by Billy Kepner | Mar 8, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-11, Ward-13, Ward-15
City Council Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11) and the majority female-led Council, unanimously voted to recognize March 8th as International Women’s Day at a Council meeting last month. The Council will be hosting an event tomorrow, Friday, March 8, beginning at 6:00 PM on the third floor of City Hall in celebration of International Women’s Day, whos 2019 theme is #BalanceforBetter.
This is Harris’ second annual event to honor Women in Service, and it will begin with brief welcome remarks from Senator Jack Reed, Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, and City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15).
Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris said, “I’m thrilled to be partnering with SistaFireRI once again to bring the community together to celebrate International Women’s Day. It is our goal to bring both women and men together for a discussion on how we can better build a gender-balanced world. I hope that by sharing stories of our achievements and our failures, as women and men, we can all learn from our unique experiences.”
“I’m honored to serve with my colleagues who understand how important International Women’s Day is,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “Regardless of gender, it is important for each of us to understand how gender-balance can make stronger bonds and stronger communities.”
Councilwoman Rachel Miller, who helped plan this year’s event stated, “International Women’s Day is an opportunity to honor and celebrate all who identify as women in our community, but it’s also a call to action. We recognize that even in the conversation about gender equity, some communities face bigger barriers than others. Women of color and trans women face social and economic violence- like the attack on a trans couple in my neighborhood earlier this year. We can advocate for gender-balance by demanding a world that respects the integrity, safety, and health of all women in our community.”
The City Council’s International Women’s Day Celebration will take place on the third floor of City Hall, and will incorporate group discussions, and direct dialogue on how we can create a better balance not just in the workplace, but in all aspects of our society. It has been planned in conjunction with community groups including SistaFireRI, Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE), and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and is free and open to the public.
About International Women’s Day:
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women’s network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women’s Day. Many organizations declare an annual IWD theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of these are adopted more widely with relevance than others. International Women’s Day is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender parity.
International Women’s Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women’s Day has been occurring for well over a century – and continues to grow from strength to strength. Learn about the values that guide IWD’s ethos.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 8, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-6, Ward-8
City Council President Pro Tempore Correia and Councilman Taylor
Introduce Ordinance Calling for Emergency Snow Parking Ban Guidelines
City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia, Ward Six introduced an ordinance at tonight’s Council Meeting that calls for implementing an emergency parking ban if the expected snowfall is four inches or more.
“The current system is not efficient and is failing to ensure the safety of our constituents during and after snowstorms,” stated Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia. “These bans are not being properly enforced resulting in hundreds of vehicles interrupting the plow trucks from clearing the streets. The Director of Public Works should call parking bans based on the severe weather report and not at the discretion of the Mayor’s Office. It is time to step up and deal with these issues that have been putting our constituents at risk.”
This ordinance would allow the City to determine a course of action based on the predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Director of Public Works would act in accordance with the severe weather report to implement a parking ban that would begin two hours before expected snowfall and end four hours after the snowfall has ceased.
“Currently, we have no set guidelines for when a parking ban is to be implemented,” stated City Councilman James Taylor, Ward 8. “Residents should not be left wondering if their street will be plowed curb to curb. When snow accumulation is expected to be heavy, cars need to be off the streets so that the Department of Public Works can properly carry out their duty.”
The ordinance has been sent to the Committee on Ordinances for further review and comment.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 6, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
Ordinance Will Raise Purchasing Limits for Providence Schools
With the recent resignation of Providence Superintendent of Schools Christopher Maher, Councilman David A. Salvatore has filed an ordinance to reduce red tape surrounding purchasing by City departments.
Currently, all city expenditures of $5,000 or more must be approved by the City Council. Councilman Salvatore’s ordinance would raise the threshold for sole source School Department contracts from $5,000 to $25,000.
“We cannot continue to stand by and watch as Providence Schools are crippled by overly laborious purchasing rules,” said Councilman Salvatore. “It is imperative that we maintain oversight and a system of checks and balances, but we must ensure that our schools and educators can operate efficiently and effectively. With our Superintendent of Schools announcing his resignation, we need to re-examine how we, as a city, have inadvertently created obstacles to success.”
A February 26, 2019 Providence Journal article noted that Rhode Island “state education Commissioner Ken Wagner said that what really drives away superintendents are the layers of bureaucracy that keep them from doing their jobs.” The article also included an observation from Hillary Salmons, executive director of the Providence After School Alliance that “When the City Council controls any [expenditures] over $5,000, how can anyone manage his resources? It’s going to be hard to attract leadership with a district hamstrung by these structural impediments.”
