A newly installed radiator is seen in the home of Xie Shuqiang in the Tianxiang Jiayuan residential complex. The Qiaonan Street office in Maiji District, Tianshui City, has used the resolution of livelihood issues at Tianxiang Jiayuan as an opportunity to summarize experience and innovate mechanisms, gradually forming a "Four Lists" community governance model. This shift has transformed grassroots governance from a "passive response" to an "active service" approach, enabling precise solutions to the pressing difficulties faced by residents.
"Previously in winter, we could only rely on electric heaters. If you kept it on all day, it would use 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity! We didn't dare turn the heating on unless it was extremely cold," recalled Xie Shuqiang, a resident of the Tianxiang Jiayuan community in Bunan Community, Maiji District. This nearly 20-year-old complex had long faced challenges, including the use of industrial electricity, which restricted many aspects of daily life for residents.
Issues like "connecting to natural gas" and "replacing the water supply" were reported by grid workers to the community, who then contacted relevant departments. However, due to the community's location next to the Qinmai Expressway, rectification was constrained and delayed. Bunan Community Party Secretary Lü Xueyan explained that a detailed assessment revealed that natural gas installation involved funding, technical challenges, and required coordination with multiple entities, making it a task beyond the community's capacity alone.
The community subsequently reported the issue to the Qiaonan Street office. The street office took the lead in coordinating with Gansu No. 8 Construction Group Co., Ltd., the Maiji District Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, the gas company, and the water company. After multiple site inspections, a renovation plan was finalized. To gain resident support, community grid workers like Pu Yu and her colleagues conducted door-to-door visits, patiently explaining the budget and renovation plans with visual aids: "The government will subsidize part of the cost; residents only need to pay 2,800 yuan per household for the natural gas connection." After discussions, all 67 households signed their agreement.
Xie Shuqiang shows the newly installed gas water heater in his home. In September 2025, construction began simultaneously on the natural gas and water supply pipelines. By mid-November, the natural gas system was successfully tested. Xie's electric heater was stored away. "After the gas was connected, we bought several radiators. Now, after two months of heating, we've only spent over 1,000 yuan, which is less than half of what we used to pay!" he said with a smile.
"Although these are small matters, they are practical issues solved for the residents!" said Lü Xueyan. The water supply pipelines have now been laid, awaiting connection to the district's main network. The electrical circuits have also been upgraded and will be switched to residential electricity after passing inspection.
The resolution of the Tianxiang Jiayuan issues made the Qiaonan Street office realize that grassroots governance requires a systematic and efficient working mechanism. "Solving one problem is not difficult; the challenge is forming experience that can be replicated and promoted," said Li Sherong, Party Working Committee Secretary of Qiaonan Street. After review and summarization, the street office innovatively introduced the "Four Lists" mechanism, comprising Problem, Demand, Undertaking, and Evaluation lists.
Following its introduction, the "Four Lists" mechanism was quickly promoted throughout the jurisdiction, resolving several long-standing issues. For example, residents in Building B of the Longlin Jiayuan complex in Linyuan Community reported broken access control systems and no place for parcel storage. After the community reported the issue, the Xiaolongshan Logistics Service Center and the property management company not only replaced the entire community's access control system free of charge but also added three sets of smart parcel lockers.
In the Qiaonan Street office residential compound, merchants frequently experienced circuit breaker trips. After the issue was reported, the community promptly communicated and coordinated with the Maiji District Power Supply Company. Community staff collected the necessary information and handled the procedures directly, resulting in free replacement and installation for the residents.
These previously troublesome "small matters" for residents have, through the closed-loop management of the "Four Lists," been transformed into heartwarming "practical deeds." "Not all problems can be solved immediately, but we will strive to find directions and methods for solutions," said Wang Yaqiong, Party Secretary of Linyuan Community. "People can see when you put your heart into solving practical issues." Now, residents bring any issue to the community first; whereas before they might "avoid the community," now they "seek the community out for answers."
By March 2026, the Qiaonan Street office had resolved over 120 livelihood issues, including the renovation of old residential communities, pipeline network upgrades, and environmental improvements, benefiting more than 5,000 residents.
"The 'Four Lists' have made our work objectives clearer and our mechanisms more robust," said Li Sherong, Party Working Committee Secretary of Qiaonan Street, Maiji District. "Moving forward, aligning with the requirements of the '16th Five-Year Plan' regarding 'improving the grassroots governance system and enhancing community service capabilities,' we will further optimize the list management process, promote the下沉 of governance resources, explore smart governance methods, and make the 'Four Lists' a 'fast track' for responding to residents' needs, continuously enhancing the refinement and scientific level of grassroots governance."
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