Ward3PVD August 2025 Newsletter

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

I hope that this note finds you well & that you are enjoying a break from the heat this weekend.

I am starting this newsletter with a big note of gratitude to my colleague and friend Ward 2 Councilwoman Helen Anthony. You may have seen the news that Helen is stepping down effective September 1 to dedicate more time to her recovery in the wake of the June 2023 accident when she was struck by a van.

It has been a true honor to serve alongside Helen on Council. She is an incredibly unique combination of kind and compassionate, intelligent and hardworking, with a strong moral compass and a backbone made of steel. Helen is unwavering in her commitment to transparency in government & the importance of real inclusion of community voices.  Helen was the first person to suggest I run for office, and has been an incredible mentor, colleague, and friend. I wish her a full recovery and some well-earned rest and time with her family and friends.

As we receive information about the special election, I will share that with you. Elections info is also made available at vote.ri.gov.

There's always a lot going on in Providence, so I'll leap right in:

Upcoming Events

• Council August Recess:  The Council takes a one-month recess in August. There will be no formal meetings or committees at City Hall until after Labor Day. I will still be available via email, and will use the recess time to get caught up and prepared for returning to chambers in the fall (though I will also take a little personal time later this month where I will be unavailable).

• RIPTA Service Cuts Public Input Sessions:  The Governor left a $10 million gap in the FY26 RIPTA budget, and it could face some serious service cuts. RIPTA is holding public information and input sessions across the state -- with one in Providence on Monday! Check out the schedule below.

• Celebrating Councilman Danny Lopes Way - August 16th at 10am at Billy Taylor Park! Join me, Councilman Lopes's family, and community members to celebrate the life and contributions of former Councilman Donald "Danny Lopes" on what would have been his 90th birthday as we ceremonially rename parts of Camp Street in his honor! We will hold this celebratory event at Billy Taylor Park -- I hope you can join us!

• August 20th - Tax Bills Due: I know there has been some confusion about due dates for property taxes because the bills went out late. The due date was extended to August 20th. If you plan to contest your property revaluation with the Tax Assessor, you should still pay this quarter's property tax by this date, and if your taxes are reduced, it will be adjusted in future quarters. If you are eligible for a tax deduction, you need to actively apply with the Tax Assessor -- the City does not automatically deduct it for you unless you have previously filed for a deduction.

• New England Women in Energy and the Environment - Women Shaping the Agenda on August 13th: I am very excited to be moderating a panel of women from across the region hosted by the New England Women in Energy & the Environment on "Women Shaping the Agenda: How States are Driving Energy Innovation and Policy Resilience". Senator Kallman will be providing a keynote address. Learn more about it here.

Ward 3/Providence News:

• Explore the Trees of Lippitt Park!

  
  

  Join the new Friends of Lippitt Park for a community Tree Walk on Wednesday, August 14 from 6–7 PM, starting at the hummingbird sculpture. A local arborist will guide us through the park’s diverse tree canopy and share fun facts about their care and history. Friends of Lippitt Park is a volunteer-led group working to protect, maintain, and celebrate this treasured public space—and we’d love for you to get involved! Learn more, sign up for updates, attend a meeting, or join a committee at friendsoflippittpark.substack.com.

• North Main Street Progress: I have been hard at work with members of the North Main Street Task Force to continue making progress to make North Main safer. At our last Council meeting, we passed a unanimous resolution to allow the City to enter into a contract with RIDOT that enables us to access $5 million in both state funding from the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and a federal earmark to begin the next big phase of the work. Prior to this, I've put in formal requests with RIDOT that have been implemented to extend crossing times for pedestrians at key intersections, new lighting is in the process of installation, and the intersection of Benefit/North Main/Olney is being improved.   I will not rest until everyone in Providence can move around our amazing City safely - regardless of their mode of transportation. 

  

• Car Break-ins across the East Side: Just a reminder to always lock your car at night or when it's parked unattended. There have been a number of break-ins of parked cars across the East Side in recent weeks, and many cars were unlocked sitting in driveways. It's never a good idea to leave valuables unattended and visible in your car.

• Nathan Bishop Courts: After quite a long, involved process as costs for all types of projects have increased in the last many months  - a contractor was selected to implement the re-pavement and enhancements at the Nathan Bishop courts at the last meeting of the Board of Contract and Supply. The updates will include dedicated tennis, pickleball, and basketball space, in addition to some open free-play space. I know many in our community have provided input and have been eagerly awaiting what has been a longer-than-anticipated process - I truly appreciate all of your input and outreach. I do not have construction dates, but will share them when I do -- City Departments will coordinate with PPSD to minimize disruption for the students.

• Flock Cameras on Camp Street: I was recently alerted that there is a new Flock camera that was installed on Camp Street that neighbors were concerned about. I have overall concerns with Flock and am reviewing the City's contract with them now - but will also be scheduling a community meeting specifically to discuss community reactions to a new camera placed on Camp Street. I'll follow up once we have solidified a date & location, but please reach out with any thoughts/opinions about this any time. I have discussed this with Chief Perez and Commander O'Hara, and the police will join our community meeting to hear from constituents. 

  
  

Council Business in July:

The Council had a busy end to our spring session. While we are on break for one month in August, I wanted to make sure you knew about actions we took in July before we adjourned. As always, all meeting materials and agendas are available on the City's Open Meetings Portal.

• Capital Improvement Plan: We passed the City's 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, which funds capital projects such as parks infrastructure, sidewalks, roads, public art, recreation centers, and more. The Council Finance Committee (I am on this committee), carefully reviewed the projects proposed and heard about progress on projects that are in process. These Capital Improvements are funded via bonds, community development block grant funds, & neighborhood improvement funds. You can see a full list of projects included in the CIP at this link. If you have any questions about any of these projects, please reach out any time.

• Carl Lauro School Lease: The Council recently voted against approving a long-term lease for Excel Academy to occupy Carl Lauro school on the West End. (8 voted against, 4 voted yes, 2 abstained, and 1 was absent).  I joined the majority of my colleagues in voting no on this contract. I did not take this vote lightly.  I spent many hours reviewing the contract & the proposed financials; discussing this proposal with constituents, parents, teachers, and my Council colleagues; and reviewing the large volume of testimony we received (and the emails I personally received) -- and ultimately concluded that an up-to-65 year lease of a public building at the terms in the contract was not in the best interest of our City. I also want to correct two pieces of misinformation that have been shared with me a few times: A) PPSD can continue to use Carl Lauro as swing space while Asa Messer is under construction - that was not contingent on leasing to Excel, and B) the Providence City Council does not have jurisdiction to approve/deny expansion of charter schools. While I will be clear with you that I have concerns about charter expansion at the expense of investing in our public school students, the expansion in enrollment was approved by the State - our disapproval was just on the use of a public building for a long-term lease. If Excel has access to another building, they can still expand within the City.

Gratitude:

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and our City. I will be spending the August recess getting caught up on my emails and reading, amending ordinances I have in process, doing research on additional work, and meeting with constituents -- and resting a bit so I can come back in September ready to continue to work and fight on your behalf every day at my usual very high level of energy and intensity!

In between newsletters, you can always see updates and links to community events on my Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky accounts. If you are interested in and able to donate to my campaign, donations are received with gratitude to Friends of Sue AnderBois at this link.

Please reach out any time - I look forward to hearing from you & seeing you soon out in the neighborhood!

With Gratitude,

Councilwoman Sue AnderBois