City program meeting goals

ALBANY, Ga. — The city’s community and economic development department has been named one of nine service providers throughout the state who are meeting Georgia’s productions goals for a stimulus-funded weatherization program.

The program, which according to state officials is designed to help lower utility rates by making homes more energy efficient, is meeting 100 percent of the production goals required by the state.

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority released a list Friday of various service providers throughout the state who received the stimulus funds and how those programs are functioning based on pre-established service goals.

Albany and Moultrie are the only two providers in Southwest Georgia to have met 100 percent of the goal, GEFA officials say.

“GEFA’s commitment is to ensure that families in need of weatherization services are receiving timely, quality service and that citizens’ tax dollars are being spent responsibly,” said GEFA Executive Director Kevin Clark. “Our weatherization team has worked diligently to provide agencies in the Weatherization Assistance Program network the appropriate training, funds, equipment and support needed to meet production goals.”

Latoya Cutts, the city’s Community and Economic Development Department director, said the acknowledgment from the state means that the program is accomplishing its goals.

“It’s a well-used program,” Cutts said. “We hired two additional construction specialists to do assessments on homes and that has really helped speed up the process.”

Cutts said there is a waiting list for the program.