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| Dear Neighbors and Friends, These are challenging times for Providence. I continue to push for fair and sensible proposals that promote the long-term financial health of our city while ensuring that Providence's middle class isn’t unfairly forced to carry more than its fair share. At the same time, over the past several years, we have had much success on many important issues. Our work includes: PRESSING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND JOBS • Unanimous support from the Providence City Council for Rhode Island Marriage Equality. • Passing legislation to improve enforcement of the city's ‘First Source Ordinance,’ which requires that any developers who receive special tax- treatment from the city also take efforts to hire qualified city residents. • Successfully passing legislation that prohibits hotels for summarily firing hospitality workers in efforts to frustrate their right to organize and reduce their pay and benefits. • Supporting community policing and safer neighborhoods by calling for the City and State to withdraw from participation in the federal "Secure Communities" program, which has been shown to undermine the public's trust in local law enforcement. PRESERVING OUR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT • Creating the position of a City Sustainability Manager and creating the City’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force to reduce energy costs and create a greener city through collaboration and partnerships with the City and other organizations. • Introducing and passing legislation requiring City licensing of tobacco sellers and strengthening city laws to prevent the sale of tobacco to children. • Opposing the sale and privatization of the Scituate Reservoir, the water supply for Providence and much of the state. • Introducing and passing citywide legislation that reduces diesel exhaust pollution from of a major source of air pollution: diesel construction equipment. SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL AND LIBRARIES • Creating the Council’s Special Committee on Education to examine public school policy and budgetary issues. • Advocating for a statewide public school funding formula, and for accelerated implementation of the formula, to give the City the resources it needs for our public schools and to help alleviate the City's financial crisis. • Obtaining funding for 1,000 books and multi-media equipment for the recently restored Vartan Gregorian Elementary School Library and successfully negotiating for significantly reduced rent for the Fox Point Library. • Obtaining funding for a new elevator, improving access to the Fox Point Library and the Boys & Girls Club. PROTECTING THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS • Enacting updated zoning for downtown Providence, emphasizing and balancing important historic preservation concerns with the need for streamlined and more predictable standards to encourage economic development. • Pressing state agencies to rework proposed major changes in the I-195 relocation project areas for a more neighborhood-friendly design with public waterfront access. • Introducing legislation that prevented the demolition of a historic commercial building in Wayland Square. • Supporting the creation of the George M. Cohan Plaza to honor the birthplace of the composer. Other recent projects include: • Supporting efforts to install wheelchair-accessible children’s play equipment at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School • New after-school children’s computer labs at the Fox Point Library and Rochambeau Library • Additional funding to the Fox Point Senior Center • New plots at the Fox Point Community Garden While we have accomplished much, there is much work to be done to keep Providence moving forward. Working together, we will continue to push for the changes we want to see in our neighborhood and throughout the city. Thank you for your effort and your support. Sincerely, Seth Yurdin Majority Leader Ward 1 |
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