by Billy Kepner | May 21, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5
At tonight’s City Council meeting Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) introduced legislation that calls on the administration to establish a COVID-19 Working Group regarding local college and university reentry plans. The group will consist of local college and university representatives, community representatives, public safety officials, public health officials, and others to work together on the creation of reentry plans for students, staff, and faculty. Creating and sharing these plans will provide confidence for neighbors that live and work around these institutions in Providence.
“Providence is a world-class city with world-class institutions of higher education, which makes our city an incredible place to live and learn,” stated Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan. “The goal is to protect our residents and the thousands of students, faculty, and staff of our eight local college and university campuses as they return for in-person learning from the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Many epidemiologists believe that colleges and their congregate settings put students, faculty, and staff at risk if the virus were to return in the fall and winter, which many believe it will. Making it critical for the City and our local colleges and universities to work together to ensure that we can reopen campuses safely.”
The creation of reopening plans that set forth clear and actionable steps for how these institutions plan on maintaining public safety when they do reopen campuses will signal to both students and the residents of Providence that there is a way to co-exist safely and productively, even in the era of COVID-19.
Majority Leader Ryan continued, “The faculty and students of our local institutions play an integral role in the social and economic fabric of our City, and it will require all of us working together to enable their safe return to Providence. We all need to be moving in the same direction so that we can begin to build a new normal without risking another wave of the virus.”
by Billy Kepner | May 21, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5
The story in yesterday’s Providence Journal regarding the history of JUMP Bikes in Providence was alarming.
In July of 2019, after the e-bike and e-scooter programs littered our sidewalks and waterways and were used in the commission of crime in our neighborhoods, I introduced a resolution to fully evaluate the program’s operation. The resolution, which was passed by the Council, required that the administration provide a comprehensive findings report of the e-bike and e-scooter pilot programs in the City within 30 days of passage. We have still not received the report.
While I support environmentally-friendly and equitably-accessible modes of transportation, I did not support the administration’s insistence on expanding the program without a thorough analysis of the program and absent any effort to mitigate the nuisances these bikes presented to our neighbors.
We have a duty to our residents to ensure that implementation of any third-party partnership is executed in a way that supports public safety, holds businesses accountable, and makes sense for our City and our taxpayers.
This program did not meet those very basic criteria.
Jo-Ann Ryan, Majority Leader
Providence City Council
Councilwoman – Ward 5
by Billy Kepner | May 17, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5
Like many in my community, it has been upsetting to say the least, at the lack of respect and decorum of our college community during this past week.
The behavior that has been illustrated on Eaton Street and in other areas of our City is in opposition to nearly every guideline our State health officials have put forth to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Our colleges and universities are community partners, but in this instance, their response and their actions have failed us and put our residents at risk.
Selfish behavior by these students also put our public safety officials in harm’s way and took them away from other duties.
I understand that graduating from college is a pivotal moment in a young person’s life, but we are living under a different set of circumstances. This behavior is abhorrent, and my concern for my neighbors does not end today, but what happens when these leases turn over and a new crop of off-campus students come into our neighborhoods? I am asking our College and University partners to explain how they are going to help mitigate this type of behavior from continuing.
The summer months are quickly approaching, and the virus might slow down, but it is far from over. We need to have a plan to keep our residents and our public safety officials safe. Young people are not immune to this virus. They could be asymptomatic carriers and not even know it. They could be moving here from areas that are still considered “hot spots,” and if this behavior continues it could make our cases – which are already at the top in the state – continue to grow rather than decrease.
I will be working with my colleagues to pass legislation requiring our City’s colleges and universities to provide a mitigation plan to keep our off-campus students and neighbors – many of whom who have lived in our neighborhoods for generations – safe as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic and our “new normal.”
Jo-Ann Ryan, Majority Leader
Providence City Council
Councilwoman – Ward 5
by Billy Kepner | May 9, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7, Ward-8
Last night the City Council convened to vote on the extension of Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s Executive Order. The matter did not pass as it required a mega-majority vote (11 out of 14 affirmative votes) which it did not receive.
Pursuant to section 302-i of the City Home Rule Charter Mayor Elorza would need three-fourths of the Council to vote in the affirmative or 11 out of the current 14 voting members. Last night the vote was 7 ayes, 5 nays, 1 abstention, and 1 Councilor absent.
“The City Council has a sworn oath to uphold the City’s Home Rule Charter,” stated City Council Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi Esq. (Ward 7). “As a Council, we are the checks and balances of the Executive Branch and the Mayor’s order did not meet the requirements put forth by our founding mothers and fathers to extend, and our duty is to the will of the many not the will of one.”
What this means for the residents of Providence, is that all regulations put forth by Governor Gina Raimondo should be followed in its totality. With that, all parks and golf courses within the City limits will be open under the strict guidelines set forth by the Governor. No groups of five or more individuals shall gather together in the first phase of her plan to reopen the economy, cloth face masks must be worn at all times, and social distancing guidelines must be followed.
Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) stated, “The Mayor’s Executive Order did not meet the required vote to pass the City Council. It is our obligation to follow the Home Rule Charter to the letter, and that is what we did. These are difficult times, but we must follow the law.”
“Last night’s vote only proves that the Mayor is not following the guidelines set forth by Governor Raimondo,” stated Councilman James Taylor (Ward 8). “I have consistently voted against the Mayor’s Executives Orders as each one of them has not been consistent with the Governor’s.”
by Billy Kepner | Apr 16, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7
At tonight’s City Council meeting Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) and Majority Whip John J. Iglozzi, Esq. (Ward 7), Vice-Chairwoman and Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Finance, introduced a resolution requesting that the City Finance Director submit a detailed report on the current financial position of the City to the City Council for review.
