Community cleanup day coming back to Rockmart
The Rethink Rockmart group had housing on their mind during their September meeting, and the group provided updates on topics such as the upcoming neighborhood cleanup day, the CHIP grant, Community Information Day, Habitat for Humanity, and ordinance updates.
As always, the Rethink meeting took place at Rockmart’s city hall at 214 N. Piedmont Ave. where they have another meeting planned for the last Thursday in October at 11:30 a.m.
At the forefront of the meeting was discussion about the group’s next neighborhood cleanup day scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“October’s cleanup day will have the same format as June’s,” Rethink Rockmart founding member Sherman Ross said. “We will once again use signage, social media, WZOT radio, and newspaper to inform people.”
On the previous clean up day, Rethink members and volunteers alike gathered on College St. to collect buckets and gloves before splitting up and cleansing Rockmart’s streets. Trash was removed, vines were cut, and briers were raked away.
The signs seemed to inspire local citizens who could be seen cutting grass and picking up trash of their own. By employing similar strategies for the October session, Rethink hopes to more than duplicate previous results.
Ross revealed the group’s application for the Community HOME Investment Program, CHIP, grant which could increase the number of homes in Rockmart.
“We’ re looking at ( building) least three new houses,” Ross said.
CHIP is designed to provide safe, affordable, and livable housing in Georgia by granting funds to city and county governments, public housing authorities, and nonprofits.
With the grant term being between August 2018 and July 2020, location and design of homes is undecided.
Grants can range anywhere from $ 300,000 to $ 600,000 depending on usage. Rehabilitation of owned houses nets grants up to $300,000; constructing new homes nets grants up to $600,000.
Also the discussions over Community Information Day began dur- ing the Sept. 28 meeting.
Planned for the spring, community information day is designed as an information festival themed around purchasing and maintaining homes.
“We want to make a big festival where people can explore the different avenues of buying houses and potentially receive financial counseling,” Ross said. “The event will l i kely be around March or April, and we’re hoping it can be an indoor and outdoor event that will have activities for children while the adults learn.”
Many Rockmart adults li v e in depreciated homes without realizing they could potentially upgrade, and Rethink hopes to increase aware- ness of the home market and home owning.
The Rethink group mentioned their involvement with Habitat for Humanity and plans to participate in the Brush with Kindness program that helps maintain house exteriors.
“The program helps those with financial and physical limitations maintain their home,” Ross said. “We’re going to paint a house in town and make sure its up to standard.”
Rethink always discusses updated ordinance and code rules, and the September meeting covered house numbers and poly cart trash removal.
“Making sure citizens have their house numbers visible is important for police and medics,” Ross said. “Numbers should be on the house somewhere so location can be confirmed.” With poly cart trash cans being filled and placed in streets, members began showing concern. “Poly carts are being left on the street filled with trash, they need to be removed and emptied more often,” Ross explained. Both lack of house numbers and overflowing garbage cans contribute to neighbor appeal loss, and Rethink is hoping to spread awareness about the problems.
Rethink Rockmart’s goal is to reconnect the citizens of Rockmart and revive the community through innovative housing rehabilitation, reuse projects, and neighborhood revitalization efforts.