Good evening, everyone and welcome to the City Council meeting and there's a October 2nd.
Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Council President Miller and President deputy majority with Andrew Baum.
Majority leader, espionage.
President, senior deputy majority leader can solve specific council rule graves.
President, Deputy Majority Leader Harris, President, Councilwoman Peterson, Council President
Quotent Park, Pachardo, is absent, Councilor Royce, President, Councilwoman Ryan, Majority
Whip Sanchez, Councilman Taylor, Councilwoman Anna Vargas, is absent, Councilman Oscar Vargas.
Welcome to all present and two apps in your form.
Thank you, Madam Clack.
I welcome please rise for the indication given by
majority of the other panelists now.
Thank you, Madam President.
The entire part, we've come before you once again
to thank you for the opportunity.
We have a community to serve as a city.
Please guide us as we make very important decisions
for the future of our city and you will be trusted, K-Lan.
Thank you and please remain rising for the College of Allegiance, led by Councilman John Gumpaths.
I pledge allegiance to the flower of the United States of America, for into the Republic, for which it stands.
One nation under God, into His hope, for unity and justice for all.
Thank you.
1.
3.
2.
1.
2.
I'm here to announce the questions.
I have sent them to the motion passes.
Monker please, no.
I am 4.
3.
7.
As received.
I am 8.
5.
7.
I am 8.
What's the result of the written version of the calendar?
2.
And you are leaving the calendar.
I don't regret it.
Majority Leader Espinon, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Gonzalez, Councilwoman Graves, Deputy Majority Leader Harris, I, Councilwoman and Peterson, Council President Quotem, Corporate Chardo, is Absent, Councilor Lawyers, Councilwoman Ryan, Majority Web Sanchez, Councilwoman Taylor, Councilwoman Ana Vargas, is Absent, Councilman Oscar Vargas, I.
You have 12 eyes, two abs, and the motion carries the matters your pass for the second time on a low-collo.
Thank you.
I am 24.
That's a blessing.
Would you like to get it?
I should do it.
You're right at 24 through 27.
Second, Madam President.
Any discussion on the end?
It's 24 through 27.
Can I tell you in case?
Yes.
25.
This is the 44.
444, I don't know, I'm sorry, I'm looking at the world thing.
Then I, all right, any discussion that I am 24 through 27?
Failing on our daily, I, I opposed any extensions, the motion passes.
My own click, these are for it, it was 24 or 27, 26, so a committee on our dances,
27, so a committee on public works, so noted, to item 28.
Mara Prasun, which are related?
Motion 2.0 will be by 28 and pass an abode as well.
Second amendment, President.
We have a motion and a second, any discussion on item 28?
Mara Prasun.
Majority there.
Thank you.
Tonight I will ask to welcome you to our chamber.
For our son is a painter of the Dominican Republic of Police Department.
The sonny is the liaison between the Dominican Republic, the city of Providence, and the city of New York police department, who is doing great work and providing international support.
And sonny is also celebrating tonight 25 years old while wonderful career.
So, Madame Clark, I will offer you to read the resolution into the record place.
Whereas Colonel Sonne Sapeta has dedicated 25 years to the Dominican National Police beginning
service on November 15, 1999, demonstrating unwavering commitment to public safety.
And whereas he holds degrees in police, sciences, and law, a diploma in operational management
police functions and has completed special specialized training in mountain operations, combat
tactics, and international policing. And whereas throughout his career, colonocipata has
served in key roles, including the judicial police, the core of military aids, to the
president of the Dominican Republic, into urban world safety oversight, and command positions
within Digiset. And whereas, as the release on between the Dominican National Police and the
police departments of Providence in New York, Colonel Sepeta has strengthened cross-border
cooperation, promoted public safety, and supported Dominican communities abroad. And whereas,
his work serves as a model of dedication, integrity, and service, inspiring both colleagues,
and youth in the community.
Now therefore be it resolved that the Providence City Council recognizes Colonel Sonny
Sephela for his 24 years of exemplary service and for his critical role in fostering international
collaboration and advancing by national security and be it further resolved that copies
of this resolution be transmitted to Colonel Sonny Sephela and the Office of Mayor Brett
Smiley.
We'll prepare a citation, which I like to read, it's Spanish, for the corner.
We're also going to share with you another special opportunity to come here at Montesipio,
the National Province.
It's a book that we're going to share with you in the next 25 years of career.
We're going to try a program that I would like to read.
a coordination and support,
a solidification,
a lack of cooperation,
providing security,
and a good state in one of our communities,
and receiving an inspiration
to help you to work on this mission.
Between 30 days,
from the 1925,
the municipality's responsibility
to be the president,
the council,
Richard Miller,
and for all the council,
that we all have visited,
is the president of the Bienvenidos.
