Mayor Cicilline Announces Measures For Averting Financial Crisis
The City’s largest union joins Mayor’s efforts to cut costs as he prepares to submit emergency supplemental budget to City Council

 

Watch a video of today's press conference at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_-C2KaUVOg

 

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline today announced a set of emergency measures his administration is taking to avert a financial crisis caused by the State’s budget shortfall and the national recession.  The City’s largest union, Laborers International Union of North America Local 1033, has agreed to partner with the Mayor in his efforts to address the City’s $17 million budget gap in FY 2009 by agreeing to significant contract concessions. 

 

The Mayor also called upon other unions to agree to similar contract provisions as he prepares to submit a supplemental budget to the City Council.

“The steps we’ve taken over the past six years to streamline City government such as eliminating 445 positions and reducing spending has placed Providence in a stronger fiscal position then some other urban communities,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “However, given the enormity of State budget cuts, if additional savings are not implemented immediately, the City will be incapable of meeting its financial obligations in four-to-six months.

“I want to thank the leadership of Local 1033 and the men and women who plow the streets, clean the parks and serve as clerks in City offices for doing their part so the residents they serve have a government they can afford,” said the Mayor.  “They’ve taken this step for one reason, because they believe that if the residents of Providence are sacrificing in these tough economic times, they have an obligation to meet them half way and sacrifice too.”

Key provisions of the agreement with Local 1033 include:
- Increase in the health insurance co-pay to 15% with a sliding scale for the lowest wage employees
- Immediate wage freeze
- Significant reforms to pension benefits, including increasing the retirement age and increasing the required years of service before an employee is eligible to receive pension benefits
- Decrease in the allowance for disability pensions
- The elimination of a paid holiday

“The men and women of Local 1033 work incredibly hard to provide quality service to the residents of this city and they recognize that these are difficult financial times and are willing to do their part,” said Donald Iannazzi, Business Manager, Local 1033.  “This is about protecting jobs and ensuring that the City of Providence is in the strongest financial position to weather one of the most challenging economic times in recent history.”

Mayor Cicilline has implemented similar modifications to the benefits received by non-union employees including an increase in their health insurance co-pay to 20%. They have also been directed to take furlough days during FY 2009.  The Mayor stressed the importance of implementing similar structural reforms in contracts with City’s other unions as the only way of avoiding a financial meltdown.

“I have been involved in discussions for several weeks with our City unions and they, too, are aware of the stakes,” said the Mayor.  “The terms that I have put forward to the other unions make significant changes, but they are fair. Unless we implement these structural reforms in every contract, every liquid asset would be spent down, our bond rating would be severely downgraded and we would be unable to meet payroll.”

Supplemental Budget
The Mayor will transmit the supplemental budget to the City Council on April 24 designed to close the current budget gap with the following provisions:
- Increased health insurance co-pays up to 20% for all city employees
- Pension reform, including decreased COLAs, increases in the retirement age, and a decrease in the maximum disability allowance for all city employees
- Elimination of vacation days
- Elimination of 30 public safety positions
- Expenditure of funds set aside for public safety severance
- Expenditure from the City’s reserve funds

While the economic downturn and lack of sufficient funding from the State has resulted in a revenue shortfall for the City, Mayor Cicilline said the City’s financial challenges have been somewhat mitigated by cost control measures implemented earlier this year.  In fact, the City will spend $5.5 million less than it had projected for FY 09.  

[return to top]

---

Mayor Unveils New Initiative in Ongoing Fight to Protect Neighborhoods Against Foreclosure Crisis
Come Home to Providence initiative gives families the tools they need to transform vacant, boarded up houses into homes

In his latest effort to protect Providence neighborhoods from the impact of the foreclosure crisis, Mayor David N. Cicilline today unveiled a new initiative designed to make it easier for families to purchase and repair foreclosed property.  The Come Home to Providence program offers residents, who meet certain income guidelines, down payment assistance and help with costly repairs and renovations.

“The foreclosure crisis is having a devastating impact on our community, displacing families, lowering property values and creating neighborhood blight,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “Come Home to Providence is designed to strengthen our neighborhoods by encouraging residents to take those boarded up properties and transform them into homes where families can thrive.”  

