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Council Adopts Good Government Ordinances
The Council continued its drive for greater accountability and checks and balances in city government through the adoption of two city ordinances in March: the lobbyist registration ordinance and the honorable service ordinance.
The lobbyist registration ordinance, which will go into effect July 1st, calls for the registration of individuals and entities who lobby Providence city officials. The purpose of the ordinance is to ensure that paid lobbyists provide relevant information for the benefit of the general public, as well as for the mayor and the city council, regarding lobbying activities. Lobbyists will be required to file reports online through the City Clerk's website, and wear identification badges.
The ordinance, sponsored by Finance Chairman John J. Igliozzi, President Pro Tempore Terrence M. Hassett, and Majority Leader Seth Yurdin, was introduced by the trio almost exactly four years ago, on March 15, 2007, and was recently revived.
President Pro Tempore Hassett stated that, "The ordinance is an important step toward strengthening public confidence in municipal government." He noted that, "Providence residents and members of the public in general will soon have the opportunity to access information regarding lobbyists' activities, which previously went unreported."
Councilman Igliozzi, agreed, stating, "Never before has Providence city government had these types of checks and balances to ensure accountability. I believe the public has a right to know, and the city has a duty to provide, information regarding the people and groups who seek to influence municipal decisions regarding contracts, legislation, policies, or other city business."
The second legislative initiative, an amendment to the honorable service ordinance, was initiated by the Council in October 2008, but was delayed, pending legal action. In January, the legal proceedings (Ryan v. City of Providence) regarding the ordinance concluded, and the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that, as originally enacted in 1999, the honorable service ordinance mandated that a criminal conviction must precede an action by the City to reduce or revoke a pension.
The updated ordinance adopted by the Council in March clarifies the circumstances under which an employee pension can be reduced or revoked, and now includes language that allows the City to pursue pension reduction or revocation in cases other than criminal conviction.
Majority Leader Seth Yurdin stated that, "The intent of the Honorable Service ordinance always has been to hold accountable individuals who commit a crime related to their public employment.
Unfortunately, it was written in such a way that allowed the City to act against the employee's pension only when there was a criminal conviction. The new ordinance defines the conduct which is considered dishonorable-whether or not there is a criminal conviction."
The Council collaborated with Mayor Angel Taveras on both ordinances, and members were present when the Mayor signed the two ordinances into law on March 21st.
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Council acts to reform City's finances
In March 2011, with Providence facing unprecedented fiscal challenges, the City Council retained Gary Sasse as a special advisor. Mr. Sasse, who served as executive director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, outlined several steps to restore fiscal stability to the City during a preliminary presentation in March. These actions included a report analyzing the financial crisis, a review of the City's budget process and the formation of a revenue commission.
"Fiscal advisor issues report, Council acts"
In April, Mr. Sasse and Internal Auditor Matt Clarkin issued their analysis, entitled A Corrective Action Plan to Restore Sound Financial Management. "The first step was to see if there were preventable causes of the current financial crisis," said Sasse. "Ultimately, our report finds the national recession and cuts in state aid impacted Providence's budget, but determines that a dysfunctional management system in City Hall made the situation much worse. After reviewing past process and procedure we were able to make recommendations to improve the financial management of the City moving forward."
Following the issuance of the report City Council President Michael A. Solomon and Majority Leader Seth Yurdin cosponsored four ordinances encompassing Mr. Sasse and Mr. Clarkin's recommendations. The President referred the legislative package to a special Joint Committee on Finance and Ordinance to review and finalize the ordinances. "These ordinances take major steps to protect taxpayer dollars and assure the future financial health of the City of Providence," said Solomon. "These new protections will help to prevent a crisis like today's category five storm from happening in the future."
The ordinances include specific guidelines to replenish the City's "Rainy Day Fund," creating an independent Audit Committee to oversee City accounting procedures, and instituting mechanisms to ensure management compliance with the City Charter. "Through this legislation the Council is building a more efficient, accountable, and transparent government," said Yurdin. "We are taking the steps necessary to make the government that the people of Providence deserve."
City Council establishes commission to review tax structure
Taking up another of Mr. Sasse's recommendations, the City Council established the Commission to Study Revenue Sustainability and Effectiveness in April. The commission is charged with analyzing the current tax structure to identify ways to encourage long-term investment in Providence. Specifically, the Commission will seek to create an attractive revenue structure which promotes equity, competitiveness, sustainability, and efficiency. Recognizing the current tax burden on residents, the Commission will examine alternative revenue sources such as fees, state funding, and payments from non-profit institutions.
As a part of the process to evaluate the status quo in Providence and gather additional data, the Commission will compare the City's revenue structure with cities of a similar size within the region. Understanding how other municipalities are operating will provide the Commission with essential information to gauge the competitiveness of Providence's current revenue structure.
Thus far, the Commission has met twice, May 12th and May 26th, with the next upcoming meeting scheduled on June 9th. In order to identify solutions most effectively, the following three subcommittees have been established: property tax workgroup, tax exempt workgroup, and non-property tax workgroup.
The Commission consists of the following nine members:
· Ed Cooney (chair): Vice-President of Nortek; Former Chairman Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce
· Frank Shea: Executive Director of Olneyville Housing
· Patricia Thompson: Tax Partner at Piccerelli, Gilstein & Company, LLP
· Mark Montella: Senior Vice-President, External Affairs at Lifespan
· Denise Barge: Principal at Barge & Associates
· William Touret: Attorney and former President of the College Hill Neighborhood Association
· Michael D'Amico: Director of Administration to Mayor Angel Taveras
· John J. Igliozzi: Providence City Councilor, Ward 7
· Sam D. Zurier: Providence City Councilor, Ward 2
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Around Town
With the welcome arrival of spring, a host of neighborhood activities and projects have begun across the city. The following is a sample of some of these exciting and newsworthy events.
