by Council Staff | Oct 2, 2025 | Add Council Logo
At tonight’s meeting of the Providence City Council, councilors granted first passage to an ordinance introduced by Councilor Sue AnderBois (Ward 3) which would ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the city of Providence by 2033. Councilors also granted second passage to an ordinance approving the financing of $5.5 million for the purchase and distribution of new solid waste and recycling carts citywide.
If granted second and final passage, the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers would phase out the use of the devices beginning in 2028, with a full prohibition taking effect in 2033. In addition to contributing to noise pollution in neighborhoods across the city by operating at dangerously loud sound levels, gas-powered leaf blowers produce toxic gases like nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide that pollute our air and contribute to the growing climate crisis.
“This ordinance is a common-sense commitment to keeping our air clean, clear, and safe for all – while also addressing a loud and disruptive public nuisance,” said Councilor AnderBois, the ordinance’s lead sponsor and chair of the Special Committee on Environment and Resiliency. “I am also grateful to the many landscapers who met with me and helped me amend this to mitigate effects on our small business owners. It’s proof that we can improve quality-of-life, build environmental resilience, and take into account the needs of small businesses all at the same time. We don’t need to choose between what’s best for our neighbors and what’s best for the environment.
Last week, the ordinance was passed unanimously by the Special Committee. If passed by the council a second time, the initial phase of the ban would permit use only between October 1 and December 15, from 2028 through 2033, with city departments eliminating their use altogether in 2028. As of January 1, 2033, all use within the city limits would be permanently prohibited.
“I’m proud to have been a strong co-sponsor of this legislation, which builds on a previous ordinance and protects workers from toxic fumes, environmental hazards and dangerous noise while also improving quality of life for our constituents,” said Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1). “This marks real progress toward healthier working conditions and a cleaner, quieter, more livable community.”
Final passage was granted to an ordinance financing the citywide replacement of all public trash and recycling carts. The new bins will save taxpayer money over the long term by dramatically reducing the time and resources currently devoted to repair and replacement of the existing aging fleet, while improving public health and safety by reducing overflow and recycling contamination.
Also at tonight’s meeting, councilors passed two resolutions approved earlier this week by the Committee on Finance. The first resolution supports the Providence Public School District’s Stage II application for $79.5 million spent, 91% of which is eligible for reimbursement, to upgrade school infrastructure and support teaching and learning excellence, student and staff wellbeing, resource management, and family and community engagement. These funds will address urgent needs at: Feinstein Elementary, George J. West Elementary, Leviton Dual Language, Reservoir Avenue Elementary, Robert L. Bailey Elementary, Veazie Street Elementary, Young and Woods Elementary, Webster Avenue Elementary, Esek Hopkins Middle, Nathan Bishop Middle, Central High, Classical High, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High, E-Cubed Academy, Hope High, Juanita Sanchez Complex, and Providence Career and Technical Academy.
The second resolution authorizes the Providence Public Building Authority to issue bonds to buy the Doorley Municipal Building at 444 Westminster Street and the WaterFire Arts Center at 475 Valley Street. Purchase of the Doorley Building will free up at least $1.4 million in rental payments through 2036, and projections show that the city stands to save $7.6 million over the term of the lease. Acquiring this building, which currently houses 10 city departments, is a meaningful step in centralizing municipal functions and services.
The WaterFire Arts Center, an institution at the heart of the city’s arts and culture, will be purchased for $3.75 million and leased back to the organization. This investment stabilizes WaterFire’s financial health and ensures the continued vitality of Providence’s arts economy.
Following passage of these items, Finance Committee Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) emphasized the importance of council investment in Providence schools and public spaces. “These strategic, financially sound agreements promise to deliver stability to our schools, critical city operations and arts programming that residents and staff depend on,” said Chairwoman Ryan.
Finally, councilors voted to confirm Sean Holley as the city’s next Director of the Department of Recreation, effective immediately.
Following the conclusion of the regularly scheduled public meeting, councilors entered into executive session for a discussion with the receivers of the Providence Place Mall to hear an update on the mall’s sale and future plans.
by Council Staff | Sep 18, 2025 | Add Council Logo
At tonight’s meeting of the Providence City Council, councilors formally received the Housing Crisis Task Force 2025 Report, a deeply-researched legislative blueprint for addressing the city’s housing affordability crisis. Also at tonight’s meeting, councilors granted the first of two required passages to an ordinance which would authorize the financing, purchase, and distribution of new residential trash and recycling bins for the entire city.
