction of a multi-story building with two entrances. According to the citizen, if built, their courtyard will lose its playground, pensioners will have nowhere to rest, and in general, why build in old courtyards – they should build on the outskirts.

“Vitebichi” wrote about the negative reaction of some residents to the point construction in this courtyard back in June of last year. The Vitebsk City Executive Committee deserves credit: extensive explanatory work was carried out, public discussions were held widely, and many residents who met with Viktor Glushin, Deputy Chairman of the City Executive Committee, at that time were convinced after talking with him and familiarizing themselves with the project documentation that the new building would make living in the microdistrict more comfortable.

As it turned out, the resident of the microdistrict who came to the meeting with Dmitry Demidov did not possess real information, had not heard about the public discussion, but used rumors as a “reliable” source of information. All his speculations were dispelled by Dmitry Demidov and Yevgeny Semyonchev, head of the administration of the Pervomaysky District, who was present at the reception: the construction of the house will begin in September-October of this year, a state enterprise will act as the contractor, the work is planned to be completed within a year, and the modern infrastructure for courtyard recreation will also serve neighboring houses.

One of the pressing issues at this reception was a complaint about the capital repair of a house on Bogdan Khmelnitsky Street. According to the apartment owner who applied, the repair was carried out poorly, and all his claims were rejected by the authorities. The case is currently being considered in court.

The head of the regional parliamentary group listened carefully to all the claims and supported the man in holding those responsible accountable through a court decision.

— Capital repair issues remain very complex and often cause public dissatisfaction with the quality and timelines of work. Today, the housing and communal services sector faces the task of increasing the volume of capital repairs, but in the pursuit of numbers, we must not forget that the work must be performed meticulously, explanatory conversations should be held with residents, and, of course, the customer must control the quality.

According to Dmitry Demidov, capital repair issues of the housing stock will be under special control of the regional executive committee and the regional council.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by