The ordinance will be introduced at the March 7, 2019 regularly scheduled meeting of the Providence City Council.
by Billy Kepner | Feb 22, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
It has been reported that Councilman Aponte has filed for protection under the Federal Bankruptcy Laws, and I believe that this is a personal matter. This is a decision that many Americans face every year, and it’s a difficult one. He has a constitutional right to chart this course, and this is not something that should be used as political fodder.
Councilman Aponte’s current situation has no bearing on his role as a City Councilperson, and I ask my colleagues to be respectful as he begins this extremely private process.
![Providence City Council Elects Shawn Selleck as City Clerk]()
by Billy Kepner | Feb 21, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-11, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-5, Ward-6
(L to R) Katia Lugo, Sheri Petronio, Tina Mastroianni, Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris, Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan, Council President Sabina Matos, City Clerk Shawn Selleck, Antonieta Falconi, Councilwoman Helen Anthony, and Council President Pro Tempore Michael J. Correia
Selleck, a Resident of the West End of Providence,
Was Elected to Serve a Four-Year Term
At tonight’s City Council meeting, Shawn Selleck of Providence was elected to serve as Providence’s City Clerk for the 2019-2022 term.
Selleck previously worked for the Clerk’s Department, as he served there as the open government and civic innovation consultant from 2013 until 2014. During his tenure, he was instrumental in launching the City’s first Open Meetings Portal, and he worked with the City Council to purchase laptop computers so that the legislative body could go as “paperless” as possible. He also implemented a paperless pre-procurement process which resulted in the elimination of thousands of pages of documentation monthly, by utilizing digital approval and workflow technology. Currently, he serves as a project manager in the Department of Information Technology for the State of Rhode Island.
“First and foremost, Lori Hagen has been a tremendous leader and has been an astounding civil servant, and I cannot thank her enough for all the work she has done to keep Providence moving forward. During her tenure she has digitized thousands of documents, provided access to thousands of meetings and other important historical information on the Open Meetings Portal,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “As we started this new term, I have been thinking about the future of the City Council, and all its departments, and what that looks like in 2022 when several of us step off the Council and several long-time employees will likely retire. I want to ensure that our incoming Councilors and employees have a steady foundation to build upon, and there is not a ’brain-drain’ of important institutional knowledge. The vision that Shawn expressed to me to transform the Clerk’s Department to become more technologically focused resonated with me and my vision for the future of the departments that the Council oversees.”
The Department of the City Clerk is the official repository for all ordinances, resolutions and official documents related to the government of the City of Providence. The Clerk also is responsible for the authenticity of all legal documents and oversees the Providence City Archives. The Archives houses an extensive collection of manuscripts, printed material, maps, blueprints, and images that span the period from the Colony’s founding in 1636 to the present.
“I’m honored to be elected by the City Council to serve in this important role,” stated newly elected City Clerk Shawn Selleck. “Six years ago, I had the pleasure of working on behalf of the Providence City Council, the Office of the City Clerk and the Office of the Mayor to act on recommendations of the Open Providence Commission for Transparency and Accountability. By leading a modernization effort that included accomplishments with a wide range of complexity, from the simple replacement of cassette tape recorders with digital recording devices to the more challenging implementation of the City’s first Open Meetings Portal, our residents were provided better access to the records of City Hall. I am grateful for this new opportunity to continue that progress, serve the Council and my fellow residents and work with the staff in the Department of the City Clerk.”
Majority Leader Ryan stated, “I am proud of my colleagues on the Council. While change is difficult, it is important that the Clerk’s office keep abreast of state-of-the-art technology to increase transparency and public participation. Mr. Selleck brings a host of technology skills that will enhance the Clerk’s office operations and the Council’s goals for a more open government.” Leader Ryan continued, “The City Clerk’s office by City Charter is the keeper of the City’s Records and Archives. This office needs to communicate with legislators and residents regularly and inform the public of ongoing City-wide business all with the goal of encouraging robust public participation. I thank Ms. Hagen for her exemplary professionalism and her years of service to the City and wish her well.”
Lori Hagen has served the City of Providence for nearly 30 years and has been the City Clerk for the last two terms. Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. said, “It has been a pleasure to work with Lori for all these years. She has been a consummate professional, and I wish her well in all her future endeavors. I along with my colleagues welcome Shawn, and remind him that he has very big shoes to fill.”
“Shawn will be stepping into a very big role, and we have big plans for him and the future of the Clerk’s Department,” stated City Council President Pro Tempore Michael J. Correia. “I am looking forward to working with him to make the Clerk’s office more engaging and continue serving the people of Providence with a focus on customer service and accessibility. Everyone on this Council and in this office wishes Lori the best as she moves on from this role, and we thank her for her 30-years of service.”
Shawn Selleck lives in the West End neighborhood of Providence with his wife, Antonieta. He begins serving as City Clerk immediately.
