by Abigail Appel | Mar 18, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-14, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6, Ward-7, Ward-8, Ward-9
At tonight’s City Council meeting, Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) proposed and passed a resolution supporting Providence Community Health Centers. This resolution was co-sponsored by Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5), Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4), Councilman John J. Igliozzi Esq. (Ward 7), Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Councilwoman Kat Kerwin (Ward 12), Councilor Rachel Miller (Ward 13), Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilman David Salvatore (Ward 14), Councilman James Taylor (Ward 8), and Councilwoman Carmen Castillo (Ward 9).
“During a time when public health is of great concern, we must be using our resources to support organizations like Providence Community Health Centers. Their work has given over 65,000 residents access to quality, affordable primary care services. As we have learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, more work must be done to expand healthcare access. Let us do our part to give Providence Community Health Centers the tools they need to continue their great work,” stated Council President Sabina Matos.
Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC) has operated as a non-profit organization in Providence since 1968. With nine locations across the City, PCHC provides services including family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, behavioral health, optometry, dental care, and urgent care. PCHC treats all patients regardless of their ability to pay and offers multi-lingual, culturally sensitive care. In January of 2021, PCHC broke ground on a new health center location at 31 Atwood Street in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. The new location will be called PCHC Atwood and is due to open in early 2022.
“I am so excited for the new PCHC Atwood location. I commend Providence Community Health Centers for their work addressing racial and economic inequities in healthcare, affecting our most vulnerable neighborhoods. As PCHC does this work on the ground to reform systemic issues within public health, I ask my colleagues in government at the State House to support this undertaking,” added Council President Matos.
The new PCHC Atwood location will create space for 14,000 new patients in the Olneyville area. The Olneyville neighborhood is a diverse region of the City, with many minority groups, immigrants, non-English speakers, and other groups that are often underserved in the medical field. The area has been hard hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Additionally, this new location will create fifty new full-time, sustainable-paying jobs. Providence Community Health Centers is the largest primary health care provider in the City of Providence.
by Abigail Appel | Mar 9, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7
This evening, the City Council’s Committee on Finance referred and approved the Mayor’s multi-year contract between the City of Providence and the Fraternal Order of Police Union (FOP) Lodge No. 3. The contract will be sent to the full Council for vote and passage.
“The administration is duty-bound to negotiate union contracts upon completion of past contracts, and this contract with the FOP is no different. As presented to the Committee on Finance, it was our obligation to ensure that the contract was executed with our taxpayers’ best interest in mind. This precedent-setting pension reform contract will be decreasing the City’s pension contribution, which will have an accumulative savings of $31 Million. It is in no way a fix to the City’s long-term pension liability, but it is a much-needed savings. I want to thank my colleagues on the Committee on Finance, the Council’s finance team, the City’s finance team, and the FOP for their hard work and their shared goal of ensuring a fair and fiscally responsible contract,” stated Chairman of the Committee on Finance and City Council Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi, Esq (Ward 7).
The contract approved by the Committee on Finance is a 4-year contract that will bring the members of FOP Lodge No. 3 more in line with the other Rhode Island municipality police departments. As the largest police department in the state, before the contract, the members’ base wage rates were in the bottom 25-percent in the state, and with this contract, they will be within the top 10 percent.
“We are committed to working with the administration to increase our diversion programs and family services go-teams. However, the FOP has been working without a contract since 2019, and to avoid costly arbitration, it was prudent that Mayor Elorza and his team came to an agreement with the union. This contract is unique because it addresses one of the City’s most pressing issues – its pension liability. Once passed, this contract includes serious and meaningful pension reforms, which are much needed. Further, this agreement will save taxpayers millions of dollars through cost savings from health insurance and retirement contributions. These are important steps in moving the needle to address our shared goal of creating a more robust diversion program and improving our residents’ quality of life. I, too, wish to extend my thanks to the leadership of the FOP Lodge No. 3, the City’s finance team, as well as the Council’s finance team for their hard work,” stated Vice-Chair of the Committee on Finance and City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5).
In addition to the FOP contract, the Committee on Finance is committed to working with community partners, the administration, and the FOP to improve and grow the Police Department’s diversion programming. Whereby ensuring that distress calls that don’t necessarily warrant an armed response, but might need the response of a social worker or clinician, has more funding and will be better equipped to help those in crisis in a way that our Police members are not trained to do.
Chairman Igliozzi continued, “In the upcoming fiscal budgets, we will be allocating more dollars to the City’s Diversion programs and are in full support of expanding our family services go-teams to help the most vulnerable amongst us. It is our goal to grow and build out a program that will have continued success and the ability to keep assisting and putting those in crisis with the help that they need.”
