by Billy Kepner | Apr 29, 2020 | Council News, COVID-19, Press Release, Ward-15, Ward-6, Ward-7
Providence City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) announced today that the City Council would be granting
Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic a $100 Thousand grant to expand COVID-19 testing at their health clinic. Data made public by the Rhode Island Department of Health last week showed that the City of Providence is being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 cases. More specifically, the hardest-hit zip code in the entire state encompasses the neighborhoods of Olneyville, Silver Lake, and Manton – communities that Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic serves.
“These neighborhoods are home to some of the hardest working and most marginalized populations in the state,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “These truths are also why they are more likely to be exposed to the dangers of this virus. These communities are the ones risking their lives manufacturing essential goods, ringing out and delivering food to everyone’s homes, and are more likely to access mass public transit. These critical funds will allow Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic to expand their testing operations from three days a week to six days a week and will provide the 02909 community a testing site that’s more easily accessible.”
Clínica Esperanza was founded in 2007 as a place for patients, volunteers, community partners and donors to be healthy. Their community health care model ensures that quality care comes from caregivers who are fully integrated in the community. They offer primary medical care to uninsured Rhode Islanders, with an emphasis on culturally accustomed and linguistically appropriate care.
Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) stated, “By providing expanded testing hours for our community we are sending a message to our residents that their wellbeing is our number one priority, and that we are doing whatever we can to make testing accessible and equitable. I commend the Council President for her leadership and guidance on this initiative.”
“The health of the community we serve is our highest priority,” stated Councilman John J. Igliozzi, Esq. “These funds will go a long way in ensuring that our most vulnerable residents can access COVID-19 testing safely and with the help and guidance of a culturally competent staff.”
Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic is located at 60 Valley Street in the City of Providence. With this grant, they will be increasing their COVID-19 testing to six days a week from 4 PM – 9 PM daily. Their staff is multi-lingual, and you will need to make an appointment by email at
coronavirus@aplacetobehealthy.org, or by calling 401-408-0238, or by sending them a
Facebook message.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 28, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
The City Council was scheduled to meet tonight to accept the Mayor’s Budget and to refer to Committee. Unfortunately, the budget articles were not made available to the public prior to our meeting. During these restrictive times, it’s paramount that the public be given every opportunity to scrutinize and engage with its government. To that end, I have decided to cancel the meeting and will reschedule once the budget ordinances are made available for public vetting.
Sabina Matos, President
Providence City Council
Councilwoman – Ward 15
by Billy Kepner | Apr 16, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7
At tonight’s City Council meeting Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) and Majority Whip John J. Iglozzi, Esq. (Ward 7), Vice-Chairwoman and Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Finance, introduced a resolution requesting that the City Finance Director submit a detailed report on the current financial position of the City to the City Council for review.
“The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused havoc on the economies of almost every nation around the globe, and locally, Providence is facing economic challenges like one we have not seen since the Great Recession of 2008,” stated Majority Leader and Vice-Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan. “Because of the partial economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the City is set to see a significant reduction in revenues, which is creating a fourth-quarter budget shortfall. Furthermore, as we look to the next fiscal year, the Council and the Committee on Finance needs to be proactive instead of reactive as we prepare to review the City’s FY 2020 budget. We have requested this information for several weeks from the Administration, and it has yet to be provided to our City Treasurer, the Internal Auditor, or the Committee on Finance.”
Before the City of Providence borrows any funds to address a shortfall or passes a budget for the fiscal year 2020, the Administration must provide the City Council with a thorough analysis of the City’s current financial situation.
Chairman John J. Igliozzi Esq. stated, “The Committee on Finance is tasked with ensuring that the City of Providence meets its obligations and that we are protecting our City’s tax dollars for our residents. Without a complete financial analysis, our Committee has no way to prepare for the coming budget and the best way to meet our responsibilities. Our request for a complete financial forecast is not only prudent but imperative during this economic crisis.”
The Council resolution requests that the financial report include an austerity plan for the City to address anticipated budget shortfalls. In addition, the report should include an assessment of all existing City contracts, as well as identify all unspent Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funds (including any CIP projects that have not yet been initiated), and an evaluation of all planned expenditures for the remainder of the fiscal year including operational and personnel expenses.
