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City Council Delegation to State Education Commissioner Increase School Funding or Prepare to Run City Schools  As this edition of "The Docket" goes to electronic press, the ultimate impact of Rhode Island's grave budget crisis on Providence public schools remains impossible to predict.
What is abundantly clear to City Council Majority Leader Terrence M. Hassett, Finance Committee Chair John J. Igliozzi, and Councilmen Miguel Luna, Michael Solomon, Leon Tejada, and Seth Yurdin - all of whom marched to the Department of Education building on June 13 to present a letter to Commissioner of Education Peter McWalters - is that if Rhode Island does not increase education financing to Providence, the City will pass along responsibility for its schools to the State.
The following evening, the Council's Finance Committee addressed in great detail the budget woes facing the city's public schools - and solutions proved to be highly elusive.
Schools account for more than half of Providence's $625.9 million budget. For the current fiscal year (ending June 30), the city receives $189 million from the state. It was anticipated that the General Assembly would increase that number by three percent, to $195.4 million. But now that projection seems to have been - to say the least - optimistic.
The rationale for the Council contingent's visit to Commissioner McWalter's office, where they presented him with a highly symbolic ceremonial "key" to Providence Public Schools, was highlighted by Majority Leader Hassett:
"Ours was a demonstrative effort to inform the State that the City has an enormous financial problem," he said. "The intention was to show the Department of Education the future they very well may be facing."
That point having been made - dramatically - the Council is devoting its resources to solving what might fairly be characterized as the most daunting and potentially devastating budget shortfall in Providence's history. Working with the city's internal auditor, the Council's Finance Committee is investigating cost saving measures and looking beyond one-time fixes. "If we don't address the shortfall this year, it will grow exponentially in the years to come," Finance Chairman Igliozzi noted.
Stay tuned for the date of July public hearings on the budget. With so many factors affecting Providence's budget - including the State budget recently approved by the Rhode Island House of Representatives - public participation in the process is crucial.
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"Ten for Fifteen"  In each issue we will pose the same ten questions to one of the fifteen members of the City Council. Our goal is to provide insights into their respective backgrounds, thinking, and values.
In this issue, Councilman Nicholas Narducci, the newly elected voice of Ward Four, takes center stage.
*********1. How do you define public service? Serving the community to the best of one's ability.2. Who are the public servants who have had the most profound positive influence on your choice to join their ranks? My great grandmother, Anna Narducci, my grandfather, Nick "Scrappy" Narducci, and most of all my father, Nick "Buster" Narducci. All three were involved in making our community a better place.3. What are your top three priorities for City Council initiatives during the next 12 months? Making absentee landlords more accountable for the maintenance of their properties. Working with the Police Department to address traffic and safety concerns in our community. Working with members of the Council, Administration, School Board and the PTO to strengthen our neighborhood schools.4. Before you can function as the voice of your constituents, you must first hear their voices; accordingly, how do you effect direct communications with the residents of your ward? I have created the North End Community Action Committee, which meets on the first Monday of the month. The community comes together to discuss issues and concerns. They can also visit my website at www.nicholasnarducci.com. They can call me 632- 0098, or stop by my house and chat. I have an open door policy.5. What are some of your favorite films, books, and/or plays? What kinds of music do you most enjoy? Balancing my duties as councilman, president and coach of the North End Wanskuck Little League, and youth football coach, unfortunately I do not find much time for movies, books, or plays. I enjoy listening to lite rock, music from the 50's and 60's.6. In your opinion, how important are fine and performing arts studies to a well-rounded public education, and how should we prioritize funding for them? Because each arts discipline appeals to different senses and expresses itself through different media, each adds a special richness to the learning environment. As students imagine, create, and reflect, they are developing both verbal and nonverbal abilities necessary to school progress. As I stated in question 3, we should work together to fund such programs.7. How would you describe the unique responsibilities of, and the optimum working relationship between the legislative and executive branches of our city's government? The division of the legislative and executive functions of government limits the possibility of arbitrary excesses by government, since the sanction of the two branches is required for the making, executing, and administering of laws. We should all work together and make the right choices for the people we serve.8. To borrow a feature from the television program "Inside the Actors Studio," how would you respond to journalist Bernard Pivot's question, "If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?" Job well done!9. On what criteria would you ask your constituents to judge your performance as their councilman? My hard work, effort and dedication to the residents of the 4th Ward.10. Finally, the quintessentially Rhode Island question (be very careful on this one): Red Sox or Yankees? Red Sox!