The Mayor made the announcement in front of a boarded up house in Elmwood’s historic district that has been vacant since it was foreclosed in 2008.  The current state of disrepair and neglect has made the two-family home virtually uninhabitable; it’s surrounded by well-maintained homes in a stable neighborhood.  The Providence Revolving Fund plans to purchase and renovate the house, which will then be sold to a qualified buyer who can apply for down payment assistance through the Come Home to Providence program. 

Come Home to Providence is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization program and administered to Rhode Island cities and towns through the State’s Housing Resource Commission.  It’s designed to provide targeted assistance to communities hit hard by foreclosures to help stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline in property values. 

The program will be administered in Providence through the City’s Department of Planning & Development and will offer qualified residents zero-interest loans for 20% down payment, and zero-interest loans for the repair and renovation of foreclosed property.

Prospective homebuyers are encouraged to talk with a representative from the Department of Planning & Development before purchasing foreclosed property.   Experienced staff can provide residents with valuable information about purchasing a foreclosed home and counsel them on pre-qualifying for the down payment loan.  Those eligible for the program must be at or below 120% area median income ($87,840 family of four).  The maximum zero-interest repair/renovation loans offered through the Come Home to Providence program are as follows:
- $50,000 single family
- $80,000 two-family
- $100,000 three or four-family

Come Home to Providence is the latest in a series of initiatives introduced by Mayor Cicilline to address record foreclosures in Providence’s neighborhoods including a foreclosure ordinance that would protect tenants from eviction when their apartments are subject to foreclosure proceedings.  The ordinance, which is pending before the City Council, would also require financial institutions and property owners to engage in mediation with a HUD-approved counselor before moving ahead with foreclosure.

The City has also partnered with Rhode Island Housing to offer assistance to residents who are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.

For more information on the Come Home to Providence program contact Barbara Barone in the Department of Planning Development at 351-4300 or the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services at 421-2489. 

[return to top]

---

Mayor Encourages Residents Play a Role in Protecting Their Environment on Earth Day

Also available online, Providence Recycling Office's Earth Day newsletter.  Go to www.providenceri.com/green

As millions across the globe celebrate Earth Day, Mayor David N. Cicilline is encouraging Providence residents to help protect the environment and support President Obama’s efforts to move the nation towards energy independence.

The Mayor joined community leaders on Wednesday, April 22 at 10am for the groundbreaking of the city's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) residence to be built at 18 Boylston Avenue.  He will also participate in several Earth Day cleanups this weekend held in partnership with the Woonasquatucket Rivershed Council, West Broadway Neighborhood Association, Blackstone Park Improvement Association and other neighborhood groups across the city.

"Earth Day is a celebration of our natural resources, which we must conserve and protect for future generations,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “I encourage all Providence residents and business owners to do you part in reducing energy consumption and adopt simple practices that can have a big impact.  This includes using your recycling bins, changing at least one light bulb to a CFL (compact fluorescent bulb), using public transportation, reducing water consumption and supporting the President's plan for energy independence."

The City of Providence has already taken several steps to reduce its carbon footprint, including the purchase of energy efficient vehicles, increasing recycling and a commitment to purchase at least 20% of its energy from clean, renewable sources. As of December 2007, the energy consumed by City Hall comes from green renewable sources.

As part of his 30-point Operation Opportunity initiative, Mayor Cicilline recently signed an executive order ensuring that all new construction undertaken by the city meets the highest environmental and green certification standards. The new Providence Career and Technical Academy and Nathan Bishop Middle School, which will open in September, meet LEED and CHPS (collaborative for high performing schools) certification.

Mayor Cicilline will attend the following Earth day events:

- West Broadway Neighborhood Association Park Cleanup
Saturday, April 25 at 8:30am – Dexter Training Grounds located at near Dexter Street

- Arbor Day Celebration/Plant planting sponsored by Parks Department and RI Tree Council
Saturday, April 25 at 10am – Roger Williams Park near Broad Street entrance

- Woonasquatucket River Greenway Cleanup
Saturday, April 25 at 12:30pm – Near Riverside Mills on Aleppo Street in Olneyville

[return to top]

---

 

Native Structures Breaks Ground on Providence's First LEED Certified Residence

Earth Day groundbreaking event highlights eco-friendly, energy-efficient, & cost effective building techniques

 

Joined by Mayor David Cicilline and Rhode Island environmental leaders, local green builder Native Structures this week broke ground on the first residential home in Providence designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Level certification.

