Thursday, April 30, 2015

Action Alert: Ethics

The League of Women Voters believes that the Ethics Commission must once again have oversight and jurisdiction over the General Assembly.

Representative Marcello’s House Resolution No. 5374 and Senator O’Neill’s Senate Resolution No. 56 are being considered at this moment on Smith Hill. If the legislation passes, voters will decide whether or not to amend the RI Constitution, restoring the jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission over the General Assembly. Contact your representatives and senators and ask them to support these two bills.

For more information:
Call To Action: Strengthen RI's Ethics Commission, LWVRI in Action
Editorial: For ethics oversight, Providence Journal

Saturday, April 25, 2015

195 Commission Meeting on Stadium proposal 4/27 at 4 p.m.

Opposition Mounting Against Providence Sox Stadium Proposal
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor

The 195 Commission reversed its decision to hold its meeting on the proposed Providence stadium Monday in closed session, announcing Friday it would now hold Monday's meeting open to the public, but public opposition to the proposed deal continues to grow. Full Article

Meeting Information
Date: April 27, 2015
Time: 04:00 PM
Location: Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, 315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101, Providence, RI 02908
Filed on: April 20, 2015 at 02:30 PM

Friday, April 24, 2015

RIDE - Prototype Release and Strategic Plan Process Update - April 24, 2015‏

Rhode Island 2015-2020
PK-12 Strategic Plan for Education

Give feedback to the Ambassador Design Team!

The Ambassador Design Team has developed the third prototype!  This prototype contains revisions to the values and priorities, as well as newly drafted strategies and outcomes describing the vision for success. For the prototype and more information

The third prototype will be open for public feedback through May 4, 2015 at 8:00am.

A Providence Conversation - A Woman’s Perspective: New Voices on the City Council

A Providence Conversation

The Providence League of Women Voters invites you to

A Woman’s Perspective: New Voices on the City Council

Conversation over coffee and dessert with:

  • Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) and Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11)
Both are newly elected; both replace men.

Hear why they ran and the obstacles they faced.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015
30 President Ave, Providence, 7:00 to 8:30 pm

For more information, please contact
joan.retsinas@gmail.com, or phone 401-272-0422

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Narragansett Bay Commission Recognized by EPA for Environmental Achievements

Release Date: 04/22/2015
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017
BOSTON – Two winners in Rhode Island were recognized today at EPA’s 2015 Environmental Merit Awards ceremony. The environmental leaders were among 27 recipients across New England honored for helping to improve New England’s environment... (Full Story)

The Narragansett Bay Commission, Providence
The Narragansett Bay commission owns and operates Rhode Island’s two largest wastewater treatment facilities and is a leader in protecting the water quality of Narragansett Bay. Over the past year, the commission has shown its commitment to the bay by going beyond what was required of it for wastewater treatment. The commission is a leader in water quality monitoring in the state, voluntarily measuring nutrients to monitor how well its infrastructure investments work, and to find potential sources of contaminants. Monitoring showed that dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels in the bay last summer were the lowest since monitoring began. Over the past few years, the commission started a collaborative evaluation of sustainable solutions to improve water quality that brought together experts from environmental agencies and academia. In 2014, the commission also made significant progress in addressing pathogens, which led to a great improvement in shell-fishing. So far, the commission’s combined sewer overflow project has treated more than 6 billion gallons of flow that would have entered the bay untreated. The Narragansett Bay Commission has installed three wind turbines at Field’s Point, creating the first wind farm in the state and generating nearly half the energy used by the plant. The commission worked with University of Rhode Island researchers to measure greenhouse gas emissions from aeration tanks so it could correctly measure its carbon footprint. Lastly, the Commission collaborated with the state university, EPA, and several state agencies to reduce consumption of fossil fuel-based energy at each of the 19 treatment facilities in Rhode Island. This program success has led to similar analyses of state drinking water plants, public schools, and municipal buildings.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

RIPTA Launches Online Transit Fare Survey

Is it easy for passengers to buy tickets and passes to ride the bus? Do we offer the types of fare products they are looking for? The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) wants to know how passengers feel about their fare pricing and products, and is inviting their passengers to take their Transit Fare Study Survey. It is available on RIPTA’s website now through May 1, 2015. Also, copies of the survey are available at the customer service window at Kennedy Plaza and our Commuter Resource Team will be making it available to passengers at various locations, including some Park ‘n Ride commuter lots.

Full Story

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Free electronic recycling at Wheeler A.M. Weds. 4/22

Wheeler School Free Electronics Recycling Event

    Wednesday, April 22, 2015
    7:30am 10:00am

    The Wheeler School 216 Hope St Providence, RI, 02906

Bring your used electronics to be recycled at this event hosted by the Wheeler School Eco Club. Goodwill will be accepting anything with a plug (except for tube TVs). The funds raised from the collection of electronics are reinvested in training programs offered by Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island.

http://www.ecori.org/calendar/2015/4/22/wheeler-school-free-electronics-recycling-event

Sunday, April 19, 2015

City Services/Bonds/Meeting on Potholes

Many thanks to Councilman Sam Zurier for providing the following information via his
April 19 Newsletter.

City Services Study - City Council
A comprehensive review of staffing of city services in the City of Providence, RI, containing recommendations to streamline departments and reduce costs.
by D'Amico Consulting, April 1, 2015

Presentation by the City's bond financial advisers and legal counsel concerning the requirements of bond financing, the components of the City's credit rating, the City's bond financing tools and the anticipated availability of capital finance for future projects in the coming years.