Easter Egg Hunts
Each year, Providence City Councilmembers held Easter Egg Hunts in neighborhoods around the city and this year was no different.
Children and families from Mount Hope to Mount Pleasant and Olneyville to the North End celebrated the coming of spring with games, prizes, candy, and, of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny himself. Five separate events were held over two weekends in April and were sponsored by Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilman Terrence Hassett (Ward 12), Councilman Kevin Jackson (Ward 3), Councilman Nicholas Narducci, Jr. (Ward 4), Councilman David Salvatore (Ward 14), and Council President Michael Solomon (Ward 5).
Neighborhood Clean Ups
The Council was active in leading spring cleaning efforts in many neighborhoods this year.
 On April 16th, Councilman Salvatore led a strong group of volunteers on a clean up through Elmhurst, Mount Pleasant, and Wanskuck. Councilman Luis Aponte (Ward 10) organized an e-waste dump with the Department of Public Works on April 30th. Residents of South Providence and Washington Park were able to dispose of computers, monitors, televisions, and other electronic items in an environmentally friendly manner. Councilwoman Sabina Matos (Ward 15) also led a clean up event on May 14th and held a follow-up community meeting on the 24th.
Bessie Way Dedication
 On May 17th, Council Majority Leader Seth Yurdin (Ward 1) dedicated the portion of George M. Cohan Boulevard between Brook and Traverse Streets as "Bessie Way" in honor of Bessie Gomes, a Wickenden Street resident who recently turned 103 and has lived in the Fox Point neighborhood her whole life. Yurdin was joined by Council President Solomon, Mayor Angel Taveras, as well as Ms. Gomes' family and members of the community.
Crosswalk Dedication
 As part of a larger effort by Providence's to increase pedestrian safety, on May 25th, Councilman Terrence Hassett led a ribbon cutting at a new crosswalk at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Higgins Avenue. Since last October when the councilman was injured in a hit and run accident while crossing Atwells Avenue, the City has installed 87 new crosswalks and the City Council is actively pursuing new measures to make Providence a more walkable and pedestrian friendly place to live and work.
The ceremony will be led by Providence City Councilman Terrence M. Hassett (Ward 12). In addition to Hassett, attendees will include: Mayor Angel Taveras, Police Chief Dean Esserman, Director of Public Works Paul Thomas, and Chief Engineer William Bombard.
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A Conversation With Councilman Michael J. Correia
In each issue, The Docket poses the
same ten questions to one of the fifteen members of
the City Council and presents these
conversations as a way to provide insights into
the respective backgrounds, thinking, and
values of each Council member.
In this newsletter, we feature. Councilman Michael J. Correia. Elected in November 2010, Councilman Correia began his term in January, and has been actively addressing neighborhood concerns, as well as advocating for improved fiscal responsibility in the City.
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1. How do you
define public service?
For me, public service means working for the residents of Ward Six and the entire city of Providence.
2. Who are the
public servants who have had the most profound
positive influence on your choice to join their ranks?
Those who most inspired me are President John F. Kennedy, former Councilman for Ward Six, Joseph DeLuca, and former Councilwoman for Ward 15, Josephine DiRuzzo.
3. What are your
top three priorities for City Council initiatives during
the next year?
My top priorities are fiscal responsibility; contract and pension reform; better schools; and of course, Ward Six constituent concerns. With regard to fiscal responsibility, I was pleased to work with the City's new Public Safety Commissioner, Colonel Steven Pare, to revise the City's take-home vehicle policy. The new regulations strictly limit the circumstances and individuals for which take-home vehicles may be assigned, and will save the City money.
4. How do you
communicate directly with your constituents?
How does this interaction inform your work as a
Council member?
I communicate with my constituents through monthly neighborhood meetings, email, and telephone conversation. Also, I can be reached in person every morning at the 6th Ward Democrat Headquarters located at 957Atwells Avenue.
5. What are some
of your favorite films, books, and/or plays? What
kinds of music do you most enjoy?
I'm not a movie watcher as I fall asleep! I like all types of music.
6. In your opinion, what is
the biggest challenge or opportunity facing
Providence today?
The City has many challenges, as we are in the midst of a fiscal emergency. Some of the biggest challenges will be balancing the City budget, reducing spending, getting residents back to work, fixing our neighborhood schools, and maintaining and improving our neighborhood streets.
7. How would you
describe the unique responsibilities of the
legislative and executive branches of our city's
government? What is the ideal working relationship
between the two?
The Council's responsibility is to make laws and to adopt a fair City budget. The responsibility of the Executive branch is to make policies and provide City services. I believe it is time for the Council to take a greater role in making long-term change for the residents of Providence.
8. Imagine that, for
one day only, you were given the power to make
this world a better place; what would you do?
I would do all I could to make everyone love one another the way they should.
9. On what criteria
would you ask the people of Providence to judge
your performance as a City Council member?
I would want them to ask if I have been responsive and shown concern, and if I have made their neighborhood a better place to live and raise a family.
10. Finally, the
quintessential Rhode Island question: Red Sox
or Yankees?
Red Sox.
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"The Docket" is all about making city government
accessible to everyone. The Providence City Council
provides this newsletter as an information resource
for residents, business owners and everyone
interested in making Providence a great place to live,
work and visit. Please join us in our work to make
Providence the best city it can be -- subscribe
to "The Docket" today!
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