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-15, Ward-6, Ward-8
At tonight’s City Council meeting Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15), President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilors Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), and James E. Taylor (Ward 8) introduced an ordinance that would restrict commercial vehicles from parking long-term on streets or in front yards.
“I constantly hear from frustrated residents that there are large commercial trucks parked on their streets,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “I have seen it myself, and this issue is about safety. It becomes difficult for neighbors to leave their driveways because these trucks are hanging into their pathway, or they can’t see around the truck to safely back-out. This ordinance will work to address this quality of life issue, and to ensure that our neighborhood streets remain that and not parking lots for commercial vehicles.”
The ordinance defines commercial vehicles as any vehicle over 20-feet in length and over 6,500 pounds. Further, no commercial vehicle will be able to park or stand, unless engaged in the loading or off-loading of materials, for more than one hour between the hours of 9 PM and 8 AM, or at any time on Sunday on any part of the street under the jurisdiction of the City of Providence.
Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia stated, “This is just common courtesy. I understand that some folks have to take home their work vehicles, but we have to balance that with the quality of life for all of our neighbors. By and large, those individuals are parking in their driveways and are being respectful of their neighbors. The issues that I see in my neighborhood are businesses parking their trucks on the street and not moving them for days at a time. We all want to live in nice neighborhoods, and these trucks detract from that, and become obstacles to the residents who are trying to commute through their streets.”
In addition to the time restrictions, there is also a penalty levied to violators. For any person found in violation of parking on the street, blocking a sidewalk or portion of the roadway will be subject to a fine no less than $50.00. If a commercial vehicle is found to be anyway limiting, restricting, or blocking the access of public safety vehicles or remains in place with their engine idling in the course of operation shall be deemed to be a hazard to public safety and quality of life. If a vehicle is found in violation, they will be towed and subject to a fine of no less than $100.00.
“Ward 8 has a lot of commercial zones mixed with residential zones, and this is a perennial problem,” stated Councilman James E. Taylor. I am proud that we are acting to put the interest of our community before that of industry. I don’t want any businesses to suffer, but I want them to be good neighbors. It is common courtesy and an obstacle that could delay safety vehicles from reaching someone in need of serious attention. We all have a role to play in making our neighborhoods great, and that includes not just residents but our businesses as well.”
This ordinance will be referred to the committee for review and vetting before it is sent to the full Council for votes and passage.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 3, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15, Ward-6
In light of the two recent presumptive cases of Coronavirus in Rhode Island, our offices have been in communication with our state and city colleagues to ensure a coordinated response.
We want to commend our first responders and our State Department of Health for their swift action and for their levelheadedness.
We want to take this opportunity to reiterate that risk of transmission of the virus is low for Rhode Islander’s, but we should take basic steps to stay safe from all viruses – like the flu – by following these helpful tips:
- Wash your hands, and do so often. In the absence of access to soap and warm water, use a hand sanitizer.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- If you are going to cough or sneeze, do so into your elbow or by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue.
- If you are feeling ill or someone you care for is ill – stay at home. If your/their condition gets worse, you should call your/their primary care physician and ask if you/them should be seen.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly, especially those that are frequently touched like light switches and doorknobs.
- Remind those in your care of the above tips to keep them safe as well, especially children and seniors.
As of now, our public events and meetings will proceed as scheduled until advised to do otherwise by state health officials. As always, the Council will communicate with our constituents should anything change.
For more information regarding the Coronavirus we encourage you to visit the CDC’s webpage: CDC-Coronavirus
by Billy Kepner | Feb 20, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15, Ward-6
Tonight Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and President Pro Tempore Michael Correia’s (Ward 6) amendment to the Code of Ordinances that creates a $40K fund specifically for the support of Providence youth sports programs was passed for the second and final time.
The fund will support funding for equipment, costs associated with travel for sports competitions, and participating in sports-related activities. These funds are in addition to other funding that youth sports organizations may already receive from the City. Any youth sports group that applies for and is granted monies will have to refrain from the practice of “canning” (which is when young people raise money by standing on the corner at a stop sign or redlight and ask drivers to donate monies to their group).
“As a mother seeing young athletes trying to raise money while standing on our busy streets, and looking for donations from drivers at stop signs or red lights causes me great concern,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “These young athletes are risking their personal safety to get the funds they need to support their programs. I am glad that we have finally brought this Fund to fruition.”
The Youth Sports Fund & Grant Program will be held in a separate permanent fund of the city and will be held in trust by the City Treasurer. The fund will be administered by the City’s Recreational Advisory Board who will grant funding to Providence-based local non-profit youth sports organizations. The fund will be seeded with $40K annually through an appropriation from the City’s budget.
City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia added, “The Council President and I introduced this last November, and I am thrilled that we will now have this fund in place for our City’s young athletes. It is a highlight of my time on the Council that we have found a way to support our local non-profit youth sports programs that do so much for our community and our young people. This fund will provide access to youth sports clubs in every neighborhood of our city, and it will go a long way to ensuring that our young athletes are spending time practicing and not having to raise money.”
The fund will be set-up by the City Treasurer who will work with the Recreational Advisory Board to help implement a grant submission application process.
by Billy Kepner | Feb 12, 2020 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-6
The Providence Police Department has announced that they have arrested a serial vandal who has defaced multiple pieces of public property in the Manton area of Providence. I would like to extend my thanks and congratulations to Captain Fernandes for a job well done, and for his outstanding work in making this arrest. Jesus Ruiz has been arrested on eight misdemeanor counts for graffiti (some of his graffiti can be seen below).
Vandalism will not be tolerated in Ward Six, or anywhere in Providence. I am a fan of “Street Art” when it has been commissioned or the artist has received permission to create art on a specific site. But, there is a difference between that work and vandalism, and we must remember that.
Michael Correia, President Pro Tempore
Providence City Council
Councilman – Ward 6