And I've also asked my colleague at the end of the session if you could stay so that we can just take a couple of pictures.
Thank you, President.
Thank you, majority leader. Any further discussion? I am 28.
Here you are, on paper.
Hi.
Any opposed? Any abstentions?
The motion passes.
I don't thank you for your service and your partnership with us.
I am 29.
Madam President.
majority leader.
Motion to write the real out of 29 and pass for the first time in a local vote.
Second Madam President, I think I especially know that in 2009, Councilor Annabelle.
Thank you so much, Council President and colleagues.
I apologize, obviously, and support of his ordinance.
I just wanted to explain a few of the changes that have happened since the public hearing that we held together in March.
Many of you were there.
But first of all, I would like to express a lot of gratitude to all the advocates who came out and submitted letters of comment.
who was environmental advocates, neighborhood advocates, noise advocates, and the Rhode Island
Nursery Landscape Association.
After that hearing, I completely went.
All of the letters we received and the testimony we heard in that several times with the
remote, the nursery landscape association, as well as advocates, both in their places of
business, as well as here at City Hall.
And I know that the preference from landscape versus that we not pass this.
But they offered really constructive feedback for if it were passed, how it would be easier for them.
And I really wanted to take that to heart because the goal of this is we've discussed before.
I used to address the noise pollution in our city as well as the carbon emissions and other forms of environmental degradation that come from gas leafflowers.
It's not meant to harm small business.
It's meant to be something that's positive for our residents, for our health and for the health of our neighborhoods, and health of our climate.
And so it's really grateful for their partnership and coming to the table to talk.
So the future changes we made, which I know is still maintaining the integrity of the proposal
and we'll phase up the leafs over time.
It does a few things.
Money clarifies the definition of leafs for it to be really specific about what the type of
equipment we mean.
The initial phase of the phase out allows gas leafbores to be used only during a certain time of
year during the fall when the leaves are heaviest and redest.
The current electric equipment, I've been told that many people,
It just is not up to the task yet, so the idea is to phase it out over time and allow them to continue using it during just the fall and use other equipment during other times of year.
And we also move to the fines to the property owner not to the business.
For a few reasons, one of which is it pertains to everybody using these, it's not just for services, not for just people hiring services.
People are also worried about their workers and people taking photos of their workers and many folks are really worried about having their photo taken and being taken.
submit it to any sort of enforcement, even if it is just DIS, in the challenging federal environment
we are in, which I don't need to explain any further, and it does start with a warning first.
So our constituents are going to immediately get a fine for doing this.
They will get a warning, they'll get a heads up that, you know, hey heads up, this is a thing
that happened, and it's up we have this ordinance, that's happening.
The other thing that everyone will stop talking upon is I did talk with the Office of Energy
resources at the state level, as well as Red Boyland, who had sponsored incentives for switching
over to leaf growers, and I spoke about those with Wimla, I spoke about them with OER
to make sure that those incentives were easier for businesses to access, and they have changed
the criteria for how folks can sign up for them, because it was being reported over on us.
So that has been amended, and I'm also happy to meet with any of the small businesses in
I don't know about that, I want to make sure that this works for everybody and that they'd access it to all the resources.
Not everyone's a member of Rino, Rino has reached out, they know how to work with us.
But a lot of small businesses don't participate in that.
So the goal is to really transition over and not be overly burdensome.
So I hope that you do support this.
It's something a lot of our residents have been asking for.
It's probably one of the top five things I hear about.
Folks have said, like, it'll be so much quieter.
I can't wait to move back to Providence.
And when they heard that this could be passing tonight.
So I hope for your support and really grateful for it.
And also to the committee members for the overview
and conversation on this past week, last week,
when we heard it again in committee,
and for the large volume of people
who came out to testify at the public hearing.
So I'll stop that.
Thank you so much, and I do hope you vote in support.
Thank you, Councillor.
Councillor Matale.
Madam President, colleagues,
I think we really need to think about what we're doing
there's council members, the first one I first read this, this is gas pilot, the one equipment
which I know it is obviously it falls under that category, but when we stop, when I want
more, we're going to have chainsaw as weedwack is that the plan that we do is just keep going
after and everything electric. I did some research on this as well and like you can say California,
the affluent places like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Brookline,
all affluent neighborhoods have this. And again, I know people won't like me saying this,
but this is two sets of properties. We have these side, and we have the rest of us.
In my word, I've been present, Councilman for seven years.
I've got one call on noise of a leaf flow, not one.
I've got plenty of fireworks and truestes and loud music, you name it.
Which we already have in noise ordinance.
The noise ordinance we have now is not enforced.
So why don't we keep putting, I call it, I know some of my colleagues don't like to see them,
I call it a few good, let's get on the press type of ordinance because who's going to enforce this?
