by Billy Kepner | Dec 6, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-11, Ward-15, Ward-4, Ward-6
This TSA is one of the first that will generate a guaranteed funding source for the City’s Affordable Housing Trust
At last night’s City Council meeting a majority of the council voted in favor of granting the developer of the property located at 203 Westminster Street a 20-year Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA) which will be the first since the Council passed the Affordable Housing Trust Fund – that requires the City’s Tax Assessor to deposit 10% of their annual tax contributions to the fund.
The Affordable Housing Trust Fund was passed in July of 2019, and requires 10% of TSAs tax payments to go directly to a fund to help support affordable housing projects across the City. This TSA, by end of its terms, will have generated at least $500K for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund based on estimates provided by the Tax Assessor’s office.
Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) stated, “Our City is bustling with new hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Our skyline is rapidly changing. However, some of our most precious historic buildings need a little extra help to get them back online. This building, located directly across the street from City Hall, sticks out as a sore reminder that opportunities to redevelop our most endangered buildings don’t come around often. While there is definitely room for discussion regarding the role and scope of TSA’s, this development meets a specific criteria for me: the condition of the building necessitates it, it would help save one our most storied buildings, and it’d be making a significant contribution towards affordable housing efforts across our city over the course of the agreement.”
The developer of the property located at 203 Westminster Street and the adjacent property, formerly the Providence Journal Building and the former Kresge Department Store, will be turned into a hotel that would create 233 full-time construction jobs, and 154 full-time jobs after the building is completed. The property owner is currently paying over $136K in property taxes per year and by the end of the TSA they will be paying over $516K in property tax per year. Over the twenty years of the agreement, the development will have contributed an additional $3.6 million in tax revenue. This is in addition to sales tax, hotel occupancy tax, and income taxes that will be realized by the completion of this project.
“I have been on record that I am not in favor of 20-year TSAs,” stated City Council Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11). “I pushed to have the Council pass an ordinance that codified monies from our TSAs be directed to support our neighborhoods, and those that needed the support the most. When I see people without roofs over their heads, or living in fear of losing their home, or can’t afford to fix their homes because they are on a fixed income – how can I in good conscience support such projects? By adding this funding source for affordable housing, it begins to chip away at the hard work that we must accomplish to make equity a reality. This project will deposit an estimated $500K into a fund that will have a direct impact on our community’s and that is why I am standing in support of this project. This will have a direct impact on the residents we represent, and that is worthwhile.”
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4) stated, “I have always stood on the side of Unions, and I still do. That said we must look at the bigger picture of economic development for our city and the funding that this project will provide for our Affordable Housing Trust which will have a direct impact on the most vulnerable members of our community. These buildings have stood abandoned and vacant for years. We have a developer that is willing to make a sizeable investment in our City and I believe that we need to support progress, not stand in opposition of it.”
The developers proposed TSA was continued indefinitely by the Committee on Finance, but with a majority of the Council’s support it was discharged from Committee and sent to the full Council for a vote.
“I look at the old ProJo building every day from my office and see its potential,” stated City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6). “I believe in order for our City to continue the trajectory we are on we must embrace development, but with an eye on the greater good. We have multiple buildings in our city center that have been abandoned and are rapidly deteriorating and it is creating a negative narrative about our downtown. After so many of us have worked so hard to redevelop this district to become an economic engine and a great place to shop, eat, and live for our residents and visitors alike.”
Through the TSA the developer is also required to use 10% of the construction cost on women and minority owned businesses; they are required to make a good faith effort buy construction materials from Providence based businesses; they must develop a First Source Agreement with the Director of First Source Providence; 100% of hours worked on the project will be performed by trade construction subcontractors who have or are affiliated with an apprenticeship program; and over the term of the TSA will deposit nearly $138K into the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund that goes to support the City’s parks, pools, waterparks, and recreation centers.
by Billy Kepner | Nov 7, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-13, Ward-14, Ward-15, Ward-6
At tonight’s City Council meeting council leaders introduced a series of amendments to Chapters 14 and 21 of the Code of Ordinances. Together, these changes will create baseline standards for quality, safety, and workforce development in the construction industry.