The Housing Crisis Task Force (HCTF) has worked for the past two years to develop and recommend a wide range of legislative solutions available to the city council to take on the city’s worsening housing challenges from every possible angle: by expanding housing supply, better regulating an out-of-control rental market, strengthening tenant protections, and expanding emergency shelters and homelessness support services.
“The Housing Crisis Task Force, under the leadership of Chairwoman Mary Kay Harris, has shown real courage where others have been unwilling or unable to commit to action,” said City Council President Rachel Miller. “This council will be prioritizing consideration of the recommendations contained in this report – many of which we have already begun to address, with more to come. Our city’s residents, and our renters in particular, have been demanding relief. Now we have our playbook, and we are ready to act.”
Since the beginning of this city council’s term in January 2023, Council President Miller and members of the city council have repeatedly named housing as their highest priority policy area, with a particular emphasis on increasing protections for the city’s renters.
From banning predatory, price-fixing rental algorithms and limiting the bulk purchase of property throughout the city by out-of-state corporate interests, to expanding support for emergency warming centers and investing millions into the affordable housing trust, this city council has led the way with creative and urgently needed solutions. The HCTF report gives councilors the tools they need to continue that leadership in the months ahead.
In a statement following the panel’s vote to finalize the report earlier this week, Chairwoman Harris expressed gratitude for her fellow Task Force members and urged immediate action:
“This report lays out a bold vision for housing in our city, which is exactly what this moment demands. I could not be prouder of my colleagues on the Task Force and our incredible staff who have spent countless hours listening to residents, researching solutions, and determining the best ways for this council to address the overlapping crises of homelessness and housing affordability that we all see and feel each day. The time to act is right now.”
Also at tonight’s meeting, councilors granted first passage to an ordinance introduced by Councilman James Taylor (Ward 8) that, if granted second and final passage, would approve the financing of $5.5 million to purchase new trash and recycling bins across the city. Replacing bins citywide with new, more modern, and larger receptacles will support public health and safety by reducing overflow and minimizing recycling contamination. The new bins will also save personnel hours and resources currently being spent on repair and replacement of the current, aging bins, saving the city money over the longer term and ensuring smoother curbside pick-up across all 15 wards. The idea for this ordinance was first proposed by the Special Commission on Waste Management chaired by Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5).
Other notable items from tonight’s meeting include:
- Introduction of an ordinance by Councilwoman Althea Graves (Ward 12) which would allow councilmembers to more effectively address hazardous trees across the city.
- Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Shelley Peterson (Ward 14) congratulating the faculty, staff, students, and families of E-Cubed Academy for placing in the top five high schools statewide for reductions in chronic absenteeism.
- Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Peterson recognizing Ward 14 resident Laura Afonso for her contributions to the Providence small business community.
by Council Staff | Sep 15, 2025 | Add Council Logo
Tonight, the Providence City Council Housing Crisis Task Force (HCTF) approved a report making recommendations for legislative action to address our city’s housing crisis. In the report, the Task Force, chaired by Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), presents a legislative blueprint for urgently needed housing reforms and recommends a number of specific policy goals to the city council, including rent stabilization, inclusionary zoning, taxing vacant properties, creation of a municipal public developer for social housing, and expansion of the city’s emergency shelter capacity.
The HCTF 2025 Report represents the culmination of more than two years of work, which began in March 2023 when the Providence City Council created the Task Force to seek new and creative solutions to the city’s housing challenges.
“This report lays out a bold vision for housing in our city, which is exactly what this moment demands,” said Chairwoman Mary Kay Harris. “I could not be prouder of my colleagues on the Task Force and our incredible staff who have spent countless hours listening to residents, researching solutions, and determining the best ways for this council to address the overlapping crises of homelessness and housing affordability that we all see and feel each day. The time to act is right now.”
The numbers speak for themselves. In January of this year, a Redfin report named Providence the single least affordable city for renters, who make up more than 60% of city residents. In 2024 and 2025, Providence ranked first and second for highest average rent increase in the nation, according to rent.com. Along with a 35% increase in homelessness between 2023 and 2024, more than 24,000 evictions since 2020, and Rhode Island’s position as 50th for new housing permits, the need for urgent and decisive action could not be clearer.