The police, the police have enough to do, you want to go to a call for a least war, or someone's house being broken into a war, someone being robbed.
So, it just doesn't make sense, we don't have any enforcement. On the ones we have now, we say, we have fireworks, we have war for non-forast, we have loud music, non-forast, we have roosters in the city, non-forast.
Well, the list goes on and on and we just keep putting ordinances in and we're not in force of so I don't see how bad it's going to help
Where we start like in my world
Assembly Lake, and a lot of words, the workers, within my word, they're not on the east side. The ones that are out there doing landscape and don't live on the east side to work on the east side. They work over in my word, and so the lake, and you name it, they're there, work up. So work even them, another issue to go through, you can go by a gas leafball for anywhere from 60 bucks to 400 bucks.
electric ones are anywhere from $100 to $700.
And they have to have all the batteries.
They don't just, it's not like I'm doing my house.
They do like 10 different houses or more a day.
So what are they going to do?
I'm going to keep the costs on the batteries are very expensive.
And I feel that we're pushing these small business they come here.
And the small businesses do landscape and they do excellent work.
And I feel that we're tying their hands.
I don't care if it's now a year's now from now.
You can't even buy a new electric at least for all right now.
It's not even out there.
You can't buy a new electric at anything right now because it's brand new.
But I feel the time that the hands of a business.
Someone that comes out, they're five or six people, they work very hard.
And now we're going to say, so what's their option?
My suggestion if this passes well by generator.
by a generator, put it on the back of the trailer, start it up, that makes one noise in a leaf block, and charge your batteries, because we're giving these people not all to make them hand, the kicker is defying those to the homeowner.
What are we doing? How many fines do we want to give the homeowner? They got the recycling, we do the recycling, they have no clue we get a little risk van, they don't pick up their garbage, it goes to the homeowner.
Now we've got the FF12 graphs, environmental results, they give you a fine for that.
Now we've got a fine, I know it's only a warning, but I make people, when they get the actual fine, say they never got it.
So how are we going to get a warning? They're going to get a fine.
We just raised access, it's just never ends for the people in the city of Providence.
And I don't want to say, wait, is this stop? Because it says, yes, power, the one equipment.
So, this year it's least lower next year, one more.
Following year, we'd like to follow near chainsaw, we're not business friendly yet.
We have a lot of people in my world and in other words, not even including the people
that sell it.
But I'm going to vote now, hopefully people can think about it, because at the end
find those to that person. We're nickel and diamond these people out of the city. And
eight years from now, these people aren't going to be here. They're just going to leave.
They're going to say, you know what, I'm out of here, because I can't afford the city.
So thank you very much, Madam President. Full of snow.
Councilman, Councilman. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Councilman Tire for those comments.
I think it's a really important policy discussion that we're having and I think it's important to consider
everyone's perspective on this. I do want to say that this has been an issue
citywide, perhaps maybe not in your work, but there are many people who have been
calling to see this happen in the city and I understand your concerns here.
As we think about facing out jazz-powered leaflets, this is also about protecting the public safety
and also the public health of the worker.
If you think about the toxic emissions of gas-powered leafflowers,
it's equivalent to driving a gas-powered vehicle
for 1,100 miles, many of these workers, in fact,
do this work without having the proper equipment
necessary or needed to make sure that they're safe and many of these
of color. So that's one argument on the public health perspective. And I think we sometimes
operate under this assumption that we are trying to be punitive or her people, but actually,
in this case, it's the exact opposite we're trying to protect people and we're trying to protect workers.
The other piece is the quality of my challenges that this is opposed for many of our residents in the city.
Do you respect what neighborhood you're in, whether it's the east side or anywhere else in the city.
People deserve peace and quiet.
And I think the problem that we are trying to solve here, and we've all received these dealership emails,
is the fact that people are using these gas-powered leaf growers
that are, in many cases, evaluation of the noise ordinance, the times that are not helpful
for anybody in that community.
So if you're a baby being working out by a gas-powered leaf blower, that's a problem.
If you are someone who, you might want to go, I've gotten no emails from constituents about
that.
There are people who have public health issues and challenges and it's something that we should address.
