by Abigail Appel | Jul 15, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-3
Before going into summer recess, the Rhode Island State Senate passed Senate Bill Number 788 which regulates third-party delivery services. The bill prevents third-party delivery services such as Grub Hub, Door Dash or Uber Eats from using the likeness, registered trademark or intellectual property belonging to a merchant without first obtaining the merchant’s consent. While the General Assembly had been debating the merits of this bill, the Providence City Council had also been working to create similar regulations at the City level.
In April of 2020, Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune first introduced an ordinance targeted at curbing predatory practices of third-party delivery services which had become major components of the hospitality industry during the pandemic. Following extensive community input, as well as meetings with representatives from the third-party delivery companies, the Councilwoman introduced a revised ordinance in January of 2021 which was sent to the full council with a positive recommendation from the ordinance committee. In addition to her advocacy at the local level, Councilwoman LaFortune provided written testimony in support of Senate Bill 788 based upon the feedback received during the local deliberation of her ordinance.
“I commend Senator Lombardi, Representative Craven and all of the legislators who worked on on Senate Bill 788 and House Bill 5346. While third-party delivery services have proven to be an expedient and accessible way to order food, these services can also be exploitative and leave local restaurants on the losing end of this convenient proposition. It is a relief to see measures being taken at the state level to protect local business and small business owners throughout Rhode Island,” stated Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3).
Third-party delivery services became especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when take-out has been the safest and easiest way for Rhode Islanders to access their favorite restaurants. However, these services have also caused significant difficulties for partnering restaurants. With the passage of Senate Bill 788, the local ordinance will no longer move forward as the protections that would have been provided at the city level are now in place for businesses throughout the State of Rhode Island as well as Providence.
“As technology advances, it is great to see innovations that make it easier to do things like order food from your favorite restaurant. However, lawmakers at all levels of government should be putting in the work to make sure that the interests of Rhode Islanders and local business owners are being protected from any exploitation or unethical business practices. I look forward to continuing these efforts with my colleagues in government at both the state and local levels,” added Councilwoman LaFortune.
To read the City Council’s proposed ordinance, click here: https://bit.ly/3egypHN
To read Senate Bill Number 788, click here: https://bit.ly/3yTPfEs
To read House Bill Number 5346, click here: https://bit.ly/2VOtNSX
by Abigail Appel | Jul 14, 2021 | 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
Approved budget contains no tax increases and uses $42 million in stimulus funds for small business relief, youth investments, free public Internet access, and more.
Tonight, the Providence City Council voted to approve a $539 million FY 2022 City Budget including $42 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address both immediate needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic and longer-term investments that will pay dividends for years to come. The budget holds the line on residential and commercial property taxes, while funding key City services that residents expect and deserve.
Tonight’s vote to approve the FY 2022 City budget follows 5 weeks and more than 11 Finance Committee hearings to receive input from the Mayor’s office, Council members, and city residents and community organizations.
“I want to thank my colleagues on the City Council and Mayor Elorza for working collaboratively to put together and pass this budget that invests in our city at a time of great challenge for our residents,” said City Council President John J. Igliozzi. “Developing this budget during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge. Through months of hearings, we have heard just how hard hit our families, small businesses, and community organizations have been by the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. To address these needs, I am pleased that we are able to utilize $42 million in ARPA funds to invest in summer programming for our youth, early learning programs, free public internet access at parks and recreation centers, anti-violence programs, homeless interventions, street sweeping and sewer repairs, our public libraries, and relief for our small businesses. In addition, this budget continues to invest in core City services including inspections and public safety, while holding the line on taxes.”
Continued Igiozzi, “I also want to highlight this budget’s investment in public safety, which will provide the staffing and resources necessary to respond to criminal activity and to keep the people of our city safe. Talking with residents, many have said they are worried about a rise in crime and support smart investments in our police department, as well as substantive reforms to address community concerns about some policing practices. That is why this budget includes funding for recruitment of new police officers to protect our neighborhoods, and also creates a new Community Relations and Diversion Services Major position within the police department to resolve public safety issues that would be better dealt with through outreach and partnerships with City agencies and community-based organizations.”
