by Abigail Appel | Jul 15, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-3
Before going into summer recess, the Rhode Island State Senate passed Senate Bill Number 788 which regulates third-party delivery services. The bill prevents third-party delivery services such as Grub Hub, Door Dash or Uber Eats from using the likeness, registered trademark or intellectual property belonging to a merchant without first obtaining the merchant’s consent. While the General Assembly had been debating the merits of this bill, the Providence City Council had also been working to create similar regulations at the City level.
In April of 2020, Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune first introduced an ordinance targeted at curbing predatory practices of third-party delivery services which had become major components of the hospitality industry during the pandemic. Following extensive community input, as well as meetings with representatives from the third-party delivery companies, the Councilwoman introduced a revised ordinance in January of 2021 which was sent to the full council with a positive recommendation from the ordinance committee. In addition to her advocacy at the local level, Councilwoman LaFortune provided written testimony in support of Senate Bill 788 based upon the feedback received during the local deliberation of her ordinance.
“I commend Senator Lombardi, Representative Craven and all of the legislators who worked on on Senate Bill 788 and House Bill 5346. While third-party delivery services have proven to be an expedient and accessible way to order food, these services can also be exploitative and leave local restaurants on the losing end of this convenient proposition. It is a relief to see measures being taken at the state level to protect local business and small business owners throughout Rhode Island,” stated Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3).
Third-party delivery services became especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when take-out has been the safest and easiest way for Rhode Islanders to access their favorite restaurants. However, these services have also caused significant difficulties for partnering restaurants. With the passage of Senate Bill 788, the local ordinance will no longer move forward as the protections that would have been provided at the city level are now in place for businesses throughout the State of Rhode Island as well as Providence.
“As technology advances, it is great to see innovations that make it easier to do things like order food from your favorite restaurant. However, lawmakers at all levels of government should be putting in the work to make sure that the interests of Rhode Islanders and local business owners are being protected from any exploitation or unethical business practices. I look forward to continuing these efforts with my colleagues in government at both the state and local levels,” added Councilwoman LaFortune.
To read the City Council’s proposed ordinance, click here: https://bit.ly/3egypHN
To read Senate Bill Number 788, click here: https://bit.ly/3yTPfEs
To read House Bill Number 5346, click here: https://bit.ly/2VOtNSX
by Abigail Appel | Jul 15, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10
At tonight’s City Council meeting, Council President Pro Tempore Pedro Espinal will introduce several pieces of legislation to address present and future threats to public health and the environment in the South Side of Providence.
Council President Pro Tempore Espinal proposed a resolution to stop the expansion of Sea 3 LLC, located in the industrial area surrounding the Port of Providence. This expansion would allow for the storage of an additional 450,000 gallons of propane on site, and the shipment of highly combustible propane tanks into the area of the port by rail.
“The Port of Providence and surrounding South Providence neighborhood is home to the most intensive industrial land use in the state of Rhode Island. For generations, residents in this area have faced disproportionately worse health outcomes compared to the rest of the city. Our focus should be on mitigating any activity that puts the environment or public health and safety at risk, not continuing to expand it,” stated Council President Pro Tempore Espinal.
In a letter to the Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) this past May, Pro Tempore Espinal shared his concerns that the expansion of this organization would only further burden the South Providence community, which has already suffered from toxins and air pollution for years due to industrial activity in the Port of Providence. In a continuation of this advocacy, Pro Tempore Espinal’s resolution further calls on the EFSB to reject Sea 3 LLC’s proposal for expansion.
In addition, Pro Tempore Espinal also proposed an amendment to the code of ordinances that would prohibit the bulk storage of Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) within the city of Providence. This ordinance would prevent any organizations from attempting to ship more harmful toxins or dangerous chemicals into the city or the port.
“The south side of Providence is constantly facing the adverse effects of industrial operations in the area. From poor air quality, to high childhood asthma rates, local residents and the local environment are always on the losing end of these kinds of developments. Additionally, the threat of an accident such as a fire or explosion could be devastating for our city. Just a few months ago, a submarine caught on fire in the port. It is irresponsible and unethical to allow for these kinds of dangerous operations to continue in our neighborhood. This is why I am fighting for both short- and long-term protections and regulations,” added Council President Pro Tempore Espinal.
by Abigail Appel | Jul 14, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-11, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-14, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6, Ward-7, Ward-8, Ward-9
Approved budget contains no tax increases and uses $42 million in stimulus funds for small business relief, youth investments, free public Internet access, and more.