The contract will be sent to the City Council and requires two passages before it can go into effect. The contract can be found here: FOP Lodge No. 3 Union Contract
by Abigail Appel | Mar 4, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-11, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-5, Ward-7, Ward-8, Ward-9
Tonight the Providence City Council passed two resolutions, sponsored by Councilor Rachel Miller (Ward 13), to support several initiatives before the Rhode Island General Assembly to reduce Perfluorinated and Poly-Fluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) in Rhode Island’s water supply and in food packaging in our state. The resolutions were co-sponsored by Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15), Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5),Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), Chairman John J. Igliozzi Esq. (Ward 7), Councilors Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Carmen Castillo (Ward 9), John Goncalves (Ward 1), and Kat Kerwin (Ward 12), Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), James Taylor (Ward 8), and Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3).
The first resolution supports and urges the passage of House Bill 2021 H-5523 and Senate Bill 2021 S-107, which will require the RI Department of Health to set a Maximum Contaminant Level for PFAS and requires that our public waterways and drinking supply be sampled and monitored for PFAS contamination. The second resolution supports and urges the passage of House Bill 2021 H-5356 and Senate Bill 2021 S-0110, which eliminate the manufacture, sale, and distribution of food packaging to which PFAS have been added.
“These initiatives in our General Assembly and State Senate are significant steps in the effort to improve food and water safety in Rhode Island. PFAS are persistent chemicals that are known to cause harm to humans and the environment. It is time for the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Management to take action to set standards and testing protocols to protect the health and safety of Rhode Islanders. I know that my colleagues in government trust science and believe that we should do everything we can to protect and care for the health and safety of Rhode Islanders and our environment. PFAS have been linked to cancer, developmental issues in children, problems with fertility and pregnancy, and a host of other serious health problems. That is why we must act now to reduce these harmful chemicals from our food and water,” stated Councilor Rachel Miller.
PFAS are highly persistent chemicals that have been widely used in consumer products since the 1948. They are often used in food packaging to prevent grease and other fats from sticking to the paper packaging. However, PFAS are released during production processes and remain in the environment for long periods, entering the air and bodies of water. Because of this widespread contamination, PFAS can often be found in the blood of both humans and wildlife. Over the years, concern has grown regarding the health consequences of frequent exposure to PFAS.
“One of the most precious resources we have in the State of Rhode Island is the Narragansett Bay, and we must do whatever we can to protect this natural resource. Further, PFAS that end up in our water inevitably end up in our sea life. As a state with a robust seafood industry, we have to protect and preserve the catch’s quality. Doing so will protect jobs and this important economic generator. I applaud Councilor Miller for working to ensure that we are supporting important green and healthy initiatives at the General Assembly, and I too add my voice to the chorus of my colleagues who want to see these bills pass and enacted,” stated Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan.
The resolutions passed, and copies will be sent to the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Providence Delegation.
by Abigail Appel | Mar 4, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-11, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-5, Ward-7, Ward-8, Ward-9
Tonight, the Providence City Council members voted to pass a resolution urging the United States Senate to pass the Equality Act. The resolution was sponsored by Councilor Rachel Miller (Ward 13). It was Co-sponsored by Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15), Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5), Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi, Esq. (Ward 7), and Councilors Helen Anthony, Esq. (Ward 2), Carmen Castillo (Ward 9), John Goncalves (Ward 1), Kat Kerwin (Ward 12), Councilman Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Councilman James Taylor (Ward 8), and Councilman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3)
The Equality Act was introduced to the House of Representatives by Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline and in the Senate by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. It was finally passed by the United States House of Representatives in 2019 and 2021 but has died in the United States Senate committee. After the United States Supreme Court’s June 2020 ruling in the Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, which upheld protections for gay and transgender individuals in employment matters under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its subsequent amendments, now there is more support in the Senate for passage. The City Council members are urging the body to take this bold and meaningful action to codify the rights of every person living in the United States.
“First, I want to thank our Federal Delegation, especially Congressman Cicilline, who has worked doggedly on this act for the past seven years. Even as it languished in the House and Senate, he still believed that the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community were worth the battle. I am proud that he represents Rhode Island and am grateful for his leadership. The Equality Act will codify and protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, which has been missing from the Civil Rights Act for decades. The Equality Act wil also protect against discrimination in the workplace, in housing, in health care, and even in financial lending,” stated Councilor Rachel Miller.
The Equality Act will amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Jury Selection and Services Act, and several other federal laws around employment and discrimination in public spaces, services, and federally funded programs.
“Former United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once stated, ‘We should not be held back from pursuing our full talents, from contributing what we could contribute to society, because we fit into a certain mold, because we belong to a group that historically has been the object of discrimination.’ With that statement, she was referring to what women have endured for generations. It is equally true for LGBTQIA+ communities that face higher rates of suicide, bullying, and the alarming rates of murder amongst transgender women. The Senate must pass the Equality Act, and I know that our Rhode Island Delegation is supportive, and I hope that we can all agree that discrimination of any kind needs to be removed from our legal system,” stated Council President Sabina Matos.
