Providence Committee on City Property-Thursday, September 12, 2024-5:00 PM
Call to Order and Roll Call
The Committee on City Property was called to order, and a roll call was conducted confirming a quorum was present. The chair also recognized the clerks and the city solicitor.
Items 1 and 2: Waiver of Readings and Continuance
The committee addressed resolutions regarding property conveyances on Alaska Street. Motions to waive the readings for items one and two and continue both items to a date certain were approved.
Item 3: Nonexclusive License Agreement with St. Anne's Catholic Church
The committee discussed a resolution authorizing a 49-year nonexclusive license to St. Anne's Catholic Church for city property on Charles Street. After testimony from church representatives and the director of real estate regarding community use and maintenance, the committee voted to recommend approval.
Adjournment
With no further business remaining on the agenda, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting concluded.
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Good
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evening. Today is Thursday, 09/12/2024. The time is 05:13PM. Welcome to the committee on city property. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
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Chairman Gonzo. Present. Vice chair Anjouwah is absent. Councilman Espinal is absent. Councilwoman Graves?
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Here.
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Councilwoman Peterson? Here. We have three present and two absent. We have a quorum.
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Thank you, madam clerk. I'd like to thank our wonderful clerks for all that they do and also thank our city solicitor solicitor Lewis, for joining
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us this evening. And so here, item number one. Resolution authorizing the conveyance of the parcel located on Assessor's Flat 098, Plot 26914 Alaska Street to the PRA for the purpose of redevelopment, therefore, and for economic development and increased tax revenue.
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Great. So at the request of the sponsor, I'd actually, like a motion if possible to, waive the ratings of items number one and also items number two and perhaps another motion to continue those items for based certain in the future.
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Motion to.
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We'll waive the readings. Okay.
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Waive the reading.
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Motion Motions number one and motion number two. Can I continue that? Yep. Second. So make a motion to waive the readings of items number one and two and continue those items to date certain.
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That motion is made by counselor Graves, seconded by counselor Peterson. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? The ayes have it.
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So madam clerk will read item number three into the record.
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Resolution authorizing the mayor to grant a nonexclusive license for a period of forty nine years to Saint Anne's Catholic Church of Providence for the property located on Sessors Flat 071, Flat 60578 Charles Street for consideration of 10.
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Thank you, madam clerk. And it's my understanding that we have several guests here, so we'd love to swear them in and hear their testimony. You
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just can raise your right hand, please.
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You want No. Mister chairman, do you want me to... I'm the attorney representative. Oh, yes. If possible.
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Yeah. I don't know. Yeah.
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Do you swear under penalty of perjury that the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
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I do.
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Please state your full name and current address of the record, please.
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Steven T. Napolitano, attorney, Province... North Province. 959 Middle Spring Avenue, Suite 2. Attorney representing my church, St.
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Ann's Catholic Church in Providence. I have with me tonight, our pastor.
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We're also joined this evening by the director of real estate in the city of Providence, Mitchell. Thank you for joining us, sir. Chairman.
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We're Nick, director of real estate. Cool.
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Thank you. Alright.
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So we'll kick it off here, and we'd love to just hear more about this resolution authorizing the mayor to grant a nonexclusive license for a period of forty nine years for Saint Anne's Catholic Church. We thank you for your time this evening, and I thank you all for being here.
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Mister chairman, first of all, before I I say anything further, I would like to thank all the staff, city clerk's office, the... Your staff in the council office, the law department, and the Providence Public Building Authority for their assistance and help in getting to this point. They've been absolutely fantastic, and I really appreciate it. And and following ASCO also Thank you. Does that.
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And I might add he adds everybody in there, his prayers every day. Thank you. And that's that This this license as well. The license that, I I believe it was originally fifty years, but it's been a year that we've been negotiating back and forth just to get the, details. And I might add before I go into what we're gonna do with it is that I...
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We also have... Also had con... Conference with, not only the... It was a chick... Shelly, but also, the bond counsel, Karen Brandy, who, represents the bondholders in this transaction and went through in detail the the analysis of the license.
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And they had no problem with it. They signed off on it. And when I say signed off on it, they agreed with the city having the authority to do it. There would be no violation of the bonds, which would result in a forfeiture, which is not good for us. And being a resident of the city province, even more importantly, then my taxes go up.
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So that said, this this license would be used by our church. Let me back up even before that. The license requires our church to make sure that we indemnify the city from any and all liability for any activities. We have the coverage for that holding the city harmless. In addition, we will also maintain the property involved here in terms of keeping it up current and and and secure and at no expense to the city.
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So... But what we're going to use the property for, it's on... It's on Charles Street, but it's it's adjacent to Saint Anne's Church. And it's used for community activities such as, the Novena of Saint Anne's, which we just had, and the, Guadalupe. Right.
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So they're all summer related activities.
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Activities during the summer.
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And the other thing is it is not... We would not exclude anyone from the neighborhoods and around the surrounding areas. And we encourage more people to come in from a practical point of view than they become members of our church. So that's a good thing. That that said, but it's it's community oriented, and one of the activities we're gonna have just recently that was coming up would be the blessing of the analysts.
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So those are the activities that we'd be involved with. There would be no games or anything like that, but there would be... In Easter, we'd we'd have processions emanating from there into the church, which is right not too far. It's, like, adjacent, as I said before. And, that that would be about it.
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Great. Thank you so much for your testimony.
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Been hoping to have in in December. They also have Christmas tree over there, light it up and all that for the for the neighborhood and all that. Absolutely.
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Well, yeah, pastor, we'd love to hear more from you too about how this transfer would be helpful to you and the church and
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your your future festivities. Actually, yes. Two years ago, our parish at San Anza merged with San Edward's Hispanic community. So now we got a growing community, younger community Mhmm. Eager to keep our church going and growing and being proactive in the neighborhood.
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So this space will be key for us so we can have some, like, recreation space after services, after community activities, especially during the summer and the fall. And and it is... We'll love it especially because we have a lot of small kids, and the place is all, fenced around so we can keep the kids inside without any any any problems of issues of, danger for them. Mhmm. And it's a very, great opportunity for people coming together is trying to, integrate the two communities, the Italian tradition and the Spanish tradition altogether.
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This is a great space for that, especially during the the the warmest months of the the year. Yeah. It's a wonderful... Well, we have wonderful addition for our partners to keep it growing. So that will be possible, it'd be a big big help for us and for the community and the neighborhood as well.
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Absolutely. And thank you for your leadership at the church and for all the Thank you so much for your time.
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Be so proactive for this. Thank you.
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Well, One note. One note, mister chairman. I have to say this. I was born on the North End. I live there now.
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I was I was baptized at Saint Ann's Church, First Communion, confirmation. One thing I didn't do is get married. I had to go to Boston. And, hopefully, when I get my judgmental rewards, I'd be buried from there. So that said...
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But with the merger of St. Edward's Hispanic community, that is the lifeline for my church, St. Anne's. Without that, people my age are just either moving on to other places or going on to their just rewards. So that is the right of survival for St.
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Ann's Church as far as I'm concerned. And this will help Space will help that merger. And with your help, it's gonna be very helpful. Fantastic. And, you