[Summit] Fw: Councillor Helen Anthony's 2nd Ward newsletter -- Police & budget + E. River Rd closure + other matters

David Kolsky davidjkolsky at yahoo.com
Mon Aug 9 03:03:51 UTC 2021 

 

   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Helen Anthony <helen at helenanthony.com>To:Sent: Saturday, August 7, 2021, 05:30:06 AM EDTSubject: Providence Ward 2 Letter, August 6, 2021
   An update from City Councilor Helen Anthony  
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Dear Neighbors, 

As the Delta variant courses through our nation, it is important that we continue to follow the latest health guidance. Please encourage anyone you know who is not vaccinated to get vaccinated. Please wear a mask in any situation where you think you may be at risk for transmitting the virus. 

Some updates below on policing and transparency.  Let's take care of one another. 

Helen
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COVID Updates
    
   - RI Department of Health
   - Vaccination in RI
   - COVID Information for Businesses
   - City of Providence
   - Healthy Brown; RISD COVID Information
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FREE COVID TESTING

VACCINATION   
   - Get your COVID-19 Vaccination Record
   - RI COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Site Map
   - State & Regional Vaccine Clinics
   - City of Providence Vaccine Clinics
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Providence City Council Meetings
Next Regular Meetings: Sept 2 at 5:30pm and Sept 16 at 5:30pm. Note: The Council does not meet in August. Agendas and minutes are on the Providence Open Meetings Portal, and you can register to receive notice of any city committee or board meetings.

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Upcoming Special Council Meetings
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| On Tuesday August 10, 2021 Chairman Igliozzi has called two special meetings of the City Council for 5:30pm and 5:45pm.
 
1. Special City Council Meeting, 8/10 at 5:30pm
https://providenceri.iqm2.com//Citizens/detail_meeting.aspx?ID=13137

The Council President has invited our Public Safety Commissioner, Chief of Police, President of the Fraternal Order of Police and Executive Director of the Nonviolence Institute to discuss public safety.

I have heard a great deal of concern and frustration from neighbors about public safety. I hope we can get beyond talk and politics and press for responsiveness. 

I have encouraged residents to participate in meetings about our budget priorities. At the May 13 Finance Committee meeting, we heard from our police chief about his budget request for this year. I was one of the few councilors who spoke up, asking Chief Clements directly if he had the tools he needed to address the ATV issue, and he said he did. Unfortunately, the situation has gotten worse since then.
 
There has been a call for more police officers, but more police may not solve the problem. Our police officers, just like our teachers, operate in a larger system. And it is the larger system that is broken. How many of our 400 officers are deployed on our streets? What are the policies regarding apprehension of ATVs? What has been successful in combating ATVs in other cities? Have our officers been adequately trained in de-escalation methods? What is the plan for addressing the history of mistrust with BIPOC communities? Do our police need other tools to support safety for everyone? These are the kind of questions I plan to ask at Tuesday’s meeting.
 
To be clear, I support our police. I voted in support of the police contract, and I supported the new class of police academy cadets in this year’s budget. But as I have stated before, I believe strongly in public safety for all residents in every neighborhood. We continue to hear disturbing accounts from black and brown neighbors who have spoken passionately about the history and current realities of policing and its impact on their lives. And too many residents of all demographics feel the city has not responded to their concerns. 

I support the reform of our system of policing, which has been the subject of much conversation, but little action. We cannot continue to approve expenditures that will keep a broken system broken. As I said in a recent Ward 2 Letter, I am pleased that the city is pursuing new partnerships to respond more appropriately to 911 calls, but this is one of many steps we must take.

2. Special City Council Meeting 8/10 at 5:45pm
https://providenceri.iqm2.com//Citizens/detail_meeting.aspx?ID=13138
 
The second meeting is a Special Meeting of the City Council which will address a personnel issue regarding Stanley Weiss, a Member of the Providence Public Building Authority. |

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East River Road Closure: Henderson Bridge
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|  From RI Department of Transportation on road closure 7am-4pm Tuesday- Friday next week:  "Ongoing daytime steel demolition for the bridge requires us to close East River Street, from Waterman Street to Angell Street, in Providence next week.  Follow detour. We also plan to demolish a pier, excavate the west abutment, and continue backfilling for the new roadway connecting Waterfront Drive to Massasoit Avenue."

For Additional Information: Sam Guglielmi, 401-256-1799
Sam.Guglielmi at dot.ri.gov  |

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City Clerk Dispute
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|  As may have read in recent news reports, Shawn Selleck, the City Clerk of Providence, was placed on administrative leave on June 28, pending an internal human resource investigation. On or about August 3, the investigation was concluded and Shawn was reinstated. Unfortunately, council leadership has refused to let Shawn resume his job. Without consulting other members of the council, they hired an independent investigator to further probe the claims. Yesterday, the RI Supreme Court ordered that Shawn be reinstated to his position pending the outcome of a complaint he has filed.

While I do not know the details of the claims, I am concerned that the Council was not apprised of the situation nor involved in determining an appropriate course of action. I believe, and many of my colleagues agree, that Shawn has done an outstanding job of modernizing the Clerk’s office, and prioritizing open and transparent government. If it wasn’t for Shawn, the City Council would not have been able to conduct business during COVID.

The City Council unanimously elected him to a four year term as City Clerk in January 2019, and at minimum, we should be kept apprised of his status as a city employee.   |

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8/11: Celebrate Blackstone Woods 
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|  Blackstone Park is a 45-acre expanse of trees right here in Ward 2.  It is a wonderful habitat for birds and other animals, home to wonderful wild plants, and a place many resident enjoy walking. 

Join community members and city leaders for a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, August 11 at 5pm at 58 Parkside Road to celebrate improvements to the park trails.

Thank you to the many neighbors who have cared for this park over the years. For more about the park and upcoming activities see the Blackstone Parks Conservancy web site.   |

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Upcoming Meetings & Events
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   - Throughout August: PVDFest is bringing free, outdoor programming to our neighborhoods this summer. Full schedule at www.PVDFest.com   
  
   - August 17: The Providence City Plan Commission meeting about the proposed development in Wayland Square at 230 Waterman Street was continued until August 17 at 4:45 pm.  The Wayland Neighborhood Association Facebook page continues to share updates.    
  
   - August 27: The Tax Collector's Office has extended the deadline for paying first quarter tax payments to Friday, August 27. You can view and pay 2021 Q1 tax online:  http://www.providenceri.gov/collector    
  
   - August-October:  The Pension Working Group is slated to meet regularly over the next two months. Information will be posted on this page as agendas and materials become available. 
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A Bright Light
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Two of the most amazing attributes of our city are its walkability and its art. The Avenue Concept has created a series of self-guided walking tours to guide you to Providence's public art installations (and there are more than you think!) The tours are available either on an app that you can download to your phone, or on a website, so you can explore from your computer. The tours include information about the artwork, videos from the artists, and prompts for you to consider while you look at the art. A great suggestion for out-of-town visitors too!
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|  Copyright © 2021 Providence City Council Ward 2, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Providence City Council Ward 2654 Angell StProvidence, RI 02906-5552

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