Providence Special Committee on (HOPE) - Tuesday, March 11, 2025-6:00PM

But And then, like, I actually would invite people kids to my house to fight, so I wanna get in trouble

in school. You would invite them to your

Okay. I see. Done cuts in that here.

I do not see whole each other? Yes. This is the resolution.

Yes. Me too. Good afternoon, everyone. I'd like to call up a special committee on health opportunity, prosperity, and education to order for Tuesday, March 11, 6PM. Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll call?

Chairman Juan Pachado?

Present.

Vice chairwoman Shelly Peterson?

Present.

Consulate Samantha Bohr?

I'm here.

Consul Justin White?

Present.

Consul Miguel Sanchez?

Present.

Five present.

Zero absent. You have

a quorum?

We have a quorum.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Right before us is the agenda today.

Just to let everyone know that item number three, which are going to continue. However, if there's anyone that's present and would like to speak, I would and they would like to speak now, they could do so. If not, they could wait until we have a hearing at another time, probably within probably about two weeks from now. So is anyone present that would like to speak on? Seeing none, can I have a motion to continue item number three, the resolution endorsing an urgent passage for

the general summary? Second.

It's been moved by councilwoman Peterson, seconded by councilman Sanchez. Any discussion? Seeing none in most of favor?

Aye. Aye. Aye.

Unanimously and then continue. The second item that I'd like to see within this agenda, Let's go with item number one. No amendments amending chapter 23, street sidewalks and public places are for one in general of the province code of ordinance to act section twenty three thirty eight, can be an apartment property. And what that means to the general public, I hope everyone has read the resolution.

But the sponsor is here with us, and

that is sponsor, Councilman Sanchez. Can you if you like, you wanna elaborate on it?

Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you, mister Chandler. Yeah. So, definitely, you know, I wanna give a shout out to our policy staff that's here and also help them if there's some research.

So what this essentially does is prohibits, the possibility of issuing, tickets, fines, to members of the public that are camping on public property. So to be clear, this isn't something that is already happening. I will take a step back and elaborate on on what brought this idea forward. So back in the fall of twenty twenty four, there was a Supreme Court decision called Grants Pass, I believe. And this allows Grants city of Grants Pass.

It's a city out of California oriented, versus Johnson. And this was challenged all the way to the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court did rule that municipalities can, ticket folks that are sleeping in, you know, as blunt as possible. This is a decision that targets, unhoused members. So the Supreme Court did decide that it is, in their eyes, legal.

So this kinda started a snowball effect across the country. Wanna be very clear that this isn't something that we're doing here in in Providence currently, but we are seeing other municipalities, like Fall River, West Norfolk, Cranston that are starting to, if not already, are doing actions like this. So what this ordinance does is prohibit that. Really just to add another extra layer of protection for some of our most vulnerable community members. As you guys are all aware, homelessness is a policy decision.

So adding punitive measures, like more certificates, more fines, really, in my opinion and depending on people who are smarter than me, makes it more challenging. Once you get caught up in the court system and you have, tickets that are unpaid, then you get warrants. You know, if, legal record like that, it's, makes it more challenging to to get housing. So, yep, so this is, like I said, a protective measure for the members of our unhoused community. There was concerns of, you know, does this affect any other unfortunate mechanisms, and it really doesn't.

You know, one of our colleagues had mentioned, we're eventually do some concerns about people sleeping at the parks. Well, there's already an ordinance in place where folks can't be in in the parks past 9PM. And as my brother, wheelchair is enforced Mhmm. Already, you know, someone is loitering on public property, you know, in front of, like, a Dunkin' Donuts, that's a a bill that's, that's enforced already through through other laws or ordinances. So, yeah, this is specific to people, sleeping on public property.

Police will will still come and, you know, ask them to move, but they won't issue fire certificate or any their discretion. So, yeah, I don't entertain any comments, concerns, Thank you. Compliments at this time.

Any questions, Councilman Royals?

I I fully support this ordinance. I think it's common sense, I think. It doesn't change enforcement laws around folks setting up camp in public spaces. I think all this ordinance is saying is that we're not gonna find people out of homelessness. So I fully support it.

It's again, fines don't make any sense. It doesn't push folks closer to housing or or stability. It actually, pushes them further into hardship. So, I think this is a great, piece of, legislation by consul Sanchez and for support. Okay.

Any other questions?

My question is actually kind of flipped up. Think please try to follow my training stuff on on this. I don't disagree with anything we said here. I think I think we should be leading with some empathy in many cases. My question is more around the public property spaces that we do charge a fee for.

So for example, we have a camp somewhere. Right? Somewhere down in the Narragans that

are Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Not yet.

It was something else. But in there. Right. Yeah.

Does this inhibit the opportunity for somebody to rent that space or utilize that space where we can collectively in a moment in the situation where we have the opportunity to do so? Does this actually directly inhibit that opportunity? Because one of the things that I certainly don't wanna do is in a in a position where we can do something to be able to obtain extra revenue for the city. I certainly don't wanna inhibit not relating to what's going on in this ordinance itself. That's I don't want there to be some sort of a like, I don't

want this to be used as

a way of somebody saying, hang on a second. Actually, we can't charge you x y z z for this reason. That's that's I hope I'm making my No.

That's that's definitely a great question. And, you know, it's important to bring up any possible possibility in in stuff like this, and, like, sometimes there's opposite consequences. And this does get chatted at some point, that would mostly be, like, a rental. Right. Not necessarily a fine or a ticket.

Okay. Okay. So that makes sense. Yeah. So you got you know, you you apply to the application, and you know Gotcha.

Okay. And that would be like a proactive Okay. Reactionary

form of. Understood. That that's what I wanted to make. But I didn't I guess my second question, my follow-up question is to actually well, no. Never mind.

The Christmas meeting here. Never mind. I'm good. Then you answered my question. Okay.