“During this time of great need, I am pleased that my colleagues on the City Council and Mayor Elorza have worked together to pass a budget that helps our residents, small businesses, and community organizations get through the COVID-19 pandemic, while making long term investments in our city,” said Councilwoman and Finance Chair Jo-Ann Ryan. “I am particularly pleased that this budget provides $7 million in direct relief for Providence’s small businesses, invests in early education for our youth, and invests in basic City services like public safety and housing and building safety inspections to address quality of life issues.”
FY 2022 City budget highlights include:
•No property tax increases.
•Invests in the Department of Inspections and Standards to deal with quality-of-life issues.
•Invests in the Department of Public Property to hire additional personnel to handle projects in a more efficient and timely fashion.
•Creates a new Department of Equity and Inclusion.
•Invests in public safety, including expansion of diversion efforts, creating anti-violence programs, and provisions to fund recruitment of new Providence Police officers.
•Continues to invest in City parks with a portion of Tax Stabilization revenue going to the Parks and Recreation fund.
•Provides an additional $300,000 for Providence Community Centers for programs that qualify for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) resources.
•Creates a new Community Relations and Diversion Services Major position within the Providence Police Department.
•10% of tax revenue from projects with a Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA) will be dedicated to supporting debt service on the $25M Providence Redevelopment Agency Special Obligation Bond that funded the Providence Housing Trust in FY21.
•Invests $350,000 to expand the number of pre-kindergarten classrooms in Providence, increasing access to quality early learning programs.
•Invests ARPA funds for night basketball, recreational center programs for our youths, free internet access at our largest parks and recreation centers, sewer repair fund, and a $7 million small business relief fund.
A detailed summary of FY 2022 City Budget highlights can be found here.
by Abigail Appel | May 20, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-12, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6
I am pleased to share that the Providence Police Department has announced the 70th annual Police Training Academy will commence on Monday, May 24th. The academy will be located in Ward 5, at the former Providence Water Supply Building at 552 Academy Avenue and will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
With fifty new recruits, part of the most diverse class in history, this is a great opportunity for our Police Department to grow and improve based upon the unique needs of our city. These men and women will be trained in classroom and role play scenarios on how to best serve and protect all Providence residents and visitors.
In my role on the City Council, I have been an advocate for the expansion, development, and enhanced training of our police force. With a large swath of our existing police officers approaching retirement eligibility, it is crucial that a new generation of officers is recruited and trained. I extend my appreciation to the Providence Police Department for working to get this year’s academy up and running despite the complications presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I welcome this year’s recruits to our neighborhood and wish them the best of luck as they begin their training. I look forward to seeing the value that they bring to our community as future members of the Providence Police Department.
by Abigail Appel | May 17, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-12, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6
At the May 6 City Council Meeting, Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) introduced and the Council passed a resolution to relaunch the City’s successful Fireworks Task Force.
“With summer approaching, so too is the threat to public safety presented by the rampant illegal use of fireworks in our neighborhoods. Based on last year’s success, the Council resolution requests public safety and administrative officials, once again, to coordinate enforcement and community education regarding the use of illegal fireworks. City departments must work proactively to mitigate this issue,” stated Ryan.
In the late spring and early summer of 2020, the City of Providence experienced an overwhelming increase in illegal fireworks activity. In 2019, the police department reported less than 20 calls related to fireworks complaints, but in June of 2020 that number skyrocketed nearly 500. In response, Councilwoman Ryan convened a group of City stakeholders to discuss this quality of life nuisance, and identified three main areas that needed to be addressed: public education on what is and isn’t legal; licensing enforcement for businesses that are illegally selling fireworks; and a coordinated effort by public safety officials to focus on hot spots or problematic areas. This effort lead to the creation of the City’s Fireworks Task Force which resulted in multiple arrests and the confiscation of illegal fireworks.
In Rhode Island, ground-based fireworks and sparklers are legal, but aerial fireworks and anything that explodes are not allowed without a permit.
“Last year, as a result of the diligent efforts of the Fireworks Task Force, the City was able to make a significant reduction in the use of illegal fireworks that had been disrupting and endangering our neighborhoods,” Ryan said. “I look forward to building on this progress as we head into another summer, and I thank our local law enforcement and fire officials for the work they do every day to maintain the quality of life and public safety of our community.”
Ryan is encouraging individuals to report the use of illegal fireworks in Providence or file a complaint, call the police department’s non-emergency line (401) 272-3121. Complaints can also be filed by calling 311 or visiting the PVD 311 Website and selecting the ‘Quality of Life’ complaint option.
