by Billy Kepner | Mar 15, 2020 | COVID-19, 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
There are 13 sites across the city where children ages 18 and younger, can access several days worth of “Grab & Go” meals (breakfast and lunch). The locations will be open from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday during the duration of the school closure.
Service lines will be located at the front entrance of each school. No families will be allowed in the buildings. Sodexo staff will hand each student pre-packaged meals. Please note that children do not need to be enrolled in the Providence Public School District to access this program. This is a change to what has been previously shared.
The 13 Sites Are:
- William D’Abate Elementary School School located at 60 Kossuth Street.
- Gilbert Stuart Middle School located at 188 Princeton Street.
- Providence Career and Technical Academy located at 41 Fricker Street.
- Mt. Pleasant High School located at 434 Mt. Pleasant Avenue.
- Reservoir Elementary School located at 156 Reservoir Avenue.
- E-Cubed Academy located at 812 Branch Avenue.
- Juanita Sanchez High School located at 182 Thurbers Avenue.
- Hope High School located at 324 Hope Street.
- DelSesto Middle School located at 152 Springfield Street.
- Vartan Gregorian Elementary School located at 455 Wickenden Street.
- Nathanael Greene Middle School located at 721 Chalkstone Avenue.
- Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School, 1450 Broad Street.
- Times2 Academy, 50 Filmore Street.
In addition, the City of Providence will be offering free, several days worth of packaged dinner meals at each of Providence’s eleven recreation centers. Meals can be picked up between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are available for those 18 and under, but they must be personally present at the distribution site.
- Vincent Brown at 438 Hope Street.
- John H. Rollins at 674 Praire Avenue.
- Madeline Rogers at 60 Camden Avenue.
- Davey Lopes at 227 Dudley Street.
- Zuccolo at 18 Gesler Street.
- Armand E. Batastini Jr. at 50 Obediah Brown Road.
- Joslin at 17 Hyatt Street.
- Neutaconkanut at 675 Plainfield Street.
- West End at 109 Bucklin Street.
- Sackett at 159 Sackett Street.
- Kennedy at 195 Nelson Street.
Please note that all childcare centers have been ordered closed by Governor Raimondo effective Monday, March 16, 2020 for at least one week. This is a change from what was originally reported.
We will update as other sites are designated for this service.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 14, 2020 | Community Engagement, 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
Dear Neighbors,
The Members of the City Council have been in constant communication with the Administration, the Providence Emergency Management Agency, the Providence School Department, and Public Safety officials to assess and ensure the safety of our residents during these trying times.
As you are aware, yesterday Governor Raimondo moved the spring vacation of all public schools in the State of Rhode Island to begin on Monday, March 16, 2020. Since that announcement, the Providence School Department has worked to put mechanisms in place to ensure that no student goes hungry.
Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, there will be eight sites across the City where Providence Public School children can access “Grab & Go” lunches for that day and breakfast for the following day. The locations will be open from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm Monday – Friday during the duration of the break, and will continue if the State decides to keep schools closed for a longer period to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Service lines will be located at the front entrance of each school. No families will be allowed in the buildings. Sodexo staff will hand each student pre-packaged meals. To qualify for meals, students must attend a Providence Public School and be personally present at the distribution site.
The Eight Sites Are:
Asa Messer Elementary School located at 1655 Westminster Street.
Gilbert Stuart Middle School located at 188 Princeton Street.
Providence Career and Technical Academy located at 41 Fricker Street.
Mt. Pleasant High School located at 434 Mt. Pleasant Avenue.
Alvarez High School located at 375 Adelaide Avenue.
E-Cubed Academy located at 812 Branch Avenue.
Juanita Sanchez High School located at 182 Thurbers Avenue.
Hope High School located at 324 Hope Street.
During this time we ask that everyone continue to practice safe hygiene by washing their hands, coughing and sneezing into their elbows, using hand sanitizer, and staying indoors and at home if feeling sick.
