Mayors unite for community resilience – Valley Times-News

Citizens gathered in Valley City Hall on Aug. 16 to discuss what the Groundswell initiative can do to help make life easier. Groundswell, a nonprofit organization focused on clean energy and community resilience, works to reduce energy burdens through strategic infrastructure upgrades. 

Mayors from Lanett, Valley and West Point sat on a panel to hear testimonials from residents explaining why the renovations and improvements brought about by Groundswell are desperately needed. The decision to partner with Groundswell by the mayors comes from a desire to assist the elderly community in their respective towns. 

A film crew from Washington, D.C., recorded the mayoral panel as part of a series of documentary-style videos designed to sway those in charge of releasing $20 million worth of funding by showing the everyday faces impacted by the challenges of living in poverty-stricken rural communities. In the beginning segment, a Q&A session was held with Steve Tramell, Leonard Riley and Jamie Heard. 

Most seniors in the respective areas are living on fixed incomes. Utility bills have been steadily increasing, as well as other costs of living, such as groceries and home maintenance. The mayors spoke about the condition of the houses in the area, noting the age of some of the homes and their inability to insulate. 

The lack of energy efficiency in homes, coupled with rising costs for energy, food and medicine, could increase poverty levels as well as increase the risk for seniors who live in dangerous conditions.

In addition to home repairs, Groundswell’s secondary goal for the communities is to build community resilience hubs to prepare for power outages or natural disasters. The hubs would serve as gathering places to stay warm and have access to power.

The mayors agreed that a unified collective effort by the three cities to cooperate with each other contributes to the continued longevity of the communities.

The production crew prompted those in attendance to ask questions to the panel after Groundswell finished its initial interview with the mayors.

Citizens described conditions in degrading homes as well as the struggles they face while being on a limited income, hoping to convey the desperation. These accounts punctuate the answers given by each mayor on the panel, giving real-life examples from real-life people.

Valley City Councilman Jim Clark addressed the crowd, reassuring them that Valley is doing what it can to help its citizens live comfortably. He stated that tearing down homes is not how the city wants to approach ending blight, as it costs the city more money to tear down than it does to repair.

Debra Riley, county commissioner for District 6, was among the crowd and added that the program being introduced would have a great impact on the more vulnerable members of the community. 

“A lot of our senior citizens worry that we will tear their houses down because they see us doing that, and we want to reassure them that is not our goal,” Debra said. “Our goal is to see that they have safe homes, homes that are energy-efficient to live in and that they know they have a place to stay for the remainder of their years.”