Amendments to Chapter 14, introduced by Council President Matos, Councilor Pro Temp Correia, and Councilors Miller and Salvatore create a citywide construction contractor registration process that includes measures to prevent the misclassification of workers as temporary employees.
“Regulating contractors with a registration process protects the physical and economic health of our city residents,” stated Councilor Rachel M. Miller. “By and large, I believe contractors follow the law, but, in an industry that is notoriously hard to regulate, any company that is cutting corners affects the industry and affects the health and well-being of our community. As a community organizer in Providence, I saw three big problems in the industry: workers who had to fight for for their claim to unpaid wages, also known as wage theft; workers who were injured on the job only to find that their employer was illegally classifying their employment as 1099 (or contract work) leaving them with no recourse for workers’ compensation; and workers who worked for a contractor who disregarded health and safety training, not even requiring workers complete the most basic ten hour safety class, OSHA 10.”
The amendments to Chapter 14 require that a contractor who does over $100,000 in construction business per year register with the City’s Board of Licenses every two years. In order to successfully register, an applicant must not have recent wage and hour or health and safety violations. It also must be up to date on its taxes. The $100 fee collected every two years will support enforcement and monitoring of this new statute.
Amendments to Chapter 21, introduced by Council President Matos and Council Pro Tempore Correia strengthen provisions for workforce development through apprenticeship and set a wage standard for work completed with the support of Tax Stabilization Agreements.
“When we put public dollars to work in the form of tax stabilization agreements, we make a commitment to both the private developer and to the residents of the city,” said Council President Sabina Matos. “This is an opportunity to continue to strengthen our TSA policy to ensure that we are getting a return on that investment – in the form of new development and revitalized buildings and also an investment in our workforce. For many years, development tax treaties have required 100% apprenticeship utilization. Apprenticeship is the pathway that turns a one time job into a lifetime career. But, although the ordinance required it, there were still loopholes that allowed that provision to be disregarded. Tonight we’re introducing changes that strengthen apprenticeship requirements. Additionally, we’re setting a standard for competitive wages that will lift up the working women and men in the industry. The City Council believes that there’s always a possibility for a positive ripple effect in our neighborhoods when we pass a TSA, but with these changes, that possibility becomes a promise.”
by Billy Kepner | Nov 7, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15, Ward-6
Tonight Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) will be introducing an amendment to the Code of Ordinances that would set-up a fund specifically for the support of Providence non-profit youth sports programs. The amendment is being co-sponsored by Council President Pro-Tempore Michael Correia.
The fund is being set-up as a way to deter panhandling or soliciting by these organizations. The fund will require that any youth sports group which receives funding from the program will be prohibited from panhandling or soliciting on or around any roadway or where traffic is present.
“As I travel around the City I often see young athletes ‘canning’ at some of our City’s busiest intersections,” stated Council President Sabina Matos. “As a mother that gives me great concern that these young people are risking their personal safety to get the funds they need to support their programs, and I asked my team to look at how we can mitigate ‘canning’ and help provide the support that these groups might need.”
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. The fund will support funding for equipment, costs associated with travel to compete, and to participate in sports-related activities.
City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia added, “I am thrilled 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 those groups that need it, and is set-up to ensure that we are supporting as many of our youth sports organizations as we possibly can.
Once the amendment is passed and the fund is created the City Treasurer will work with the Recreational Advisory Board to help implement a grant submission application.
by Billy Kepner | Oct 24, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Uncategorized, Ward-15, Ward-6
Council President Sabina Matos and Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia Presented a $2K Grant to the Providence Police Explorers Program
Providence City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) awarded a $2K City Council grant to the Providence Police Explorers Program yesterday at the Providence Public Safety Complex.