The specific recommendations made in the report fall into four major categories, reflecting the overlapping problem areas confronting the city:
- Expanding Housing Supply
- Rental Market Regulation
- Strengthening Tenant Protections
- Homelessness and Emergency Shelter
In each section, the report explores the underlying causes of the most acute challenges and presents thoroughly researched policy proposals to address them both immediately and over the long term.
The proposals laid out in the HCTF report represent a natural next step following this council’s efforts over the past two years to provide relief to the city’s overburdened housing market. During this time, under the leadership of City Council President Rachel Miller, the council has waged a relentless campaign against the out-of-state corporate interests who have profited from the outrageously high cost of housing in Providence at the expense of working families. In May of this year, for example, the city council made Providence just the sixth city in the country to ban the use of predatory, price-fixing rental algorithms, and set a limit on the bulk purchase of properties through online tax sales, a favorite tactic of large, out-of-state private equity firms. The recommendations made in the HCTF report will build upon this progress to ensure Providence remains a place where its residents can afford to live and thrive.
The report will be received by the full council at this Thursday’s regular council meeting.
Read the full report HERE.
by Council Staff | Sep 9, 2025 | Add Council Logo
Tonight, the Providence City Council Committee on Finance elected Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) as its next chair.
Councilwoman Ryan, a former chair of the committee, was reappointed to the panel last week by Council President Rachel Miller to fill the vacancy resulting from former councilwoman Helen Anthony’s recent resignation.
With tonight’s vote, Chairwoman Ryan was selected by her colleagues to lead the committee responsible for the city’s annual budget.
“The Chair of Finance is a critical position,” said Council President Rachel Miller after the vote. “As seen over the last three years, under Helen Anthony’s outstanding leadership, the process of vetting and balancing a budget for the city requires patience, flexibility, some very long hours and the ability to make difficult decisions. I applaud the committee’s decision to entrust Councilwoman Ryan with this crucial role and am looking forward to working with her and each member of the Finance Committee as we work on behalf of residents of the city over the upcoming year.”
Councilwoman Ryan was first elected in 2014 to represent Ward 5, which includes the neighborhoods of Elmhurst, Mount Pleasant, and the western edge of Manton. Ryan was reelected in 2018 and 2022 and previously served on Finance from 2016 to 2023, including as committee chair from 2021 to 2023. During her first stint as chair, Ryan oversaw passage of several annual city budgets and the allocation of more than $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
“I’m grateful for the confidence of my fellow committee members and Council leadership as I take on this role,” said Ryan of her return to the chair. “City Council has no greater responsibility than to be effective stewards of taxpayer dollars. I intend to lead this committee with transparency and diligence as we work together to build a city that serves the best interests of all of its residents.”
The Committee on Finance is responsible for overseeing all matters relating to city finances, including appropriations for city boards and commissions, major contracts for necessary supplies and services, as well as the city’s annual budget which is presented each spring by the mayor and must be carefully vetted, amended, and advanced to the full council.
Also serving on Finance this term are Vice-Chairman James Taylor (Ward 8), Councilor Sue AnderBois (Ward 3), Councilwoman Althea Graves (Ward 12), and Councilor Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6).
Following the chair election, the committee moved on to a full meeting agenda with Chairwoman Ryan presiding.
by Council Staff | Sep 4, 2025 | Add Council Logo
Tonight, the City Council convened for its first full meeting following the August recess. Councilors unanimously passed a resolution sponsored by all 14 members honoring the life and legacy of the late Judge Frank Caprio, who passed away last month. Councilors also formally accepted the resignation of former Ward 2 Councilwoman Helen Anthony, who recently announced her resignation to devote more time to her recovery from a life-threatening accident in June 2023.
Caprio, a longtime public servant and community leader in the city, served on the Providence City Council in the 1960s prior to his widely celebrated nearly 40-year career as a Providence Municipal Court Judge. In a statement after Judge Caprio’s passing, Council President Rachel Miller who, like Caprio, represents the Federal Hill neighborhood, said, in part:
“For nearly four decades as Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court, he approached each case with a spirit of mercy that made justice feel human. He believed deeply in the power of education, creating scholarships that honored his own journey and gave Rhode Island students the chance to shape not only their own lives, but the future of their city. Through his work in the courtroom and his dedication to public service, he set a standard for those who follow, showing that leadership is found in how we treat the people we serve. His example will guide our city for generations.”
Also at tonight’s meeting, councilors accepted the resignation of Helen Anthony, who served as councilwoman for Ward 2 from 2019 until stepping down, and passed a resolution declaring the seat vacant and directing the city’s Board of Canvassers to begin the special election process to fill the seat.