Many studies have shown that members of the LGBTQIA+ community face high levels of discrimination in housing. The bias is noted to come in many different ways: being denied housing, charged higher rents, or being removed from housing once a landlord realizes the orientation or the gender expression of the renters. Additionally, the Equality Act will add protections to LGBTQIA+ individuals living in 27 states which do not have state-wide LGBTQIA+ anti-discrimination laws.
“There are currently 27 states where, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, my right to be free from discrimination in employment, housing, and other civil protections is not protected by law. I am proud to be a member of this body that tonight took a stance for equality for all,” concluded Councilor Miller.
Copies of the resolution will be sent to the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation. The City Council members hope that the United States Senate will pass Senate Bill 393 – The Equality Act.
by Abigail Appel | Feb 18, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-7
“Providence is Open for Business”
Tonight, the City Council approved a Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA) for a new development to be located along Parade Street across from Dexter Park. This is significant for the City, and it signals to developers and other businesses that even though the COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe financial hardships, growth and new building continues to happen.
“When you look at how much the City has suffered financially from the ongoing pandemic, it is rewarding to see developers that believe in our future,” stated Councilman John J. Igliozzi, Esq. and Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Finance. “TSAs are an important tool to help developers create new developments and spur growth in the City. As we know, the City is facing a serious housing shortage, and I believe that the developer is committed to ensuring equity and affordability along with much-needed new units.”
This project will repurpose and rehabilitate an existing abandoned historic structure and add a new building to the neighborhood. They are creating jobs during the building phase and new residential units. The developers have stated that they intend to keep them affordable and in line with current rents in the community.
Currently, the City realizes around $32-Thousand in taxes annually from this property. At the end of the agreement, taxes realized by this property will be over $400-Thousand. The TSA the developers have applied and were approved for is a 15-year TSA and they have committed to reaching specific benchmarks:
- 10 percent of the dollar value of the construction will be used to hire women and minority-owned businesses;
- The developers with the Director of First Source Providence to hire local trades people for the construction;
- The developers have agreed to make a reasonable faith effort to buy all construction materials locally from vendors within the City of Providence;
- The developers have agreed to ensure that 100 percent of the hours worked on the project will be performed by trade construction subcontractors who have or are affiliated with an apprenticeship program;
- The property owner will also make annual payments of five percent of the abated tax for each year during the agreement to the City Council Parks and Recreation Fund.
Additionally, 10 percent of all tax revenue realized from the project will be earmarked for the Providence Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In October of 2020, the Council approved the Providence Redevelopment Agency to capitalize the Fund through a $20-Million bond, which is anticipated to make up to 1,500 affordable homes possible in the next three years.
To read the full ordinance, click here: https://bit.ly/37stlN1
by Billy Kepner | Feb 17, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-7
At the Council’s Committee on Finance meeting held last night, Dante Bellini, City Controller, shared with the Committee the current Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA) Portfolio. The presentation projected year-over-year cumulative added revenue for the City of Providence. Indicating that as these TSAs mature and become fully taxable, they will add more than $454-Milliion cumulatively to the city’s tax roll by 2040.
“TSAs are a tool that municipalities use to help build its tax base, and they work,” stated Councilman and Chairman of the Committee on Finance John J. Igliozzi, Esq., (Ward 7). “TSAs are important economic generators for cities like Providence. A robust TSA program will spur growth and development and increase our tax base so that we can take the burden of higher property taxes off our residents. If these properties were not developed and were not given a TSA, we would only see tax revenues of just over $6-Millon a year instead of the cumulative growth in tax revenue as each TSA matures.”
The City currently has around 70 TSAs in place, inclusive of the five commercial and residential properties under the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission’s authority. These TSAs run from housing, commercial, and mixed-use properties throughout the City.
“Providence is competing with our growing tax exemption base, which makes up for approximately 40% of the City’s taxable property. Coupled with the economic competition we face from our neighboring cities and towns becoming more economically attractive – whether it’s their taxes or economic development packages, we must remain competitive. Further, we are also competing with our neighboring states. We need to be more macro in our thinking, and that’s what the TSA program is about. We are looking at how we can keep our City moving forward. We need to let developers know that we are open for business, and we have to create economic development packages to spur new growth to continue increasing our tax base,” continued Chairman John J. Igliozzi, Esq.
In the last year, the City has collected $128-Thousand from TSAs for the City Council Parks and Recreational Trust Fund Account and will collect an additional $134-Thousand in the coming fiscal year. This account will continue to grow as the TSA program moves forward; to date, there has been $313-Thousand collected in totality for this account. The Trust Account is overseen by the City’s Superintendent of Parks and can only be utilized for brick and mortar projects like building or rehabbing parks or recreation centers.
Individuals can view the Tax Stabilization Agreement Portfolio here: http://bit.ly/PVDTSAPF.