The other piece is, we've seen other municipalities, we've seen other states, we've seen other cities, past these laws to get to completely eliminate gas power weak blowers.
they have been on the forefront of that years and years ago, so in fact, we're behind the
curve on this. California, Kansas law, a while ago, and there are so many other
municipalities that have these laws on the box. I do want to say a lot of appreciation for the
on this committee, but also will be the lead sponsor council and the end of law for being
very thoughtful and intentional about this process. There are a lot of advocates, there are
part of this process, but she also, as you heard, worked very diligently with the people who are
in opposition to try to find some middle ground and to find some commonality to move this
Ultimately, gas powered leafflowers, a polluter, they throw in our public health, they shatter
the peace of our neighborhoods. This is not the punitive ordinance. This is there's plenty
of lead time to try to educate the public on what we need to do. As a sponsor mentioned,
we can work very closely with the members of the General Assembly to try to get resources
in funds to mitigate some of the challenges around moving to cleaner energy and
technologies, but ultimately this is the right thing to do. It's protecting the
worker, it's protecting our constituents, and in the long term we're doing the right
thing for everyone involved. And the one point that I just want to make last point, the
parts department has already been leading the charge on this. So we have many people
are sitting in fact who are using this cleaner technology. These are workers in our city that are
benefiting from the fact that they don't have to use these overly notches, gas powered leaf
blowers that are detrimental to their public health. And I think we are serving as a model.
We have to read on this issue, this is about quality of life, this is about protecting the workers,
This is not a punitive ordinance. We're not saying we're going to do this tomorrow. We're giving people some lead time
So I think this is completely reasonable and I hope I hope that our colleagues you're
Spective of how you feel about this issue. I hope that we'll look at the bigger picture here and think about how we're going to protect our people
Our workers, but also the quality of life of the residents in our city and with that
I'll say, lastly, I just want to say thank you to the sponsor.
Thank you to everyone who worked incredibly hard on this initiative.
I want to send this shout-out to the Providence Noise Project.
All in the neighborhood associations across the city who are part of this process.
But also the people who are doing issues within work
didn't came to the table to try to think about making it better.
And that's what I think this is.
So again, I hope that we'll support this ordinance
and finally pass it to like, thank you Madam President.
Good morning, I am 29.
Can't forget.
Thank you very much, Manager.
I owe my car as a model, and they say, and I wish you can have a job position for them
to model when they lose the right to work and do a use of their gas power.
I got a lot of problems, and because to each other, they depends on these particular
job, they have a lot more, a little more, a wee walker, give us a little more electrical
cost money between the hours. They barely make a money to survive, especially the
ways that weren't so high, they do every day go to work, to make ends meet. In this job,
But to do less hidden business, you and your rocket science tired like my colleagues
have to hit this chamber.
They don't want to harm or to get a tire to work out grass.
But my people, my community, they need these jobs.
It's really, really, really to every council person who was here and introduced new ordinance.
And it's so great, great when we compare with a huge series like California,
cause you're 90 miles to get there from here.
We are here at the tiny city in the island that we are trying to survive, everybody is trying to survive here, including us here.
Why we don't create new owners to create jobs, to place incentives, to create positions, and to stop going off to the property owners.
How much more we can take from them?
These ordinance will cite the propaganda.
The proble order pays a contract to their landscaping company.
The landscaping system will send a bill and months later.
By the time the proble order is given a bill for a landscaping job,
he will give the citation regulation a hundred dollars.
And we'll say, hey, how come I got this?
So I'm not paying you with the full job with you, because I got this relation.
I don't pay the relation in that pay the landscaping company.
Then that's what an issue is.
But that's what the problem is.
These organs, these are a grey organs.
As a good idea to hope the climate is great.
we have to wait, we are really wet. If you have a 3,000 dollars to buy a general area, the
we produce more or more of them than the heat lower, it's fine, but they don't have 3,000
dollars to go buy a diesel general area and put it in the back of the truck to charge batteries.
So we are not saving nobody, we are not saving the planet, we are not doing anything different.
We want to be using the people's block to charge my balance, I don't think so.
That's why the property,
the tolerance, is not helping.
Doesn't help, I can make it.
I will help my whole community or different communities that we have in this city.
We might have to do some other areas, the body of the body.
These all will be for one, one, one, two, one, fifteen, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, three,
And this area is bad, but we are here to speak the city.
We are here to unite and we are together for the better future of the city, that's
where we get elected to protect our constituents.
If I'm talking to you as we come to again for my constituents, and everyone here will talk
for their own constituents and that's what we will do this on this to the floor and make
the right decision.
I'm sorry I want to be one and more because I got 11,000 people saying what are you doing?
Clare more or less to squeeze the dollar out of the people? That's not right.
It is more a great good ordinance, good policies that will help the people, the people, the problems,
because that's the city we represent. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for the discussion.
Council on Sanchez.
Thank you, my President.
I apologize in the short support of this ordinance.
I'm like my colleagues have mentioned a huge amount of gratitude and strong command that
sponsor for doing her due diligence on this ordinance.
It's not easy to bring people around a table with strong opposing opinions.
But that's exactly where my colleague has done about working on this ordinance.
Most concerns that I have heard today are dressed in this revised ordinance.
I hear speeches and I start to think, I'm like, do my colleagues read the ordinance?
Because most of the stuff has been addressed, which leads you to the next question of the front,
you know, enforcement concerns and, you know, folks have a concerns about that the
following's going to property owners, that that was the result of sad conversations happening.
