by Abigail Appel | May 24, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-11, Ward-13, Ward-5, Ward-7
On Thursday, May 20th, the City Council voted to give final passage of the Tax Stabilization Investment Act. The ordinance now goes to the Mayor to be signed into law.
The Tax Stabilization Investment Act reforms the City’s Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA) process by standardizing the tax stabilization benefit for all businesses who wish to take advantage of the development incentive. Key points of the legislation include:
- Establishing standard tax stabilization periods based on the size and scope of the project, ranging from five-year stabilizations for $3million and under projects to twenty-year stabilizations for projects over $50million.
- Streamlining and clarifying the citywide review and vetting process through applicable City departments including Inspections and Standards, Public Works, Planning and Development, the Tax Collector, Licensing, and the City Solicitor prior to review by the City Council.
- Specifying area standard wages for construction workers on projects over $10 million.
- Creating a commitment to ensure that post-construction jobs earn a wage twice the United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guideline for a family of three divided into an hourly wage at forty hours/week, fifty-two weeks/year on projects over $10 million.
- Ensuring that the full taxes on the property become due should the property be transferred to a tax-exempt entity.
Specifying a “clawback” procedure that allows for the Council and the City to reconsider an existing agreement in cases of non-compliance.
Additionally, the ordinance maintains current TSA standards on minority- and women-owned business enterprises, First Source hiring, obligations to the Affordable Housing Trust, payments to the City of Providence Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, and apprenticeship utilization.
“With the passage of this Act, the City is making an investment in neighborhood residents when we support development via tax stabilizations. For too long, high-level publicly subsidized development, while increasing the tax base, has not resulted in opportunities for city residents to gain meaningful employment that has the capacity to break cycles of intergenerational poverty. This Act ensures everyone can share in the opportunities in our city,” said Councilor Rachel Miller (Ward 13), a co-sponsor of the legislation who led the reforms effort.
“The TSA program has resulted in millions of dollars of investment in downtown Providence. A recent report to the Finance Committee projected that the city’s current tax stabilized properties will generate an additional $454 million in revenue over the next two decades. The TSA Investment Act is an evolution of this economic development tool that continues to incentivize major projects downtown and throughout the city, creating jobs, and ultimately increasing our tax base. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the City Council who have the foresight to adapt our approach to supporting growth in Providence,” stated Council President John J. Igliozzi.
“The Act levels the playing field for businesses who follow the law, treat their employees fairly, and want to invest in the future in partnership with the City. Additionally, the ordinance creates crystal clear procedures for developers of any size to know exactly what to expect when they seek support from the City for their projects. This level of clarity around expectations and timeline will support further development, while also standardizing the community benefits provided through the tax stabilization process,” said Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11).
“The ordinance is a critical first step in updating the laws related to contracting with the City of Providence. TSAs are just one piece of the puzzle in how the City supports and promotes small businesses. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to review and update as necessary other key related ordinances, including the First Source Hiring Ordinance and the MBE/WBE ordinances,” said Finance Committee Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5).
The final passage of this ordinance is the culmination of several years of effort by the Council working in collaboration with stakeholders to revamp the tax stabilization process. The resulting Tax Stabilization Investment Act supports and incentivizes development, while also providing consistent and tangible benefits for local residents every time a stabilization agreement is approved by the City Council.
by Abigail Appel | May 21, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1
Providence City Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) has teamed up with residents and neighborhood groups in an effort to reform Brown University’s proposed dormitory development on Brook Street in the Fox Point neighborhood. Councilman Goncalves and concerned community members have shared their dissatisfaction with the current state of Brown University’s building plans and have put forth several suggestions to improve the plan to better fit the neighborhood.
The petition was first circulated on May 17th and has since accumulated over 500 signatures.
“The historic character of the Fox Point neighborhood is central to the area’s aesthetic identity and functionality. As a Brown alumnus, I appreciate Brown University immensely and recognize Brown as a valuable local partner. However, there are several aspects of the Brook Street plan that do not match the unique needs and characteristics of the neighborhood. I hope that residents will take interest in the petition that calls on Brown University to consider the valuable input of the residents who will be most affected by these development plans,” stated Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
The petition urges Brown University to ensure the architectural design of the residential building is in harmony with existing neighborhood architecture and that the size of the building is in scale with other buildings and homes on the street. In the current design plans, the building would be much larger and significantly different than the existing architecture in the neighborhood.
Brown University’s revised design plan also removed retail space on the first floor of the building, which the petition calls on to be restored to be inclusive of the local community and contribute to City taxes. While revised design plans included expanded green space, community input indicated that a retail space would be more advantageous to the neighborhood.
Lastly, the petition urges Brown University to preserve three existing, historically significant houses in the area instead of tearing them down.
“Our neighborhoods have been forced to fight back against this once admired institution. In their zeal to build out the institutional zone, Brown planners do not seem to be acting on their promise to consider the context and culture of our historic architecture and genial way of living. Their plan is tearing at the fabric of our community,” stated Liz Mauran, neighbor.
“I would like to thank my community partners at College Hill Neighborhood Association, FPNA, Mile of History Association, and Providence Preservation Society for coming together to advocate for specific revisions to improve Brown’s development plans. I call on residents to consider signing our petition to strengthen our efforts to improve and enhance this development in the beautiful, historic Fox Point Neighborhood,” added Councilman Goncalves.
