Hello Friends & Neighbors,
Happy Autumn! This time of year in Providence is especially beautiful - and I love to take my dog Captain Ruggles on long walks and see the changing leaves, fall decorations, and autumn mums on folks' doorsteps.
With the Council back in full swing, there are a lot of things to update you on, so I'll get right into it.
Overall Updates:
Updated Leadership Team on the Providence City Council
I am so honored to have been asked to officially join the Leadership Team of the Providence City Council by President Miller and be voted in by my peers. Last week, I was named Deputy Majority Whip, and in a statement, Council President Miller shared this sentiment: "Councilor AnderBois is a relentless advocate for our community, bringing a powerful energy and focus to the causes she champions."
We also welcomed Councilman Pedro Espinal as Majority Leader. I look forward to continuing to work relentlessly with my colleagues to deliver real change and improve lives in our City. You can read more about the changes in this press release.
Martin Luther King Blue Ribbon:
Congratulations to the Martin Luther King, Jr. School for winning a national Blue Ribbon Award. They made substantial progress in closing achievement gaps and increasing test scores. They were one of only 365 schools selected in the entire country! As I said at the celebration - I am so proud of and impressed by the students, teachers, staff, and parents -- but one thing I am not is surprised. Our students and our schools thrive when provided with the resources they need and when they are empowered to lead. Congrats MLK!
Rental Registry Information:
Heads up to landlords and renters! The RI General Assembly recently passed new laws aimed at preventing lead poisoning in the home and also creating a new Rental Registry to increase understanding of our housing market. All Rhode Island landlords must register their property in the statewide registry. The original deadline was October 1, 2024, but a grace period has been instituted before fines occur (we don't have a specific date for the grace period, or I would share it) - though landlords are encouraged to file as soon as possible.
Councilwoman Anthony & her team created an incredibly helpful fact sheet on the registry, which they have graciously shared with me! You can check out the details at this link.
RIPTA Metro Connector Study
RIPTA recently kicked off their Metro Connector study - looking into rapid transit options connecting various parts of the State. This includes the corridor where the R Line currently runs -- right down North Main Street!
If you missed their presentation at our North Main Street Task Force this month, you can learn more here: https://www.ripta.com/metroconnector/ They are scheduling public meetings and encouraging comments in writing in this phase of the work. This type of rapid transit was a recommendation in the state's Transit Master Plan, and I am excited to see it moving forward.
Friends of Lippitt Park:
Lippitt Park is such a gem in our neighborhood. While we were able to make many improvements to the park this year, we know that there are many people in the neighborhood who care deeply about North Main and its features, maintenance, and programming. A group of neighbors is putting together a Friends of Lippitt Park group - with support from me & the Parks Department! You can sign up to learn more here. If you're already signed up, you should be hearing from community organizers soon!
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Council & Committee Meetings:
Full Council meets the 1rst and 3rd Thursday of the month at 6pm at City Hall
Finance Committee meets every Tuesday at 5:30pm
North Main Task Force: October 16th at 5:30pm
All City Public Meetings are noticed on the City's Open Meetings Portal at least 48 hours in advance. You can see details for any meeting at this link.
**I was recently asked at our combined Wards 2 & 3 community meeting why the community meetings are not posted on the portal or in the secretary of state's website. The Portal and Secretary of State's website are only for "official" bodies and committees. Standing committees like Finance or Ordinance are publicly noticed on the portal - or committees created through resolution like the North Main Street Task Force or Councilman Sanchez's committee to address gun violence. But community meetings are just held at the discretion of the councilperson - and while there are always more ways to get the word out - there is not a way to post them on the portal or secretary of state's website.
Additional Public Hearings on the Comprehensive Plan:
Two additional public hearings have been scheduled for the Comprehensive Plan - October 2nd & 9th in the Council chambers. If you cannot attend in person or would just like to submit written comments, you can send them to the City Clerk at CityClerk@providenceri.gov.
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Wards 2 & 3 combined community meeting. I was so impressed by the depth of breadth of the questions and comments on the Comprehensive Plan and on stormwater and flooding issues.
October 5th: Plant a Tree with Summit Neighborhood & Mount Hope Neighborhood Associations
In what is the largest tree planting in a single weekend to date in our neighborhood -- more than 50 trees! -- SNA and MHNA are looking for additional volunteers! Get a little dirty, make some new friends, and increase the tree cover in our neighborhoods! See flier for more details.
October 10th - 6pm - Discussion and Presentation Potential Construction at MLK School:
In November, voters will have the opportunity to approve a $400 million school construction bond for Providence Schools. Included in the plans for this funding is significant renovation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. School. I've worked with PPSD to organize a meeting to get early information and community input time scheduled for October 10th at 6pm at MLK for two-way communication between community members and the team at PPSD. Please join if you can - and also feel welcome and invited to reach out to me directly with any ideas or concerns, which I can also share on your behalf if you're unable to go (or do not like to speak publicly at meetings).
Save the Date: Trunk or Treat on Halloween at Billy Taylor Park!
I am so excited to co-host Trunk or Treat at Billy Taylor Park on Halloween with Rep. Kislak and Senator Mack! If you're interested in also handing out candy, you can sign up by just shooting me an email! And if you're interested in bringing your kids - just stop by! We'll have plenty of candy and good times.
November 5th: Election Day!
Be a voter! The General Election is on November 5th, and you can begin voting early starting on October 16th. Early voting takes place at City Hall, and you can find your voting location for Election Day at Vote.RI.gov. Mark your calendar right now and make your plan for when and where you will vote! (I like voting on election day - it feels exciting! But some folks like to vote ahead of time because of mobility or schedule challenges -- all are valid options!)
Two things I'm particularly excited about on the ballot:
Green Bond: You will have the opportunity to vote for a $53 million green bond that supports clean water, clean air, open space, farmland preservation, climate resilience infrastructure, and more. I am very excited about this bond measure and hope you will join me in voting yes! Below is a picture of me emcee'ing the Green Bond kick off event at Save the Bay!
Providence School Bond: You will also have the opportunity to vote for a $400 million school construction bond. This bond will help renovate many of our schools - including the Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Ward 3. And, because of the ordinance I wrote earlier this year that was passed unanimously and signed by the Mayor - all of these new schools will be carbon neutral.
African American History Museum of Rhode Island:
Congrats to Helen Baskerville Dukes (leader of the Mount Hope Community Center and JuneteenthRI) and her team for the launch of the African American History Museum of Rhode Island. You can read more about the initiative from Steve Alquist here. I was so glad to be on site to celebrate with Helen!
Gratitude:
Thank you all so much for entrusting me with the work of being your City Councilor. I work hard every day to serve you. Right now, I'm incredibly focused on ensuring our voices are hearing in the Comprehensive Plan process and have been spending time listening and also sharing and discussing my proposed edits and changes to our team on Council. I am also grateful for everyone who takes the time to teach me about the parts of Providence they are passionate about - and recently loved taking a tour of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway with the WRWC! (see below).
As always, reach out to me anytime and I will reply as fast and thoroughly as possible! You can also follow my social media for updates between newsletters on Facebook and Twitter. Donations to support my on-going campaign (currently paying for newsletters, website, handouts, etc. between elections) are always gratefully accepted at ActBlue.
With Gratitude,
Councilor Sue AnderBois
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