You know, it's definitely not an easy thing.
You see the headline all the city banning gas power. It brings a lot of different opinions, but to do the work in and pull the mud sling into the side and get to the pool where it had to date, but it's not easy task, and that's what my colleague has brought us to this point. Like folks have said, this does not go into fact until 2023.
While I do respect and appreciate the noise concerns, what really drives me to support something like this is the environmental piece.
Folks are worried about the cost of living, the expensive rent, which is all about the concerns, but we don't have a clean environment to live in.
Louie, none of this matters, and that's exactly where we're heading as a society here and
in Providence and other places.
We've talked about pollution around the world, we've talked about the congestion and
in different parts of the neighborhoods of traffic.
We need to be doing everything as a municipal, as a municipal body, to start showing love to
this planet that gives us a lot of every single day.
And, you know, this moment, you know, cut off all carbon emissions, but if you read and see the papers and data and research that the emissions that these instruments put out on a yearly basis, it will really blow your mind.
So, that's why I want to rise in strong support of this, you know, if you read it as a headline,
then yeah, you may be not supported, but what you dig down in the details
and actually understand the process that is played out.
To me, this is a very common sense, a good government bill, and I'm proud to support you.
Thank you, I'm President.
Good, good discussion. I am 29.
Yep, further discussion? Before. Good.
How's one beer, sir?
Okay, okay. That's a little strong.
So thank you very much. I want to thank this sponsor of this for putting this together.
I'll be extremely honest with you.
I have been completely on the fence on this one for the longest time.
There's already a reason many of them that were spoken about today, but what I think is a really positive move about this particular ordinance is that you've put it out so far in advance so that we can do all of the things that we're intending to do the right way and I think that that it really needs to be noted that the time dedication to make sure that we get a right has been put into place into this particular ordinance and I appreciate that.
If there's one particular ask that I could make,
and it's only because of a situation that I came across in the past month and a half for my professional life,
is that we really do a lot of education around the batteries and how to dispose of them properly.
I sat in a training with fire chiefs from all over the state about just about diffusing these actual batteries,
And it was really scary and it's not something that most people would even realize with these things.
So if there's one point of advocacy that I would make is that we just put our best food forward and really create some advocacy around doing it the right way, especially if we're going to have homeowners taking care of these things on their properties and things like that.
I am going to be supporting this. I do appreciate the overall of all the work that you put into this.
And I do agree with my fellow counselors that had a lot of hesitation, but I also understand that there's a lot of room to make sure that we do enact an enforce in the proper way.
And with regards to enforcement, I think that's a very broad turn of the things that we need to work on.
And we should actually be taking care of a lot of those things through our committees.
So thank you. Thank you any one who hasn't spoken yet before I allow the sponsor to say no, okay
Council and one thank you and I'll be pretty if one I really appreciate this robust to pay even among the folks who opposed it
So thank you for sharing your views. I did want to share three for three additional quick things
What is an agreement with Councilwoman Peterson? Yes, let's work on that
I'm just saying that ladies are in the mobility the scooters and things like that and I want to make sure the city
addressing some of those issues as well, so people can use all these devices and all these
batteries and safely as possible. So 100% I just want to highlight something that
Councilman Sanchez and if we've Councilman Gong calls for saying about public health, I
have constituents who have called me the gas leaf blowers are so powerful and blow up so
much particular matter from the ground, especially during times of year when not
right now, when there are fewer leaves on the ground and they're just kind of blowing. People
become they use the phrase with me prisoners in my home like if they have respiratory issues or any
issues with their lungs like being outside when those are being used is like incredibly challenging for
their health and I have a number of constituents who just cannot leave their houses during certain
times of the year because they can't breathe when they go outside or they constantly have to be masked
and so it's an environmental issue, it isn't noise issue but it's also just a public health issue
for people who are literally trapped in their homes
with tons of air purifiers and things like that.
Because they're used to cross the whole city
if you're used to off North Maine,
they're used in your neighborhoods
whether or not people are complaining.
And the other, I just wanted to admit,
this isn't just a big city thing.
I'm part of a group of folks,
counselor across the country
who work on environments and issues.
And there are teeny tiny little towns,
big cities, medium cities,
cities of all sizes, who've already done this,
and they're doing it fine,
and we're not seeing giant generators in the street.
You know, it's good to think of all the worst case scenarios and make sure we're planning for that, but it's not
Other places have done this and it has it's been okay and we haven't seen a lot of these
It's not just for huge cities. It's not just LA. It's also smaller places across the whole country including here in New England
So we are not at the cutting edge. We are like catching up a little bit
So I just wanted to point that out that think you all I love the robust debate in conversation and I hope you will support it
And we'll sit down.
