Energetic Gromadka Municipal Head Ryszard Kawka sums up his nearly six months in the new position. A long-time resident of Gromadka Municipality, on 7 August 2022 he defeated his opponent from Bolesławiec by 92 votes in the second round. Last year’s election for municipal head was necessary because long-serving municipal head Dariusz Pawliszczy died on 6 May 2022.

At the beginning of the interview, Ryszard Kawka discusses measures related to fire safety in Gromadka Municipality. An interactive map of natural water reservoirs in our municipality is being created.

New fire engines are a priority

Fire safety is a priority for the municipal head. In 2023, he will allocate PLN 1,100,000 for two fire engines: a heavy vehicle for the Różyniec Volunteer Fire Service and a medium vehicle for the Wierzbowa Volunteer Fire Service. Wierzbowa was very actively involved in extinguishing the Prodigo fire in the industrial zone in 2022.

“They deserve it,” says the municipal head. “The county fire service commander also identified Wierzbowa as the beneficiary of the new vehicle, but I am not leaving Nowa Kuźnia without help. I am allocating PLN 250,000 from the budget to purchase a refurbished vehicle. Nowa Kuźnia has the leading volunteer fire service in the municipality, and a youth team led by its president, Mariusz Rzepa, is very active there,” the municipal head adds.

Coal deliveries—a fortunate decision

Another matter the municipal head had to deal with urgently was coal deliveries to the municipality.

“I want to say that coal distribution here is going decidedly well,” said Ryszard Kawka. “It could have been quite different, because when the municipality’s coal-distribution operation began, although we had been assigned to Pisarzowice, it turned out that Gromadka and Osiecznica municipalities had been removed from that group. I immediately took action and filed a protest with the Voivode. I also contacted Polska Grupa Górnicza (PGG). PGG proposed switching to the coal depot in Kamienna Góra. I agreed because I did not want to wait for the voivodeship coordinator’s decisions. And at this point [początek stycznia – przyp. red.] we have already sold 200 tonnes of coal. I also have an excellent supplier: Chlastawa Kruszyn—it is outstanding,” the municipal head added.

A larger Water and Sewerage Company and new equipment

Speaking about fulfilling his election promises, the municipal head mentioned the purchase of a new backhoe loader for the Water and Sewerage Company (ZWiK), costing approximately PLN 500,000. The next purchase is a WUKO sewer-cleaning vehicle costing more than PLN 2 million.

“This is substantial support for the company,” said the municipal head. “I concluded that ZWiK needs more land because I want it to develop. The land is needed to create a photovoltaic farm and storage space for new equipment, as well as a shelter for winter road-maintenance equipment and a shelter for a tractor. A PSZOK (Selective Municipal Waste Collection Point) and a treatment plant are also necessary, because more than 70 homes in the municipality have household septic tanks. I became interested in two plots for expanding the company and proposed buying them, but that did not work out; however, there is agreement on an exchange. It will be a great success if the exchange goes ahead, because it will cost nothing,” the municipal head added.

To obtain funding for expanding the sewerage system in the municipality, the municipal head is holding talks with the Marshal of Lower Silesia.

“Concrete evidence of cooperation between the municipality and the Marshal includes the modernization of the school in Modła and the grant for the swimming pool in Gromadka. The Marshal’s Office contributed more than PLN 1 million to the construction of Delfinek,” Ryszard Kawka recalled.

Cooperation between the municipality and the clinic and hospital in Bolesławiec

St. Luke’s Hospital in Bolesławiec received a PLN 100,000 grant from Gromadka Municipality for its operating theatre.

“I am glad I was able to do this, because I know that I am supporting an excellent hospital,” said the municipal head. “I have already arranged a meeting with the director of the provincial hospital, and we will discuss a blood-donation centre. Gromadka Municipality declares its support, as all municipalities have declared their help. This is essential for the county and the municipality’s residents,” Ryszard Kawka added.

While discussing healthcare, the municipal head also explained how he cooperates with the municipality’s clinic.

“I proposed that the hospital manage the Health Centre in Gromadka,” the municipal head explained. “I was accused of wanting to privatize it. I did not want to act against the clinic staff; I wanted to make changes together with them. I wanted evolution, not a revolution. After joint discussions, cooperation was renewed and revitalized. It is good. My concept of cooperation with St. Luke’s Hospital was intended to improve the quality of treatment and residents’ safety. To this end, together with doctors from the clinic, I went to Osiecznica to see how the local health centre, managed by the hospital in Bolesławiec, operates. I asked whether the Osiecznica municipal head was satisfied with the cooperation, and he replied that he was very satisfied. I asked whether he contributed to the clinic from the budget; he said no and added that there were no complaints about the centre managed by the hospital in Bolesławiec. That convinced me. During our visit to Osiecznica, our delegation particularly liked the coordinator employed at the health clinic, who helps patients through the treatment process. This means that when a patient needs additional tests, thanks to the coordinator they know, when leaving the centre, when and where they must attend for those tests. They do not have to search for laboratories and specialist clinics themselves,” the municipal head explained.