This resolution was co-sponsored by Council President Pro Tempore Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4), Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Councilwoman Kat Kerwin (Ward 12) and Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
by Abigail Appel | May 16, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-3
Next month will mark sixteen years since my dear friend, my partner, the person I loved in life was cut short by gun violence as he walked out of a bodega in New York City. He was mistakenly struck by a bullet intended for someone standing outside the store. Our lives were changed forever by a needless act of violence.
For three consecutive days, our city has experienced a rash of violence. Yesterday’s incident took place on Camp Street in front of Billy Taylor Park, a neighborhood park where my daughter plays and where I’ve hosted various events to bring the community together.
I am heartbroken and appalled by these unthinkable acts of violence. The epidemic of gun violence is destroying our communities, injecting fear into our neighborhoods and further dividing our city. It must stop.
The issue of gun violence is systemic and we must address the root cause. On Friday, May 14th, I reached out to the Mayor, the Police Commissioner and Chief, the Attorney General, the Executive Director of the Nonviolence Institute, and community leaders to convene a meeting to discuss how we can work collaboratively to create a comprehensive plan to address the gun violence in our community and also ensure meaningful and impactful ways to serve our young people. Creating solutions is often a bottom-up process and we’ve got to find ways to engage our young people who are often disenfranchised, struggling, and in some cases, very angry.
I have had the privilege to go on ride-alongs with the NonViolence Institute’s street workers and the police department to see firsthand the impact of such violence on communities and on lives. I am committed to continuing to work with the Mayor’s administration, the police department, and community partners to stop gun violence in Providence and develop solutions to prevent these violent crimes from happening. Talk is not the answer. Action is.
I will update you as our meetings progress. And, please reach out to me if you have ideas on this issue. It’s by sharing what we know and working together as a community that we will make significant change.
With love for our city,
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune
Providence City Council
by Abigail Appel | May 10, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-2, Ward-3
At last Thursday’s City Council meeting, the Council passed a resolution endorsing and urging the passage by the General Assembly of House Resolution 2021 H-5250, creating a special legislative commission to study ensuring racial equity and optimizing health and safety laws affecting marginalized individuals. This commission would specifically work to examine sex workers in the State of Rhode Island and their access to vital health, safety and legal resources.
The Council’s resolution was introduced by Councilwoman Kat Kerwin (Ward 12) and co-sponsored by Council President Pro Tempore Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Councilor Rachel Miller (Ward 13) and Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
“I am proud to support COYOTE RI and all the advocates who are working tirelessly to pass good policy that would provide our State with information on the impacts of the sex industry. The reality is, legalized or not, sex work continues to exist in Rhode Island and without regulation and research, people who engage in sex work, particularly women, are left without a safe network to report assaults or other issues that may arise from the job. I hope the State will consider passing this bill with the full support of the Providence City Council,” stated Councilwoman Kat Kerwin (Ward 12).
In a Rhode Island sex work study conducted by COYOTE RI and Brown University, 77 percent of respondents reported they had never tried reporting a crime while working in the sex industry and, of this group, 27 percent did not report because they did not think the police would do anything, while 32 percent did not report because they did not want to draw attention to themselves. For workers that did file a report, 4 percent were arrested while trying to report a crime, and 26 percent reported being threatened by the police when trying to file a report.
“We need to re-examine how laws around commercial sex are harming the people they are supposed to protect. Criminalization creates the perfect playground for bad actors and police to prey on sex workers with impunity,” added Bella Robinson of COYOTE RI.
An analysis of 134 studies spanning 30 years found that sex workers in decriminalized contexts were less likely to experience physical or sexual violence from clients and were less likely to contract HIV or sexually transmitted infections. The analysis additionally found that repressive policing of sex workers, their clients, and/or sex work venues disrupted sex workers’ work environments, support networks, safety and risk reduction strategies, and access to health services and justice.
On January 29, 2021, Rhode Island State Representatives Anastasia Williams, Edith Ajello, Camille Vella-Wilkinson, Karen Alzate, Brianna Henries, and David Morales introduced HB 5250 to create a special legislative commission to study ensuring racial equity and optimizing health and safety laws affecting marginalized individuals.
Copies of the Council’s resolution in support of HB 5250 will be sent to the Providence delegation in the Rhode Island House and Senate and the Honorable Speaker of the House.