Put your discussion.
I am 29.
Hey, 9.
9.
Peter S Penal.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Consol.
Councilwoman Graves.
No.
Deputy Majority Leader Harris.
A thing.
Councilwoman Peterson.
Council President Protemporary Petrano is absent.
Councilor Warriors.
Councilwoman Lyon.
Majority Web Sanchez.
Councilwoman Taylor.
May.
Councilwoman Anna Vargas is absent. Councilman Oscar Vargas. May you have eight eyes, three
knees, one abstention, two absent. The motion carries the matters pass for the first time
on a well-collo. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I am 30. Madam President?
Majority in here. Or should the way that we don't buy authority and pass in a boys' vote?
Second Madam President. We have a motion in a second. I need a discussion on item 30.
I'm quick. No one's like.
I'm on David.
Any opposed? Any abstention?
I'm a Shampasses. I'm 31.
I'm a person.
I'm a person. I'm 31.
I'm a person.
I'm 31.
Councilwoman.
Councilwoman, thanks.
I'm sorry. Councilwoman could use your microphone.
Thank you.
I'm speaking unparalleled.
Because there are two things.
One is for driving in the other one is for the wife of a clock, of what I found him.
I wish they had separated it, because because I think they took separate things and it's probably
something that that differently.
My concern is for a four or four in West Minister or how the decision that was made before
For any of us, I guess we're setting it in these chambers, but it was this things that we have been doing
or having them for a while, is voting on things and having leases that go 30 and 40 and 50 years
and this is what happens, things that keep down the road, the tech in, there was stock.
That was part of the worst grief I have ever seen in my life.
We gave away everything and achieved nothing from this.
So now we stopped with the decision of whether now we should follow this building.
It should have been brought back then or be held above and paid these millions of dollars
each and every single year, I think this is a good thing, if those of you who have not seen
that least need to see that least read that least and see what we've been doing and what has
been going on and realize that we need to stop doing these things, we need to understand
before we sign our names to these things.
We need to understand what
the outcomes and things and how we can be putting another
council.
The same predicament that we're in right now and we need to stop doing this is not good for our
people or the city is not good for us.
People who just keep on doing it has seemed to be the same place all the time.
And we got to say enough is enough.
That means that I know that we probably should, you know,
Bob was going to just get up and under.
But sometimes we need to learn how lesson.
We need to learn what these, this is what happens.
And maybe you need to join us for the next ten years.
So I'm going to say, no to this, only because four, four, four should never happen.
And I think I have to say, shame on those that sign at least.
I was never so disappointed because I was more angel.
And I know he's a very intelligent young man.
I know he would get the best of education.
I don't know how he got scared into signing a man.
But I hope the next mayor in the next city council
will never sign anything like that again.
So that's all I have to say.
Both your discussion and 31.
Chairwoman, right?
Thank you very much.
Madam President.
I rise to speak on item 31, but as before I was, it's not a lease on 444 Washington
Street.
It is a resolution to authorize the bonding to acquire, to allow the PPBA, the authority to acquire,
two pieces of property, 444 Westminster Street, and the waterfall arts building.
Again, it's a $25 million bonding, it is fiscal-ish sound, quite frankly, it gets us out of
a lease that we've been in for 14 years, it's a $25 year lease, so we've got quite a
waste to go, and we are currently paying $1.7 million annually to rent that building,
that building houses 10 departments of the city of Providence.
It gets about 70,000 square feet.
As we all know, moving people,
if we should buy all that lease,
we'll stay in there.
We'll be subject to escalating ripenments.
But if we were to move out of the building at any time,
the costs would be high, very high.
It would be a hook, a lean tester to move those 10 departments not to mention the significant
downtime.
The reality is, this is a first-grade sound transaction.
It is taking that $1.7 million of our debt obligation, our budget is enhanced because of it
because of not having that rent payment, we're moving that obligation to the bond payment,
which we have room in bond service capacity.
It provides critical, wonderful space for us.
Anyone who's been in the building knows that first law
has tremendous community space potential that's used a lot
by the CPC for their community.
Meetings, the basement has tremendous capacity to
relocate our archives.
It's one of the things that have been discussed.
Moreover, as a renter, we haven't been able to do anything to make that space fit our needs.
On of this bonding includes a 2.75 million dollar reserve to allow us to do some space planning to make that building fit our needs now and into the future.
And that certainly is an important step that needs to take place on.
Again, I support this.
The Finance Committee met.
We had great.
We have to deal with what we have in the time that we're dealing with it. And, quite frankly, this is a good deal. Right now, it makes fiscal sense for us. And I support it wholeheartedly. Thank you.
I have a question, Councilman Sanchez.
Thank you, Mayor President.
I, when I first saw this, I think I got a little part of goes the first way I found out about this proposed deal.