In the municipality, Ryszard Kawka organized preventive examinations for people aged 40 and over together with the village heads. All the municipality’s villages were included. Two hundred and fifty people took part.

“I also organized dental check-ups for children from the municipality; all the children will be examined successively this year,” said the municipal head. “We want to introduce various free examinations. We submitted an application to the Ministry of Health for a health-policy programme concerning education about osteoporosis and the early detection of osteoporosis in Gromadka Municipality for 2023–2025. Additionally, we opened a free legal-advice point in one of the centre’s rooms. I restored this point in Gromadka for the municipality’s residents, and I can see that people are attending it,” Municipal Head Kawka said with satisfaction.

Culture: the fiasco of Heather Days and a difficult conversation with the director of the Municipal Culture Centre

“I was surprised, when I was sworn in as municipal head, that nothing had been scheduled in Gromadka’s events calendar,” says the municipal head. “After taking office, I had one day to decide when the harvest festival and the Heather Festival would take place. I asked the Nasza Krzyżowa association to organize the harvest festival. I persuaded the village heads to participate, and I am glad it took place. Heather Days were a major fiasco; afterward I had a difficult conversation with the director. On the day of the event, I had to arrange benches and tables because nothing had been taken care of. Another question is why, when we have dynamic rural women’s circles and Wrzosowa Kraina, we use someone from outside to organize our events. A priority task will be for the municipality’s residents to organize municipal events with the participation of the municipality’s Rural Women’s Circles and associations. Changes in the work of the Municipal Culture Centre and Library are now visible,” the municipal head added.

The municipal head is satisfied with the culture centre’s current activities in the municipality, which organizes many activities for residents, including bridge, music classes, meetings, various workshops for children and classes for the University of the Third Age. However, this is not everything; there is still much to do. In the future, the municipal head is considering inviting cabaret and stage artists to diversify the municipality’s cultural life.

“Until now, everyone was used to the municipality providing the hall and equipment for free,” the municipal head added. “From now on, there will be a charge for renting the gymnasium, and for attending classes as well. It will not be much, but participants will cover some of the cost of the classes, because in Gromadka Municipality the municipal head takes care to ensure fairness,” Ryszard Kawka added.

Budget and future action

A very ambitious budget was adopted: PLN 45 million in revenue and more than PLN 56 million in expenditure. It will be a typically investment-focused budget. Some expenditure will cover new investments, while many activities will continue.

“A fire station and police post—investments worth PLN 6 million,” said the municipal head. “Once I started taking an interest in this, immediately after the election, things began to happen. Work is progressing. The police will have a new station, and the firefighters a new fire station. These were projects that suddenly turned out to require changes and improvements to the plans—for example, the bay was too short and the fire engine would not fit inside. During construction of the fire station, an artesian spring was discovered. I decided that a well holding 6,000 litres of water would be built there for the fire engine, so it would not have to take water from the mains. The same happened with the road in Osła. The project had not been consulted with residents and did not provide for water drainage. During heavier rainfall, water would have flowed onto residents’ properties. I added PLN 33,000 and commissioned the construction of these drains,” the municipal head explained.

The tender for a new bus transporting children to school is already nearing completion.

“On my initiative, documentation is being prepared to create a kitchen and cafeteria at the school in Gromadka,” said the municipal head. “On the secretary’s initiative, documentation is being prepared to expand the municipal office. We will soon announce a tender worth more than PLN 5 million for access roads in the following locations: Osła, Różyniec, Krzyżowa, Wierzbowa, Pasternik, Nowa Kuźnia, Modła and Patoka. In Wierzbowa and Patoka, this will also include renovation of the water-supply network, because there are constant failures there,” the municipal head listed.

Further tenders concern the construction of a community centre in Borówki and photovoltaic installations on municipal buildings, including the school and kindergarten. The municipal head is also mindful of actions supporting people with disabilities and their families.

“We must not forget people who need help,” said Ryszard Kawka. “I appreciate the work of the previous director, Leokadia Krawiecka, and we continue to cooperate with her, but the new director of the Municipal Social Welfare Centre submitted two important applications: for a family assistant for a person with a disability and respite care, as well as for the so-called ‘Senior Support Corps’ programme for 2023.”

It is not as rosy as some people think. There is still much to do. Some problems have been awaiting solutions for years:

  • Completion of the municipality’s sewerage system and replacement of old water-supply networks
  • Access roads to homes
  • Pavements, particularly on county roads: Sikorskiego Street in Gromadka towards Osła, and Krzyżowa from Bolesławiec towards Różyniec and Tomaszów.
  • Replacing the road surface in Wierzbowa from paving blocks with bitumen
  • Providing a water connection to residents of the building in Modła, near the railway station
  • A cycle path along the former railway tracks as part of the Lower Silesian Cycle Route
  • Gromadka bypass
  • Improving transport links in the Krzywa industrial zone

“I assure residents that I will strive to implement all the demands so that life in Gromadka Municipality is good and safe,” declares Ryszar Kawka. “Just not everything at once. I also know that I cannot achieve anything alone. I have an excellent team ready to implement what I am talking about. But the support and understanding of residents are also important. ‘Gromadka Municipality unites us,’ the municipal head adds sincerely.