Every student present in Providence schools on Friday – in grades 3-12 – was sent home with a Chrome Book so that they can access online learning and other tools. Here is a great selection of sites that have waived subscription fees during this period: Online Learning
The City has implemented a 100 person rule for restaurants and bars and has closed all City buildings and many of our cultural sites to protect against the spread of the virus. Today, the City launched a website with information for residents on COVID-19 and our response: Providence COVID-19.
The City is also working with utility companies to ensure that if someone is unable to pay their bill due to lack of income, that their services will not be interrupted. As we know more about these programs we will share them in later updates.
As of now, we are awaiting direction from the Attorney General’s Office regarding public attendance at the City Council meeting on Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 pm. Due to the advice of the Rhode Island Department of Health and the City to implement “social-distancing” we encourage you to watch the meeting on our YouTube Channel or Facebook Page where it will be livestreamed.
For more information on what you should do if you feel that you may have contracted COVID-19, or come into contact with someone that could potentially have COVID-19 please visit the Rhode Island Health Department’s website or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 401-222-8022.
Sincerely,
City Council President Sabina Matos and the Members of the Providence City Council
by Billy Kepner | Mar 10, 2020 | 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
The Providence City Council unveils updated website honoring our long and storied history
centered on our neighborhoods and community engagement
Today, the City Council unveils an updated user-centric website and a rebrand of its communications that pays homage to the City’s storied and diverse neighborhoods.
Council President Matos stated, “Providence residents love and are proud to represent the neighborhoods they come from. The rich history of our city could not exist without the great contributions made by generations of families who hail from every corner of this city. Wards and ward boundaries change over time. What anchors people to Providence are the memories made in settings like Federal Hill, Mt. Hope, and Washington Park. The story of our city is a story of neighborhoods.”
Providence is made up of 25 neighborhoods represented by 15 City Councilors. Those neighborhoods are Blackstone, Charles, College Hill, Downtown (Jewelry District), Elmhurst, Elmwood, Federal Hill, Fox Point, Hartford, Hope ( Summit), Lower South Providence, Manton, Mount Hope, Mount Pleasant, Olneyville, Reservoir, Silver Lake, Smith Hill, South Elmwood, Upper South Providence, Valley, Wanskuck, Washington Park, Wayland, and the West End.
President Matos continued, “We are extremely excited to have our neighbors interact with our new website. This new site is easier to use, navigate, and find relevant information about Councilors and meetings. Most importantly, from the landing page the site establishes a reverence for neighborhoods.”
In addition to the website, the Council will also begin livestreaming Council Meetings beginning in April on both Facebook and the Council’s YouTube Channel.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 6, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10, Ward-14, Ward-15
At last night’s City Council meeting Councilors, David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) and Pedro Espinal (Ward 10) introduced a resolution creating a Special Commission on Recycling. The City of Providence spent nearly $500 thousand on rejected contaminated recycling loads in 2019.
“The Johnson Landfill is perilously close to being at capacity; in fact, it is slated to close by 2034,” stated Councilman David A. Salvatore. “The City is spending our tax dollars on avoidable costs such as rejected recycling loads at the landfill – in addition to waste removal fees. We need to come together and find solutions to address this issue, while remaining vigilant on protecting our environment. I am happy that the City Council unanimously voted in favor of creating this Special Commission, as we have too much at stake to ignore this any longer. Our City is facing many challenges, and spending unnecessary funds on rejected recycling loads is avoidable which which could be earmarked to address quality of life issues, such as sidewalk and road repairs.”
The Special Commission on Recycling will be comprised of the Director of Public Works, five appointees by Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15), and one appointment by Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. The Special Commission is tasked with studying the current recycling process within the City and to make recommendations regarding appropriate changes to City procedures, State law, and programs aimed at educating the public on proper recycling strategies.
