by Billy Kepner | Oct 8, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
I’m a proponent of giving parents choices. Historically, low-income families have never had the real option of choosing which schools to send their children to. The demand for choice is at an all-time high as evidenced by the 3,000 or so families on the Achievement First waiting list alone.
The school decision is one that is intimate to families and we should promote this freedom by providing them more options rather than limiting them.
by Billy Kepner | Oct 7, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-4
This past Friday, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4) was notified by a concerned neighbor regarding a large amount of dead fish on the perimeter of Canada Pond. He visited the location, and sent pictures to his office that were then shared with the appropriate partners.
“It appears to me that the pond was drained to low,” stated Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. “As soon as I learned of the issue on Friday I had my staff reach out to the Department of Environmental Management and the City’s Department of Public Works to get answers. There are several theories, and I have invited members of the team involved to join me at tonight’s community meeting to brief my constituents. I have been told that this is an unfortunate side-effect of doing this kind of work.”
The pond was drained to make much-needed repairs to the gates and the dam itself, which will keep the dam in working order for the foreseeable future.
Canada pond is located off Branch Avenue next to Route 146 and is roughly a mile long. Narducci continued, “There have been no significant repairs to the damn since the early part of the last century, and this is an important safety fix for our residents. However, I was assured that the aquatic life would not be harmed. I am deeply disappointed that this happened, and I have been assured that the DEM is working to solve the issue and remove the dead fish.”
As the pond has been drained, workers have come across a great deal of debris. “One of the reasons so many of the fish have died could be because of the disturbance from removing these large items. It’s a reminder that we need to be better stewards of our natural areas,” continued Narducci.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader will be holding his community meeting this evening at 5:30 PM at the DaVinci Center, which is located at 470 Charles Street in Providence. Members from the City’s team working on this project will be on hand to give an update to the project and remediation efforts.
by Billy Kepner | Oct 7, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-4
On Saturday, September 28, 2019 Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr., Senator Maryellen Goodwin, and the North End Community Action Committee held their 13th Annual Septemberfest.
It was a wonderful day in the North End with kids winning bikes, playing on the bounce houses, and even enjoying the petting zoo. Thanks to all the community partners that made the day such a success!
The Councilman was also joined by Mayor Elorza to dedicate the Valentino “Val” Innocente Fitness Area.
Check out this great video that highlights some of the days activities:
by Billy Kepner | Oct 3, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
City Council President Sabina Matos and a majority of the City Council tonight introduced a resolution, which was passed unanimously by the body, urging the General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1031 and House Bill 6266. These bills enable the State Lottery Division of the Department of Revenue to enter into a contract extension with IGT Global Solutions Corporation.
“IGT is a multi-billion dollar company that is homegrown, and losing them would be detrimental to the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “Over the past 20-years Providence has seen a transformation, and losing them would be losing momentum. With over 1,000 employees in Rhode Island, and 128 of those which live in Providence, we can’t afford to lose this great local company. They have called Providence home since 1976 and this is where they belong, and I stand with Governor Gina Raimondo in wanting to keep them in our great capital city.”
GTECH, now IGT Global Solutions, started operations here in the City of Providence in 1976. They began with just a few employees in offices over Capriccio’s restaurant, and now has grown to become one of Rhode Island’s largest and most successful IT startups. Today, IGT has over 12,000 employees around the globe and has revenues of approximately $5Billion.
IGT has over 1,000 employees based in Rhode Island with roughly 128 employees that live in Providence. Their commitment to maintain 1,100 direct jobs in the State will generate $329.5M in value-added economic activity. With two office locations in Providence at the North American Lottery Headquarters at 10 Memorial Boulevard and its National Response Center ( a 24/7 call center) located at 75 Baker Street on the City’s Southside they are embedded into our City’s economic engine.
As a company, they not only are a substantial contributor to the City of Providence’s tax base, but their philanthropy can be seen throughout the city. They currently support 20 After School Advantage Computer Labs and provide technology opportunities to students throughout the City. Since their inception they have supported several non-profit entities through their corporate philanthropy including Crossroads, Lifespan, Year Up, United Way, WaterFire, First Works, and Amos House just to name a few.
Council President Matos continued, “Extending their contract with the State of Rhode Island will ensure that this Providence born company which has operated in our capital city for 40+ years will remain right here. That’s not just good for Rhode Island, but it’s good for the City and its residents.”
by Billy Kepner | Oct 3, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
Violence, like any societal ill, doesn’t make people feel better because it may be in remission. Regardless of whether crime is actually down in our City, if taxpayers don’t feel a sense of security and peace then we haven’t done our jobs as elected officials to provide it to them. It is incumbent upon local leaders to stop finding consolation in numbers and to instead lead the fight for an even safer City than statistics show. Let me be clear, our City is far from a haven for criminals despite desperate attempts from some observers to try and paint it that way.
Yet, headlines dominate our newsfeeds and doorsteps detailing one horrific crime after another and they are impossible to ignore. From the Southside to Federal Hill, random acts of violence know no boundaries and can happen to anyone at any time. This was especially true this past summer. Just these past few days, our City suffered its 11th and 12th homicides of the year which is already more than last year. In the former case, an innocent young woman was shot while out celebrating her 19th birthday with friends.
Some leaders will respond to these heartbreaking incidents by citing that 12 homicides aren’t as bad as the 30 we had in the year 2000, and I find that upsetting.
Local leaders shouldn’t be patting themselves on the back because ‘crime is down’ and they have the statistics to prove it. We should instead be focusing on the problem areas that remain and allocating the resources to combat them.
I’m not naive enough to think that we’ll ever eliminate violence from the City completely, but I’m a firm believer that nothing bad can come from trying to do just that.
In the coming weeks, I will publish a set of recommendations my office has been working on to help address some of the night time issues we’ve been experiencing. I look forward to working with my colleagues at both the local and state level to make real changes that promote public safety and enhance the quality of life for our residents.