“The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused havoc on the economies of almost every nation around the globe, and locally, Providence is facing economic challenges like one we have not seen since the Great Recession of 2008,” stated Majority Leader and Vice-Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan. “Because of the partial economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the City is set to see a significant reduction in revenues, which is creating a fourth-quarter budget shortfall. Furthermore, as we look to the next fiscal year, the Council and the Committee on Finance needs to be proactive instead of reactive as we prepare to review the City’s FY 2020 budget. We have requested this information for several weeks from the Administration, and it has yet to be provided to our City Treasurer, the Internal Auditor, or the Committee on Finance.”
Before the City of Providence borrows any funds to address a shortfall or passes a budget for the fiscal year 2020, the Administration must provide the City Council with a thorough analysis of the City’s current financial situation.
Chairman John J. Igliozzi Esq. stated, “The Committee on Finance is tasked with ensuring that the City of Providence meets its obligations and that we are protecting our City’s tax dollars for our residents. Without a complete financial analysis, our Committee has no way to prepare for the coming budget and the best way to meet our responsibilities. Our request for a complete financial forecast is not only prudent but imperative during this economic crisis.”
The Council resolution requests that the financial report include an austerity plan for the City to address anticipated budget shortfalls. In addition, the report should include an assessment of all existing City contracts, as well as identify all unspent Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funds (including any CIP projects that have not yet been initiated), and an evaluation of all planned expenditures for the remainder of the fiscal year including operational and personnel expenses.
Upon the passage of this resolution, the Council has requested that the detailed financial report be submitted within three days to provide time for the Council to review before engaging with the fiscal year 2020 budget.
by Billy Kepner | Apr 16, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7, Ward-8
Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5), Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi Esq. (Ward 7), and Councilman James E. Taylor (Ward 8) call on Mayor Elorza to reopen public parks, green spaces, and trails for respite and educational purposes.
Mayor Elorza issued an executive order to close all parks, green spaces, and trails to the public until May 8, 2020. While Governor Raimondo has allowed state parks and beaches to remain open while only closing parking lots to limit the number of individuals that can visit at one time. The Councilors believe that the Mayor’s executive orders should mirror the Governor’s orders to lessen confusion and the spread of misinformation.
Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan stated, “We are asking residents of Providence to stay in their homes as much as possible, which is needed to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and flatten the curve. Yet, we also have an obligation to balance the need for the public’s physical health with their mental health. Time outdoors is critical to ensuring that our residents – of all ages – have opportunities to get fresh air and spend time in nature. We know that spending time outdoors helps lessen anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. Over the years, my colleagues and I have invested much of our precious Neighborhood Infrastructure Funding and Capital Improvement Plan funding into our neighborhood parks for this very reason. I think we can all agree that many of us are experiencing a high rate of anxiety due to the current health crisis. I believe that by following the Governor’s lead of keeping parks open, wearing cloth masks, and by practicing social distancing measures, we can allow for residents to visit their neighborhood parks, trails, and green spaces.”
Public health is paramount to the City Council and its members, but that must include ways to address mental health as well. This also presents an opportunity to work with the Governor to use these spaces as a way to inform individuals of the current crisis.
“There are several positive public health factors to reopening our parks, green spaces, and trails in a controlled and responsible manner,” stated Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi, Esq. “By reopening our natural areas, we can provide our neighbors with the much-needed ability to get fresh air and exercise. By deploying members of our police department to monitor our natural areas, and to ensure that safety protocols like social distancing and number of individuals congregating together are being adhered to, I believe we can do this in a measured and safe way. By reopening the parks in a controlled manner, it provides us the opportunity to enhance our community’s well-being both physically and mentally. It will allow residents to get to know the men and women of the Providence Police Department that serve in their neighborhoods; provides an extra level of public safety; and more importantly, we have an opportunity to share information about the virus, testing, and mitigation efforts with individuals that might not otherwise have access to that important information. It is naïve to think that every resident is watching the Governor’s daily press conference or receiving City emails regarding the current crisis. I strongly encourage the Mayor to reopen our parks, trails, and green spaces and use this opportunity to get information out to those that might not otherwise have access to it.”
The Councilors understand that the virus can stick to metal playground equipment, and are supportive of cordoning off that equipment to keep residents and children safe. Yet, they also know that being able to spend time in nature has many positive impacts on productivity and mental health. There are 1000’s of scholarly studies that show that spending time in nature – even if it is just walking through a park – can relieve stress and anxiety for individuals. Now, more than ever, eliminating that option for residents could potentially do more harm than good.
Councilman James E. Taylor stated, “For many in my neighborhood Roger Williams Park is used daily for walkers, runners, and people who just need to get outside. I believe that if the Mayor would rethink his Executive Order and close our parks to traffic and parking, neighbors could safely use their neighborhood parks, all while practicing safety measures as recommended by the Governor and Dr. Alexander-Scott of the RI Department of Health. By closing the traffic to Roger Williams Park, it would create wider areas for individuals to run and walk, making it easier to maintain social distancing. I hope that for consistency sake, the Mayor will change his order to mirror that of the Governor’s so we can all take it outside and relieve the stress that so many of us are feeling.”
The Councilors are hopeful that by working together with the Mayor and his Administration that we can reopen our beautiful parks safely and provide the much-needed benefit – of Vitamin-N (for Nature).
