by Billy Kepner | Oct 3, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
City Council President Sabina Matos and a majority of the City Council tonight introduced a resolution, which was passed unanimously by the body, urging the General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1031 and House Bill 6266. These bills enable the State Lottery Division of the Department of Revenue to enter into a contract extension with IGT Global Solutions Corporation.
“IGT is a multi-billion dollar company that is homegrown, and losing them would be detrimental to the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “Over the past 20-years Providence has seen a transformation, and losing them would be losing momentum. With over 1,000 employees in Rhode Island, and 128 of those which live in Providence, we can’t afford to lose this great local company. They have called Providence home since 1976 and this is where they belong, and I stand with Governor Gina Raimondo in wanting to keep them in our great capital city.”
GTECH, now IGT Global Solutions, started operations here in the City of Providence in 1976. They began with just a few employees in offices over Capriccio’s restaurant, and now has grown to become one of Rhode Island’s largest and most successful IT startups. Today, IGT has over 12,000 employees around the globe and has revenues of approximately $5Billion.
IGT has over 1,000 employees based in Rhode Island with roughly 128 employees that live in Providence. Their commitment to maintain 1,100 direct jobs in the State will generate $329.5M in value-added economic activity. With two office locations in Providence at the North American Lottery Headquarters at 10 Memorial Boulevard and its National Response Center ( a 24/7 call center) located at 75 Baker Street on the City’s Southside they are embedded into our City’s economic engine.
As a company, they not only are a substantial contributor to the City of Providence’s tax base, but their philanthropy can be seen throughout the city. They currently support 20 After School Advantage Computer Labs and provide technology opportunities to students throughout the City. Since their inception they have supported several non-profit entities through their corporate philanthropy including Crossroads, Lifespan, Year Up, United Way, WaterFire, First Works, and Amos House just to name a few.
Council President Matos continued, “Extending their contract with the State of Rhode Island will ensure that this Providence born company which has operated in our capital city for 40+ years will remain right here. That’s not just good for Rhode Island, but it’s good for the City and its residents.”
by Billy Kepner | Oct 3, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
Violence, like any societal ill, doesn’t make people feel better because it may be in remission. Regardless of whether crime is actually down in our City, if taxpayers don’t feel a sense of security and peace then we haven’t done our jobs as elected officials to provide it to them. It is incumbent upon local leaders to stop finding consolation in numbers and to instead lead the fight for an even safer City than statistics show. Let me be clear, our City is far from a haven for criminals despite desperate attempts from some observers to try and paint it that way.
Yet, headlines dominate our newsfeeds and doorsteps detailing one horrific crime after another and they are impossible to ignore. From the Southside to Federal Hill, random acts of violence know no boundaries and can happen to anyone at any time. This was especially true this past summer. Just these past few days, our City suffered its 11th and 12th homicides of the year which is already more than last year. In the former case, an innocent young woman was shot while out celebrating her 19th birthday with friends.
Some leaders will respond to these heartbreaking incidents by citing that 12 homicides aren’t as bad as the 30 we had in the year 2000, and I find that upsetting.
Local leaders shouldn’t be patting themselves on the back because ‘crime is down’ and they have the statistics to prove it. We should instead be focusing on the problem areas that remain and allocating the resources to combat them.
I’m not naive enough to think that we’ll ever eliminate violence from the City completely, but I’m a firm believer that nothing bad can come from trying to do just that.
In the coming weeks, I will publish a set of recommendations my office has been working on to help address some of the night time issues we’ve been experiencing. I look forward to working with my colleagues at both the local and state level to make real changes that promote public safety and enhance the quality of life for our residents.
by Billy Kepner | Oct 3, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-13
This morning we find ourselves deeply saddened about a violent act on Federal Hill resulting in the loss of a life. It is incomprehensible how anyone could act against another in this manner.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victim.
Over the last several months we, in our capacities as State Representative and Providence City Councilor, Ward 13, we have been working diligently with the Providence Police Department on issues that impact life, health, and safety on Federal Hill.