To read more about the above requests, and to view the petition, click here: https://bit.ly/3hkOChE
by Abigail Appel | May 20, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-12, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6
I am pleased to share that the Providence Police Department has announced the 70th annual Police Training Academy will commence on Monday, May 24th. The academy will be located in Ward 5, at the former Providence Water Supply Building at 552 Academy Avenue and will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
With fifty new recruits, part of the most diverse class in history, this is a great opportunity for our Police Department to grow and improve based upon the unique needs of our city. These men and women will be trained in classroom and role play scenarios on how to best serve and protect all Providence residents and visitors.
In my role on the City Council, I have been an advocate for the expansion, development, and enhanced training of our police force. With a large swath of our existing police officers approaching retirement eligibility, it is crucial that a new generation of officers is recruited and trained. I extend my appreciation to the Providence Police Department for working to get this year’s academy up and running despite the complications presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I welcome this year’s recruits to our neighborhood and wish them the best of luck as they begin their training. I look forward to seeing the value that they bring to our community as future members of the Providence Police Department.
by Abigail Appel | May 18, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-4
I would like to commend the great work of Chief Hugh Clements and the Providence Police Department in the aftermath of Thursday’s shooting incident. Their diligent work to secure the crime scene and to arrest the suspects believed to be involved in this violent event have been a great source of relief to the community.
As our City faces an increase in violent crime, I call on community members and my fellow City leaders to support the good police work done by our Providence Police Department. We all want to feel safe in our neighborhoods and the men and women of our police force work every day to make that happen.
In my role as Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Councilman to Ward 4, I am committed to finding solutions to stop violent crime on our City streets, and I will continue to support our local law enforcement officers as they work towards the same goal.
Nicholas J. Narducci Jr.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader, Providence City Council
Councilman, Ward 4
by Abigail Appel | May 17, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1
Providence City Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) has teamed up with residents and neighborhood groups in an effort to reform Brown University’s proposed dormitory development on Brook Street in the Fox Point neighborhood. Councilman Goncalves and concerned community members have shared their dissatisfaction with the current state of Brown University’s building plans and have put forth several suggestions to improve the plan to better fit the neighborhood.
“The historic character of the Fox Point neighborhood is central to the area’s aesthetic identity and functionality. As a Brown alumnus, I appreciate Brown University immensely and recognize Brown as a valuable local partner. However, there are several aspects of the Brook Street plan that do not match the unique needs and characteristics of the neighborhood. I hope that residents will take interest in the petition that calls on Brown University to consider the valuable input of the residents who will be most affected by these construction plans,” stated Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
The petition urges Brown University to ensure the architectural design of the residential building is in harmony with existing neighborhood architecture and that the size of the building is in scale with other buildings and homes on the street. In the current design plans, the building would be much larger and significantly different than the existing architecture in the neighborhood.
Brown University’s revised design plan also removed retail space on the first floor of the building, which the petition calls on to be restored to be inclusive of the local community and contribute to City taxes. While revised design plans included expanded green space, community input indicated that a retail space would be more advantageous to the neighborhood.
Lastly, the petition urges Brown University to preserve three existing, historically significant houses in the area instead of tearing them down.
“Our neighborhoods have been forced to fight back against this once admired institution. In their zeal to build out the institutional zone, Brown planners do not seem to be acting on their promise to consider the context and culture of our historic architecture and genial way of living. Their plan is tearing at the fabric of our community,” stated Liz Mauran, Fox Point neighbor.
“I would like to thank my community partners at College Hill Neighborhood Association, FPNA, Mile of History Association, and Providence Preservation Society for coming together to advocate for specific revisions to improve Brown’s construction plans. I call on residents to consider signing our petition to strengthen our efforts to improve and enhance this development in the beautiful, historic Fox Point Neighborhood,” added Councilman Goncalves.
To read more about the above requests, and to view the petition, click here: https://bit.ly/3hkOChE
by Abigail Appel | May 17, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-12, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6
At the May 6 City Council Meeting, Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) introduced and the Council passed a resolution to relaunch the City’s successful Fireworks Task Force.
“With summer approaching, so too is the threat to public safety presented by the rampant illegal use of fireworks in our neighborhoods. Based on last year’s success, the Council resolution requests public safety and administrative officials, once again, to coordinate enforcement and community education regarding the use of illegal fireworks. City departments must work proactively to mitigate this issue,” stated Ryan.
In the late spring and early summer of 2020, the City of Providence experienced an overwhelming increase in illegal fireworks activity. In 2019, the police department reported less than 20 calls related to fireworks complaints, but in June of 2020 that number skyrocketed nearly 500. In response, Councilwoman Ryan convened a group of City stakeholders to discuss this quality of life nuisance, and identified three main areas that needed to be addressed: public education on what is and isn’t legal; licensing enforcement for businesses that are illegally selling fireworks; and a coordinated effort by public safety officials to focus on hot spots or problematic areas. This effort lead to the creation of the City’s Fireworks Task Force which resulted in multiple arrests and the confiscation of illegal fireworks.
In Rhode Island, ground-based fireworks and sparklers are legal, but aerial fireworks and anything that explodes are not allowed without a permit.
“Last year, as a result of the diligent efforts of the Fireworks Task Force, the City was able to make a significant reduction in the use of illegal fireworks that had been disrupting and endangering our neighborhoods,” Ryan said. “I look forward to building on this progress as we head into another summer, and I thank our local law enforcement and fire officials for the work they do every day to maintain the quality of life and public safety of our community.”
Ryan is encouraging individuals to report the use of illegal fireworks in Providence or file a complaint, call the police department’s non-emergency line (401) 272-3121. Complaints can also be filed by calling 311 or visiting the PVD 311 Website and selecting the ‘Quality of Life’ complaint option.
This resolution was co-sponsored by Council President Pro Tempore Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4), Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Councilwoman Kat Kerwin (Ward 12) and Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