I definitely, you know, had a lot of concerns in my mind right away, I was absolutely not.
But then, you know, you're deep in the details.
You know, my, just general concern of the city going out for bond in these times is,
It has more responsibility to the city in a time where we're asking for our neighbors to pay more.
I definitely hesitate to be asking for more money for the city of Providence.
But when you dig into details as the financial committee did a couple of weeks ago, conversations with the finance team, this is makes sense.
absolutely. Going forward, it's going to give the city a lot more flexibility. We, on top of
the rental payments, we're spending more than a quarter million dollars on maintenance and repairs
on the annual basis. So when you add that to the rent, the debt payment is going to be a lot less.
Then we have four control of the building to do whatever we need to do in terms of repairs, upgrades,
It's moving offices around to fit needs of our city department better, which is a great
plus.
But it's important to acknowledge that this wouldn't be a good deal if that really, really
copied lease was it in place.
So, I think it's important as constituents and representatives of the people that we serve
to highlight those important details to show, you know, all neighbors, these decisions
that we're done in the past, probably, you know, behind a bathroom, quickly passed through a
council chamber, I don't know the exact process that went through, but if I had to guess there
was a lot of community and public input, because we all have rather least it's extremely unfair
to the people of Providence, but by, you know, buying this building on this opportunity that we have,
I think we're doing a little bit more justice to the people that we serve.
And lastly, I want to highlight, which was an American side of mine, is that we wouldn't have any more
debt capacity to keep funding and future CIP projects.
The finance team or the administration did say on record that this doesn't impact any other
future, CIP, or any other possible bond projects that we want to do in the future.
So we've all of those things noted.
I'm glad to support this bond.
Thank you, President.
Councilman Gauss.
Thank you, Mayor President.
Thank you for those comments that I made by my colleagues.
I also had a similar reaction, but I want to say that.
This is a financially important thing for the city to do.
we are the term expires in the school year 2036 and it would likely need to be renewed at the time.
I understand the concerns that people are sharing here.
But as you just heard from the finance show,
when you just heard from my council colleague or council colleague,
Miguel Sanchez, the annual lease,
It's going to cost 1.5 million per year, and that's just going to escalate, and as you
also mentioned, the figure of $250,000 in additional maintenance and management and utility
costs for the project. So this is a financially proven thing to do, and so I certainly urge
my colleagues to support this, is it relates to the Valley Street and Water Fire building, you know that's a critical cultural institution in our city, and I think it's all so important that we're able to think about this holistically and collectively and be averaged that service on that borrowing as we have heard in committee and from a finance department is
is over $300,000 a year. So this plan purchase will allow us to lease the building and
it's used for for 20 years and also ensure that we're operating in a very fiscally
prudent way as a city. So it's the right thing to do. I understand that there are people
Well, congratulations here, but I think ultimately this is going to be beneficial for our balance sheet here in the city of Providence.
Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you for your discussion, and there you are.
Madam Clerk, please cover up.
Council President Miller, aye.
Deputy Majority Web and Opa, aye.
Majority Leader Espinal, aye.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Gonzales, aye.
Come again.
Thank you. Councilwoman Graves.
Deputy majority leader, Ms. I. Councilwoman Peterson.
No. Council President Putin, Corporate Charter, is absent. Councilor Warriors. No.
Councilwoman Ryan Roy. Majority whip Sanchez. Councilman Taylor.
Councilwoman Anna Vargas is absent. Councilman Oscar Vargas, you have nine eyes, three
knees, two absent. The motion carries the matter is approved on a roll call vote.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Item 32. Madam President Majority Leader.
Motion 2 and we see you in a pool. Second amendment.
We have a motion and a second any discussion on item 32 comes on Sanchez.
Thank you, my president.
Today I want to raise a strong support of this appointment.
I've met with possibly to be director, Sean here shortly.
A handful of times, we had a record meeting and he did attend.
Being the Director of the Director of the Department is not an easy job, but it's a very important one, especially now, you know, I think we will live in a time where we're utilizing rec centers for a lot more than just a recreational center, it's a huge community, a lot of resources, a lot of lives being saved by a lot of our youth spending time and then learning important life skills.
But through those conversations and experiences with Shawna, I think he's going to be a great director.
He knows that this is a team that we're going to hold him accountable when he,
but we're also there to support, to keep increasing funding to the right department.
I think it's something we should start talking about now,
before the budget season comes, so I just wanted to rise in and strong support of Sean
Oli.
He is here today.
Thank you.
I just got some questions.
I do.
I also wanted to echo Mike the comments from my finance committee colleague.
He made a wonderful presentation in the finance committee and what we learned in what was
to fight to is his commitment to the city of Providence, to the youth of the city of Providence,
and being partners with each council member in one of our ex-centres.