Tonight, the Providence City Council voted to approve a $539 million FY 2022 City Budget including $42 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address both immediate needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic and longer-term investments that will pay dividends for years to come. The budget holds the line on residential and commercial property taxes, while funding key City services that residents expect and deserve.
Tonight’s vote to approve the FY 2022 City budget follows 5 weeks and more than 11 Finance Committee hearings to receive input from the Mayor’s office, Council members, and city residents and community organizations.
“I want to thank my colleagues on the City Council and Mayor Elorza for working collaboratively to put together and pass this budget that invests in our city at a time of great challenge for our residents,” said City Council President John J. Igliozzi. “Developing this budget during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge. Through months of hearings, we have heard just how hard hit our families, small businesses, and community organizations have been by the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. To address these needs, I am pleased that we are able to utilize $42 million in ARPA funds to invest in summer programming for our youth, early learning programs, free public internet access at parks and recreation centers, anti-violence programs, homeless interventions, street sweeping and sewer repairs, our public libraries, and relief for our small businesses. In addition, this budget continues to invest in core City services including inspections and public safety, while holding the line on taxes.”
Continued Igiozzi, “I also want to highlight this budget’s investment in public safety, which will provide the staffing and resources necessary to respond to criminal activity and to keep the people of our city safe. Talking with residents, many have said they are worried about a rise in crime and support smart investments in our police department, as well as substantive reforms to address community concerns about some policing practices. That is why this budget includes funding for recruitment of new police officers to protect our neighborhoods, and also creates a new Community Relations and Diversion Services Major position within the police department to resolve public safety issues that would be better dealt with through outreach and partnerships with City agencies and community-based organizations.”
“During this time of great need, I am pleased that my colleagues on the City Council and Mayor Elorza have worked together to pass a budget that helps our residents, small businesses, and community organizations get through the COVID-19 pandemic, while making long term investments in our city,” said Councilwoman and Finance Chair Jo-Ann Ryan. “I am particularly pleased that this budget provides $7 million in direct relief for Providence’s small businesses, invests in early education for our youth, and invests in basic City services like public safety and housing and building safety inspections to address quality of life issues.”
FY 2022 City budget highlights include:
•No property tax increases.
•Invests in the Department of Inspections and Standards to deal with quality-of-life issues.
•Invests in the Department of Public Property to hire additional personnel to handle projects in a more efficient and timely fashion.
•Creates a new Department of Equity and Inclusion.
•Invests in public safety, including expansion of diversion efforts, creating anti-violence programs, and provisions to fund recruitment of new Providence Police officers.
•Continues to invest in City parks with a portion of Tax Stabilization revenue going to the Parks and Recreation fund.
•Provides an additional $300,000 for Providence Community Centers for programs that qualify for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) resources.
•Creates a new Community Relations and Diversion Services Major position within the Providence Police Department.
•10% of tax revenue from projects with a Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA) will be dedicated to supporting debt service on the $25M Providence Redevelopment Agency Special Obligation Bond that funded the Providence Housing Trust in FY21.
•Invests $350,000 to expand the number of pre-kindergarten classrooms in Providence, increasing access to quality early learning programs.
•Invests ARPA funds for night basketball, recreational center programs for our youths, free internet access at our largest parks and recreation centers, sewer repair fund, and a $7 million small business relief fund.
A detailed summary of FY 2022 City Budget highlights can be found here.
by Abigail Appel | Jul 13, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1
WARD 1 MOVIE NIGHT
8 PM THURSDAY, JULY 15
India Point Park, Providence, Rhode Island
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican Trailer
In collaboration with SPIA Media Productions, Inc., Vin Buonanno, Liz Mauran, Wendy Marcus, members of The Mile of History Association and Providence City Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) present “Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican?”: A Cape Verdean American Story(SKFPR), Thursday, July 15, 2021, 8 p.m. at India Point Park, Providence, RI.
