by Billy Kepner | May 25, 2018 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
Providence City Councilwoman Sabina Matos (Ward 15), was honored on Thursday, May 17 at The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council’s (WRWC) annual Yellow Perch Cocktail Party with the first annual Fred Lippitt Award.
“Sabina has been a great partner and visionary for Olneyville just like Fred Lippitt right from the start,” stated Den DeMarinis, Jr., Director of Development at Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. “Her belief in the WRWC has made the organization much stronger and more effective. She supported and helped to fund many of WRWC’s improvement projects, and we thank her for her belief in them. We also thank her for her trust that together we could make these wonderful things happen for Olneyville and folks on the river, her commitment to opening up the river, improving green spaces, and being a champion for improving quality of life and bringing Fred’s vision to fruition.”
Sabina Matos, Providence Council President Pro Tempore stated, “like Fred, I too understand the value of our community’s natural resources. And like many other families in Olnyeville and beyond, we have spent many hours walking, biking, and taking time to reconnect. In this busy, multi-media world the WRWC provides a respite from the barrage of the daily world, and for that I’m thankful. Fred’s vision was to transform the watershed to provide recreation opportunities to the community of Olneyville, to restore the river’s environment, to stimulate the economic reinvestment and promote this amazing neighborhood that so many of us call home. His drive and tenacity to make a better Olneyville and a better Providence inspires me every day to do the same. And I thank the WRWC for recognizing the commitment that I have for our community, and I look forward to continuing advocating for Olneyville and its many fabulous resources for the years to come.”
The mission of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council is to encourage, support and promote the restoration and preservation of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed as an environmental, recreational, cultural, and economic asset of the State of Rhode Island. To learn more about The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, visit www.wrwc.org.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 24, 2018 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
Tonight I welcomed Mayor Elorza into the Council Chambers to offer his proposed budget for the City of Providence. I look forward to working with the Mayor and my colleagues on the Council to ensure a budget that is both fiscally responsible and addresses some of the most critical issues facing our city.
The City Council is looking forward to deliberating the budget and hearing from City departments.
Affordable Housing — The housing market is strong, but we need more affordable housing in Providence. It has been suggested that our city will need roughly 20,000 units within the next ten years to meet demand. With housing costs continuing to rise, our housing market is pricing out first-time home buyers, especially Millennials who are facing higher student debt. The City Council looks forward to working with the newly-created Special Commission to Study Affordable Housing and Mayor Elorza to create solutions to the challenges we face.
School Infrastructure — Our school buildings have been ignored for too long and our kids deserve better. I am looking forward to seeing the details surrounding the $20 Million investment Mayor Elorza has proposed.
Increasing our Tax Base — We need to expand our tax base to keep pace with the momentum of development in our city – without raising taxes. We will achieve this by creating new opportunities for business development, jobs, and generating more pathways to homeownership. We also need to make it easier for businesses to interact with our local government.
Public Safety — My colleagues and I believe that we must continue to increase the number of new recruits to our Fire and Police Academies. I commend the Mayor and our public safety departments for their commitment to making Providence a safer city.
Continued Collaboration — I am appreciative of Mayor Elorza’s recognition of the City Council’s commitment to our City’s youth. I am proud of my colleagues on the City Council for their dedication to creating recreational opportunities for the people of Providence and their commitment to making access to open spaces a priority in our City. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Mayor Elorza and his administration to continue this important work.
Delivering an On-Time Budget — During my first term of the City Council we were faced with what economists have called the “Great Recession,” and we learned that in order for us to grow to where we are today, we had to focus on fiscal responsibility. Every budget faces challenges, and I look forward to following through on that commitment in collaboration with Mayor Elorza.
Rhode Island’s capital city leads the way for the rest of our state, and I am committed to working closely with Mayor Elorza and my colleagues on the Council to lead Providence into the future.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 19, 2018 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-14
Councilman Seth Yurdin’s resolution to establish the Special Commission to Study Affordable Housing in Providence was passed by the full council at tonight’s City Council meeting.
