by Billy Kepner | Feb 12, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
President Trump is at it again! He has called on cities across the nation to deal with homelessness, yet in his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021 he is level funding homelessness grants. He is also proposing to slash the budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by 15 percent. If we are serious about solving our nation-wide housing crisis, providing for our veterans and seniors, and helping the homeless a top down approach is imperative. This proposed budget does not do any of those things, and that is shameful.
Federal tax dollars need to be allocated to help city’s like Providence address the pressing issues we face like homelessness, protecting our seniors, providing for our veterans, and creating safe infrastructure for our community. In short, these funds are not entitlements or handouts, but they are desperately needed to create a safer and more equitable country.
Since the creation of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program under the auspices of HUD in 1974, Providence has been able to assist some of our most vulnerable community members. We have been able to create safety infrastructure around our schools and support organizations, like Sojourner House, which supports and advocates for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Providence has allocated monies to AIDS Project Rhode Island that serves and advocates for those who are dealing with the myriad of issues that come with an HIV diagnosis – like access to treatment, fair housing, and prevention programs. CDBG Funds have been used to help provide families who have limited incomes make emergency repairs to their homes that they could otherwise not afford. These funds have helped organizations like the Smith Hill CDC take blighted properties and transform them into affordable housing units.
It is unconscionable that the President would propose these cuts without providing a road map of how the federal government is going to assist our most vulnerable residents. I urge Congress to take the lead where the President has failed us. Invest in the future of our country by investing in our most vulnerable residents.
David A. Salvatore
Providence City Council
Councilman – Ward 14
by Billy Kepner | Feb 6, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) introduced a resolution tonight’s City Council meeting that would allocate 50 percent of all retained real estate conveyance taxes to the Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund and was passed by the Council.
“The City realizes 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. “Providence is on the edge of falling deeper into a housing crisis which we may never be able recover from – unless we act now.
The 2019 Housing Fact Book, produced by HousingWorksRI, shares startling statistics on what it truly costs to live in the City of Providence. Salvatore noted that households making less than $100,000 a year cannot afford to buy a home in Providence’s East Side neighborhoods, limiting which communities families can reside in. The Fact Book also provides detailed information about housing affordability in other neighborhoods of Providence, revealing that households need more than $60,000 annually to afford a home in the capital city.
“These numbers are even more frightening when you realize that the median household income in Providence is around $40,000 a year. It’s time that we put our money where our mouth is,” said Councilman Salvatore.
For every $500 of value on real estate sold within the state of Rhode Island, a $2.30 conveyance tax is imposed upon the seller, of which $1.10 is retained by the municipality in which the property was sold. For example, if a home is valued at $100,000, the municipality collects $460 in conveyance tax, and would retain $220. Councilman Salvatore is proposing that Mayor Elorza allocate 50 percent of the City’s portion of the conveyance tax to the Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund provides funding for the construction, development or financing of affordable housing for families earning less than 120% of the area median income. At the request of Councilman Salvatore, the City’s Internal Auditor communicated to the City Council that during the fiscal years 2010-2019 Providence has retained over $16 Million through the state’s real estate conveyance tax.
Councilman Salvatore continued, “This is not rocket science – we have an affordable housing crisis in the City of Providence – but those of us in power just talk about it. We need to actually do something about it. My proposal is an actionable item that we can take as a City to help our neighbors and prospective residents. Affordable housing is a human right and it’s an integral part in ensuring safe, resilient, healthy, and dynamic neighborhoods.”
Salvatore will continue fighting for ways to invest in affordable housing and is preparing legislation that will codify this resolution into law, ensuring that there is another guaranteed dedicated funding source for the Providence Affordable Housing Trust.
To learn more about the HousingWorksRI Fact Book: READ MORE
by Billy Kepner | Feb 6, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, 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
Tonight the City Council will introduce a resolution to honor the life and legacy of Michael Van Leesten, a Providence native and a pioneer in the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1960s.