Review by the City's Internal Auditor of the current inventory of outstanding bonds issued by the City.

PLOWING, POTHOLES AND PARKING - a meeting with city leaders sponsored by CHNA.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
6:30pm  8:00pm
Gilder Center for the Arts at the Wheeler School

Friday, April 17, 2015

PawSox Consultants Overestimated URI Ryan Center Attendance by Millions

Friday, April 17, 2015
Kate Nagle, GoLocal Prov Contributor

The consulting group hired by the new ownership group of the Pawtucket Red Sox was the same one retained by the state to conduct the business plan for the University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center in 2000 -- and furnished attendance projections for the Center which proved to be overinflated by nearly 30% over the course of its first ten years.

Full Story

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

2015 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook Now Available!

The 2015 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook was released at their 21st Annual Breakfast on Monday, April 13, 2015.

http://www.rikidscount.org/DataPublications/RIKidsCountFactbook.aspx

To order a hardcopy

Free Parking and Do Over Saturday

Buy Into Spring, a campaign to encourage residents and visitors to shop locally in Providence after the long winter.

To make it easier to patronize shops and restaurants, Providence will offer free, 2-hour parking beginning this Saturday in select areas, April 18 and continuing each Saturday through May 9. Please click here for exact locations.

April 18 is also Do Over Saturday – a chance to “do over” those missed outings and take advantage of great discounts and savings from statewide participants – many here in Providence.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Chafee for President?

For what it's worth:

Why Chafee for President actually makes sense  |  April 9, 2015
By Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes
WPRI.com

Why I love that Linc Chafee wants to run for president
By Bob Plain on April 9, 2015
RIFuture.org

The RI Communities With the Highest Post-Employment Benefit Liabilities

Friday, April 10, 2015
Russell J. Moore, GoLocalProv Contributor
http://www.golocalprov.com/news/the-ri-communities-with-the-highest-post-employment-benefit-liabilities

There has been plenty of attention and scrutiny involving the pension crisis and settlement over the past several years, but there's another liability that’s facing local governments around the country and in Rhode Island.

In addition to pensions, local governments have promised workers pension benefits, known as OPEB, to cover their bills in their retirement years.

What's OPEB?
Municipal governments have promised workers OPEB benefits, which stands for "other post-employment benefits", the vast majority of which are health care benefits in the form of providing health insurance

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Providence Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Meeting

April 15, 2015 – 4:45pm
444 Westminster Street, First Floor

Agenda

Roll call

  1. Approval of meeting minutes from March Commission meeting
  2. Discussion of possible Roger Williams loop road closure
  3. Discussion of ideas for improving pedestrian and bicycle conditions generated from February Commission meeting
  4. Discussion and review of DPW plans for Pleasant Valley Parkway, Smith Street, Charles Street, Elmwood Avenue, Valley Street, River Road, Smithfield Avenue, and Washington Street

Adjournment

Let your voice to be heard@ Comm. Meeting

Dear Neighbor:

We are pleased to inform you about an important event taking place on Thursday, April 9th at 6:30pm at the Dr. Martin Luther King School, located at 35 Camp Street, Providence.

This event will give you an opportunity to tell us what you think our community needs to improve, and let your voice to be heard.  So please join us and feel free to make copies of the attached flyer, to hang and share, and invite friends, neighbors and community partners.

To participate, please RSVP to Donna Miele at dmiele@providenceri.com. You may also complete the Community Needs Survey at http://tinyurl.com/ProvidenceCDBGSurvey.  We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for helping us to spread the word.

Sincerely,
 
Majority Leader Kevin Jackson                Seth Yurdin
Councilman –Ward 3                                  Councilman-Ward 1          

Samuel D. Zurier
Councilman-Ward 2

Friday, April 3, 2015

I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Meeting – April 6, 2015

A meeting of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission will be held at Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, 315 Iron Horse Way, Providence, Rhode Island, on MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015, beginning at 5 P.M.

Meeting includes: Discussion and Vote regarding Adoption of the 2014 City of Providence Zoning Ordinance.

http://www.gcpvd.org/2015/04/03/i-195-redevelopment-district-commission-meeting-april-6-2015/

Green Living: See where recycling magic happens on R.I. landfill tour

The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation offers public tours from late March to early November, taking visitors from the Materials Recycling Facility to the top of the landfill itself.

Full Article
By Krystal Noiseux
Special to The Journal
Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM

RIRRC Tour Information: http://rirrc.org/maxbus-tours

Providence Parents Frustrated With Repeated School Department Delays

Friday, April 03, 2015
Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor

Providence parents are saying they're feeling stuck in the dark with information on school lotteries.

Parents in the City of Providence are taking the school department to task for not providing information about the public school lotteries for neighborhood schools, after being told the lotteries were supposed to take place in February -- and the latest information on the Providence Public School Department (PPSD) website as of Thursday stating the lotteries were to occur the week of March 23...

A Facebook group called "PVD Kindergarten Countdown" was formed, where parents have been voicing their frustrations.  

Full story

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

RIPTA LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE FARE STUDY

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is embarking on a transit fare study that will review all fare products it offers as well as the rates that are charged. One of the main goals of the study –  which is expected to take about four months ­– is to determine if RIPTA is offering the types of fare products (such as all-day passes, or 15-ride passes) that best meet passengers’ needs.

The first two community meetings will be held in Providence and are scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2015  in the auditorium of the Providence Foundation, 30 Exchange Terrace, Providence.  There will be an early session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and evening session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

http://www.ripta.com/featured-project