“Adequate housing is a human right. And key to that is affordable housing. Affordable housing is critical for the well-being of adults, families and children, and it helps make our neighborhoods better places to live,” stated Councilman Seth Yurdin, Ward One. “Bringing together a commission of experts and stakeholders to advise our community on how to tackle this crisis will hopefully help address this serious issue.”
Yurdin was joined by the full council in co-sponsoring the resolution.
City Council President David Salvatore stated, “Just this week I met two amazing women; both were once homeless, but through different pathways they found a place to call home. Although they are no longer homeless, each shared their concerns about the rising cost of housing and their fears of returning to the streets.”
Salvatore added, “We are reaching a critical point in the struggle for adequate and affordable housing in Providence. I feel strongly that by bringing together this group of housing experts we will be able to find solutions to some of the most pressing housing challenges that we are facing today.”
Affordability, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is when housing costs for a family do not exceed 30 percent of their household income. In 2014 the National Housing Conference reported that nearly one-quarter of renters in the Providence metro area spent at least half of their income on housing – which makes them severely “housing cost burdened,” and means they have less disposable income to spend on basic needs. Additionally, the need for affordable housing continues to grow, while stock is diminishing. It’s projected that Rhode Island will need between 34,000 to 40,000 NEW housing units over the next 10 years to keep pace with the demand. Yet, despite this growing need for housing, Rhode Island had the lowest per capita spending on housing in New England in both 2015 and 2016.
Affordable housing can allow households more resources to pay for healthcare and healthy food, and high-quality housing limits exposure to environmental toxins such as lead.
The Special Commission to Study Affordable Housing will be composed of:
- Brenda Clement, Director, Housing WorksRI
- Barbara Fields, Executive Director, Rhode Island Housing
- Sally Hersey, President, Greater Providence Board of Realtors
- Melina Lodge, Executive Director, Housing Network of Rhode Island
- John Marcantonio, Executive Director, Rhode Island Builders Association
- Melissa Sanzaro, Executive Director, Providence Housing Authority
- Michael Tondra, Executive Director, Rhode Island Office of Housing & Community Development
The special commission will issue a report with findings and recommendations to the full City Council by November 1, 2018.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 19, 2018 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5
Tonight, I introduced a resolution in support of Senator Miller and Representative Carol Hagan McEntee’s Plastic Waste Reduction Act that has been introduced in the General Assembly. Reducing our dependence on single-use plastic bags is vital to keeping our oceans safe, and our landfills free of single-use bags that are only used for 12 minutes, but last 1000 years.
Single-use plastic bags are not just destroying the environment, but they also cost the cities across the great state of Rhode Island millions annually in recycling contamination fees, and other financial burdens. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation sees nearly 60 tons of plastic bags in their facility every year. These are just some of the reasons why I’m supporting Senator Miller and Representative Thomas Winfield’s bill and why I introduced legislation to ban single-use plastic bags in Providence.
After much discussion with my colleagues on the City Council, Mayor Elorza, and meetings with stakeholders, and community groups I will be reintroducing the ordinance in the near future. Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it’s important.
– Jo-Ann Ryan, Majority Whip, Providence City Council
by Billy Kepner | Mar 2, 2018 | Council News, Press Release, Uncategorized, Ward-15
Providence City Councilwoman Sabina Matos (Ward 15), will be introducing a resolution at the March 15 City Council meeting asking the City to delay any further speed camera installations until an educational campaign can take place.
“I’ve heard from countless constituents that they had no warning that these speed cameras were being installed,” stated Sabina Matos, Council President Pro Tempore. “After many conversations with concerned constituents, it was apparent that there was not enough education and outreach to alert the community about how these cameras work, their sensitivity, and the high cost of the tickets. I’m hopeful that the City will take a step-back and institute better and more signage, and implement an outreach component that explains the cameras and how they work.”
Along with Councilwoman Matos the resolution will be co-sponsored by Councilman Luis A. Aponte (Ward 10), Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilman Bryan Principe (Ward 13), and Councilwoman Carmen Castillo (Ward 9).
The City plans to install a total of 15 cameras across the city. Currently, 11 have been deployed, and all will be operational as of Monday, March 5, 2018.