Mr. Michael Van Leesten was a graduate of Hope High School, Rhode Island College, and was a veteran on the United States Airforce. Upon his graduation from Rhode Island College, he became active in the Civil Rights Movement and participated in SCLC SCOPE Project in Choctaw County, Alabama. He along with six other college students, worked doing community organizing and voter registration in rural Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights Struggle. He spoke of his time in the Movement as a “defining moment in my life,” and he believed that this singular experience made him a better person, better husband, better father, and better community leader.
“Michael Van Leesten was my friend, and a ray of inspiration and hope to many. We would talk over the phone and laugh and before we hung up he would also say ‘Nirva, I am so proud of you,’” stated Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3). “He was more than a board member, the executive director of OIC or a father, he was a community citizen, someone who was aware of and understands the broader issues that our community- and his place in the community and his role in effecting change. He was all of these things because he was a community citizen first and took an active role in his community and the people of his community. He was a bridge builder, an architect of connections and that is why it would be appropriate to name the bride after him. Like the new Pedestrian bridge he bridged gaps and created a platform for all to pass through and that gave others permission to do the same.”
Mr. Van Leesten served as the Executive Director of Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Rhode Island, which he helped found, for more than 15years. He was also a consultant and the owner of Van Leesten Associates, and also served as the Director of Planning and Development in Providence. After which, he went on to be the Director of Public Affairs for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, and then in 2006 he resumed his role at the OIC until his passing. He was board member of numerous organizations including the Board of Regents, Peerless Precision, and Fleet Bank, and was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Roger Williams College, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island.
Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11) stated, “Mike played a very important role in my life. Through his vision as the Executive Director of Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), he was essential to me becoming a welder. Giving me a profession and career that helped me raise my children and provide them with a quality education. His life’s work was ensuring that those living in poverty could find a way to rise up, learn a trade, and we are all better for having had him in our lives.”
Many community members have been working on several different ways to honor Mr. Van Leesten’s life and legacy, and the City Council and its members wish to make that process more cohesive. The resolution that will be introduced tonight and will be sent to the Council’s Committee on Urban Redevelopment, Renewal, and Planning, which is chaired by Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris. There the Committee will work to bring all the relevant parties together to discuss the most meaningful and fitting way to honor Mr. Van Leesten.
by Billy Kepner | Feb 4, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) will introduce a resolution at the City Council’s upcoming meeting on Thursday, February 6, 2020 that would allocate 50 percent of all retained real estate conveyance taxes to the Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
“The City realizes 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. “Providence is on the edge of falling deeper into a housing crisis which we may never be able recover from – unless we act now.
The 2019 Housing Fact Book, produced by HousingWorksRI, shares startling statistics on what it truly costs to live in the City of Providence. Salvatore noted that households making less than $100,000 a year cannot afford to buy a home in Providence’s East Side neighborhoods, limiting which communities families can reside in. The Fact Book also provides detailed information about housing affordability in other neighborhoods of Providence, revealing that households need more than $60,000 annually to afford a home in the capital city.
“These numbers are even more frightening when you realize that the median household income in Providence is around $40,000 a year. It’s time that we put our money where our mouth is,” said Councilman Salvatore.
For every $500 of value on real estate sold within the state of Rhode Island, a $2.30 conveyance tax is imposed upon the seller, of which $1.10 is retained by the municipality in which the property was sold. For example, if a home is valued at $100,000, the municipality collects $460 in conveyance tax, and would retain $220. Councilman Salvatore is proposing that Mayor Elorza allocate 50 percent of the City’s portion of the conveyance tax to the Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund provides funding for the construction, development or financing of affordable housing for families earning less than 120% of the area median income. At the request of Councilman Salvatore, the City’s Internal Auditor communicated to the City Council that during the fiscal years 2010-2019 Providence has retained over $16 Million through the state’s real estate conveyance tax.
Councilman Salvatore continued, “This is not rocket science – we have an affordable housing crisis in the City of Providence – but those of us in power just talk about it. We need to actually do something about it. My proposal is an actionable item that we can take as a City to help our neighbors and prospective residents. Affordable housing is a human right and it’s an integral part in ensuring safe, resilient, healthy, and dynamic neighborhoods.”
Salvatore will continue fighting for ways to invest in affordable housing and is preparing legislation that will codify this resolution into law, ensuring that there is another guaranteed dedicated funding source for the Providence Affordable Housing Trust.