Councilman Pedro Espinal stated, “Bad recycling practices are rampant in Providence, and much of that has to do with education around what can and cannot be recycled. I believe that this Commission can help us formulate a plan to help educate the community, especially for those that may be new to Providence. Some cities have single-stream recycling like Providence, while other cities around the world have multi-stream recycling, accept plastic bags, Styrofoam, and other items that the Rhode Island Resource Recover Center does not accommodate. I look forward to learning what the Commission puts forth.”
The Special Commission on Recycling will be required to issue a report of findings and recommendations to the City Council 120 days after appointments are made to the Commission.
“I would like to thank Councilors Salvatore and Espinal for bringing this important matter forward,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15). “Proper recycling seems like it would be easy but there is still confusion about what can and cannot be recycled. There is a great deal of education and outreach that needs to happen, and I’m confident that the Special Commission will be able to find solutions to the challenges we face. Solutions not just for our City’s bottom line, but for the environment as well.”
For more information on recycling in Providence, please visit the City of Providence’s resource page on recycling:
Recycling in Providence by Billy Kepner | Mar 5, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10, Ward-14, Ward-2
Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), and Councilman Pedro Espinal (Ward 10) will introduce an ordinance at tonight’s City Council meeting that calls for a dedicated revenue stream to fund housing opportunities. The proposal would allocate 50 percent of the revenue realized through the real estate conveyance tax for the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
“The City retains nearly $2 million in revenue from the state’s real estate conveyance tax every year and has not used any of those funds to help solve our housing crisis,” stated Councilman David A. Salvatore. “Last month, I introduced a resolution calling for the Mayor to create a dedicated funding stream in this coming year’s budget for affordable housing, but after consideration, I believe it falls upon this body to ensure that the most vulnerable amongst us are protected. Households making less than $100 thousand a year are unable to buy a home on the East Side, while they can only buy in other neighborhoods; however, only if their annual household income is just north of $60K can they afford to live in other areas our City. These numbers are even more frightening considering the median household income in Providence is estimated to be $40 thousand a per year. It’s time that we put our money where our mouth is, and that’s what this ordinance will accomplish.”
For every $500 of a real estate sold within the State of Rhode Island a $2.30 conveyance tax is imposed, which $1.10 of that is retained by the municipality where the property was sold. For example, if a home is sold for $100 thousand, the state receives $460 in conveyance tax, and the municipality would receive $220. Councilman Salvatore is proposing that Mayor Elorza allocate 50 percent of the City’s portion of the conveyance tax be transferred to the Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Councilwoman Helen Anthony stated, “Providence needs to significantly increase its inventory of affordable housing and we can’t do it without dedicated funding streams from the City and the State. The funding created by this ordinance, in conjunction with the funding generated by the City’s Tax Stabilization Agreements, will give the Providence Redevelopment Agency some resources to address this critical shortfall.”
The Trust Fund provides funding for the construction, development or financing mechanisms of affordable housing for families earning less than 120% of the median income. The City’s Internal Auditor has found that during the fiscal years 2010-2019 the City has retained just over $16 million through the collection of the state’s real estate conveyance tax.
“As the Councilman for Lower-South Providence and Washington Park, I know first-hand how hard it is to find affordable housing,” stated Councilman Pedro Espinal. “Affordable housing is not a luxury, it is a basic human right, and by creating this dedicated funding stream, we can begin to chip away at this long systemic problem here in Providence.”
Councilman Salvatore continued, “This is not rocket science – we have an affordable housing crisis in the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island – but those of us in power just talk about it when we need to do something about it. This proposal is an actionable item that we can take as a City to help our neighbors who need it. Affordable housing is a human right, and it’s an integral part of ensuring safe, resilient, healthy, and dynamic neighborhoods.”
by Billy Kepner | Feb 20, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-14, Ward-3
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilwoman KatherineKerwin (Ward 12) and Councilwoman Rachel Miller (Ward 13) tonight will introduce a resolution calling on the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to increase funding for social and emotional learning and support services. They are also requesting that RIDE eliminate school-based School Resource Officers (SROs) in the City’s school district.
