2024 Year in Review

Hello Friends & Neighbors,

I hope you will come join us to celebrate this festive season with our holiday lights celebration at Lippitt Park on Monday, December 16th at 7pm! We'll have a tree, lights, a guest performance from the Extraordinary Rendition Band, warm beverages, snacks, and -- best of all - each other!

2024 Year in Review:

Friends - it has been such an honor to serve this community in 2024! As a part-time legislator, I focus my time on places where I can have the most impact and also where I can respond most directly to my constituents. As we look to 2025, I wanted to take a moment and share with you some of the work I have done as your councilperson over the last year! As always, you can find this newsletter (and previous newsletters) online at: www.sueanderbois.com/news

Committees and Task Forces:  

I serve on a number of both standing and temporary committees and task forces. These are the ones I served on in 2024.

• Deputy Majority Whip: I was honored this year to be asked by my peers to join the Council's leadership team as the Deputy Majority Whip.

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee provides oversight on the City's annual budget process, in addition to bonds (e.g. the $400 million school bond), the Capital Improvement Plan, large contracts, discretionary spending by departments, and also mayoral appointments to committees.

• H.O.P.E Committee: The Housing Opportunity Prosperity and Education Committee was created in 2024 to more thoroughly address issues of housing and education policy.

• Special Committee on the Environment and Resiliency: I sponsored the creation of this committee and serve as Chairwoman.

• North Main Street Task Force: I sponsored this committee and serve as Chairwoman. Some of our accomplishments are listed separately below.

• Mayor's Stormwater and Wastewater Task Force: I was a council appointee on this mayoral task force to evaluate how to address stormwater and wastewater issues.

• Hazard Mitigation Plan temporary advisory committee: I was the council appointee on the committee to review the development of the City's Hazard Mitigation Plan.

North Main Street Task Force:

I created this Task Force to move forward implementation of the North Main Street Revitalization Study. It has representation from the constituencies with a stake in managing the street -- including RIDOT, RIPTA, City Departments, neighbors, bus riders, and others. Our two main overarching goals are improved pedestrian and traffic safety as well as economic development. What much is left to do in 2025, we have made some good progress, including:

• RIDOT investing in a thorough Road Safety Assessment (RSA) of the entire corridor, with direct input from Task Force Members

• New Lighting investments (and more coming in early 2025!) that I found funding for and am working in partnership with the City Public Properties Department to implement

• Dedicated pedestrian crossing at the Rochambeau Intersection -- resulting in this celebratory parade by the Extraordinary Rendition Band.

• Greatly increased enforcement of speeding and unsafe driving by the Providence Police (with gratitude to Chief Perez for the additional resources)

• No Turn on Red signage throughout the corridor

• Increased signage on parking rules and speed limits

• The Mayor & I requested safety improvements at the Doyle/North Main intersection, which were approved by the RIDOT Traffic Safety Commission and are scheduled for implementation.

  
  

Ward 3 Improvements I Supported

I would never take credit for work I was not involved in. The projects below included investments of either my time or funding that I directed.

• Vincent Brown Improvements: Improvements to the weight and tumbling rooms, new flooring, improvements to the HVAC.

• Lippitt Park Improvements & help creating the new Friends of Lippitt Park organization

• Billy Taylor Park Overpass Art Installation with the Steelyard

• Neighborhood Tree Planting & Tree Maintenance with the Summit Neighborhood Association

• Earth Day Plantings at North Burial Ground

• Repavement and art installation at the 9th Street Courts

• Rochambeau Library Step Safety Improvements

• Hope Street Traffic Calming by the YMCA Daycare facility.

  
  

More projects underway in 2025 -- including the Nathan Bishop Courts! Big gratitude to the City Council's Director of Project Management Kyle Delgado, who helps me manages these bigger infrastructure projects. 

Policy's I've Passed & Are Being Implemented:

• Carbon Neutral Buildings: I spearheaded and passed legislation to ensure that all City Buildings will be carbon neutral by 2040. The City is well underway beginning implementation!

• Vision Zero: I wrote and sponsored the Council's Commitment to Vision Zero - the commitment to designing our roadways and infrastructure for zero traffic fatalities or major injuries by 2030. I have been co-leading an internal task force of city agencies to ensure we create an implementable action plan -- stay tuned!

• RIPTA Bus Hub: After many bus-riding constituents expressed concern about the potential for RIPTA to partner with the City to move the bus hub to an inaccessible location, I held a public meeting and sponsored a resolution to give riders a voice and express the Council's disagreement with this proposal.

  
  

Recent Ordinances I've introduced:

• Leaf Blower Restrictions: In November, I introduced legislation to phase out polluting gas-powered leaf blowers. There will be a public hearing in February.

• Ordinance to address gas system effects on street infrastructure: After hearing from many constituents about their experiences with road disrepair during and after utility work - I sponsored an ordinance to tighten up this process and ensure the utility is respecting our roadways and (most importantly) our residents.

  
  

Additional Priorities:

• Comprehensive Plan: We passed a once-per-decade update to the City's Comprehensive Plan. I discuss this extensively in other newsletters, but I am proud of this plan and spent substantial amounts of time both connecting with constituents and also editing and amending this prior to passage.

• Dr. Bennie Fleming: It was a privilege to honor Dr. Bennie Fleming in the Council chambers on her 100th birthday for all of the amazing work she has done for this City.

• 103 Evergreen: I stood by residents to ensure that the housing proposed for 103 Evergreen Street reflected the needs of our residents.

  
  

Engagement with Constituents:

I believe a good public servant should be accessible to constituents and hear their concerns and share information regularly. Throughout the year, I did this by:

• Holding Regular Ward Meetings + additional gatherings focused on Stormwater, 103 evergreen, the Comprehensive Plan, creating Friends of Lippitt Park, and the Infrastructure upgrades in planning stages at MLK.

• Hosting in-ward events, such as our Annual Trunk or Treat at Billy Taylor Park with Rep. Kislak and Sen. Mack.

• Writing and posting regular newsletters

• Social Media engagement on Facebook​and BlueSky​(previously also Twitter). 

• Exploring new communication pathways, like this parking minimum explainer video

• Regular emails, coffee chats, phone calls, assists with 311, and more.

Support:

Now more than ever, municipal government is increasingly important. I try to keep my fundraising for an absolute minimum so I can focus my time on the type of initiatives I list above. But things like websites, newsletters, and other outreach materials to connect with constituents do have a price. I would be so grateful for any contributions you are able to make at this year end to my ongoing campaign fund. You can follow this link to donate or send checks to "Friends of Sue AnderBois" to 166 5th St, Providence, RI 02906.

Gratitude:

As we end the year - I am so grateful for you and all you do to make Providence such a gem. It is such an honor to represent you on the City Council. As we end the year, I hope you find time to enjoy the season with your family and friends. I am always grateful for the support of my friends and my husband Scott -- and today also for the assistance my dog Captain Ruggles gave in drafting this newsletter (see photo below). I'll look forward to all we will do together in 2025!

With Gratitude,

Councilwoman Sue AnderBois