To learn more about the HousingWorksRI Fact Book: READ MORE
by Billy Kepner | Jan 2, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
T.F. Green Airports has been nominated Best Small Airport by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards has nominated Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport for “Best Small Airport.” T.F. Green has reclaimed first place, and Councilman David Salvatore (Ward 14) would like to keep our state’s airport there.
“I’ve always loved flying out of our T.F. Green Airport, and apparently many others agree,” stated Councilman David Salvatore. “Having an airport that provides 22 direct flights to destinations across the country is imperative for our state and demonstrates to potential businesses that Rhode Island and Providence is just a short flight away. So, let’s show some love to the best airport in America by casting your vote today!”
To vote for T.F. Green Airport, participants should visit 10Best.com or follow this direct link to T.F. Green Airport’s page: http://bit.ly/votetfgreen. Votes can be cast daily until the contest concludes on January 13, 2020.
by Billy Kepner | Nov 25, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
With the help of the City’s Internal Auditor, Councilman Salvatore discovered that a change to the Code of Ordinances in 2011 was never implemented by the Department of Public Works
Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) announced that the results of an audit he requested have revealed almost $31,000 in erroneous overcharges to city residents.
In October, Salvatore introduced an amendment to the Code of Ordinances that would help homeowners and tenants be better informed about their responsibilities when it comes to waste and recycle barrel offenses. Concurrently, he requested that the City’s Internal Auditor perform an audit on all fines issued during the period of July 28, 2011 through September 17, 2019.
“I was very surprised to discover such a significant number of erroneous fines imposed on city residents,” stated Councilman David A. Salvatore. “I want to thank the City’s Internal Auditor for her help and hard work on this project. These fines do add up for a homeowner struggling to make ends meet. An unexpected $50 fine is a big expense for some households, and it is not acceptable for the City to charge folks fines that are inaccurate.”
The report compiled by the Internal Auditor can be read on the City Council Website. During the time frame of the audit, 940 violations are eligible for a refund totaling $30,625.00. The report outlines the background and recommendations to the Department of Public Works (DPW), as well as DPW’s responses.
In summary, the Internal Auditor has made the following recommendations to DPW:
- Comply with the City Ordinances.
- Create a separate violation code for late removal of trash receptacles on violation tickets issued to residents.
- Create a database of tickets from issuance to final outcome.
- Create policies and procedures for issuance to final outcome.
- Create routes to physically monitor each neighborhood the day before and after garbage pickup.
- Review each violation to confirm that coding and dates are correct.
- Upon completion, reimburse all late violations, $25, $50, or $75 based on the penalties incurred due to lateness.
- Confirm violations from September 17, 2019 to present have charged correctly.
- Review vendor reports on a monthly basis for accuracy of coding.
- Educate the public on the City’s environmental ordinance.
The amendment to the Code of Ordinances proposed by Councilman Salvatore would change the fine structure as it relates to trash and recycle barrels being left out past the designated curfew. The first offense will be a warning, and all subsequent offenses will be tiered beginning with $25 for the second offense (first after warning), $50 for the third, and $100 for all subsequent fines – not to exceed $1,500.00 per calendar year. If a homeowner or tenant is fined four times or more, they will be considered a chronic violator and will be subject to appear before the Providence Municipal Court.
This Ordinance has been referred to the Committee on Ordinances; Councilman Salvatore hopes that the Committee will review this at their earliest convenience, particularly since this is causing such a burden on many of our residents.
Councilman Salvatore continued, “For too long, residents have not had a clear understanding of their responsibilities when it comes to the storage of their trash and recycle barrels. The fines to date have clearly not been consistent with the ordinance, and the amendment to the code will address that issue. This amendment will also educate residents who might not know the statute. In light of the Internal Auditor’s findings it is imperative that the City and the Committee on Ordinance react swiftly to right this egregious wrong. Further, it is important that each and every resident have clear and predictable knowledge of the workings of our City. Implementing a warning phase will help residents better understand their responsibilities for the storage of their trash and recycle bins.”
Councilman Salvatore and the Internal Auditor will work with the City’s Administration and possibly the General Treasurers Unclaimed Property Division to refund homeowners in the coming weeks.
