May 4th Ward 3 PVD Updates

Hello Friends & Neighbors,

I hope that this note finds you all well - and enjoying the spring weather that we are finally experiencing in Providence! I personally love walking around our neighborhood during this time of year and seeing all the flowers blooming -- and my dog loves any excuse to lay outside in the sunshine. 

Spring is a busy time for our City -- and City Hall is no exception. I'll hop right into it!

Upcoming Meetings and Events: May is filled with engaging community gatherings and important meetings at City Hall. I hope to see you at as many as you're interested in attending!

• Monday, May 5th at 6pm: I will be hosting a Community Meeting specific to answering questions and hearing thoughts from the community about the changes to parking on Morris and Olney. This meeting will be held on Zoom, and we will be joined by the City's Parking Administrator Melanie. We want to get it right with the changes we're making, so please join us if you're interested!  Zoom link here.

• May 7th at 5:30pm - Community Meeting to discuss Billy Taylor Park! The Parks Department is looking for community input for upgrades to Billy Taylor Park! Join us in the park to share your thoughts!

• First Public Hearing on the Mayor's Proposed Budget:  May 6th at 5:30pm at City Hall!  Come have your voice heard about this year's proposed budget at a Public Hearing of the Council's Finance Committee. Can't attend in person? You can submit written comments to CityClerk@providenceri.gov. **More Info below about how to testify.

• May 21rst at 7:30pm - Light up Hope for Democracy! Our Ward 3 neighbor Darlene Allen and I would like to invite you to come out, connect, and care for each other. Let's "Light up Hope for Democracy". Bring yourself, your family and friends for a peaceful stand out on Hope Street.  See more information (and share!) at our Facebook Event here.  **Special Thanks to honorary Ward 3'er Emily Howe for creating this beautiful graphic.

• May 22nd at 5pm: Ribbon Cutting at Billy Taylor Park!  I was so pleased to work with the Parks Department on improvements to the bridge over Cypress that connects Billy Taylor Park with the community. We are hosting a ribbon cutting for the new artwork (created by the Steelyard, with input from Billy Taylor Park regulars!) and other improvements and hope you can join us!

  
  

• Having trouble keeping track of all the awesome activist-y things happening across RI? Check out this new Movement Calendar created by RI Movement Services!

  
  

• City Hall Meetings: Interested in attending a public meeting at City Hall? All public meetings and agendas are always listed at the City's Open Meetings Portal here. Always feel welcomed to ask me questions about upcoming meetings and events.

  
  

Budget Process & Engagement:

As I have discussed in prior newsletters (available here), we are in the middle of the annual budget review process. As a member of Finance Committee, I am spending many nights per week at City Hall with my colleagues evaluating and questioning each of the City's Departments. You can see the schedule for department review here. If you want to see the implications of the tax changes in the  proposed budget for your specific home, you can check out the Tax Calculator here. (I looked up my house, and my taxes with the proposed budget would increase by about $500 per year, or about $43/month.).

I encourage anyone who is interested to please join us for our upcoming public hearing on Tuesday starting at 5:30.  I hear from folks all the time who have never testified at a Council hearing who have questions or are nervous, so I wanted to demystify the process for you a bit:

• The hearing is held in the Council chambers on the 3rd floor of City Hall starting at 5:30pm. You can take the stairs or the elevator up to the 3rd floor.

• You do need to sign in to speak.  When you enter the chambers, you'll see a section of seating for the public and then a small railing/fence that separates the Council seating from the public seating. You can go through the gate, and the sign in sheets will be just past the gate. Our City Sergeant Napoleon will be standing there and can help you get signed up. Please write your name legibly because the Chairwoman will need to be able to read it to call your name.

• You will wait in the Public Seating space for the Chairwoman to call you to testify. When she calls your name, you will go through the gate and stand at the podium to give your testimony. You will be asked to state your name and address for the record. 

• Each person is given 2-3 minutes to speak. This is a firm limit to ensure everyone who attends has an opportunity to speak. I find it helps to write out at least a few notes to myself so I remember what I want to say. You are welcome to bring paper, your phone, etc. with you to testify -- you do not have to memorize what you want to say!

• Try to avoid just sharing the same talking points the last person said. Share something unique to what you are experiencing or care about, if possible. You - and only you! -  are an expert in your own experiences.

• We truly do want to hear what you say! For the last 2 years, we have always made changes to the budget reflected on what we heard in the hearings! (And many times from Ward 3 residents!). I understand it can be nerve-wracking to testify in this setting for some, but we truly do appreciate you showing up!

• Kids are welcome in the chambers!  We are working on getting childcare set up for our second public hearing, but feel welcome to bring your kids or family.

• If you have more to say than 2-3 minutes allows or you just can't make it that night, you can also submit written comment to the Committee by emailing it to the City Clerk at CityClerk@providenceri.gov

• Let me know if you have any questions!

Other Updates:

• I was so pleased to join my friend (and former State Rep) Deb Ruggiero on her Amazing Women podcast this month!  We talked about all sorts of things - from the city's budget to housing to climate action and what keeps us up at night. Give it a listen!

• Council Legislative Update: Rental Algorithms:  At our first meeting in May, we had first passage of a bill to prohibit the use of software that drives up the prices of rent. Companies like RealPage sell software that uses algorithms that can manipulate the rental market and share pricing data that can drive up rent prices. Our second vote will be on May 15th.

• Nathan Bishop Courts: As many of our neighbors know, I am using funds available to me on Council through ARPA to repave and upgrade the courts at Nathan Bishop for the students and community. I know for many this has been a long process - but we will finally be opening the construction bids at the Board of Contract and Supply in mid-May.  We believe this will allow construction to start by mid/late July and have minimal impact on the students as they return to school in the fall. I cannot wait to celebrate this new and improved project with you as soon as possible! A big high five to Council's Director of Project Management Kyle Delgado for helping me shepherd this project through the many layers of approval, contracting, and community input.

• Ceremonial Renaming of Camp Street: I was so honored to sponsor a resolution to ceremonially rename parts of Camp Street after former Councilman Danny Lopes. A big thank you to the URRP Committee (and Chairwoman Harris) for allowing me to invite members of Lopes family to testify and for unanimously supporting the Resolution! You can watch the heartfelt testimony of the Councilman's family here. Once the resolution passes the full council, we will plan a celebration on Camp Street to mark the occasion!

• Follow me on social media! Wondering what I'm up to between newsletters? Want info on additional community events? You can follow me on Facebook or Bluesky! Also always feel welcomed to email me at AnderBois.Ward3@gmail.com. I read and respond to everyone who reaches out - and appreciate your patience with my response timing during budget season when time sensitive budget negotiations are a top priority for my time.

  
  

Gratitude:

As always, it is such an honor to represent you on Council. There are difficult decisions facing our city, and I take my role very seriously to ensure I am an active and loud voice for our community. I appreciate everyone who reaches out to me with thoughts or feedback.  

With Gratitude,

Councilwoman Sue AnderBois