We know the determination the police, city leaders and businesses have to keep Federal Hill and all areas of the city safe. We thank members of the Federal Hill Commerce, residents, city leaders, and the Providence Police for working with us and working together over the last five months.
This appears to be an isolated incident at a long standing establishment, where a violent act took place between two patrons as part of interpersonal dispute.
We will be in contact with Chief Clements to offer any assistance he may require, and to learn more details about what took place during this altercation.
We want to assure residents and visitors alike that the beautiful historic Federal Hill is a safe place to visit with your friends and family. Please join us during the upcoming Columbus Day festivities and what will be the start of fall and the holiday season.
Rachel M. Miller – Providence City Council – Councilwoman, Ward 13
Representative John J. Lombardi – Rhode Island General Assembly – District 8, Providence
by Billy Kepner | Oct 2, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
Recently, we’ve learned more information about the deep systemic issues in our school department and how they are harming our ever-growing multilingual student population. Much like the John Hopkins report, this recently publicized ELL Report produced by the Council of the Great City Schools sheds a more intimate light on how our broken school system is not prioritizing students and families. This same disservice was dire enough to warrant the attention of the U.S. Justice Department last year that found that for years we’ve been failing our ELL students.
In addition to failing to provide the necessary supports and resources our ELL students require, a Boston Globe article this week reported that the Classical High School admissions test is only offered in English and that only 8 out of 1000 students at Classical, the City’s most prestigious high school, are in fact ELL.
These longstanding issues point to a more critical problem: this notion or narrative that multilingual learners are the ‘other’ and that they aren’t as capable or as knowledgeable as their English-speaking peers. When children, no matter what language they speak, aren’t treated as the centerpiece of a school culture it manifests itself in the subpar services they are provided and in the problematic behaviors undervalued students often portray.
In order to fix this disservice, we must first confront the biases embedded in our systems, structures, and in ourselves. We have to start treating multilingualism as an asset and not a deficiency and we have to build an educational system that accounts for the needs and supports of our ELL students from inception.
I am hopeful that the state’s intervention will provide us the opportunity to do just that.
Sabina Matos, President – Providence City Council – Councilwoman for Ward 15
by Billy Kepner | Oct 1, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-4
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4) today was on site where work is continuing on the Hawkins Street Bridge Restoration Project.
“Today, National Grid was on-site to begin the removal of power lines along the Hawkins Street Bridge,” stated Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. “This process is going to take time, but it’s great to see momentum. I want to thank the City and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation for keeping this project moving.”
Hawkins Street Bridge was closed to traffic in October of 2017 after the Rhode Island Department of Transportation found significant deterioration on several of the support beams. Narducci continued, “Today marks another step closer to restoring this bridge so that the community is no longer divided.”
As work progresses Senior Deputy Majority Leader Narducci will provide updates on the status of the project.
by Billy Kepner | Oct 1, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
Yesterday, I was interviewed by NBC 10 regarding the $50 fine assessed to homeowners who left trash bins at the curb after midnight of their assigned trash day. The fine struck me as high, so after the interview, I reviewed the Code of Ordinances as it pertains to trash fines. In 2011, the City Council amended the Code to set a more equitable fine structure: the fines were set at $25 for a first offense and $50 for a second offense. All subsequent fines were to be levied at $100, not to exceed $1,500 per calendar year.
While it is possible that this is an honest mistake, these fines are very real for the homeowners being assessed, and this is a serious oversight that could put the City on the hook for restitution to homeowners who were overcharged. I have asked the Internal Auditor to immediately review this situation.
In addition to calling for a complete audit of trash fines levied since passage of the 2011 amendment, I will also introduce an amendment to the ordinance that would call for a warning for first offenses, followed by a sliding fine scale for subsequent offenses. While it is important to enforce rules about trash and ensure that our streets and sidewalks are clear, we must also ensure that regulations are applied fairly and evenly. Overcharging our hardworking residents is unacceptable.
Link to NBC 10’s story: Providence Trash Barrel Tickets Pile Up