Councilwoman Anthony’s departure creates an open seat on the Committee on Finance, which Anthony has chaired since 2023. Council President Miller announced tonight that this vacancy will be filled by Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5), a former Finance Chair.
Additional highlights from tonight’s meeting include:
- Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Ryan renaming Obadiah Brown Field, named for an 18th century slave trader, in honor of Armand E. Batastini, Jr., a lifelong Providence resident and community leader.
- Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilor Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6) authorizing the raising of the Mexican flag outside Providence City Hall in recognition of Mexican Independence Day on Tuesday, September 16th.
- Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Ana Vargas (Ward 7) recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated each year from September 15th to October 15th.
- Unanimous passage of a resolution ceremonially renaming Dodge Street in honor of Miss Barbara Thurmond, a longtime community leader and advocate for social justice.
- Introduction of a slew of Tax Stabilization Agreements, which were referred to the Committee on Finance.
El Concejo de Providence Rinde Homenaje a la Vida del Juez Frank Caprio
Esta noche, el Concejo se reunió por primera vez despues del receso de agosto. Los concejales aprobaron por unanimidad una resolución, patrocinada por los 14 miembros, que rinde homenaje a la vida y el legado del difunto juez Frank Caprio, quien falleció el mes pasado. Los concejales también aceptaron formalmente la renuncia de la exconcejala del Distrito 2, Helen Anthony, quien anunció recientemente su renuncia para dedicar más tiempo a la recuperación de su accidente en junio de 2023.
Caprio, un veterano servidor público y líder comunitario de la ciudad, formó parte del Concejo Municipal de Providence en la década de 1960, antes de su reconocida trayectoria de casi 40 años como juez del Tribunal Municipal de Providence. En una declaración tras el fallecimiento del juez Caprio, la presidenta del Concejo Rachel Miller, quien, al igual que Caprio, representa al vecindario de Federal Hill, declaró
“Durante casi cuatro décadas como Juez Presidente del Tribunal Municipal de Providence, abordó cada caso con un espíritu de misericordia que humanizaba la justicia. Creía profundamente en el poder de la educación, creando becas que honraron su propia trayectoria y brindaron a los estudiantes de Rhode Island la oportunidad de forjar no solo sus propias vidas, sino también el futuro de su ciudad. A través de su trabajo en los tribunales y su dedicación al servicio público, sentó las bases para quienes lo seguirán, demostrando que el liderazgo se encuentra en cómo tratamos a las personas a las que servimos. Su ejemplo guiará a nuestra ciudad durante generaciones.”
También en la reunión de esta noche, los concejales aceptaron la renuncia de Helen Anthony, quien se desempeñó como concejala del Distrito 2 desde 2019 hasta su renuncia, y aprobaron una resolución que declara vacante el puesto y ordena a la Junta de Escrutinio de la ciudad que inicie el proceso de elección especial para cubrirlo. Por ley, la elección debe alojarse dentro de los 90 días posteriores a la notificación a la Junta de Escrutinio.
La salida de la concejala Anthony crea un puesto vacante en el Comité de Finanzas, que Anthony preside desde 2023. La presidenta del Concejo Miller anunció esta noche que esta vacante será cubierta por la concejala Jo-Ann Ryan (Distrito 5), expresidenta del Comité de Finanzas.
Otros puntos destacados de la reunión de esta noche incluyen:
- Aprobación unánime de una resolución presentada por la concejala Ryan que renombra el Campo Obadiah Brown, llamado así por un comerciante de esclavos del siglo XVIII, en honor a Armand E. Batastini, Jr., residente de Providence de toda la vida y líder comunitario.
- Aprobación unánime de una resolución presentada por el concejal Miguel Sanchez (Distrito 6) que autoriza el izamiento de la bandera mexicana frente al Ayuntamiento de Providence en conmemoración del Día de la Independencia de México el martes 16 de septiembre.
- Aprobación unánime de una resolución presentada por la concejala Ana Vargas (Distrito 7) que reconoce el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, que se celebra cada año del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre.
- Aprobación unánime de una resolución que renombra solemnemente la calle Dodge en honor a la Srta. Barbara Thurmond, líder comunitaria de larga trayectoria y defensora de la justicia social.
Introducción de una serie de Acuerdos de Estabilización Fiscal, que fueron remitidos al Comité de Finanzas.