Located at 18 Boylston Ave, the Providence LEED house will serve as the model for green, energy-efficient home design by utilizing state of the art energy efficient insulation, energy recovery ventilators, and environmentally friendly lumber products.

“It’s so appropriate to be celebrating a new Providence-based business dedicated to green building on Earth Day,” said Providence Mayor David Cicilline.  “Native Structures and the LEED House are perfect examples of the sustainable 21st-century green economy we are working to build here in Providence.”

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification serves as a nationally recognized benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green homes and buildings.  LEED certification is based on key areas including water conservation, site selection, energy efficiency, materials, indoor-air quality, and design innovation. 

“I started Native Structures because I passionately believe that eco-friendly building technologies should be a part of any construction or renovation project,” said company founder Dave Kessler.  “Green building innovations help to preserve resources and create a healthier way to live, and using these technologies does not mean you have to break the bank or sacrifice attractive design.  The Providence LEED House will be a showcase of these principles.”

The Providence LEED House is aiming for a Platinum Level certification through the use of the following green building innovations and techniques:

· Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) – high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs. SIPs are made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two structural board skins. The result is a building system that is extremely strong, energy efficient, and cost effective.
· Fly ash mix concrete – Fly ash is a byproduct of burning coal.  When recycled into concrete mix, it creates a stronger concrete and saves virgin materials, energy, landfill costs, and reduces pollution.
· Whole house fan – a type of fan installed in a building's ceiling that draws cool outdoor air inside through open windows and exhausts hot indoor air through the attic to the outside.  A whole house fan can lower the temperature in a building very quickly and is more energy efficient and less expensive to operate than air conditioning.
· Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood - certified as originating from well-managed forests that harvest wood in a sustainable manner.
· Reclaimed wood – LEED House will reuse 89-year-old Douglas-fir wood boards and features reclaimed from a garage on the property.  Using reclaimed wood prevents the continued destruction of existing old-growth forests, and will be an attractive feature of the finished home.
· Green roof garage – LEED House garage roof will feature a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane to allow for the planting of vegetation.  The green roof will help reduce stormwater runoff by filtering and absorbing rain fall.

The Providence LEED House was designed by architect Christine Malecki West, Principal and Owner of KITE Architects and the winner of the 2008 Providence Sustainable Housing Competition. 

“Our approach to this project was to design a comfortable and beautiful home that achieves ‘green goals’, leverages the attributes of its urban location, and brings aesthetic and functional value to the neighborhood,” said West.  “For example, the dramatic entry atrium helps the whole house fan ventilate the home.  And the reclaimed wood gives the house a rich accent of natural wood while reusing material that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.”

In addition to the Providence LEED House, Native Structures is also working on residential and commercial green construction and renovation projects in Narragansett, Charlestown, and South Kingstown.

Providence-based Native Structures designs and builds eco-friendly, energy-efficient homes and living spaces and is dedicated to preserving our world's resources and creating a healthier way to live.  For more info, go to www.nativestructures.com .

[return to top]

---

Mayor Cicilline Receives Holocaust Remembrance Award

The Jewish Federation of Rhode Island presented Mayor David N. Cicilline with a prestigious Holocaust remembrance award for his efforts to promote tolerance and understanding on Monday, April 20 at Temple Emanuel, 99 Taft Avenue in Providence. 

The Never Again Award is presented annually by the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island to honor individuals who, by significant and positive pursuits in the community, seek to influence the reduction of anti-Semitism, racism and prejudiced attitudes towards others.  Mayor Cicilline received the award during a ceremony commemorating Yom Hashoah, a day of remembrance for the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust.

[return to top]

---

Feature: My School
Philanthropic Kennedy School 5th Graders Urge You to Donate a Dollar or Donate an Hour
 

 

It all started when Ms. Karen Esposito, a fifth grade teacher at the Robert F. Kennedy School decided to venture out on a personal journey to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania next summer to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in part to memorialize her brother who died from leukemia.  In her pursuit, she also planned to donate some money to a charity in Africa and found a nice fit with the Flying Kites Orphanage in Kenya. 

