PILOT Negotiations, Tax Commission and more

Hello Friends and Neighbors!

L'Shana Tova to all of our neighbors who were celebrating the New Year this weekend - I hope this next year is your sweetest one.

As always, updates between newsletters and other posts can be found on my social media on Facebook​, Instagram​, and Twitter​- and please feel welcome to be in touch anytime at AnderBois.Ward3@gmail.com

Thank you so much!

-Councilor Sue AnderBois

Upcoming Ways to Engage:

Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Public Hearing - September 26th at 5:30pm

Mayor Smiley has announced a new proposed agreement with 4 colleges/universities around the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) negotiations. For those unfamiliar with the acronym, PILOT agreements are payments to local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial non-profit or federal land in their jurisdictions.

These universities are federally recognized non-profits, which means that they exist for public benefit and cannot be obligated to pay taxes for activities related to their core mission. Recent state level legislation does, however, require them to pay taxes on property that has commercial interests (for example, if the first floor of the building houses a restaurant).

Councilwoman Anthony had an excellent explanation of the proposal and the upcoming process, so the below quoted content is from her latest newsletter:

"What are the current proposals?

The Smiley administration has advanced two proposals for approval:

The MOU: A Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Providence and Brown University, Providence College, Johnson and Wales University and Rhode Island School of Design would result in a payment of $177M over a period of 20 years

The MOA: A Memorandum of Agreement between the City of Providence and Brown University would result in a payment of $46M over 10 years

What is the City Council's role?

Like many matters that come before the council, these proposals are first reviewed by a committee, in this case the Finance Committee. You can to the presentation to the City Council Finance Committee on 9/12 and the questions we posed here."

The Council will hold a Public Hearing on September 26th at 5:30pm in the Council Chambers on the 3rd Floor of City Hall. Written testimony can be sent to the City Clerk no later than Friday, September 22 at 3pm: cityclerk@providenceri.gov

While the Mayor's Administration negotiated a higher PILOT payment than past administrations, I still have a few concerns about the proposal myself - which I raised in the Finance Committee. Please share your comments at the Public Hearing, with the Clerk, and/or with me by replying to this email.

New City Tax Commission Created: First Meeting September 20th at 5pm

At our September 7th full Council Meeting, Council President Miller sponsored a resolution (which I co-sponsored) to create a Special Commission on Taxation and Revenue. I am honored to have been selected to serve on this Special Commission. In order to provide top notch services while ensuring that residents aren't overly burdened by their tax payments, the City needs to thoroughly investigate our tax codes and all potential revenue streams.

The first meeting of the Commission is Wednesday the 20th at 5pm in Room 305 of City Hall. Agenda and Zoom information can also be found in this link.

Comprehensive Plan Wards 2/3 Zoom Info Session:

If you weren't able to attend the in person Comprehensive Plan session earlier this month or would just like an online option, Councilwoman Anthony will be holding a Zoom Session on October 11th at 6pm that is open to both Wards 2 and 3. You can join via zoom at this link!

I will also be submitting my own formal comments into the Comprehensive Plan process. If you would like to share your thoughts with me about the Comprehensive Plan, please just reply to this email with your ideas or concerns.

Ward 3 Community Meeting: October 11th at 7pm:

We will be holding our regular bi-monthly Ward 3 meeting on October 11th at 7pm. We are confirming a location - so stay tuned for more information! Come by after attending Councilwoman Anthony's Comprehensive Plan meeting!

New Program Available for Heat Pumps:

Are you looking to switch to heat pumps for all-electric heat in your home? The RI Office of Energy Resources has recently launched the Clean Heat RI Program - which provides federally-funded incentives to residential and commercial buildings looking to switch to heat pumps as their primary source of heating and cooling. You can learn more about the program here. I plan to sign up for a consultation soon to switch out my old fossil gas system.

Remembering Jayar Santos:

The Eastside lost a bright light in our community earlier this month with the passing of Jayar Santos. I met him wearing his hat as the assistant director of the Vincent Brown Rec Center, where he was a strong advocate for our neighborhood's kids. But he was so much more​ - an amazing athlete, coach, mentor, friend, and family man. Please hold his family and friends in your hearts this week.