We disagree at this in this chamber around tables on a lot of topics, but one of the things
we all agree on is our youth, our children, proper education, wonderful recreation service.
It's critical to their growth and their development, and it's something that every single
Council person, I know, takes very seriously.
I think that Sean has a great pick.
I think he's got a strong background,
and I'm really excited about what he's going to show our young people.
He's certainly going to be a strong leader,
and someone that they can all look up to.
So I wish him well, and I hope
hardly support him.
That was a good question.
Councillor Thompson.
Thank you, Madam President.
I don't want to believe that points here, but I couldn't think of a better person to hold
this role.
So I also just want to echo those marks and my colleagues.
Thank you, Sean, for stepping up and being willing to lead you in the city of Providence.
You know, someone who has spent a long time in the early childhood education, the way that you have spoken about
addressing the needs of our kids in a very holistic way is something that has always
made me really perk up and I can, again, think of a better leader to read well
operation.
OREC centers are not just about our kids playing basketball and that's something that we
have talked about and I know that he is ready to step up to the plate to make sure that
we're really addressing all the social emotional needs of our kids and whether it's
I'm training the other holistic elements that we've spoken about, so I just want to thank you for stepping up and leading on behalf of the children in the city of Providence and want to thank you in advance for all that you do.
So thank you again.
I have a discussion and I am taking care of my baggage.
Thank you, Masha.
I was to welcome Mr. Sean.
I just wanted to clarify that the city party has formed a new culture.
We have to many different people and everybody who has a different need.
I hope you will understand all the means of different communities that we have in the city.
And we can work together to, for the best of each different community center or each of our
regulations center, because everyone is totally different.
I want to work with you, and we can, I hope we can work together.
Thank you.
I know Sean from a while back.
I might think it is, I hope, and pray.
Because I know he has it in, I hope and pray that this is a long-term thing.
This is something that you're going to commit to and stay with.
And for you all in, listen to the directors and each and every last one of the
sit-ins that are already there. And if you have any issues getting contact with the
council person in that area and let us know, we are willing to fight for our records and we will
fight to the end. And you will have our support as long as you're doing well by the
And the kids, as long as they are well-bired and reckless, we will do well by here.
So, welcome.
Thank you, discussion, and thank you, and we are done here.
Thank you, Madam President.
I just like to welcome Sean Holly, and we share much success.
We are looking forward to working together with him, with his dedication, his education,
I think I'll be a perfect fit with the recreation department.
Thank you.
Any further discussion with her?
All right, Council and Santa.
Sorry.
Thank you, Madam President.
I see Jackie here in the campus.
I just want to give him his flowers and gratitude.
Jackie?
Jackie is a state, obviously, in your,
uh, Rex and his duke-loor, but he really held,
uh, it led the ship,
So why we didn't have a permanent director, so he's a huge staple in support system for
our department.
Definitely just want to give him the gratitude he deserves.
Thank you, President.
Thank you so much, Councillor.
Private discussion.
I am 32.
Hearing none.
All in favor.
All right.
Any opposed?
Any abstentions?
The motion passes?
Allow me.
Councillors, please take a point.
A personal expression.
I think that everyone knows that public service is very rewarding, but also not necessarily
So I really want to thank and congratulate both Jackie and Sean for the dedication to the youth of our city to all of the board neighborhoods and to the work of the day I thank you both.
I am 33.
I'm a president.
What's your daughter?
What's your daughter already?
About 33 and 34.
Second member of the president.
Any discussion on item 33 and 34?
On payment.
Aye.
Any opposed?
Any abstentions?
the motion passes.
Madam Clerk please some 33 to come in if I'm claims I'm hitting suits, I'm 34, I know
as receives.
So noted.
I'm 35.
But a question?
The majority of it.
I should be worried that we will have to be followed by some rules for the second-end
investment.
Any discussion on M35?
I'm very glad.
Aye.
Any opposed?
Any abstentions?
The motion passes?
M36.
Madam President.
The majority of it.
3, 6, and pass the unanimous race in vote.
Second medal for us today.
I'm sorry, we have passed the item thirty-six and discussion on thirty-six, on favouring, aye, any opposed any of sentient motion passes? Majority leader, quick question, yes, aye, just what I thank Mark, we will be leaving us at a real good as well as what we had before hand days, can I have an opportunity to re-enact?
And I would as family, you will be deeply miss, who always be here.
It's been a pleasure knowing you, Mark.
Madam President, which I needed, being a customer for the basis of a calendar, will make a motion to adjourn and tonight.
We will adjourn in a name of Mary Frop, who has recently passed away.
Second Mac Christmas.
Any discussion on a paper by any opposed and you have sentient promotion passes?
Councilors please remember we have a meeting on the lines so take a few minutes.