“The Providence Police Explorers Program is an amazing program that teaches our young people about public safety careers and helps build self-confidence,” stated Council President Sabina Matos. “I would like to thank Tina Shepard for her hard work and dedication to making this program so meaningful to the young men and women that make up this amazing cohort.”
The Providence Police Explorers program introduces young men and women interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement or other areas of the criminal justice field to public safety. The program provides career orientation experiences, leadership opportunities, and community service activities. The primary goals of the program are to help young adults choose a career path within law enforcement and to challenge them to become responsible citizens of their communities.
“I have been supportive of this program since its inception,” stated Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia. “The program is helping us grow a new generation of public safety officers. It is providing them with important hands-on training that they would not be able to get elsewhere. Every time you ask them to take part in any community project or program, there is never a no, there is only where and when. I am in awe of the work they do, and all that Tina Shepard does to ensure that this program thrives.”
The Providence Police Explorers Unit educates young adults (ages 14-20) on the purpose, mission, and objectives of law enforcement agencies. Police Explorers have the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experiences while also serving the community. The goal of the Explorers program is to teach young adults the values and skills needed to succeed in a law enforcement career and life.
- Self-Discipline
- Self-Confidence
- Self-Respect
- Teamwork and the desire to help others
To learn more about the program, visit them on the web: Providence Police Explorers
by Billy Kepner | Oct 21, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15, Ward-6
On Friday, October 18,2019 City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) joined Mayor Jorge Elorza, Commissioner of Public Safety Steven Paré, Chief of Police Hugh Clements Jr., and several community leaders to announce the recruitment phase for the 70th Providence Police Department Training Academy.
“Public safety is one of the top concerns for the City Council,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “Our police department is understaffed, overworked, and we have more than 100 officers eligible for retirement in the coming year. While it is true that violent crimes are going down, the crimes of opportunity that affect quality of life in our city seem to be on the rise and the perception is that crimes are up. My office is looking into the feasibility of rolling academies, or allocating more funds for overtime from the City’s budget.”
City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia stated, “I have always been a big supporter of our public safety officers. As an elected official I believe that public safety is paramount, and I am in full support of expanding our Training Academy schedule to accommodate more cadets. Having more boots on the ground will help curb the uptick we have seen in crimes around our nightlife establishments.”
The application process for the 70th Providence Police Training Academy will be open through December 31, 2019. The extensive selection process includes seven phases: Physical Fitness Assessment, Written Examination, Oral Interview, Background Investigation, Psychological Evaluation and a Physical Fitness pre-test prior to entering into the police academy. The academy is approximately 24-weeks long and includes over 812 hours of training including daily physical fitness training, defense tactics, firearms training, criminal law procedures, community policing, investigation, emergency vehicle operation and much more.
Applications must be completed online only and the application fee must be paid at the time of submission to ensure the applicant will be notified of the next steps related to the recruitment process. For more information please visit: 70th Training Academy
by Billy Kepner | Oct 18, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-6
This morning Providence Police Narcotics Officers made several arrests of prostitutes and street level drug dealers along Atwells Avenue, Newark Street, Cutler Street, and Academy Avenue after City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) contacted the Providence Police Department.
“Over the past several weeks I have received numerous complaints from constituents informing me of illegal activities happening in the area,” stated City Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia. “My biggest concern was for the safety of our residents, and that of our young students who were being exposed to such activity while they waited for their buses in the morning. This sends a strong message to the community, and those that would commit crimes on our streets, that we will not stand for it. As an elected official I have a sworn duty to uphold the law, and that is why I shared the information with the Police Department.”
This is an ongoing case, and the undercover operation will continue. President Pro Tempore Correia continued, “Quality of life is of the utmost importance to my colleagues and myself, and to have criminals operating in plain sight diminishes that quality greatly. I want to personally thank the men and women of the Providence Police Narcotics Division for their dedication and hard work in ensuring that our streets are safe for all who live and visit Providence.”
If you see a crime, or expect a crime is being committed please reach out to the Providence Police Department by calling 401-272-3121 or by reporting it online at http://bit.ly/2IZB09q.
