November 8th Ward 3 PVD Newsletter

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

I hope that this note finds you well - staying safe & healthy.

Before I jump into the newsletter, I want to acknowledge the incredibly difficult circumstance that many of us and our neighbors are in with the pause of the federal SNAP program. Benefits were not distributed on November 1rst, which has caused real harm for many families. I am grateful for Rhode Islander &  U.S. District Judge McConnell who ruled that SNAP needs to be immediately and fully reinstated - and the Globe reports that the benefits should begin to be released again on the 8th. But this is not occurring in a vacuum. Rhode Island was already experiencing very high levels of food insecurity, and with rising inflation and the costs of so many essentials going up, many residents are already on the edge. If you are able to help, the RI Food Bank has great resources on their website for where/how to donate food, money, and time.

Longer term, we need to collectively work together at the City and State levels to combat the economic issues exacerbating these issues in our communities. I will share additional resources on my social media and regularly share information through this newsletter.

There's so much going on in the City - so let's jump in:

Overall Council Updates:

• District 1 School Board Applications Due December 12th at 4pm:  The Mayor is currently accepting applications for a District 1 (Wards 1, 2, & 3) school board member to begin in January 2026. As you know, each district has an appointed and an elected member. To apply, please click this link for more information. A big thank you to Melissa Hughes who has very ably served on the board for our region!

• Community-Police Relations Act (CPRA):  The Council has passed updates to the CPRA that further prohibit voluntary collaboration between Providence police and federal immigration authorities. We are seeing ICE in our City, and I & members of the Council are committed to ensuring the safety of our neighbors and residents. A big thank you to the very large number of Ward 3 residents who reached out to support this amendment via email, phone call, text, and postcard -- I appreciate your advocacy.

• Gas-powered Leaf Blower Phase Out:  The Council passed the ordinance I sponsored to phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. There has been some misinformation shared about what is included in the phase-out - and I want to make sure I share out accurate information here! The final version includes a City Department phase out by 2028, followed by a seasonal City-wide phase out in 2030 (allowing use of gas blowers only Oct 1 - December 15th), with a final full phase out in 2033. There will also be education and enforcement done by DPW.   The date of the final full phase-out is meant to be timed with a) the average lifespan of this equipment, so as folks are replacing equipment, they are doing so with the newer electric equipment, and b) when the RI electric system is required to be fully powered by clean energy to avoid switching from gas leaf blowers to just electric leaf blowers powered by a gas. While the version I introduced had earlier seasonal phase-out dates, after negotiation with the Mayor, I wanted to ensure that the ordinance would not be vetoed and could be implemented and enforced, and we adjusted the dates for these purposes. While it would be great to phase out immediately, that was not legislation that would pass or be implemented -- and I would prefer to get us on a reasonable path than wait for a theoretical ideal solution to emerge years down the road. I'm always happy to answer questions or concerns - just reach out any time.

• Parking Congestion on Morris/Olney next steps:  As many of you know, we have been experiencing parking challenges in the neighborhood surrounding Morris & Olney Street and I have been working with the City's Parking Administrator & the Mayor's office on potential additional solutions. The new proposed updates include:

  • Increased parking enforcement during morning hours with a particular focus on Olney, Brenton, and Boylston Avenue

  • Expanding parking on Lloyd Avenue by striping diagonal spots (additional 40+ spots).

  • Removing some parking restrictions on Olney (which is wide) from Hope to Arlington.

  • Potential curb striping/painting to ensure cars aren't parking too close to driveways.

  • Working with the Moses Brown community to ensure the new parking spaces are utilized instead of within the community and to educate their students and staff who park in the neighborhoods. 

• Reporting Things on 311:  If you see a situation that need to be addressed - like broken sidewalks, roads, lighting, etc - please log it in 311 using this website.  I have heard from many residents recently that they've reported things on the "311 app".  After the Mayor updated 311, the App is no longer in use. Please either call 311 or use the website to log reports. Anything being logged into an App is not being sent to the city. If you have any trouble, please call the Council's Constituent Services Office at 401-680-5403​, and they will help you. 

  
  

Upcoming Meetings & Events:

• Ward 3 November Community Meeting follow up:​ Thank you to the community members who joined our Community Meeting with PPSD on the proposed changes to MLK & Hope High Schools.  Zack Scott from PPSD shared potential plans for MLK's reconstruction - and well as a proposal to update it as a PreK-8 school.  For more information about school construction and also to share feedback, PPSD shared this website​. You can also reach out to me any time, and I will share feedback with the district and/or get your questions answered.  PPSD shared that the School Buildings Committee will likely make a decision about whether MLK remains PreK - 5 or becomes PreK - 8 in their February meeting, so I will share any information I have with you about how to participate. 

• Ward 3 Community Meeting: December 10th at 6pm at the Mount Hope Community Center:  We will have our last Ward 3 meeting of the year on December 10th - please join us! We do not have the agenda fully planned yet, so if there are topics you would like addressed or presentations you would like to see, please just let me know!  

• November 13th at 6pm - Committee on Ordinances Public Hearing: Many of you attended our summer community meeting when Councilwoman Peterson shared her work on student housing. Those bills will be open for public comment at the hearing on the 13th - please feel welcome to join!

• Council meetings: The full Council continues to meet the 1rst and 3rd Thursday of the month at 6pm at City Hall. At our next meeting, we will be launching our new voting system and in-chambers cameras so that those watching remotely or from the seats in the chambers can see clearly how we each vote on all matters. We have also worked to address the sound quality issues within the chambers in attempts to increase the transparency and inclusion of our work.

• Public Meetings Portal:  You can always find up to date information on all public meetings at City Hall through the Public Meetings Portal​ -- agendas, locations, times, recordings, etc.  Use the pull down menu on the left to pick which body or committee you are looking for!

• Stay Tuned:  We are finalizing the date for our December Holiday Celebration in Lippitt Park! Last year we had a blast with the Friends of Lippitt Park and the Extraordinary Rendition Band, even in the rain -- and we're planning for a fun celebration this year as well!

  
  

Gratitude:

As always, it is an honor to serve you on the Providence City Council. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. 

 It is not possible to include all of the updates about what's happening at City Hall & in Ward 3 in each newsletter (these would be way too long!) - so please reach out to me any time between newsletters for information or updates or to share your opinions. Next time, I'll share a bit about the progress we've made and plans for next steps on North Main Street!  In the meantime, I also always post updates on Bluesky​, Instagram​, and Facebook​for things I'm up to or work I'm doing between newsletters. 

With Gratitude, 

Councilor Sue AnderBois