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Councilman Hassett Places Fire Safety Atop The Agenda
 In the wake of an estimated 11 reported fires in the Smith Hill neighborhood this past winter - one that tragically claimed the life of a father and his daughter in a fire on Chalkstone Avenue - and at least three more house fires in Mt. Pleasant, Ward 12 City Councilman Terrence M. Hassett conducted a "Safety Day" on Saturday, April 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Nathaniel Greene Middle School on Chalkstone Avenue.
The event was sponsored by Majority Leader Hassett, Mayor David N. Cicilline, State Senator Maryellen Goodwin, Representative John J. McCauley, Jr., and the Providence Fire Department.
The Safety Day event made available free smoke detectors to area residents and provided education on safety and fire prevention.
Majority Leader Hassett was joined by Chief Michael Dillon and Chief James Taylor of the providence Fire Department, who directed the distribution of the free fire detectors and provided important safety tips. There was a raffle and prizes for children along with refreshments.
"Smoke detectors save lives by affording residents some valuable time to escape a building should a fire start," Majority Leader Hassett said. "In neighborhoods that have multi-family homes with multiple levels, a smoke detector is one of the most important tools to have in good operating condition."
He also noted that the Fire Department makes smoke detectors available free of charge to the city's elderly, economically disadvantaged, and disabled citizens
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Committee on State Legislation A Strong Voice for Providence in the State House  Councilman Seth Yurdin (Ward 1) speaks with undisguised enthusiasm about the goals, strategies, and tactics of the Committee on State Legislation, which he chairs.
"Our missions are to monitor, weigh in on, and help shape state legislation that directly impacts Providence," the chairman explained. "And even a quick glance at the headlines in this budget season will reveal just how important a role our committee can play."
Chairman Yurdin indicated that, under his direction and with the full faith and support of members Councilmen Aponte, Igliozzi, Tejada, and Wood, the committee will take a "more pro-active stance throughout our lobbying efforts." He noted that its number one mission is to find ways to raise revenues for the city without raising the property tax rate.
That being said, the current budget crises facing Rhode Island and Providence seem so immense and daunting that even the most impassioned efforts by the committee may fall short.
"No one in his or her right mind would minimize the challenges facing the committee," said its chairman. "The contributions made by Providence to the entire state must not be minimized either. Imagine the 'state of the state,' if you will, absent all that the capital city contributes economically and culturally to the quality of life here. Our residents shoulder a great burden, and do so nobly and without complaint. But nowhere is it written that we must go it alone."
During the June 7 City Council meeting, Chairman Yurdin brought forward some 17 resolutions calling for Council endorsement and General Assembly passage of specific bills.
Subjects included distressed areas economic revitalization, affordable housing and open land assessment, weapons crimes, regulation of public utilities and carriers, taxes, education, traffic control, and open meetings.
The Council passed all resolutions.
Asked if there were a single overriding theme to the work of the committee during his first year at its helm, Chairman Yurdin said, "Indeed there is. All members were in agreement that our initial efforts should be primarily - if not exclusively - focused on shifting costs away from Providence, for example the Water Supply Board Rate of Return, and developing new revenue streams for the city that don't place the burden on property owners but instead call for non- profit institutions like private universities to step up and pay their fair shares."
Chairman Yurdin vows that his committee will work throughout the summer to find stronger ways to speak for the people of Providence in the halls of state government.
"We will cooperate with Mayor Cicilline and, it should go without saying, all members of the City Council to make our unified case to the General Assembly and Governor Carcieri.
"Failure," he noted, "simply is not an option."
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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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