Upon the passage of this resolution, the Council has requested that the detailed financial report be submitted within three days to provide time for the Council to review before engaging with the fiscal year 2020 budget.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 16, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7, Ward-8
Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5), Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi Esq. (Ward 7), and Councilman James E. Taylor (Ward 8) call on Mayor Elorza to reopen public parks, green spaces, and trails for respite and educational purposes.
Mayor Elorza issued an executive order to close all parks, green spaces, and trails to the public until May 8, 2020. While Governor Raimondo has allowed state parks and beaches to remain open while only closing parking lots to limit the number of individuals that can visit at one time. The Councilors believe that the Mayor’s executive orders should mirror the Governor’s orders to lessen confusion and the spread of misinformation.
Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan stated, “We are asking residents of Providence to stay in their homes as much as possible, which is needed to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and flatten the curve. Yet, we also have an obligation to balance the need for the public’s physical health with their mental health. Time outdoors is critical to ensuring that our residents – of all ages – have opportunities to get fresh air and spend time in nature. We know that spending time outdoors helps lessen anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. Over the years, my colleagues and I have invested much of our precious Neighborhood Infrastructure Funding and Capital Improvement Plan funding into our neighborhood parks for this very reason. I think we can all agree that many of us are experiencing a high rate of anxiety due to the current health crisis. I believe that by following the Governor’s lead of keeping parks open, wearing cloth masks, and by practicing social distancing measures, we can allow for residents to visit their neighborhood parks, trails, and green spaces.”
Public health is paramount to the City Council and its members, but that must include ways to address mental health as well. This also presents an opportunity to work with the Governor to use these spaces as a way to inform individuals of the current crisis.
“There are several positive public health factors to reopening our parks, green spaces, and trails in a controlled and responsible manner,” stated Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi, Esq. “By reopening our natural areas, we can provide our neighbors with the much-needed ability to get fresh air and exercise. By deploying members of our police department to monitor our natural areas, and to ensure that safety protocols like social distancing and number of individuals congregating together are being adhered to, I believe we can do this in a measured and safe way. By reopening the parks in a controlled manner, it provides us the opportunity to enhance our community’s well-being both physically and mentally. It will allow residents to get to know the men and women of the Providence Police Department that serve in their neighborhoods; provides an extra level of public safety; and more importantly, we have an opportunity to share information about the virus, testing, and mitigation efforts with individuals that might not otherwise have access to that important information. It is naïve to think that every resident is watching the Governor’s daily press conference or receiving City emails regarding the current crisis. I strongly encourage the Mayor to reopen our parks, trails, and green spaces and use this opportunity to get information out to those that might not otherwise have access to it.”
The Councilors understand that the virus can stick to metal playground equipment, and are supportive of cordoning off that equipment to keep residents and children safe. Yet, they also know that being able to spend time in nature has many positive impacts on productivity and mental health. There are 1000’s of scholarly studies that show that spending time in nature – even if it is just walking through a park – can relieve stress and anxiety for individuals. Now, more than ever, eliminating that option for residents could potentially do more harm than good.
Councilman James E. Taylor stated, “For many in my neighborhood Roger Williams Park is used daily for walkers, runners, and people who just need to get outside. I believe that if the Mayor would rethink his Executive Order and close our parks to traffic and parking, neighbors could safely use their neighborhood parks, all while practicing safety measures as recommended by the Governor and Dr. Alexander-Scott of the RI Department of Health. By closing the traffic to Roger Williams Park, it would create wider areas for individuals to run and walk, making it easier to maintain social distancing. I hope that for consistency sake, the Mayor will change his order to mirror that of the Governor’s so we can all take it outside and relieve the stress that so many of us are feeling.”
The Councilors are hopeful that by working together with the Mayor and his Administration that we can reopen our beautiful parks safely and provide the much-needed benefit – of Vitamin-N (for Nature).
by Billy Kepner | Apr 16, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-3
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3) will introduce an ordinance that calls for more transparency and better business practices by third-party food delivery services in the City of Providence at tonight’s City Council meeting. Additionally, she will introduce a series of resolutions asking the Governor and State officials to ensure the protection of Rhode Islanders during the current COVID-19 crisis.