Directed by Fox Point native and prominent filmmaker/historian, Dr. Claire Andrade-Watkins, this feature-length documentary tells the untold tragedy and scandal of what happened to a vibrant community of immigrants from the Cape Verde Islands in the Fox Point section of Providence Rhode Island who were forcibly displaced by urban renewal to make way for coffee shops, antique stores, and elegantly restored houses.
Cape Verdeans are the first sub-Saharan African people to voluntarily immigrate to Providence, Rhode Island. The new immigrants sailed and arrived in 1892 on the packet ship Nellie May captained by Antonio Coelho. The first Cape Verdean community in Rhode Island, settled, grew and thrived in the historic Fox Point area of Tockwotton and Sparrow Parks near the waterfront and the Port of Providence from the late 19th through the mid-20th century. This close-knit Cape Verdean neighborhood of tenement homes and businesses stretched contiguously through Tockwotton, then along South Main, Pike, Brook, Traverse, and Wickenden Streets.
SKFPR fills in a significant thread currently absent from 02903 and State historical narratives about people of African descent, that can now be told and recognized as part of Rhode Island’s rich shared migratory tradition.
Dr. Claire Andrade-Watkins is the President of SPIA Media Productions, Inc. founded in 1998, and the Director of The Fox Point Cape Verdean Heritage Project (FPCVHP), an independent community-based research initiative comprised primarily of former residents and/or descendants of the founding Cape Verdean families who settled in the Fox Point section of Providence, RI at the beginning of the 20th century. Launched in 2007 and incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit in 2014, the goal is to document and preserve the legacy of the Cape Verdean community in Fox Point.
by Abigail Appel | Jul 12, 2021 | Council News, Press Release
After months of community discussion, frequent correspondence, and widespread neighborhood advocacy, it is deeply disappointing to learn that Brown University has rejected the actionable requests presented by over a thousand community members and petitioners regarding the University’s proposed Brook Street dormitory development.
We, and members of the community, appreciate Brown’s vested interest in having more students live on campus to alleviate local neighborhood and housing concerns. We believe that moving 350 students back onto campus, while not raising undergraduate enrollment, is a commendable goal.
While we appreciate Brown University’s various meetings with local stakeholders, we believe that Brown University has undermined its commitment to meaningful engagement with neighbors given the fact that it was unwilling to revise its plans to reflect the desires of over a thousand community members, neighborhood residents and stakeholders.
Moving forward, we remain hopeful and look forward to Brown University and President Paxson having a truly collaborative, robust, and more meaningful dialogue with the neighbors of the East Side.
To See/Sign The Petition click here:
https://forms.gle/2vstQ2BMs9tytAj89
For more context on this story:
Brown University Rejects All East Side Resident’s Recommendations-Boston Globe
Providence East Side Battle Brews Between Brown University and Long Time Residents-Boston Globe
Ward 1 Residents Criticize Revised Brook Street Dorm Plans-Brown Daily Herald
John Goncalves
Councilman, Ward 1
Helen Anthony, ESQ
Councilor, Ward 2
by Abigail Appel | Jul 8, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
This morning, Councilor David Salvatore and the Friends of Fargnoli Park announced that the splash pad located at Fargnoli Park will be operating with special hours to accommodate the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The water park will be open exclusively to the elderly and persons with disabilities from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM on Thursdays, and will open to the general public each day at 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM.
“Access to our neighborhood parks and recreational facilities should be possible for all residents of varying ages and abilities. As we get through the hot summer months, I am proud to have worked with the Friends of Fargnoli Park to ensure that our newly renovated waterpark is safe and functional for all who want to use it,” stated Councilor David Salvatore.
All city water parks are free and open to the public. In cases of extreme heat, the city may extend water park hours. For a full list of local water parks and pools, click here: https://bit.ly/3yy4Mte
“The Friends of Fargnoli Park have been working hard to create programming for our community. Making the new water park features accessible to all our Senior Friends and Friends with Disabilities creates the inclusion and equity we pride ourselves on having. We look forward to seeing our entire community enjoy Fargnoli Park.”
Fargnoli Park is located at 945 Smith Street.Questions and concerns regarding Fargnoli Park and the water park can be directed to the Friends of Fargnoli Park at fargnolifriends@gmail.com.
