by Billy Kepner | Mar 19, 2020 | Council News, COVID-19, 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
Participants Can Call Into the Meeting With Their Phones
Providence will be the first Council Body to use this Teleconferencing Technology
In light of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak which has affected many of us here in Rhode Island, the Governor issued an executive order earlier this week lifting the Open Meetings Act (OMA) restrictions for public meetings.
The order allows for adequate alternative means of public access such as over phone, internet, and audio or videoconferencing when it comes to public body meetings.
“Our goal as a City Council is to be as transparent as possible,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15). “We have decided to move from livestreaming to teleconferencing due to the rapid spread of the virus here in Rhode Island. In the last 48 hours, we have seen an increase of 21 positive infections, totaling 44 positive infections here in Rhode Island as of 1:30 PM today. It’s with that in mind that we have made the difficult decision to host our meeting using a teleconference line, a widely used and implemented practice. This will allow for residents to hear the discussions as it happens by our body in real-time.”
In light of this executive order, in addition to the prior executive order limiting gatherings of more than 25 people, and to protect the health of our Councilors, staff, and our residents Council President Sabina Matos has decided to seek alternative public access mediums for tonight’s Council meeting. The City Council will be using a teleconferencing platform for tonight’s meeting.
Call-In Information is Below:
Please dial: 1-646-558-8656
Pin: 692739810#
Press # again to enter the conference waiting room.
This tough decision is premised on an urgency to preserve public health while also maintaining the spirit of an open and transparent governmental process.
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 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 7, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-2, Ward-3
Councilors Helen Anthony, Nirva LaFortune, Pedro Espinal, Kat Kerwin,and Rachel Miller Endorse ECRI’s Climate Crisis Plan
City Councilors Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Kat Kerwin (Ward 12), Rachel Miller (Ward 13) introduced a resolution endorsing the Environmental Council of Rhode Island’s Climate Crisis Campaign at last night’s Council Meeting which was passed by the City Council.
“Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. We as a country, state and city need to take immediate action to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions; create a just and equitable transition to a sustainable economy and invest in adaptation and resilience to protect the people and places we love.”, stated Councilwoman Helen Anthony. “Continued increases in global termperatures will hit RI particularly hard as our temperatures have risen faster than in any other state, We can’t wait to take action.”
Rhode Island faces many challenges due to changing climate including increased storm intensity, flooding, heat waves, insect-born diseases, crop and fishery failures, accelerating coastal erosion, and a sea-level rise of up to 11.5 feet during this century. In January, there were several 65 degree days – in a month where you would expect to see snow and freezing temperatures.
Councilman Pedro Espinal stated, “The climate crisis is occurring here in Providence and much of that is due to pollution from industry. In South Providence, the neighborhood I represent, we have some of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the city, we have the highest rate in the city and state and have the ninth highest in the nation, which can be life-threatening and costly. The climate crisis is not just about warmer winters, longer summers, it’s about our well-being. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in support of this important mission.”
Rhode Island has experienced the fastest temperature rise of any state in the continental United States. The state and its municipalities must take immediate action to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by phasing out fossil fuels, create a just and equitable transition to a stable environmentally-focused economy, and invest in mechanisms to adapt and remain resilient to protect the people that call Rhode Island home.
“I have been working on and in support of the ‘Green-New Deal’ here in Providence,” stated Councilor Rachel M. Miller. “Not because it’s fashionable, but because it is the right thing to do. We are being left behind at the federal level by a President who does not believe in a changing climate, who pulled our Country out of the Paris Climate Accord, and who continually works to promote a culture that embraces coal and fracking. These policies are not only harmful to the environment, but they will in fact harm all of us.”
The Environmental Council of Rhode Island’s Climate Crisis Campaign is working to elevate climate issues and the need for policy solutions within the state and at the local level. ECRI is working on updating the Resilient Rhode Island Act and the Energy Facilities Siting Act, helping the State acheive its renewable energy goals and opposing attempts to allow dirty pyrolysis (gasification) electricity generation.
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune shared, “It is all of our responsibility in creating a climate-resistant city that supports solutions that promote cleaner air, sustainable communities and access to unpolluted safe resources. Any action undertaken by our state has to be done with an eye on safety, health, and our economic well-being. We must also remember when we often talk about the climate crisis we forget those that are most vulnerable and we must create inclusive approaches that consider the voices of all our residents. We must ensure that we leave no one behind in this important work, because it requires all hands on deck.”
“I became a City Councilor and campaigned on fighting for the residents of my neighborhood, and I can’t think of a more worthy fight than this,” stated Councilwoman Kat Kerwin. “I use my role to lift the voices of my generation who are often not given a seat at the table when it comes to issues like this, yet it is my generation and the ones after that will be dealing with the ramifications of our climate crisis. If we don’t act now, then when?”
For more information on the Environmental Council of Rhode Island’s Climate Crisis Campaign, visit them on the web here: ECRI.