The resolutions she is introducing request that State agencies ensure that Rhode Islanders, regardless of immigration status, have equitable access to relief funds; requests that the state provides adequate sanitary housing options for the homeless and those that are housing insecure; and requests that the Governor provides the residents of Rhode Island with an update on the state’s fiscal health and the recovery measures planned to address the looming financial Crisis this pandemic has caused.
“This Crisis has imposed significant challenges on our community, which will take time to recover,” stated Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune. “The impact is even more profound on residents, families, business owners with limited resources or safety nets, the homeless, immigrant residents, including those who are undocumented and other marginalized communities.”
The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused a massive disruption to our state and local economy, unlike anything since the Great Depression. The ordinance that Councilwoman LaFortune will introduce calls on third-party delivery services to be more transparent in their fees and billing structures for consumers, as well as for the restaurants and bars they service. This ordinance intends to protect the City of Providence’s local hospitality industry by providing a level of oversight in how third-party delivery services operate within the city.
Third-party delivery services will be required to:
- Disclose any commission, fee, or other monetary payment imposed by the third-party delivery service on local restaurants or bars before any final transaction occurs. If a local food establishment chooses, they may decline to disclose to customers the commission charged by a third-party delivery service.
- It shall be unlawful for third-party food delivery services to charge local restaurants or bars a fee per online order for the use of their services that totals more than 10% of the purchase price of the online order.
- Third-party delivery services are prohibited from charging a commission that originates from a telephone order that does not result in an actual transaction between the local restaurant or bar and a customer during the call, or that exceeds the established commission rate between the third-party delivery service and the local restaurant and bar.
- If a third-party delivery service violates the above, they can be punished by a fine of not less than one dollar ($1.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment of not less than one day nor more than thirty (30) days.
The ordinance requires two passages by the Council; it then would be sent to the Mayor for his signature or veto before it can take effect.
As a state and city with a large population of immigrants who are in various stages of the process to become naturalized United States citizens, Councilwoman LaFortune wants to ensure that vulnerable members of our community are not forgotten during this critical time.
Councilwoman LaFortune continued, “It is our responsibility to provide protections for all Rhode Islanders. It is also crucial that we understand, prepare for, and respond to the impact this pandemic will have on our economy moving forward.”
Individuals who are homeless or housing insecure are at higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. Councilwoman LaFortune is working to ensure that every Rhode Islander, regardless of their housing status, has access to protection and care if they need it.
Councilwoman LaFortune also seeks to ensure that the public has an understanding of the potential impacts the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our state’s economic outlook.
Upon passage, the resolutions will be submitted to the Governor’s Office.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 16, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10
Councilman Pedro Espinal (Ward 10) will introduce a resolution at tonight’s City Council meeting requesting that Governor Gina Raimondo pass an executive order to suspend immigration enforcement at COVID-19 testing and treatment sites.
“There are many residents in Providence and around the State that are afraid to go get tested for COVID-19 due to their immigration status,” stated Councilman Pedro Espinal. “In the face of a global pandemic, we should ensure that every person, regardless of their immigration status, be able to access testing and treatment without fear of being arrested by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Through the Governor’s power of an executive order, she can help ensure the safety of our immigrant population, and give those residents the confidence and security they need to seek testing or treatment. This community is at greater risk of communal spread because of fear and lack of understanding. We must do all we can to protect every resident of our great State regardless of their nation of origin or their immigration status.”
Testing for COVID-19 is critical in stopping the spread of the virus as it assists healthcare professionals in quarantining positive cases and contact tracing to identify other individuals who may have been exposed. The fear of immigration enforcement has a chilling effect on the immigrant community coming forward to be tested, thereby increasing the likelihood of positive cases remaining undetected and spreading the virus further than it otherwise would.
Councilman Espinal and the members of the Providence City Council is urging Governor Raimondo to pass an executive order preventing any immigration enforcement activities in and around COVID-19 testing sites, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities. By doing so will give residents that knowledge that they are safe in coming forward for the testing that is foundational to protecting the public health of all Rhode Islanders.
