Providence City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan, (Ward 5) joined Assistant Store Manager Frank Carnevale and members of his staff this morning at the Stop & Shop located at 850 Manton Avenue to give out free reusable bags. In addition to giving out the reusable bags, Majority Leader Ryan even helped bag groceries. Stop and Shop is giving out 300 free reusable bags at each of their Providence locations today to the first 300 customers.
“I was very happy with the reception we received from customers regarding the change from single-use plastic bags to reusable or free paper bags,” stated City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan. “As the lead sponsor of this initiative I have worked for over two years with my community partners Clean Water Action, Conservation Law Foundation, Zero Waste Providence, and the City’s Office of Sustainability to craft a plan that is designed to minimize the impact on customers and retailers, and maximize the effectiveness of the law by saving money, protecting our environment, and improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods. This effort could not have happened without their support. I want to thank them, and Stop & Shop for helping ensure that those who need a reusable bag have a chance to get one tomorrow!”
Stop & Shop began preparing for the change from plastic to paper earlier this month. They are offering free paper bags, and their Stop & Shop reusable bags are being sold at 2 for $1, and they also have a variety of novelty bags – like ones celebrating the New England Patriots for $1.99. They have various other options at other price points as well.
”We share our customers’ concern over the environmental impact of plastics waste, so we are proud to be a part of this change in Providence,” said Jennifer Brogan, Director of Community Relations for Stop & Shop. “We also want to make the transition easier for our customers by giving away reusable bags, which is the most sustainable choice for the planet.”
The Providence Plastic Bag Reduction Act, modeled on similar laws and best practices enacted in Boston and other municipalities and states across the country, will:
Significantly reduce the use of plastic bags in Providence.
Exempt certain dry cleaning and laundry bags, as well as those used to wrap or contain frozen foods.
Allow businesses to be able to use its supply of plastic bags.
Require the City’s Office of Sustainability to conduct a comprehensive public education outreach initiative to ensure that residents and businesses are properly informed. And requires regular reporting to the City Council on Program effectiveness.
Majority Leader Ryan continued, “We use over 95 million plastic bags annually in just our city alone. That’s a very real problem, not simply for the litter these bags create in our neighborhoods, but because these bags come with a very real cost. There’s the nearly $1 million the city spends yearly in rejected recycling loads largely due to the presence of plastic bags in our recycling barrels. Additionally, these bags often end up in Narragansett Bay and other area waterways, where they break into smaller pieces called microplastics. Those microplastics pose a deadly threat to sea life, and Clean Water Action has found that they are now a serious source of contamination in the Bay. That’s why passing this legislation was so important, not just for Providence, but for the State.”
Providence joins the following Rhode Island municipalities in banning or reducing plastic bags in their communities: Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Middletown, Narragansett, New Shoreham, Newport, North Kingstown, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Tiverton, Warren, and next month East Providence will come online, followed by Cranston on July 1, 2020.
For community members who need a reusable bag, or have reusable bags they would like to donate, they can do so at any of the Providence Community Library Locations.
For more information on Stop & Shop, visit them on the web at stopandshop.com
On Friday, October 18,2019 City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) joined Mayor Jorge Elorza, Commissioner of Public Safety Steven Paré, Chief of Police Hugh Clements Jr., and several community leaders to announce the recruitment phase for the 70th Providence Police Department Training Academy.
“Public safety is one of the top concerns for the City Council,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “Our police department is understaffed, overworked, and we have more than 100 officers eligible for retirement in the coming year. While it is true that violent crimes are going down, the crimes of opportunity that affect quality of life in our city seem to be on the rise and the perception is that crimes are up. My office is looking into the feasibility of rolling academies, or allocating more funds for overtime from the City’s budget.”
City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia stated, “I have always been a big supporter of our public safety officers. As an elected official I believe that public safety is paramount, and I am in full support of expanding our Training Academy schedule to accommodate more cadets. Having more boots on the ground will help curb the uptick we have seen in crimes around our nightlife establishments.”
The application process for the 70th Providence Police Training Academy will be open through December 31, 2019. The extensive selection process includes seven phases: Physical Fitness Assessment, Written Examination, Oral Interview, Background Investigation, Psychological Evaluation and a Physical Fitness pre-test prior to entering into the police academy. The academy is approximately 24-weeks long and includes over 812 hours of training including daily physical fitness training, defense tactics, firearms training, criminal law procedures, community policing, investigation, emergency vehicle operation and much more.
Applications must be completed online only and the application fee must be paid at the time of submission to ensure the applicant will be notified of the next steps related to the recruitment process. For more information please visit: 70th Training Academy
This morning Providence Police Narcotics Officers made several arrests of prostitutes and street level drug dealers along Atwells Avenue, Newark Street, Cutler Street, and Academy Avenue after City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) contacted the Providence Police Department.
“Over the past several weeks I have received numerous complaints from constituents informing me of illegal activities happening in the area,” stated City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia. “My biggest concern was for the safety of our residents, and that of our young students who were being exposed to such activity while they waited for their buses in the morning. This sends a strong message to the community, and those that would commit crimes on our streets, that we will not stand for it. As an elected official I have a sworn duty to uphold the law, and that is why I shared the information with the Police Department.”
This is an ongoing case, and the undercover operation will continue. President Pro Tempore Correia continued, “Quality of life is of the utmost importance to my colleagues and myself, and to have criminals operating in plain sight diminishes that quality greatly. I want to personally thank the men and women of the Providence Police Narcotics Division for their dedication and hard work in ensuring that our streets are safe for all who live and visit Providence.”
If you see a crime, or expect a crime is being committed please reach out to the Providence Police Department by calling 401-272-3121 or by reporting it online at http://bit.ly/2IZB09q.
Tonight Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) introduced an amendment to the Code of Ordinances that would help homeowners and tenants be better informed about their responsibilities when it comes to waste and recycle barrel offenses.
The amendment to the Code of Ordinances proposed by Councilman Salvatore would change the fine structure as it relates to trash and recycle barrels being left out past the designated curfew. The first offense will be a warning, and all subsequent offenses will be tiered beginning with $25 for the second offense (first after warning), $50 for the third, and $100 for all subsequent fines – not to exceed $1500.00 per calendar year. If a homeowner or tenant is fined four times or more they will be considered a chronic violator and will be subject to appear before the Providence Municipal Court.
“For too long residents have not had a clear understanding of their responsibilities when it comes to the storage of their trash and recycle barrels,” Stated Councilman David A. Salvatore. “The fines – to date – have not been consistent with the ordinance and the amendment to the code will address that issue. The amendment will also educate residents who might not know the statute.”
The amendment to the Code of Ordinances will be sent to the Committee on Ordinances before the Council will vote on the matter.
Councilman Salvatore continued, “It is important that each and every resident have clear and predictable knowledge of the workings of our City. Implementing a warning phase will help residents better understand their responsibilities for the storage of their trash and recycle bins.
