September 26th Ward 3 PVD Newsletter!

Hello Friends & Neighbors,

I hope that this note finds you all well & enjoying the start of the autumn season. While I have a lot of exciting Providence updates to share - I want to acknowledge the times we are in. I hear from neighbors and friends constantly about the way that federal changes are affecting their lives here in Providence. Friends who are transgender worried about the ramification of the federal administration's targeted verbal attacks, neighbors whose work has been defunded or affected by canceled federal contracts, and the news of things like the 80% complete Revolution Wind being given a stop work order -- affecting about 1000 good jobs and our ability to get low-cost, carbon-free electricity. I'm always here if you want to talk or if you have ideas on ways Providence could be addressing these concerns more boldly. I'm here for you.

As always, there's a lot going on, so I'll just jump right in!

Providence & Ward 3 Updates:

• Nathan Bishop Courts: The construction on the courts at Nathan Bishop Middle School has finally begun! The upgraded courts will include dedicated space for tennis, pickleball, basketball, and open-play area - and should be near-completion by the end of October. A big thank you to all of the neighbors who advocated for this and provided input - as well as the students, teachers, parents, and Principal Jackson. I am funding this project through a mix of federal ARPA funds I directed, and supplemented through neighborhood improvement funds.

• Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Phase Out - Passed Committee!: On Wednesday, the Special Committee on Environment and Resiliency (which I chair), passed my amended ordinance to phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. You can read the amended ordinance here, which restricts use of this equipment to certain times of year and then phases into a full ban.  A big thank you to all the advocates who submitted testimony and to the board of the RI Nursery and Landscape Association who met with me several times to share feedback. The ordinance now moves to the full Council on our October 2nd meeting, where it will hopefully pass.

• New traffic safety measures on North Main at Olney/Benefit: The North Main Street Task Force continues to make improvements along the corridor, with the inclusion of new stanchions to protect pedestrians and bikers at the intersection of North Main, Benefit, and Olney. Big thanks to the Streets Coalition for capturing great photos & videos of the stanchions doing their job & to the City's Traffic Engineer Nate Urso.

• Housing Crisis Task Force Report: Last week, the City Council's Housing Crisis Task Force released a report with recommendations on actions the City should take to address the housing crisis. You can read that report here.   While these are just recommendations, the Council will be working to implement many of these recommendations via ordinance in the coming weeks. Please give it a read and let me know your thoughts!

• Morris Avenue Parking: I know the parking situation in the neighborhood surrounding Morris and Olney continues to be a challenge. I hear from a lot of neighbors who would like to see increased parking restrictions and some who would like all restrictions removed, and I understand that this is a challenging situation. I recently shared more information in the neighborhood list-serve, which I hope you also received. I'm communicating regularly with the city's parking administrator (who is really fantastic), and I recently learned that the Mayor's team is looking to host another community meeting on this topic -- when I have information on that meeting, I will share it with you.

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Upcoming Meetings & Events:   There's a lot going on in the City & especially Ward 3 this fall - check this out!

• City Council: The Full City Council meets in our Chambers on the first and third Thursday of every month! You can see our agendas and information here.

• Finance Committee:  The finance committee continues to meet roughly every Tuesday evening at 5:30pm. For final agendas (and also minutes and recordings of past meetings), go to the City's Open Meetings Portal here.

• October 4th: Fearless Fish hosts Oystermania! Food, drinks, music, community - the perfect way to spend an afternoon!

• October 4th, 10-2pm: Lippitt Park Celebration! The Providence Artisans Market & the Friends of Lippitt Park are teaming up for a Festival!  They will have: lawn games, crafts, donation bins from Big Brothers Big Siters of RI, a Halloween Costume swap, information about local composting from Harvest Cycle, art from local artisans, and the regular farmers market! For this event to be great, they need a handful of volunteers and some supplies! If you’re interested in chipping in for a couple hours, please fill out this form.

• Meet your Electeds - Forum hosted by the Ward 3 Democratic Committee & Mt. Hope Neighborhood Association: October 14th at 7pm MLK School. Come ask questions of me, Senators Zurier, Mack, and Kallman, and Rep. Ajello!

  

• Pop Up Shop for Tots on October 18th to Benefit the YMCA Mt. Hope Childcare Center PTO - see flier for details!

• Neighborhood Tree Planting: November 1rst at 8am! Join the Summit Neighborhood Association & the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program to plant trees across our neighborhood! See graphic for more info!

• Save the Date! Senator Mack and Rep.Kislak and I are teaming up for our 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat at Billy Taylor Park!  Stop by with your kids and family for some candy, holiday celebration, and conversation with neighbors!

Gratitude & Ask: Thank you so much for the honor of serving you on the Providence City Council. I am so inspired by the members of this community - and especially during these challenging times, it is so energizing to represent such engaged and passionate folks.

I cannot believe we are nearing the end of this term on Council - which ends in December 2026! I have tried to keep my campaign fundraising to a minimum to focus my time on the work. As I begin to gear up for next year - B I am humbling asking for contributions in support. If you are so able, the link to donate is here, or checks can be made out to Friends of Sue AnderBois at 166 5th St, Providence 02906

With Deep Gratitude,

Councilor Sue AnderBois