 

When Ms. Esposito's students caught wind of her plans, they decided to help.  Their goal is to raise a million pennies that will be split between the organizations their teacher chose.  The money that they plan to give to the orphanage will also help them build a library for the Kenyan village.  Since February, they've collected 238,000 pennies and have hosted several fundraisers to reach their goal.  Through it all, these young philanthropists are learning first-hand the value of giving to others and hopefully inspiring their generation and others to follow suit. 

 

City News had the honor of meeting five of the generous students at their school library to learn why they think it's important to lend a helping hand.

 

When the Mayor came to your class for Reading Week two weeks ago, he learned about some very special projects that your class is working on here at Kennedy School.  Tell us about them.

 

Nicholas Chace: We're doing a project called "How Much is a Million?" We're trying to raise a million pennies and we are donating it to two different charities.  Half the money is going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and half of it is going to the Flying Kites Orphanage in Kenya.  We have been doing some fundraisers for this and we're trying to look for any help we can get. 

 

Hannah Falvey: Some of the other fundraisers that we've done for this are a Read-A-Thon, a book drive, a penny drive, and we're going to be doing a lot more.  They're posted on our websites, www.flykitesglobal.org, www.kilimanjaroforacure.org, and www.lls.org. Some other things we're going to be doing are a penny stacker and an essay contest.  Our motto is 'saving lives locally and globally - one penny, one dollar, one hour at a time.' 

 

Nicholas Ciniglio: I would like to add that in addition to the fundraisers that my friend Hannah just said, for May, we're celebrating "Donate-A-Dollar, Donate-An-Hour" Month to any cause, not just ours.  It would be greatly appreciated if you would help our cause. 

 

Why did you choose these particular charities?

 

Michael Nassef: We're doing it to promote positive changes locally and globally.  Earlier in the year, we already had a drive to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and so we're just continuing to do that and also raise money for Flying Kites. 

 

Adrianna Flores: The reason also why Ms. Esposito wanted to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is because her brother died of leukemia and that's why she wanted to help. 

 

And why is it personally important to you to do this?

 

Hannah Falvey:  I think it's good to help charities and less fortunate people and I just like to help. 

 

Nicholas Ciniglio: By helping the Flying Kites Orphanage we are helping children and we're trying to promote positive change to local and global communities.  We're trying to make our world a little bit better. 

 

Can you tell us a little bit about the Flying Kites Orphanage?

 

Ms. Karen Esposito: Two Salve Regina University students, Justine and Leila, started the organization.   I was looking for a charity to donate to and that I could visit when I go to climb the mountain.  Come to find out, these girls spent almost every summer vacation in Kenya going around to the orphanages trying to get electricity and clean water.  After they graduated they dedicated their careers to creating a different kind of orphanage.  Through donations, they purchased a big chunk of land in Kenya that could house 15 children and 2 adults.  They also have a farm where they raise their own food.  

 

Their philosophy is that children cannot survive by just giving them daily sustenance, enough rice for one year, and a place to put them up. They're trying to teach these orphans to be world-class learners and worldwide citizens through a world-class education, and to be able to survive on their own without the help.  They're looking for folks to donate a semester or so to teach.  It's just a whole different way of raising children in orphanages.  It's not just about teaching them how to take but also how to take care of themselves and become self-sufficient.

 

Where do you get the inspiration to help others?

 

Nicholas Chace: Of course, it is coming from people like our parents, teachers, principals, and people like President Barack Obama, Mayor Cicilline - all types of people who have taught us how important it is to give and to always be generous. 

 

Michael Nassef: (This year, two things happened.)  We got a visit from Alan Shawn Feinstein.  He comes to visit us every year.  He asks us to try to do something positive, to make a positive change.  We also watched President Obama's inaugural speech.  That inspired us to help.  I'd like to add also that every year during New Year's, my family donates all the clothes that don't fit us anymore to the Salvation Army.

 

Ms. Karen Esposito: In the beginning of the year also, when I told them about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, I showed them a video of the Flying Kites Orphanage. 

 

Nicholas Ciniglio: Yes, and as I remember, we all felt very bad for the kids in the orphanage when we saw what they had to go through with operations and surgeries.  One of them was so serious that they had to black out the camera screen for that part.

 

So how much money have you raised so far?

 

Ms. Karen Esposito: Since February, we've raised 238,000 pennies, or $2,380, collected mostly in school.  Every week, we go around and collect in the classrooms.  I take it to the bank.  They dump them into the change machine and put it in a savings account. 

