Hello Friends & Neighbors,
Happy New Year! I hope that you found some time for rest and enjoyment over the holiday season. I am so grateful to have a running start on Council and am looking forward to all we will accomplish together.
Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - a man who dedicated his life to racial and economic justice. As we start the year, I'm reminded of a quote of his: "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." Hope is an action verb -- it implies hard work and dirt under your nails. Â In these times, I truly believe our work at the community, City, and statewide level is even more important, and I continue to be dedicated to working hard on behalf of all of our neighbors.
Let's jump in:
Upcoming Events & Meetings:
Climate Action RI Rally for the Planet: Monday, January 20th: 2pm at RI State House:
Instead of doom-scrolling or avoiding news coverage of the Inauguration on Monday -- Join Climate Action RI and many friends and allies for a Rally for the Planet on Monday at 2pm at the RI State House. I will be speaking and sharing my commitments to bold action on climate justice and resilience in the City.

January 22nd at 5:30pm in Council Chambers: Committee on Ordinances: Â The Ordinance Committee will hear an overview from Planning Department Deputy Director Bob Azar on the first round of proposed zoning updates related to implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. No public comment will be taken - but a subsequent public hearing will be scheduled.
January 23rd, 5:30pm, City Hall - Finance Committee: The Finance committee will meet to discuss several items, including vetting the 5 school board nominees put forward by the Mayor. Â
January 29th: 6pm at Hope High: Joint Wards 2 & 3 Community Meeting with Sen. Sam Zurier: Please join Councilwoman Helen Anthony & I for a presentation and discussion with Senator Zurier about the work of his Senate Study Commission on the Providence Public Schools. As the City works to regain local control of our schools, conversations like these are vital. You can view Sen. Zurier's powerpoint presentation at this link.
February 5th, 5:30pm - Council Chambers: Public hearing in the Special Committee on the Environment and Resiliency to hear public comment on pending ordinances that a) restrict the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and b) update and increase requirements for utilities who alter City roads and paved areas to access their resources (e.g. the gas utility).
Ward 3-Specific Updates:
One way signs on North & South Court between Benefit and North Main: Thank you to all of our neighbors and community members who weighed in on the proposed one-way designations for roads between Benefit and North Main Street south of Starr. The City's Traffic Engineer heard your feedback and will be installing one ways only on North and South Court streets -- which will be installed by the end of the month.
North Main Street Task Force: The North Main Street Task Force met on January 15th. I heard loud and clear last year that lighting was a big issue in the safety - and ambience - of North Main Street for both people walking and driving vehicles. I was able to secure a substantial amount of funding, and our Project Management Director Kyle Delgado has been working with me, the City's lighting contractor PRISM and the Department of Public Properties to not only fix lights across the corridor, but install new overhead and pedestrian-level lighting in areas across the corridor. We will provide more details on timing and next steps at our net meeting on February 12th at 5:30 at City Hall.
Additional News & Updates:
School Board: As you know, starting in 2025, the school board will be comprised of half elected and half appointed seats - both broken down by district. Corey Jones won the election in the fall to represent District 1 (congrats, Corey!) and the Mayor has just released his recommended appointees -- including Melissa Hughes for District 1. These recommendations will be vetted by the Finance Committee on Thursday at 5:30 at City Hall.
Extreme Cold: Earlier this year, in a period of extreme cold, the Council opened our chambers for use as a temporary warming shelter for people experiencing homelessness. While we knew this wasn't a long term solution, it was necessary for us to use whatever means we had to ensure no residents were left out in the cold that night. I want to thank Councilmen Roias and Sanchez for leading this effort and to our Council staff who stayed overnight to help with the effort. In the extreme cold this week, we are once again opening the DaVinci Center for Monday and Tuesday, this time in close collaboration with the administration. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please fill out this form.
Gratitude:
A big thank you to everyone who came out to our holiday lights celebration at the end of the year at Lippitt Park! A few folks mentioned they were glad it was the first "annual", so I'll make sure to book the band early for lots of dancing in the park!

As I gear up for another big year on Council, I am always grateful to any support you can provide to my ongoing efforts. Donations for use on things like communicating with constituents, paying interns, and more are gratefully accepted through this link.
With Gratitude,
Councilwoman Sue AnderBois, Ward 3
Deputy Majority Whip, Providence City Council
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