In multiple studies that assess the overall effectiveness of counselors, social-emotional support and learning generate positive student outcomes. An increase in funding for social, emotional support and learning; the implementation of a comprehensive safety plan that includes protocols for emergency drills; and the creation of a School Safety, Culture, and Climate Team in each school provides a more engaged and supportive learning community where students can thrive. The two resolutions provide a framework for the role of SROs, an increase in social and emotional support and learning, elimination of school-based School Resource Officers and most importantly, an avenue for more robust community engagement with students, families, teachers and administrators in the planning and monitoring of school safety.
“I have met with our young people and student groups on multiple occasions over the past year to discuss student needs. I have also researched numerous educational structures and models around safety and climate in public schools. The need across the board is for additional school counselors and social-emotional support. Our students want to learn and thrive in an environment where they feel safe and where they can escape adverse experiences and encounters that happen outside of school walls,” stated Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune. “Students want to be able to walk through the building without fear of being arrested for nonviolent criminal infractions. Teachers and administrators see the need for social-emotional support in our schools. They want to work in an environment where they feel safe and can focus on educating and developing our young people. It is our responsibility to provide the tools and resources to create an environment where teachers can effectively teach, our students can learn and thrive, our administrators can focus on developing strategies and opportunities to move our schools forward and our families can feel supported and know that their children are safe. School Resource Officers can serve as excellent partners and resources but not as a first line of defense when addressing minor and common adolescent infractions, which could be better addressed by school administrators. Our schools are not prisons; they are environments for learning. It is time that we invest in proactive approaches that do not lead to violent incidents or create a pipeline to prison instead of a pathway to success. We need counselors, social-emotional support and learning in our schools, not armed officers.”
According to Leadership for Educational Equity, studies conducted by the University of Maryland in 2011, and a study included in 2015’s Adolescent Research Review, schools with an increased police presence saw higher rates of incidents than schools without. Other studies cited that a disproportionate amount of students of color and those with disabilities were referred to law enforcement for school-based incidents over their Caucasian counterparts.
Councilwoman Kat Kerwin stated, “I am so proud of the youth organizers of Providence who have spent hours of time advocating for a school district that no longer accepts the school to prison pipeline as the norm, but instead demands dignity. This is an excellent first step to ensuring that school resource officers are not the first line of defense for disciplinary issues as we begin to envision a district with more social and emotional support rather than armed school police officers.”
The resolution clearly lays out that it is the role of principals, teachers and other educators to administer school disciplinary action, and that any disciplinary action must support personal growth, as well as provide opportunities for the students and their peers to learn from any incident that might occur. Most importantly, any discipline administered needs to be done in a way that keeps students in their classrooms whenever possible. School-based incidents should not be punished by harsh or exclusionary measures or through the justice system.
With the takeover of the Providence Public Schools by RIDE late last year, changes to the current school culture are necessary to improve the overall holistic health of our system and the students within the care of the district. Organizations like the Providence Student Union (PSU) have galvanized students across the City to ensure that their “frustrations, demands, and dreams are heard.” One of PSU’s main objectives is ending the racist and arbitrary disciplinary practices in and out of Providence’s city schools.
In addition to this resolution, Councilwoman LaFortune, along with her colleagues, Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), Councilwoman Katherine Kerwin (Ward 12), and Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) will put forth a resolution requesting that the Providence Public School District and the Providence Police Department enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the role of SROs in Providence city schools.
The MOU would set forth guidelines to ensure that the School District and Police Department have a shared understanding of the role and responsibilities in maintaining school safety, improving the climate in city schools, and supporting the educational opportunities and outcomes for every student in the City’s care.
The primary role of the SROs is to improve school safety and the educational climate of schools; any disciplinary action should fall to the school’s principal and educators and must support personal growth and learning opportunities.