 

Nicholas Chace: Most of the money that we're donating to the Flying Kites Orphanage is going into building a library, not just for the orphans but for the whole village. 

 

Adrianna Flores: We're also taking donations of books to go to the library. 

 

Ms. Karen Esposito: Yes, to build a library would cost $30,000.  So what we've been doing as we're taking pennies is we're also taking donations of books.  I have a closet full of used books upstairs and once this is over, we're going to have them shipped to Kenya.  Maybe we won't raise all the money this year, but hopefully we can raise a little bit each year and keep going until we can get the library built. 

 

What do you want other students to know about the importance of helping others in time of need?

 

Nicholas Ciniglio: I want them to know that it's basically upon our generation, and generations after us, to help the economy which right now, in most areas, is going down.  And we want to teach other people that it's good to help other causes, to help other people, and to help the economy. 

 

Hannah Falvey:  I've talked to my neighbor about it and she's gone to the website.  She thinks that it's really cool and she wants to help.

 

Michael Nassef: Last month, we were visited by Save the Bay.  That's another way we can help the world by trying to fix the environment and trying to stop pollution.  

 

Nicholas Chace: As we said, in May, we're trying to do the "Donate-A-Dollar, Donate-An-Hour" campaign.  It doesn't matter if it's our charity or some other, as long as you donate something.  The donate-an-hour part is to say if you can't afford to donate money then donate an hour towards volunteer work and different things like that. 

 

Ms. Karen Esposito: What we want to do is get people to start thinking about giving in any level that they can.  If you don't have a dollar, give an hour to help someone.  It doesn't have to be a million dollars or a hundred, as long as you give something.

 

After you reach your goals, what do you plan to do next?

 

Nicholas Ciniglio: What I plan to still donate, whether it's our charity in Kenya, or a charity in Providence, or a charity anywhere.  I plan to keep donating and helping people that are less fortunate than I am, or less fortunate than most of the middle class or the rich people.

 

Hannah Falvey:  I'm going to try to keep donating and helping people.  I plan to keep giving because it's nice. 

Ms. Karen Esposito: Since May is unofficially "Donate-A-Dollar, Donate-An-Hour" Month to us, and there's this big push nationally to become physically fit, we decided that we were going to challenge schools in Providence this year to begin practicing jumping jacks starting May 1st.  Practice as much as you can.  Get as fit as you can.  Then on May 29th, we are going to have a school wide competition by class and grade level to see who can do the most jumping jacks.  It's also going to be a fundraiser for us because we are going to ask any child who participates, if they can, to make a donation of a penny, a dime, a nickel, or a dollar (if they can't that's okay) and we will put the money we raise from that towards our million dollar penny fund. 

 

Nicholas Ciniglio: We're also doing a penny stacker challenge.  Not only is it going to help us raise money, but it's also going to be a fun event to test your imagination and see how many pennies you can stack and all the cool sculptures you can make with them!

 

Ms. Esposito, as an educator, what do you hope your students will learn when they participate in these special giving projects?

 

There's plenty to learn.  I think that through this, they are understanding that we're becoming a very small world.  That whatever happens in other parts of the world, whether positive or negative, it affects us too.  So if we want to stop the negative things in the world, we have to start here.  We have to make the attempt to learn about other cultures and to learn about other people and try to do something to help.  We just have to learn to take care of each other in this world. 

 

Another lesson is that they start to appreciate what they have.  Lots of time in our country, we take for granted that many of us have something to eat everyday, we have a clean bed to sleep in - very basic things that some people all over the world don't have.  I'm hoping that my students also become lifelong givers, with whatever they have, whether it's their time or money or knowledge.  Hopefully these lessons will stay with them for the rest of their lives. 

 

Hannah Falvey:  I've learned that I'm actually a lot more fortunate than a lot of other kids in the world and that I shouldn't take it for granted.  So many kids don't know how to write or can't go to school because they don't have the stuff we have. 

 

Ms. Karen Esposito:  She's right.  We have a lot of options in this country and we need to take advantage of them and put them to good use.

For more, the students encourage you to visit www.flykitesglobal.org, www.kilimanjaroforacure.org, and www.lls.org.  Collection bins are also located at the school (195 Nelson Street) and at City Hall.

[return to top]